Sept 13/08 - Magical Sedona, Arizona

Saturday, Sept 13/08

Today marks the third week into our adventure. It’s interesting to look back and see all the different sights we have experienced.

We depart Cortez at 9:00 a.m. It’s cool – about 40F so we dress warmly. We arrive at Four Corners Monument at 9:30 a.m. as the day is warming under an azure sky. The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Navajo Nation and Ute Mountain Tribal Lands where the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet — the only point in the United States where the boundaries of four states intersect. An Ute Indian reservation abuts the point in Colorado. The landmark is run by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department and is a popular tourist attraction, despite its isolated and somewhat remote location. The original marker erected in 1912 was a simple cement pad, but has since been redone in granite and brass.

Leaving Four Corners we head out Rte 160 West with the understanding we will fuel at Mexican Water which is in Apache country.

We are very briefly in New Mexico and then cross the State Line into Arizona where we are starting to enjoy some of the interesting and unusual rock formations that seem to rise out of simply nowhere. I am happy to bomb along listening to my iPod and enjoy the wonderful views. A few miles past the Red Mesa Trading Post Rod roars up beside me and points at his gas tank where his

map pocket is. I thought the map had been snatched out again but was puzzled as it really was not windy ??? He pointed ahead and I assumed he meant we could buy another map at the service station when we reached Mexican Water. Another 8 miles passed and Rod pulled over to the side of the Hwy. I asked him “What happened with the map this time”? He said, “nothing but I have been on reserve fuel for 10 miles”. Well, isn’t this a conundrum? We really haven’t pushed the limits of his bike on reserve, at 800 pounds it’s a little too onerous to consider pushing and in the middle of Apache territory I’m not sure I want him to leave me with his bike and have him take mine in search of fuel. We’re not certain we will be able to find fuel in Mexican Water and decide to turn back and ride the 10 miles back to Red Mesa. After fueling we ride back and reach Mexican Water within 1 ½ miles of where we turned around and yes, they do have a service station. We fuel again in Tonalea then continue through Tuba City and pick up Hwy 89 to Flagstaff where we ride part of the Historic Route 66 (Carol, if you're reading this - I didn't forget)then the spectacular Route 89A to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. While most of the world knows about Arizona's Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon is far less well known. However it is the state's second biggest attraction, and it is a place of great beauty. The perspective is different in Oak Creek Canyon. The main road runs through the canyon, and your experience is mainly looking up at the natural wonders as opposed to Grand Canyon where most people look down from the rim.

We are excited to be arriving here. I had managed to reserve a hotel room at a hotel that is new since we were here last. “The Amara Resort and Spa” – it sounds heavenly and we are looking forward to our check in. We have our AAA Tour Books with us even though I kid Rod about how much valuable space they take up in his Goldwing trunk. This has proven to be a God-send as when I called for the reservation they quoted me a price substantially higher than the tour book listed. When I mentioned this they immediately said “Oh, you have the AAA Tour Book – well that is actually a mis-print but since you have it there we will honour the price”. Everything we have read about it has been positive and I am looking forward to some “kick-back” time especially as the weather is now gorgeous and 90F. Bring on the pool time!!! You enter the hotel from the main Hwy 89A via a steeply descending driveway with an off camber turn at the bottom to the registration area. I’ll be glad to just let my bike sit in the parking area for a few days. The Amara charges a $20.00/day “resort fee” part of which includes valet parking. Rod laughs that he’s really like to see them try to valet park his Wing but I’m not keen on the idea. Two bell hops step smartly forward as we park the bikes in front of the front door – warmly welcome us to Amara and ask if we are checking in. “We are” we reply and they usher us over to the solid granite registration desk area. I give the girl on the desk my name and she gives me a puzzled look. When she is not able to find our reservation I ask Rod to please bring in the tour book as it has our confirmation number written inside it. I don’t start to feel concerned until she is looking a very long time at the computer screen in front of her. Finally she looks up and says “I’m sorry, we don’t have you checking in until tomorrow night”. I must have looked shell-shocked at this point – I’m tired after riding 300 miles, it’s 93F and all I really want is a nice shower to clean up in and an easy evening. I can tell she really feels badly and confers with the manager. He comes over and says how sorry he – obviously there has been some sort of error and that normally it wouldn’t be a problem but tonight they are having a huge wedding there that night and ALL the rooms are fully booked – they have absolutely nothing but we are welcome to come back tomorrow for our 'scheduled arrival'. To add to that there are a number of festivals taking place in town and as I had already seen – accommodations were not easy to find this weekend. To give them credit, they do try to help us find something else but finally we resort to using our tour book and cell phone. We were fortunate enough to find the VERY LAST ROOM at the “La Quinta” which is out in the Village of Oak Creek about 8 miles out on Hwy 179. They are doing major road construction on this route and it takes us close to ½ hour to arrive there. It is quite a let-down after what we had seen at the Amara but they treat us very well, it is clean and we can walk to a number of restaurants nearby. We have a terrific dinner at “A Fork in the Road” and are able to enjoy a live jazz band as well. We haven’t yet decided if we’re going back to Amara tomorrow. We’ll sleep on it and decide in the morning when things are a little more in perspective.