It was Day 4 of our Alaskan cruise and we finally reached our first port of call at Skagway.
Everything I read described Skagway as a pioneer, western town from the 1890s. While that is true, nothing prepared me to feel so small as the vast AB Mountain, Face Mountain and others loomed nearby.
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A side trip to Bandelier National Monument near Los Alalomos, NM.
Just about 15 minutes outside of Flagstaff, lies Walnut Canyon. Established as a national monument by Woodrow Wilson in 1915, the park preserves ancient cliff dwellings from the Sinagua Indians.
The park is small; encompassing 3,600 acres and averaging 100,000 annual visitors. And because it only offers two short trails (less than one mile each), exploring can be done in an hour or two.
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In between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon lies Sedona, AZ. I remember coming here as a teenager. I recall staying in a Best Western and it being a flat, small town – sort of like a long strip. Restaurants and hotels were there but spread out. I remember seeing rocks with names such as Snoopy Rock.
No longer a sleepy town, Sedona bustles with activities, tour buses, people among beautiful red rock mountains. To get the best (the mountains) without the worst (the steeply-priced hotel rooms), consider making this a day trip from Phoenix, Flagstaff or the Grand Canyon.
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