Thanks for popping in to Thinking Out Loud Thursday, a time when I talk about something I’m thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same. Today I am continuing to document a recent trip to Sedona with a couple of my friends. If you missed Day 1, you can see it HERE.
On the agenda for Day 2 of our Sedona trip was hiking Devil’s Bridge Trail. This hike was on my bucket list and I was so excited my friends agreed to go! The iconic red rock arch was someplace I’d seen countless times in photographs and I wanted to experience it for myself.
A friend who had previously experienced hiking Devil’s Bridge said the hardest part was the last little bit before you reached the arch itself and she wasn’t kidding! After hiking the nearly 2 miles trail, you come to a very steep, natural rock staircase. If you get this far and decide not to go on to the bridge itself, there are still areas where the scenery is stunning! It was quite cloudy the day we hiked. I can only imagine how beautiful the mountains would be if the sun was shining on them.
We drove to the trailhead and had been warned that parking at the Dry Creek Road parking lot could be tricky as the spots fill up fast. Luckily, we were able to snag a spot in the lot! If you decide not to drive, there is a free shuttle out of Sedona that drops hikers off at the trailhead. It runs from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
On the day we hiked, there was only a small crowd at the top. Everyone was very courteous in waiting their turn to venture out onto the bridge. I would imagine during more popular vacation times the line and wait could be quite long. Other visitors were so encouraging and supportive of those of us a little less confident of going out to the middle of the bridge area.
When we were finished hiking and got back to the car, we realized we were starving.
The Hideway House had been recommended to us so we headed there. Lunch was okay, but the view out the back of the restaurant was wonderful. It was cloudy and looked like it could rain at any second, so we elected to sit inside. They had outdoor seating that would be great on a better weather day.
Our VRBO had a hot tub that was calling our names upon arriving back to our home-away-from-home. It was the perfect way to soothe our tired muscles from the morning hike. Soon it was time to climb out and get ready for our dinner reservation at the Latin Inspired Grill
Mariposa.
Mariposa, part of the Dahl Restaurant Group, is one of six restaurants opened by chef Lisa Dahl. Lisa is one of the country’s leading female chefs and restaurateurs. I love her mantra, “When you cook with love, you feed the soul.”. We enjoyed our dinner (and dessert). It was dark when we arrived, but you could tell that the scenery around the restaurant would be spectacular during daylight hours. In warmer weather, their outdoor seating would be to die for!
After dinner, we went back to our abode. Day Three we had an adventure planned I can't wait to share with you! I'll be posting about it soon.
Now it's your turn - what are you thinking about today? Link up and share!
