Schnebly Hill Road and Vista

Posted on June 6, 2011June 6, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Back in Sedona we parked the car in the same lot we’d used before with the 3 hour parking limit. We stopped in the Candy Shop to ask if we would be ok this late in the day if we ran over the limit. We didn’t know much about this tour or how long it would take.

Snoopy Rock

When we were talked into booking this tour we were just passing by a little kiosk and had stopped to look at the Montezuma’s Castle photos on the wall. That was all the salesman needed. After he hit a brick wall with several other tour offers he noticed the camera around my neck and suggested this tour for Sunset Photos of Sedona. The tour was being booked through the concierge department of Diamond Resorts, the Time Share Group that I belong to so he offered us a discount if we took the tour. After some private discussion we agreed since Schnebly Hill Rd was not someplace we could really take the rental car on our own…or so we’d heard.

We arrived at the kiosk at 5 pm just like the salesman told us but no one was there. We hung around til about 5:10 when I said I would go look for the tour group. The tour was through “A Day In The West.” and I had seen their ticket booth down the street. I left Sandy at the Diamond Resort booth in case the salesman came back and headed off to find the other ticket office.

At the “A Day in the West” ticket office I explained we were waiting down at the other location but that no one was there. The ticket agent said the salesman must be new because we were just supposed to come right there. She had our reservations in the computer so I trotted off to get Sandy. When I got there Sandy said no one had shown up there yet so back to a”A Day in the West” we went.

The folks at “A Day in the West” were a lot of fun. They all had a great sense of humor and were joking and kidding each other while we waited for our driver. One of the things I love about these tours in the jeeps is how gentlemanly the drivers are. I have seen women drivers but I haven’t had one for a tour, but the men offer their hand to help you in and out and are very attentive to your needs. I can’t say comfort because if you are looking for comfort you don’t want to take a jeep ride!

These jeeps are four-wheel-drive high-clearance vehicles and although I won’t say for sure that they have special axles it sure feels like each wheel can move independently. When they tell you to buckle up …do it !

On my last trip I took the Soldiers Pass off-road trip and I sat in the front. It was bumpy but I didn’t feel like I was being tossed all over. This time I let Sandy have the front seat thinking I would have a good vantage point for pictures in the back. Boy oh boy! I don’t know what the ride up front was like but if it hadn’t been for the seat belt I would have been on the floor or bounced out of the jeep as soon as we hit Schnebly Hill Rd.

On a map Schnebly Hill Rd looks like any other meandering ride through the region but in fact with our guide pointing out the various rock strata and filling in the cultural background, this tour became a lesson in time, geology and local lore.

Back when Sedona was first settled the farmers and tradesmen took their goods to market in Flagstaff. The trip required the settlers to travel south 11 miles to Beaver Head Station where they could then head east then north and in the process travel up a mountain. The whole trip took 4 days one-way. Needless to say they were always on the lookout for a shortcut. The result of that quest was Schnebly Hill Rd. It took persistence, back-breaking manual labor using the picks and shovels of the day and a little black powder to eventually carve a rough wagon road out of the steep canyon and connect with a dirt road that ran from Phoenix to Flagstaff.

Carl Schnebly wasn’t the first to use the wagon route but he was the one whose name stuck. He first used the road to transport lumber to build his home. Then once his home was complete he used it to make regular runs to Flagstaff taking produce for sale and returning with supplies and eventually the mail for his general store.

On a side note once Schnebly started acting as postmaster he had to submit a name for his settlement. Oak Creek Crossing and Schnebly Station were rejected as being too long so the little settlement became Sedona, named after Carl’s wife.

Along with regaling us with these stories, our driver was mindful of the fact that we took the tour for photo ops. No camera in the world has a fast enough shutter speed to over come the shaking I was taking in the back of the jeep so frequent stops became the name of the game. We still had a lot of haze in the atmosphere but I did manage to get some photos although not the really above average shot I am still looking for! (Any excuse for a return trip )

Schnelby Hill Rd zigs and zags 13 miles before it intersects any other road but our tour only covered about half that. 6 miles up rugged Bear Wallow Canyon we pulled over to a scenic overlook. This is Schnebly Hill Vista. We hopped out to stretch our legs and shake off the bumps and of course enjoy the view. It wasn’t sunset yet but it was close and it was beautiful.

We got pictures and also took some of the jeep and out guide before we clambered back into the yellow monster for the return trip down through the canyon. Sandy hates heights and expressed that concern to our driver. He was really nice so if nothing was coming the other way, he hugged the far side of the road away from the canyon drop off. Of course perched high in the back as I was, I could see it all! 🙂

You can see the winding dirt road we traveled in some of the pictures.

All together we were probably out for about 2 hours. It was a worthwhile trip but if you have back problems or any physical issues that can be aggravated by being shaken up like a cocktail mixer, I would suggest a different tour. By the time we got back I was treating the jeep like a bucking bronco and using my legs to absorb some of the worse of the bounces and that seemed to make it a bit easier.

All in all it was a fun tour and I didn’t mind the bumps that much. It wasn’t a “sunset” tour but you could call it a “late afternoon” tour.

And I’m Off!

Posted on May 16, 2011May 16, 2011 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Friday dawned clear and bright, a warm spring day…finally! Clearly this was going to be one of the best days we’d seen this spring even if it was Friday the 13th. I just knew it was going to be a good day! The packing was done, the car was loaded, just one more chore and I would be on my way.

I turned the car northward on RT 140 to pick up RT 495. I hadn’t gone far when I spied a vintage auto on the side of the road. It wasn’t as pristine as the one I saw in New Bedford but not everything (or everyone for that matter) ages well. The car had a For Sale sign on the window. What a great opportunity for someone with a hobby of restoring antique cars.

After grabbing a couple of snapshots I moved on marveling at what a beautiful day it was after a week of gray clouds and rain. It really lifted my spirits. I think sunshine can do that to you and spotting that car, well, I just felt it was an omen for more wonderful discoveries to come.

It wasn’t long before I saw the on ramp for RT 495, a typical “super highway”. Now I’m not saying super highways can’t be beautiful but I was anxious to get beyond this leg of my journey because today my destination was the Mohawk Trail.

The Mohawk Trail started life as a Native American Trade route connecting the tribes of Massachusetts with those of upstate New York and beyond. The Trail followed the Millers River and the Deerfield River as it crossed the Hoosac range. Today the Mohawk Trail is part of Massachusetts RT 2 which was created as one of the United States first Scenic Highways. It follows much of the original trail from Orange, MA (known for its jump school for parachutists) to Williamstown, Ma (home to Williams College and Clark Art Institute). That’s about 65 miles of scenic highway through the Berkshire Mountains. Around the western portion of the roads you pass through Mohawk Trail State Forest which is known for Bobcat and Black Bear sightings.

Years ago when I first moved from New York to Massachusetts I would often take this route home as a change of pace from the Super Highway…US 90 otherwise known as the “Mass Pike”. It might be a little longer but there were no tolls and it was far more fun.

I was anxious to see what changes if any had been made to the area in the ensuing years.

My exit for Rt 2 came up quicker than I expected. I was picking it up in the middle of the state so I had the choice of RT 2 east or West. To the east is Walden Pond, home of Henry David Thoreau and the towns of Lexington and Concord, renowned for their part in the Revolutionary War. But my destination was to the west. I was on my way to visit my sister in New York and a pleasant, scenic drive was the way I wanted to travel. So now that I’ve made it this far, let’s get this adventure on the road!

Little Colorado, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest

Posted on February 23, 2011February 23, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Rethinking Monument Valley Scenic Drive

I know that in yesterday’s post I listed a bunch of options but I was poking around online trying to get more information about the Painted Desert and ran across this link http://www.arizona-leisure.com/painted-desert.html There’s a video on the bottom and it really makes me want to take that long drive to Monument Valley. Apparently you will pass through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest on the way to Monument Valley.

I continued my search and found information on the Little Colorado. I drove by this on my last visit but didn’t stop. Now I’d like to see how we might be able to fit in a visit to this canyon as it was quite impressive too.

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/littlecolorado.htm

According to these links Cameron seems to be a “hub” for both the Painted Desert and The Little Colorado and Cameron is on the way to Monument Valley.

Once again the only drawback is the length of the drive but if Sandy is up for it, I think I am too. If it ends up taking too long with all the stops for sight-seeing we can always turn around.

I’ll see what my co-explorer has to say. At least we can change our minds since there wouldn’t be any tour guide or dinner appointment to worry about.

Getting Lost in Rhode Island

Posted on February 19, 2011February 19, 2011 by Dusty Roads

If you’re going to get lost anywhere I guess Rhode Island is a good place since it isn’t very big. Sooner or later you’re bound to see something you recognize. I was headed down to the Audubon Society Environmental Education Center. Now that’s a mouthful.

I used map quest since I don’t have a GPS nor did I have a RI map. To add to the problem my printer is being temperamental and printed out blank sheets so I hastily scribbled the directions and set off. According to Map quest it should take me about 40 minutes.

The first leg was pretty easy and I made good time. The problem came when I found my last turn…RT 103. According to my notes it was supposed to be RT 103/114 and I would end up on Hope St. There wasn’t any RT 114 and the street name was Child. I took it anyway and did see a sign for the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. Different name but close enough except that that was all I found, just the sign.

However as I was driving around I came down to the water and there were a bunch of ducks and a swan so I pulled over and got out. I parked on the side of the road and followed the shore. I found more birds and gulls and loads of sea shells.

It was pretty chilly and windy but I was so engrossed that I didn’t realize it until I turned around to walk back to the car.

A little farther on the road moved back to the coastline and I saw some more swans. I pulled over where a stone wall bordered the water. One of the swans was floating next to what appeared to be another dead swan, probably it’s mate. That was so sad. It’s been a harsh winter all around. There was another pair of swans out in deeper water but this one made no move to join them, instead it stayed right next to the dead swan as if standing vigil.

I decided to backtrack and see if I could find RT 114. Once I located it I followed it past Roger Williams University to the Mt. Hope Bridge. It was afternoon by this time and the bridge looked wonderful. I pulled over in a little parking area and took some pictures of the bridge. It looks like there’s a sidewalk so maybe I can walk up the bridge and get pictures from the top. I’ll wait for a little warmer day for that.

Turning around I headed back home. The sun was sinking and the moon was rising so I took the opportunity to experiment with different settings on the camera for the clouds and sky. There’s quite a difference in color depending on what settings are used. I may not have found what I was looking for but I had a nice afternoon anyway.

I’ll try to find the Audubon Center another day.

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Monument Valley

Posted on February 17, 2011February 17, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Monument Valley is in Northern Arizona on the border with Utah. I don’t think there is an American alive who is not familiar with it’s iconic landscapes. John Ford set many of his Western movies in this area from Stagecoach in 1939 to more modern offerings like Forrest Gump in 1994.

This came up in my research as a Scenic Drive but it is 3 + hours from Sedona to Kayenta, AZ followed by another 5 hours to drive through the Valley to Mexican Hat, Utah. Then we would have the return trip.

I know my sister would share the driving but I have control issues. I would rather complain about doing all the driving than to give it up! LOL A true character flaw. So as much as I want to see this magnificent landscape, I am really on the fence as to whether it just might be too ambitious.

It was in that mindset that I came across the Native American Journey’s website that I discussed yesterday. They have a Monument Valley Tour. The cost is $249/per person so it’s definitely on the “upper” end of my tour budget but it does sound like it must be a full day. The tour description is:

Monument Valley

Travel with your guide, from Sedona through the Navajo Indian reservation to Monument Valley, one of Hollywood’s favorite locations for classic Western movies. Enjoy an exciting Jeep tour through the Valley with a local Navajo guide. Lunch and all fees are included.

I do know that without a licensed guide many areas of Monument Valley are off limits. This would leave the driving to others and free me up to take pictures. It sounds like we could be picked up in Sedona. Although we would be paying a guide, we wouldn’t have to worry about paying for gas for the rental car.

I think this one is worth considering.