TheFelixes.org

On the verge of our third trimester, Kendall and I decided to take our last official vacation prior to the arrival of Baby Felix.  Marketers call it “the babymoon”, but we refer to it as a relaxing week split between the pool and hiking trails of sunny, dry Arizona.  Our destination of choice was Sedona in the “Red Rock Country” of Coconino National Forest.  At 4,500 feet, Sedona provides relief from the intense heat – it tends to be 10-15 degrees cooler than Phoenix and dazzles you with its amazing red rock mesas and buttes. Happily, we were successful in recharging our batteries while exploring a beautiful part of the Southwest and spending QT with our forthcoming son.

Here is a collection of our trip observations:

• Key to getting a vacation off to a good start – accessorizing with fun glasses and naming your rental vehicle.  Meet Hank our travel sidekick.
• Mama Felix’s pregnancy fetish of the week:  Chewing on ice cubes. Ice amenities were an important part of our accommodations.
• Sedona turned out to be more touristy than we expected, but the hiking and mountain biking trails were less crowded and more beautiful than expected.
• Flora and Fauna Watch:  We encountered a tarantula, bunnies, hawks, the prickly pear cactus (great in margaritas), agave (or century plant) among others.  We did not encounter any javelinas which was disappointing but not necessarily a bad thing.
• Sink holes are ominous…  even more so during thunderstorms.
• Great Hikes:  Doe Mountain (great 360 views from this mesa) and Devil’s Bridge (Natural bridge you just have to cross)
• Bike Friendly and Crazy:  Got hooked up @ Bike and Bean (thanks Mark for the rec) with a fully suspended Bionicon and a trusty Cosmic Ray map.  Did three rides including Chimney Rock Loop, Thunder Mtn to Teacup to Soldier’s Pass to Jordan and Courthouse Loop to Bell Rock Path to Little Horse to Bombing down the 179F jeep trail.  In all honesty, I walked my bike more often than jumped my bike.
• Top Eats:  Elote (Seafood tacos, Prickly Pear Margs), Los Dos Milos in Phoenix (Spicy Chicken Enchiladas), D’Lish (House Iced Tea and Black Bean Burgers).
• The contrast between red rock and ponderosa pine is stunning.
• The entire Sedona hospitality industry is run by twenty somethings.
• Roundabout Mania:  Roundabouts are everywhere, a great idea, except when clogged with roundabout virgins.
• A New Age:  Visiting Sedona would not be complete without visiting The Center for New Age, picking up some crystals and heading to a vortex.  We hit the Bell Rock Vortex for a short hike and meditation.

Overall, a cosmic time and nice way to ease into week 28 and our third trimester.  Thanks to all our friends and family for their recommendations.

-Chaz