Maybe I will go back and fill everything in, and maybe I will not. :/ Who knows.
Since then, however... I have traveled to some favorite places, that I have yet to document here, at The Irreverent Traveler. Until now......
November 30-December 5th, 2010.... I ventured to Sedona, AZ to see a friend, and to hopefully discover a Sedona I had never seen before. As you might guess from reading other entries... I am not crazy about crowds, and I don't usually LOVE what everyone else LOVES. It's usually acceptable and fine, but I almost always LOVE something else......
This trip was no exception.
I stayed in a very weird, but quaint enough place called Sedona Pines. (There was pretty much nothing wrong with the place, aside from no wi-fi which did end up being both a blessing and a curse....). But, the main thing one should know about Sedona Pines, is that it is VERY CLOSE QUARTERS. It is too small for people who are not lovers OR for people who did not share a room together as children.
I happen to be really obsessed with travel trailers. Airstreams especially, which are very cozy spaces, so this very cozy space didn't bother me at all. Someone who is used to having lots of space likely would NOT have appreciated Sedona Pines. It's kind of... a "fancy" (and very clean, albeit outdated) trailer park.
My favorite thing about it..... is the location, which is far far away from the nightmare-ish things that Sedona has to offer. You cannot see Red Rocks from your room, but everywhere you can see Red Rocks (almost) you are surrounded by annoying tourists. So---THIS is why I always love something ELSE. The other side of town is perfect for people who like something else.
Speaking of "something else",.... I managed to find a gem of a little Mexican restaurant. Javalina Cantina. A Hole in The Wall, for sure....but I definitely recommend it, if you don't want to be gauged by the silly prices of Sedona, or wait forever and ever for the "fanny packs and tenny shoes" to get their table. The first thing I liked about it is that it was hard to find. If a place is hard to find, then the
"spoonfed" crowd is usually somewhere else. Somewhere touristy. This place is not touristy AT ALL. The food was average, greasy Mexican food. It had a neighborhoody feel, and was a fine place to drink a margarita. Neon signs, and bright colors....And as I mentioned... it was very reasonably priced for what it was. They didn't get very good reviews on tripadvisor.com---but, I feel like those people reviewing the place,....walked in there expecting to get their "world rocked" or something. To me, it's obvious that this is not the kind of place where worlds get rocked. The food is fine. Not terrible. Not fabulous. The atmosphere is relaxed, not special. If you want to be satisfied enough, with a little bit of a buzz.... and leave no more than 25 bucks behind in SEDONA.... this is the place.
I loved going to Heart Of Sedona Coffee for my morning pick me up and 'Interwebs Jones'. People were nice enough, but no one wanted to "chat", and I liked that. It just seems like almost every time I go get coffee somewhere, it is really obvious that I NEED coffee, and that the person behind the counter has HAD PLENTY. ??? This was a nice mellow introduction to the world of "I think I'm awake now".....
So, back to the main reason I loved my "modular unit" at Sedona Pines: LOCATION.
I'll say it loud and proud: I LOVE JEROME, AZ. I am way more of a Jerome person than I am a Sedona person. Jerome seems to actually BE what Sedona wishes it was. No offense to Sedona...and I mean--- they are definitely 2 different places with 2 different vibes.... but Jerome actually IS mystical, mysterious, artsy, gastronomically advanced,.... inhabited by real artists.... Artists who can hack it. Living on a mountain, high in the sky. Among a population of four hundred n' something. Interesting, educated, passionate people who are obviously "tired of the whole thing". They prefer island life. These are my kind of people. The "fuck that shit" kind of people. I don't know.... Jerome is just..... magical, screw you, beautiful, gritty, elite, punk rock, down home and totally frightening.... all at the same time.
I highly recommend having a pizza at Belgian Jennie's. They have a delicious situation there..... where you can get your own small pizza with one topping for something awfully affordable 6-7 bucks, I think. They also had wi-fi, whether or not they have it on purpose, I'm not sure.... But, sitting in the window.... having the most delicious pizza in the universe, drinking delicious red wine, and tap tap tapping away on my laptop was the most fabulous time I could have had after a long day and night in Jerome. It was Artwalk, after all....
Ahh, yes...Jerome Artwalk. Before I went to Belgian Jennie's, I went to my first Jerome, AZ Artwalk. Wherein.... local shops, bars, restaurants, galleries.... remain open at night, offer you beer, wine, champagne, snacks....and you get to peruse the art, or their wares.... or their fares... It was fun to stroll around Jerome with other people after dark. The streets typically seem quiet after 8 or 9, the other times I have been.
All in all a fantastic trip to Northern Arizona.
If you are looking for a great time with those gorgeous rocks,.... without many tourists..... in Sedona, I found that Lower Red Rock Loop Road, around 11am on a Sunday.... was pretty free of fanny packs and 'tenny' shoes. I had several great little hikes without being disturbed once....
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