21st October
Today we were picked up by Jim and Jenny to go to their
friend’s ranch. We arrived at their
place outside Sedona, up in the hills.
We were first shown round the estate lodge. This was a huge building with a fully grown
red cedar in the centre of the main hall.
David and Linda raise cattle and run a number of tourist
activities, they also ride and hunt like the stereotypical westerners. David’s gun cabinet contained at least a
dozen weapons of various types and calibres.
It was slightly unnerving when he opened up his jacket and showed us his
pistol in a shoulder holster!! Arizona is
one of only three states to allow the carrying of a concealed weapon without a
special permit!!!
After a tour of the farm and a stop to admire Linda’s new
horse, we set off in a massive truck, Ford 350 with a 6.7 litre 400 bhp engine
(note for any petrol heads out there), for the 9 mile drive down Schnebly Hill
to Sedona which takes an hour! Nine
miles in an hour? Well this road is an old unmade wagon trail with sheer drops
on one side that goes straight down the mountain. It was an unbelievably rough ride
but with stunning views all the way down.
In some respects it was even more impressive than Monument Valley and
again many cowboy films have been made in the area.
Anyway we survived and to recover, had Margaritas and were treated to a superb lunch by Jenny and Jim, thanks again guys! Finally the journey back to Flagstaff took us along Oak Creek Canyon and yet more stunning views.
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