For This I Could Have Stayed in Wisconsin

You live in Wisconsin. When it comes time to take a break, you generally think, "South!" So, we were off to Arizona for the week between Christmas and New Year's day. In all fairness (I do want to be fair, you know), the first two days in Oak Creek were just gorgeous. Let's pause here for a minute and consider what I just said. The Oak Creek thing. I know I've talked about Sedona, but technically (means "in reality"), we stayed in the small town of Oak Creek, about 5 miles south of Sedona. Anyway, as well ensconced in the south as we were, it was quite a surprise to hear the weather forecast on Tuesday evening. Full of words like cold, snow, sleet, wind, blizzard, chains, road closings. Things were going to go north in a hurry.

Wednesday dawned, I think - it was so foggy that it was really hard to tell for sure - to a wet, blustery beginning and only got more unpleasant as the day wore on. Now I will have to say, much like the seacoast on a stormy day, there was a certain rough character to the countryside as it stood up against the winter onslaught. We took it in, often from the comfort of the rental car, but it wasn't what we had come for.

Nonetheless, the entire short week was a blast. The Red Rock area is spectacular and we were appropriately cozy in The Cozy Cactus bed and breakfast. And, even with all of the weather warnings and road closings (I40, I17 were closed north of us), we had no problems getting around and making our way back to Phoenix on Thursday. We did miss going up to Jerome, though, so I guess we'll have to go back sometime. I'm OK with that.

Here are some, if not rare, at least unusual pictures of a cold, damp, snowy Sedona area.




And THIS is what Arizona SHOULD look like: