Williams, AZ
In the charming, Frontier-town buildings, you can watch a Wild West gunfight before taking an old steam train into the Grand Canyon. We've even camped in one of the Williams KOA Kamping Kabins, and relived the adventures of the day by a warm fire while the fall night fell and the temperature dipped below freezing. If you get tired of drinking your Sapphire and Tonics from cold stainless steel camping cups, I heartily recommend a drink at the Grand Canyon Lodge Lobby Bar, close to where you'll disembark the Grand Canyon Railway.
This was in 2005. My daughter was so little, and a little scared of the mock gunfight in Williams
At four, our little girl hiked 2 miles on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Here she's taking a break with her mom. Now, at 8, she can hike up the California Sierras like an adult. I guess this Grand Canyon adventure started her off on the right foot.
Flagstaff
Even less of a detour, plan your overnight stop to occur at the Hampton Inn Flagstaff, and you can see the beauty of Coconino National Forest from your room.
Kingman
If you decided to bunk in Kingman after your first day of travel, there's plenty to see as you head east on Old 66 from downtown Kingman. Follow the Mother Road across the rugged desert, 30 miles to the old-fashioned gas pumps and weather-beatensign collection at the Hackberry General Store. Continue 40 miles to the cement Dinosaur in front of Grand Canyon Caverns, a nostalgic and interesting stop on Route 66.
Hiking to one of the vortexes in Sedona
Sedona
30 miles south of Flagstaff is our family's favorite Arizona 66 side trip, Sedona. We usually stay at the Hampton Inn and then hike up to the Vortex at Red Rock (you can find out at a crystal shop, but don't pay for a map or a tour; the vortexes are easy to get to) to meditate on things that we want to happen in our lives. We've done it a couple of times and our "wishes" have all come tree. It's the kind of place that takes hold of you and transports you. It seems crazy, but take a sidetrip to Sedona, and watch your dreams come true. Even if I'm wrong, you'll still enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the red rocks.
I have a close friend that says that he pulled over at a gas station close to the parking lot that we use when we go on this hike to one of the vortexes, and he suddenly felt like he had drunk a 6-pack. When he asked the attendant what was happening, the reply was that it was the effect of the vortexes. For us, it's different. It feels "special", reverent, and commanding, just like a lot of back country spaces - Mount Whitney, Yosemite Falls, to name a few of the ones I've experienced. But, the amazing thing here is that if you meditate on manifesting something in your life, a thing, experience or achievement, it usually comes to pass within 12 months of the hike. Last time we hiked to the "spot", there was an Native American lady dressed in jeans and a t-shirt up in one of the cracks between the rocks above us chanting and singing; that enhanced the experience. The first time we went there, we asked for my wife's car, just as a test to see if anything would happen. The second time, we asked for something more serious, more important, and it came to pass in the most unusual way, but nonetheless happened within 12 months.
Vortexes are convergences of energy. They amplify thoughts and give them the strength to objectify your ideas. The operative word is amplify. Again, besides, the place is beautiful. Pardon me for not remembering the exact number, but I think there are 8 vortexes in the world and Sedona has three of them. When we go there, we just kind of run through town after staying at the Hampton Inn, and on the other side, after some winding road along the Redrock, there's a parking lot from which you can see the photo above.
In the next post, we'll be leaving Arizona and headed into magical New Mexico, where there's plenty of beauty and adventure. See you there!
