Last days in Sedona

We know that we left you wondering if we actually took any of those trails we wrote about in our last post.  What?  You weren't wondering??  Well,  you get to hear about it anyway.  Yes, we did take advantage of those 300+ miles and walked the Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte trails for a day's total of around 5 miles.  The trails are rated moderate which means elevation climbs, rocky areas, etc.  The scenery was great and the trail wasn't too hard.  We were going to go for an 8 mile hike today but decided to be lazy instead, so we are tucked into a table at the Wildflower Bakery eating fresh pretzels and slurping coffee/tea and looking at Cathedral Rock outside the window.  But we'll share the pictures from the other day.

Bell Rock

Courthouse Butte

Along the trail

Up to this point we had been sharing the trail with mountain bikes...

...but horses are allowed along the whole trail.  Be careful where you step!

Cathedral Rock (also the view from the bakery)

By the way, if you are guessing what makes the rocks red around here, it is the high level of iron oxide staining formed when flood plain deposits of iron mineral mixed with oxygen at that time (around 280 million years ago).

Later that afternoon we drove over to the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  This is a small Catholic church built in 1956 on a spur of rock about 250 feet high.  It juts out of a thousand foot red rock wall.  There was no dynamite used to dig out the space.  The church is still used weekly for masses and holds around 100 people.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

We were told by many locals that we shouldn't miss seeing the sunset from the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout.  So, off we went to watch the sun go down...with about 200 of our newest friends.  Looks like the locals tell everyone about the sunsets.

Looking north

Heinz and friends...

Going...

Going...

Gone.

Friday was our wedding anniversary (11 years, my how time flies).  In true married fashion we spent it doing what we enjoy doing.  Heinz went fishing on Oak Creek and I went shopping in Sedona.  He caught nothing and I snagged a great pair of turquoise earrings.  We then met up in the afternoon and had an early dinner at Elote Cafe in Sedona.  They serve true Mexican rather than Tex-Mex and the food was fabulous.  Melt in your mouth tender carnitas and juicy slices of medium rare carne.  Their signature dish is called Elote (go figure) and is made of roasted corn, spicy mayo, lime juice, and cojita cheese.  It is served as a dip for your tortilla chips.  I found the recipe on line and have included it at the end of today's entry although I haven't tried making it yet.  

Saturday we took off for Prescott.  This was a town that was on the list of potential retirement places, but we took it off the list pretty quick.  There was just not much there that appealed as a place to live, but ok to visit.  We did check out the "Art for All" art history mural.  It was a collaborative effort between a group of artists and the local community to create a public work of art.  The artists surveyed the community to find out what should go into the mural, researched historic figures in the local museums, and then designed three murals for the community to vote on.  The painting of the mural then took two and a half years to complete.  Much of the painting during the summer months was completed at night due to the heat and glare and was occasionally halted during the winter months due to cold and snow.

Prescott mural

Prescott mural

Speaking of snow, there is still snow in the mountains around here.

After leaving Prescott, we drove over to Jerome.  The town is located on top of Cleopatra Hill at an elevation of 5200 feet.  It was a copper mining town in the 1800's producing 3 million pounds of copper per month.  It had a reputation as the wickedest town in the west.  It was once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory and now has a population of around 300.  The copper ran out and everyone left except those who managed to hang on and turn the town into a tourist attraction.  Lots of artists and artisans have shops in the middle of town, but the edges are full of empty houses and abandoned mines. 

 

Jerome, AZ

Of course, here's our friend of the day, from the ghost town of Jerome, AZ.

Recipe Corner.  This recipe was found on the Boston Globe website and was adapted from Elote Cafe.

Elote

6	ears fresh corn, husks intact
1	cup mayonnaise
1	tablespoon cholula hot sauce
2	tablespoons lime juice
1	teaspoon salt
1	teaspoon black pepper
1	teaspoon sugar
1/4	cup chicken stock
1/4	cup ground cotija cheese or Parmesan
2	tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
	Pinch of pure ground chili powder, or to taste

1. Soak corn in water for 10 minutes.  Over a medium hot grill, roast the corn in their husks for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the husks are well charred. Take care not to burn the kernels inside; set aside until cool enough to handle.  If too cold to venture out to the grill, you can roast the ears in a 500 degree oven.

2. Shuck the corn. Cut the kernels off the cobs and transfer to a saucepan.

3. Add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, black pepper, sugar, and chicken stock. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, just until warm.

4. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with cheese, cilantro, and chili powder. Serve with chips for dipping.