We just spent a few days in Sedona – my first time there since I was about fourteen – and I gotta say, I love this little town. There’s so much art here, both in galleries and shops and out in the public sphere.
Sedona has two main shopping districts – there’s downtown, which has a few gems but is kinda filled with tourist traps selling t-shirts and cheap pottery.
But there is a great place to find an amazing array of quality souvenirs, from affordable kitchenware up to high-end sculpture and on-canvas art. It’s called Tlaquepaque – say it with me: Tah-Laa-Kwe-Packeee” – and it’s a gorgeous outdoor shopping center on the southern end of town.
Tlaquepaque is built in a Spanish Mission style, and it’s a pleasure to just wander the grounds, taking in the art and spending time sitting at the many fountains on a hot day and trailing your hand in the cool water.
There are so many great places here.
If you get here at lunchtime, start out at the Oak Creek Brewery – the food is good, and the second-floor location offers some gorgeous red rock views through the picture windows.
A short list of our favorite stores here: Cucina Sedona (really cool kitchen stuff); Esteban’s Pottery (OMG – we so almost came home with some of their gorgeous work); and The Inner Eye Gallery (just really cool art).
We spent about an hour at Tlaquepaque, but I could have wandered around all afternoon.
A must-see while you are in Sedona. Here are some more examples of the public art that litters the place, and some of the nice views – enjoy!
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Take a break and relax in the peaceful mountain town of Pine just below the Mogollon Rim.
Staying at the Beeline Guest House gives you a sense of Arizona’s history, with an early settler’s dwelling and old barn on the property located right in the village.
The rooms are nicely appointed and our guests enjoy a delicious full hot breakfast.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Arizona Sunburst Inn Bed and Breakfast offers a private desert oasis in the middle of Phoenix – it’s like you’re ot in the countryside.
Our Phoenix B&B features a welcoming, heated pool in a tropical setting – surrounded by magnificent palm trees. The grounds have wide, shady patios cooled by a mist system, and there’s also a hot tub where you can let the cares of the day evaporate away.
For the adventurous and outdoor lovers, there’s some great mountain hiking just a couple blocks away.
Each of our guestrooms is individually decorated, and includes beautifully remodelled bathrooms.
Arizona Sunburst Inn Bed & Breakfast is in one of Phoenix’s best neighborhoods, and is a great place to stay.
After spending my first weekend in Tucson with Katie, I had a surprise visitor in town for my second weekend, and VisitArizona had listed an event online that piqued our interest: a PowWow in Phoenix.
A PowWow is a gathering of several Native American communities who perform their traditional dances and showcase their communities’ costumes, and not knowing much about Native American culture at all, despite several visits to the Southwest, including various Indian reservations, I decided that it was time to learn more about their culture and so we headed to Phoenix for the day.
A PowWow is traditional held so that Native Americans of different communities can meet, dance and sing together, make new friendships, and of course: preserve their heritage and culture. But there is usually a dancing and/or singing competition, in the case of the PowWow we went to, there were competitions for both.
Returning to Arizona felt as glorious as ever! As usual, I am housesitting here – but this time, for different homeowners. I’m enjoying the company of a different dog and a different pool, but I am in the same neighborhood in the Catalina foothills which I love, and funnily enough it is just as hot as it is when I’m here in May. Tucson is experiencing unseasonably warm weather at the moment, I’ve been told.
I usually come to Arizona for a month of peace and quiet, and to catch up on work projects that I don’t get around to when I’m on the road, but this year, I’ve been busier than usual. I’ve been more social than I was on previous visits, making more of an effort to make new friends here, and have them show me some cool spots around town, because Tucson’s restaurant scene keeps growing. I also got to catch up with old friends over wine and cheese and have been taking advantage of my well equipped and spacious kitchen which almost makes me want to stop traveling and set up a home base. Almost.
The highlight of the week? Katie came to visit me for a few days and I introduced her to some of my favorite spots around here: we hiked in Sabino Canyon and in Saguaro National Park (and after finding this website listing all the hikes around Tucson I think I’ll never get bored here – so many hikes I haven’t done yet!), and we visited the beautiful San Xavier Del Bac Mission, pictured above, which is the oldest European structure in Arizona, filled with striking original 18th century statuary and mural paintings.