September 5th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues! Cottonwood!

We drove to Sedona Arizona today with Tim & Crystal. How can you describe Sedona to someone who has never been there? It’s multi-hued stone formations jut upwards from the high desert floor creating a vivid, mesmerizing setting that changes hourly with the light.

When travel bloggers compiled their Most Beautiful Places in America list, Sedona always seems to claim one of the top spots.  The city of Sedona is surrounded by nearly 2 million acres of national forest land. Locals and visitors have instant access to recreational activities. Trails for hiking and biking, along with bouncy jeep tracks, weave among the bristling forest of pinnacles, spires, buttes and domes. Yet, you’re never far from the luxuries of town.

Sedona is equal parts rugged, equal parts resort. Regarded by Native Americans as sacred, Sedona continues to be recognized as a place of healing and spiritual renewal. Many come to experience the vortex energy centers of Sedona. Others want to prowl the 40-plus art galleries lining the streets, or to receive soothing treatments from the dozens of spa facilities. Most recently, with its nearby vineyards and tasting rooms, Sedona has emerged as a destination for wine enthusiasts.

I was not a fan of the traffic! They put in roundabouts, which was supposed to ease the traffic, but it was still bumper to bumper. Once we got toward or destination, the traffic eased a bit. We are headed out to do some Jeeping on the Rocks. We are headed to the Broken Arrow Jeep Trail. Some of Hollywood’s most beloved westerns were filmed here, including Jimmy Stewart’s aptly named “Broken Arrow” (1950, 20th Century Fox)

Buckle up and hold-on tight for the Broken Arrow Trail. About 500 feet after leaving the pavement (and just after the parking area), the trail passes over a moderate rock ledge intended to make sure that only vehicles suitable for the trail continue. After the ledge, the trail continues south through the woods.

The trail turns right and passes over a slick rock section. This is really the first challenge along the trail. Follow the tire tracks south over the slick rock as the trail returns to dirt. The route to Chicken Point is a two way trail. We continued on the spur past Chicken Point and completed the whole loop which includes Devil’s Staircase, the toughest part.

South of Submarine Rock, the trail becomes more difficult. Several eroded spots require careful tire placement and a decent amount of articulation to get over. We stopped at Chicken Point to check out the terrain and get some cool pictures. When you’re done at Chicken point, continue back the way you came for the Devil's Staircase spur trail.

Continuing on the loop, the trail meanders between slick rock and hard packed dirt. After just a few hundred feet, the trail climbs onto the slick rock and goes around a neat, natural roundabout before heading west uphill. Follow the tire tracks along this section as the trail loosely navigates over the slick rock. From here, you’re at the highpoint of the trail and be able to see Submarine Rock. The trail continues through small patch of dirt before returning to slick rock.

The trail continues on dirt northeast until you reach the infamous Devil’s Staircase. The staircase itself is both the most challenging and most fun part of the trail. The steep series of slick rock steps requires careful driving. Creep down at a slow pace and don’t be afraid to use brakes. This is where clearance matters. The more you have, the less likely you’ll be to scrape. At the bottom of the staircase, the trail rejoins the main trail and continues back to Morgan Road.

We got back to the campground and Don & Linda were just arriving. Tim and Crystal headed home for a while to get Max cooled off and them too! We visited with Don & Linda for a while, then we headed into Cottonwood for dinner.

We met Tim & Crystal at Bing’s Burger Station in historic Old Town Cottonwood. Bing’s is located in an early 1940s service station. Originally the service station began its life as an Atlantic Richfield station, but over the years it also served as a Mobil and a Chevron station. The building is all metal, but has been updated with a stucco exterior. The red sandstone colored patio is a new addition, but the steel pergola structure compliments the original building while creating a relaxing seating environment for guests. Look down closely at the patio and you’ll notice inverted Coca-Cola bottles that have been imbedded in the cement.

The patio provides an additional view into the past as it looks across Larry’s Antiques, two acres of old cars, gas pumps, signs, tractors, and many other treasures from the past. Look off the east side of the patio in Blowout Creek and you’ll notice the raised cement and rock crossing which is a remnant of the original Main Street before it was relocated. The gasoline island currently showcases two gas pumps, each of which wore the colors and symbols of the brand of gasoline that was in business at the location. Two Gilmore pumps are in place on the gas island and provide a backdrop for the red 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe sedan parked next to them.

 

The Plymouth “Special Deluxe” name is the inspiration for naming the Bing’s burger the “Deluxe Burger.” The current building is painted to loosely resemble an older American Standard service station. The grandparents of Bing’s founder, Judd Wasden, owned and operated a small, but architecturally beautiful, American Standard station in the small town of Scipio, Utah in the 1960s. The red, white, and blue American Standard colors were selected because of the appreciation and familiarity of the American Standard service station Judd has and out of tribute to his grandparents.

The interior to Bing’s has obviously changed significantly. The black and white mosaic tile is a new addition, but it follows the contour of the original floor. On the far west side you will notice a slight ramp which leads into the office area of the original service station. Few items remain from the original days, but the interior has a large amount of service station memorabilia reflective of the old service stations, including metal and glass oil containers, porcelain service station signs, old pictures of early service stations, and two additional gasoline pumps. From the inside you can see the original steel structure of the building, including the heavy iron beams that supported the engine hoists.

Everyone got a variety of dinner items, burgers (made fresh never frozen), chicken, salad, fries, malts and milkshakes! Their ordering system is unique. It’s a mini menu that you select what you want and how you want it. Take it to the counter to place the order and pay and they bring it to you when it is ready. We enjoyed our dinner on the patio. The mosquitos enjoyed their dinner too on Linda and my legs! It was a great evening, despite the little critters!

More adventures are on tap for tomorrow!