Confessions of a Tired Caterer: Burned to a Crisp

Well...sad as we were to leave...we are also glad to be home safely! We left Lubbock by 10 this morning and were home safely a little after 4 today!  We chose the small town route...a scenic route...other than the Interstate and it was certainly more interesting viewing. I downloaded my pictures today and am very excited to report most are quite good and am going to print some picture books with my Creative Memories Consultant, Deb Ramsey. That way they are recorded for all time!!! My generous husband...for providing me this opportunity...and I were recapping the trip and how it has expanded my viewpoints on our America the Beautiful. Truly, we were in three of the most beautiful places in America for sure. The Grand Canyon...Sedona...and Santa Fe. All three different, but all three very special indeed. Then add in...The London Bridge, The Meteor Crater, Albuquerque, etc....and you have the best that the Southwest has to offer!!! I must admit...I was happy to see my Texas Sta...

Today began with a relaxing breakfast and a new plan!!! Our B&B was voted Number 1 in Santa Fe last year....and is Pueblo Bonito in case you were wondering or are planning a trip to Santa Fe any time soon. They are adobe cottages with full kitchens, a bedroom living area with futon and fireplace, private patios and charming ambience with a wonderful history! New plan? We decided to explore Old Town Albuquerque and have lunch there at the historic Little Anitas and leave from there. We were soooo dreading the trip to Amarillo and so my husband called and suggested we go to Lubbock instead. Much nicer place...and not as bad a drive. So...here we are after a little googling...Judy is a master at reservations and we are at Arbor Inn and Suites which I would HIGHLY recommend as the room is huge, beautiful...this is every bit as large as a suite for a reasonable price. Well appointed with beautiful linens, met us with cookies and lemonade or tea, suggested dinner places right near by.....

Have you ever been to Santa Fe? If not...please take note of this day! Santa Fe is the gem of the Southwest in my book. It has it all....and we experienced a day full of art and beauty that can only be described as elegant pleasure for the senses. We started our day with a breakfast at our B & B, walked to the Plaza (central shopping area of Santa Fe downtown) and saw the best the city has to offer in terms of Southwestern clothing, art galleries, Native American Jewelry, pottery, etc. Yes, we did some serious shopping....but that is another story. We also met an artisan vendor who wants to show his work in our area and we can possibly connect him with the right people. That is the beauty of networking on vacation!!! Then, off to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum where we were immersed in fabulous artworks, learned about her life in a talk, shared with some participants afterwards who were from our area and have been best friends for 50 years and were on a trip themselves! ...

Well...Friday was a REALLY long day...jam packed with adventures! Ever been on a Pink Jeep Tour?  Well...after the MONSOON washed us out on Thursday night...we rebooked and went Friday morning. Had a wonderful breakfast in uptown Sedona and then met our tour guide and headed out! This was a 2 hour Canyon Tour and the views were spectacular as promised! Learned a lot about the land, the plants, the history...Sedona is named for Sedona Schnebly who was much beloved, the wife of Carl (T.C.) and they came out west at the urging of Carl's brother who was already farming in the area close to Flagstaff. Carl was hardworking, very successful, and they built a two story house. Soon Carl sought to open a Post Office and applied for a name. He chose Sedona's name and everyone was happy as she was known for her wonderful hospitality! The weather was perfect but there were dark clouds looming...we found out that Sedona usually averages only 14 inches of rain annually, but had received ha...

Today started off beautifully....we awoke to a beautiful view from our private deck...the most amazing Red Rocks views I have ever seen! I immediately posted it on Facebook and had many comments! We were soooo excited...and why? We are in a beautiful spot...we are so blessed to be able to see these amazing views and we are set to have some new adventures today! Then...we booked a luncheon at the most special place in Sedona....L'Auberge. We had a table creekside, shaded, and the most amazing food with some wonderfully chilled Sauvginon Blanc. What made this so over the top...I had lunched here 20 years ago when I was introduced to Sedona! I promised them I would return before 20 years later...and we were off! We shopped for a bit, found some bargains, some souvenirs, and then came back to change for our Pink Jeep Canyon Adventure. We waited for them...and when they picked us up in front of our resort...the guide showed us the rain coming down in the Canyon and offered us an alt...

Do you believe in Serendipity? We certainly do! Today...the plan was to be out by 9, on the hiking trail by 9:30 and so on....well...that's not exactly what happened. Here is the story.... Do you own a Subaru? If so...then listen up...if the keys are left in the Subaru ignition by accident for even 1 hour (which is what happened this morning), then....it shuts down all power...will not even lock the doors...will not unlock the hatch...etc. We tried to talk with the dealership and they were not helpful...so we found a person at the Lodge who was willing to jump Judy's Subaru and guess what? It worked perfectly! Now...this took extra time...so we did not get to start the trail until 11:15, but here is where Serendipity comes in to play. This threw us in the mix with so many people in line for the shuttle bus to our planned trailhead. While in line, Judy struck up a conversation with the lady in front...told her our situation and she asked why we were not trying the trail righ...

Have you ever seen anything so totally beautiful you were moved to tears? Well...I hope you make it to The Grand Canyon one day soon. I was so excited about seeing it, had heard so much about it, seen so many pictures, etc....but NOTHING could prepare me for the beauty I experienced today! I have never seen God's handiwork like this....and could never imagine how beautiful and special this place is. I was awestruck the moment I first saw the panorama and just could not take my eyes off the view. We just kept walking and taking pictures, and my feelings just grew! This was one of my Bucket List experiences and Thank You is all I can say. Thank You to God for this magical place, Thank you to my husband for treating me to this trip, Thank you to Judy for coming up with this idea, etc. We happen to be staying in The Grand Hotel...also a wonderful place that I would highly recommend. It is just minutes from The South Rim and we will continue to enjoy The Grand Canyon tomorro...