Day 2 - Headed Back

Not sure what the weather would be today we slept in till a little after eight. After packing up and checking out we stepped outside to a bright sunny day. Only problem was it was 22 degrees. Having lived in Arizona for the last seven months we just are not familiar with kind of cold in winter anymore.

A short drive later we stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, where we lingered hoping it would warm up a little. And a little was all we got. The rest of the day was uneventful. The highlight of the drive was on Interstate 17 when Barb spotted the first Saguaro cactus. I usually win this little contest we have, but today she got the better of me.

We should be disappointed about the way the trip turned out or didn't turn out. But the cold weather would have put a damper on the outdoor exploring, so we will try again when it's warmer.

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Day 1 - Headed Out

The day started off with great promise. For several weeks I have been planning a short trip as a surprise for Barb. While looking around on Google Earth I discovered an old, but remodeled, railroad hotel in Winslow, Arizona. Check it out at WWW.laposada.org.

Pretty excited about finally getting away we were on the road at 8:15. The plan was to spend some time in Sedona and then overnight in Flagstaff. I began checking the weather on-line before we left and saw the winter advisory for snow, rain and wind around Flagstaff. Not wanting to let a little thing like that spoil the fun we headed north on I17. Three hours later we were in Sedona having a couple bowls of chili for lunch.

By this time Barb was getting a little worried about the weather. Ok, she was getting very, very worried about the weather. I had already explained that I couldn’t cancel in Winslow without losing $300, when the phone rang and it was a lady from the hotel confirming our reservation the next day. I told we were considering heading home because of the weather and low she said no problem, no charge. Another phone call and we were cancelled in Flagstaff.

Now what to do. Not wanting to head home we decided to spend the night in Prescott Valley. After Barb got us a reservation she checked the weather there and saw it was snowing. I made her a deal. We would head toward Prescott Valley and if the snow was bad we would go home. Well, got to the hotel with only tiny flakes.

Dinner was Gabby’s Grill. I’ve had a long association with Black Butte Porter (brewed in Bend, Oregon) and was surprised to find it on the menu in Prescott Valley, Arizona. I was even more surprised to find it served in a glass with the Deschutes Brewery logo. We both had a sandwich and are now back at the motel. Wind chill when we left the restaurant was 21 degrees. Barb says we will never live again where its cold. I agree.

Well, the day didn’t turnout as planned, but we both agree it was still pretty good. We will make this trip sometime in May, when the weather is better. Tomorrow we will head back to Festival.

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