Blue skies, red rocks, yellow sun: a Southwest vacation journal

In less than four hours, the bright blue skies and warm sunshine of Arizona was replaced with cold, blowing snow on the runways of Detroit Metro Airport.

That’s climate shock, for sure.

Viewing the beautiful and serene red rock formations of Sedona and hiking the trails of Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains outside Tucson were routine occurrences just a few short days ago. Replacing those remarkable Southwest vistas with mountains of Midwest snow seems like particularly cruel punishment.

Back to reality.

Visiting some long-time friends, Ben and Bette Munger, was the premise for the too short, quickie vacation. Since the trip was also a debut encounter with Arizona in particular – and the Southwest in general – we packed as much "sightseeing" as possible into the short timeframe.

When we left, light snow cover was barely visible on the ground below, gradually diminishing before finally giving way entirely to the brown and ochre hues of the landscape around Phoenix. Heavy rainfall in the area left normally dry washes filled with muddy waters, an aftermath of flash flooding that had occurred in the days prior to our arrival.

Because this was a first-time trip to the area, stops along the drive north from Phoenix to Sedona were mandatory. A quick stop along US-17 was required for a long-range photo of the "last Saguaro" cactus, perched near the top of a ridge in the gradual ascent through the Prescott National Forest. An even longer pitstop was necessary to capture the view at the Sunset Point Rest Area – lovely, despite the fact that the sun was far above the mountains at that particular time of day.

We stopped once more near the approach to the village of Oak Creek that lies just south of Sedona – the initial view of the famous red rock formations creating a sense of awe and wonder that was the first of many similar experiences in the following two days.

Hiking the Jim Thompson Trail on the north side of "uptown" Sedona was a true "picture-perfect" starting point the following day for views of nearby Wilson Mountain. Rainy weather here, too, filled usually dry creek beds with water that rippled over rocks and cascaded down small ravines along the trail – the lovely melody of sound adding to an already serene environment.

The hike also provided views of Oak Creek, the cold, clear stream that is the namesake for Oak Creek Canyon – a "must" drive north of Sedona that we took later in the afternoon. Changing weather patterns resulted in the sunny start of the 15-mile trip up the canyon ending in snow flurries at the top of the roadway that culminates in a series of switchbacks.

Similarly, the drive back down along Oak Creek changed in direct proportion to the elevation – snow gave way to raindrops before the sun emerged once more at Midgely Bridge that spans Oak Creek just north of Sedona.

Day Two at Sedona provided views of more breathtaking rock formations, this time on the south side of Sedona near the village of Oak Creek. A stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross was the perfect beginning, offering a time for reflection amid the beauty of the natural setting.

A sketch in 1932 by Marguerite Brunswig Staude resulted in an initial architectural model being crafted by Frank Lloyd Wright, leading to the construction of the chapel in 1956.

The hands of man were not necessary in the majesty found in the hiking trails around nearby Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. The 4.2-mile loop around the pair of rock formations was certainly a highlight of the Sedona experience – and probably the most challenging hike of the entire trip, at least for a pair of rookies.

It was difficult to leave those spectacular red rocks, but equally stunning views in a different setting were waiting us in and around Tucson. We explored Sabino Canyon the following day – with the help of our very qualified tour guides, Ben and Bette. Rains that preceded our arrival left Sabino Creek flowing fast – and high – making the lovely setting even more "photo friendly."

Hillsides of the canyon that is located on the northeast side of Tucson were spotted with desert wildflowers just beginning to bloom, while the many varieties of cacti sported the start of "buds" that would eventually become flowers.

A trip the following day to the opposite side of Tucson provided still another different view of the great Southwest. The vista looking west from Gates Pass toward the Sonoran Desert featured a long-range look at our destination – the Saguaro National Park and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

By this time, even a couple of St. Johns tenderfoots were beginning to be able to identify some desert species – barrel cactus, prickly pear, mesquite trees and the ocotillo bush.

Bette attempted to make friends with a Western diamond-back rattlesnake – behind the glass of the reptile exhibit rooms at the Desert Museum – while Wayne got the "money shot" of a beautiful hummingbird after waiting patiently in the superb arena there that is dedicated to the lovely, winged creatures.

The day filled with new experiences was capped by a visit that evening to the new home of another Clinton County native – Kathy Irrer Wilson. She and hubby, Gary, are enjoying the best of both worlds – plying their gem and jewelry trade at home sites with views of Tucson and the Santa Catalina Mountains in the winter and Traverse City in the summer. The little farm girl from Bengal Township has done pretty well for herself, I’d say.

In hindsight, we probably should not have packed one more travel day into an already tight schedule – but, I really, really wanted to see Tombstone. So, we packed up the next morning and headed south on US-10 from Tucson to get a feel for the ‘Old West.’

While I didn’t see Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday (or, more preferably Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer), Wayne did get to strike a pose with Richard Blake on the streets of Tombstone. The character actor had a lead part in a staged gunfight that we had seen upon our arrival in the historic town – not exactly like the O.K. Corral, but the sun was shining brightly in the outdoor amphitheatre so who’s complaining?

I tried to apply for a job at the Tombstone Epitaph – the second oldest newspaper in Arizona – but setting the old lead type is not part of my resume. We did check out the obligatory sights – the Crystal Palace Saloon where Morgan Earp was shot down; the Bird Cage Theater where Wyatt first saw the girl who turned out to be the love of his life, Sadie Marcus; and Big Nose Kates Saloon, "the girl who loved Doc Holliday and everyone else, too," according to the sign.

The full day ended back in Tucson, where we enjoyed one final sunset and good conversation with the Mungers before heading back to Phoenix the following morning – and the plane trip home to what turned out to be an even snowier setting than we had left just six days earlier.

We were treated to one final spectacular sunset – somewhere in the skies between Indianapolis and Detroit – a fitting ending to a Southwest journey.