A weekend under the stars in Sedona
Alec Sills-TrauschA weekend out of the Arizona heat and amongst the Sedona red rocks is always a great call.
After work, Veronica and I packed up and headed north to Cave Springs Campground, knowing full well we’d be setting up in the dark. Thankfully, tents nowadays basically set themselves up on their own so it was easy.
Once all the “fun” had been had, it was time for the good stuff – starting a fire and then cooking dinner over said fire. Usually, I’m a minimalist when it comes to eating, but this trip I sort of splurged. The evening before, I diced onions and peppers, in preparation for a sausage, potato, and pepper/onion creation cooked in an iron skillet over a raging fire.
It was delicious – though I’d argue basically anything cooked over an open fire is well worth it.
Saturday morning, we woke up and grubbed again. (If you can’t tell, food was a major part of this trip.) After filling up, we headed off to Soldier’s Pass to hike around the scenic red rocks. Introducing Veronica to the Sedona was super fun.
Soldiers Pass
This hike takes you past the 7 Sacred Pools (7 small pools that are sacred for some reason and sometimes have stagnant water in it) and then we headed up towards the pass. We didn’t make it all the way but that was okay as it was warming up and we forgot sunscreen.
Once we hiked out, we headed to Tlaquepaque to eat lunch by the river that runs through it. I set up the hammock and immediately passed out. Whoops. Luckily, Veronica didn’t mind exploring the area and let me get my beauty sleep.
After that, we headed even more into the backcountry to watch the sunset. It was stunning. (I’ll have a full post where we ended up with all the photos.)
That evening, back at the campsite, we put the iron skillet aside and went a more traditional route with tortellini and tomato sauce on my camping stove. After a day out and about, carbing up was very much needed.
The next morning, the various campfires throughout the campground made for a really cool sight as the sun streamed through the trees. We also continued eating heartily by making a breakfast skillet consisting of potatoes, eggs, and bacon. Yes, I love food. No, I won’t apologize.
After packing up, I continued the tour-de-Sedona for Veronica by going up the 89A and Oak Creek Canyon. Getting up above the canyon gives you a perspective of how big and green it is. We pulled off at the scenic overlook which I somehow don’t remember ever being before so it was nice to check it out.
Whenever you can leave the heat of the valley for the cooler weather of Sedona, you have to go. As the weather cools, Arizona residents’ mouths are watering, thinking about the months of adventure we have before us.
Until next time adventurers, take care and be safe.
You can follow along the journey on Facebook and Instagram or shoot me any questions and comments about places to go. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to be notified when new posts come out!