We woke up early, so decided to go out to the rim for the sunrise. It was very cold, but worth it. As we were walking back we encountered a group getting ready for a mule ride along the Bright Angel trail. The group was gathered for their safety talk. Several tour guides (in cowboy hats) and a group of mules hung around near by. The guide was telling the folks that their mule would walk close to the edge of the trail from time to time. When this happens they should NOT lean away from the edge. This is because not remaining upright in the saddle would loosen it. I'm thinking NO WAY are you getting me on that tour. 
Teresa and I headed for our spot in he cafeteria for some coffee to warm up. We split one of the cafeteria's home-baked cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The lodge here is not as posh as the one at Zion. No free breakfast and cafeteria style. The closest thing to a prickly pear margarita was Gallo wine in a small bottle. They did have a small pizza place off to the side which we tried last night. The Bright Angel Lodge on the rim has a bar and restaurant. We frequented the Bright Angel Lodge fireplace in the lobby. That's where we tried to warm up as we were waiting for the sun to rise or set.
Once we could move our fingers and toes again, we headed back to the room to pack up. We checked out and headed south. We skirted Flagstaff, taking the I-17 exit south and then the 89A exit for Sedona. There was a "scenic" marking on the map for this route, so we decided to take it rather than doubling back on highway 179. Soon after we turned onto the road, we saw a speed limit 25 sign. It soon became apparent why. The road was filled with switchbacks and hairpin turns. It was only 25 miles to Sedona, but we went down over 1,000 feet. We started to see the red rock formations, and it was pretty. When we got about 10 miles out of Sedona the road straightened out (relatively) and we started seeing a number of signs for roadside and state parks. Then we saw the distinctive red rock formations and we were in Sedona.
It's hard to describe the red rocks that tower over the city. Very beautiful and right in your face. So Sedona joins Weed and Springdale in that respect. We drove through East Sedona which is filled with tourist places, eating establishments , galleries, shopping village, hotels, etc. Very trendy and packed with people. Sedona is a town of traffic circles. They are everywhere. We managed to circle to highway 179 south and continued on. This road (highway 179) is fantastic. There are so many rock formations and viewpoints, one after the other.
We went south until we got to Oak Creek Village, a small burg nestled under some fantastic rock formations with a number of motels that are cheaper than those in Sedona. Not nearly as congested with cars and people. More our kinda place, so we checked into a motel. Then we immediately set out to see the area. We stopped at Red Rock State Park and took a hike to several view points. The ranger at the gate said he had just spotted a javelina (The Javelina - Sedona, Arizona's Famous Pig-Like Desert Dweller) We didn't see it, but we did go on the Javelina Trail and got a good view of several of the rock formations.
Next stopped at Crescent Moon Ranch State Park. Neither my golden pass, or the State Park pass we had just purchased for the Red Rock park was accepted, so we paid $9.00 to get in. Once we started going along the trails, we discovered that they entered Forest Service land. That's where all the good views of Cathedral Rock were -- on Forest Service land. Strange.
At about 5 pm we headed out for the airport. The hotel person had told us this was THE place to view the sunset. The airport is up on a mesa and you can see for miles in all directions. We stopped at the overlook area crowded with tourists with cameras. We fit right in. We were about an hour before sunset and it was getting cold (not as cold as GC) . I think I'm always going to associate the sunrise or sunset with COLD. Maybe Tucson will cure me of that.
After the sunset view we headed back to Oak Creek Village and had dinner at a Thai restaurant that was next to the motel. Food was very good. Teresa ordered a soup which was served in a hot pot with an actual flame going through the middle. It was quite a flame. She tried to blow it out unsuccessfully. It keep the soup boiling hot, and we both ladled out several bowls before the flame eventually went out. I ordered a dish with "Mee" noodles (I couldn't resist). They were crispy and sweet -- reminded me of rice krispy treats.
Tomorrow we are headed for home base in Tucson where the Gem Show awaits.
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