a hikin' we will go

this week we had 8 days off ( two left still)...so we did a little laz-ing around and some cleaning...but then we went hiking. The first time we went was in Flagstaff- it was pretty much a 500 foot uphill hike until we go to the mesa. From there, there was a great view of the mountains and if it wasn't getting dark we could go all the way to the observatory, but since we got a late start, we headed back down when the sun was getting ready to go down. It was a pretty vacant trail, with only a few other hikers and some folks on bikes (those folks have BALLS!!! it was icy and very steep on the way down.) Our little hiking book said that in the evening there are usually elk roaming around there, but we wanted to get back before that-mostly because we were starving... so we headed out and to dinner at the beaver street brewery... There we met a couple from England who was in town for only a few weeks. And i felt like an arse, because i could not understand what the heck this guy was trying to say to me... i had to have him repeat it like 3 times before i got it ( i felt like Barb with the "beggies" in tucson.)
he was asking me if it was a compliment in the states to get carded for drinks, but all i heard was "is a compliment to get ars for it" and i was like "WHAT???!!!" and just kept smiling... oh well, i don't think he was too offended....

Our next hike was today in Sedona ( mom i added some photos so you could see what sedona red was :) it was sooo cool..although i did not go to the top of cathedral rock-only because i knew that i would then have to come down, but i went up pretty high for being afraid of heights...it was so amazing..the whole area that we were in smelled like juniper ( there were juniper berries and bushes everywhere.) the place that we hiked is located on a vortex On a vortex site, it is said that the earth's unseen lines of power intersect to form an energy field. It was pretty apparent where we were...kinda like walking into the salt lamp shop in tucson, it was very warm and there was notably a lot of energy there... like when you give someone a hug that you haven't seen in awhile, the energy that get from them is kinda like what it felt like standing there..i guess you'll just have to come and visit us to get the whole effect.
i didn't know this, but i just learned that sedona was named after a chick, which made it that much cooler!!! The city got its modern name from a woman pioneer, Sedona Schnebly, who settled there at the end of the 19th century.

so we walked around the city after our hike, there are a lot of tourist-y places like at tombstone, but it was fun to go into them. There were also a ton of new age stores and spas around town...we went into a lot of the shops, but they all had the same kinda goods in them.. we didn't get to go to any spas ( BOOO!!) not enough time or $$, but i think it would've been really cool to go on a retreat in the red rocks, it was a very peaceful place to meditate and just be.
Well, we are off tomorrow and Weds.. i think that we are planning on checking out the Lowell Observatory at night on Weds. to see Saturn. Hopefully it is not too cloudy!
i'll keep you posted!

RATS!!! i tried to post some photos, but something is wrong..so i will try again tomorrow!!