Sedona, Arizona

November 1st- November 15th

After 3 weeks home from Idaho, it was time to hit the road for Sedona, AZ. Neither Meghan nor I had ever been. We heard great things about the area and were excited to visit. We ended up falling in love with the place!

We stayed at Lo Lo Mai Springs campground outside town about 15 minutes. The campground was probably our favorite to date. It was nestled down by a creek and away from any distractions. Cell service wasn’t great but there was an area up the road a bit next to some Alpacas! It was a nice place for me to work each day.

We also were in for a treat for the first few days as Meghan’s parents joined us. We made some great memories walking around the grounds with them, fishing and heading into town. We shared some nice meals, visited Chapel of the Holy Cross and watched a sunset eating pizza on the bed of the truck!

One moment that sticks out was at chapel of the Holy Cross. It was near the day of the election and things felt so tense in the world. I knelt with Dylan & Meghan at the feet of the crucified Christ that they had in the chapel. I remember praying and surrendering in my spirit, trusting that God was in control. Knowing that He has His purposes to accomplish, regardless of the outcome of our election.

The red rock around Sedona is breathtaking! We did many hikes over the 2 weeks we were there. A few to take note of: Faye Canyon, Solider Pass, Sedona View Trail and Cathedral Rock come to mind.

When we did Faye Canyon, we ran into a local at the end of the trail who ended up taking us to a secret dwelling place. It was amazing! He was quite the guide and ended up playing his flute high up under the overhang next to some open rock. He was the snake whisperer! It was quite a moment and a bit surreal. We ended up having some really good conversation about life and faith. While we had 2 completely different views of God, we spoke in a respectful and kind way to one another. It was a great day out!

Soldier Pass and Cathedral Rock were incredible trails! If you visit Sedona, they are a must. Soldier Pass took us to another secret cave while Cathedral Rock had incredible views all along the way. When we left Cathedral Rock, we saw a jaw-dropping sunset. The sky literally was like fire!

We also visited “Slide Rock” where the boys and I took a dip in some cold water. Meghan caught all the action on her camera. We found some nice places to stop and take in the scenery around slide rock. It is also a place to visit if you find yourself in Sedona.

Seeing that we were so close to the Grand Canyon, we decided to take a trip up! Wow, what a sight! While we enjoyed our time walking around the Canyon, it is the small details that continue to make this journey memorable. Driving early in the morning listening to music with each other, pulling over in the snow for a bathroom break and conversations about life along the way. On our way back, we drove through Flagstaff to check out the city. Very cool town with some beautiful landscape around. When we got back in town after Flagstaff, we stopped for dinner at The Cowboy Club. The place was incredible! Food was wonderful and the boys even tried some rattlesnake. We ended up going back to Cowboy Club for another visit on the trip.

With all of the hikes, bikes and experiences we had around Sedona, we continue to cherish the quality time with the boys. Meghan and I often would sit and drink our afternoon tea watching the boys bike around the campground and enjoy themselves. We spent many days riding with each other only to discover a hidden rope swing and beautiful spots on the creek. We will never forget Sedona, and, we’ll certainly be back again! It was one of our top destinations thus far without a doubt.