January 2014: A visit from Seattle friend Maggi was an opportunity to head back up to Sedona and Jerome, with a stop at Arcosanti for a fiber retreat.
Felted flowers by some new fiber friends we met
Globemallow
Montezuma's Castle
Georgia O'Keeffe clouds at the castle
Montezuma hawk
Montezuma's Well
A drive up to Jerome for dinner
The Asylum is the restaurant in the Grand Hotel in Jerome. The hotel is a former hospital, and focused a lot on the idea that it is haunted. Despite the somewhat hokey elements of the hotel and the questionable decision to brand this soup in this manner, the food was really delicious.
Back to Sedona where our AirBNB came with two friendly and curious Burmese cats.
Morning drive up to Oak Creek Vista
Then down to Slide Rock
Apple tree at the orchards at Slide Rock
Slide Rock apple packing shed. Built in 1932, still in use today.
Marking on the smudge pot used to prevent freezing of blossoms and apples at the Slide Rock orchard.
We happened upon a farmers market. I picked up some seed packets for my gardening friendos, and Maggi bought some honey from a local apiarist.
Red Rock State Park for a little birdwatching
Finch and Junco
Jay
Juvenile goldfinch I believe
And back up to Jerome
Since Maggi had never been to Jerome, we decided to head back up for lunch. After a pretty tasty salmon quesadilla at the Flatiron Cafe, and fudge from the Copper Country Fudge Company, we stopped in a cooperative art gallery. I wanted to see the small show of an artist I'd liked on my Dec visit to Jerome. Her name is Judy Yescalis, and she makes these lovely nature scenes using batik. http://jeromeartists-yescalis.blogspot.com/2009/09/batik.html
I had bought a few of her cards last time I was there, so I picked up some more and checked out some of the original batik work on display. It was an appropriate little extra for our fiber arts weekend.
Mallow
Stop at Rock Springs Cafe on way home for their famous pie. Not entirely sure the reputation is fully deserved, but I was happy to learn about Tennessee lemon pie, which is sort of like a lemon bar as pie.