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DAY 13 - BELL ROCK AND THE JOURNEY TO PHOENIX
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| Late(ish) | Up at a reasonable time - after 8:30ish, girls up eventually, breakfast of bananas and last of the strawberry yoghurt. What to do? Decided, as it was now a bit late, we would have to pack the car and check out before going for a walk somewhere. So, by 10:30ish we had checked out of the Poco Diablo and wended our way back to Sedona.
Found a 15min parking spot near the Visitor Centre. KT went to get our final Red Rock Pass and Mary went to buy the little ornaments she had seen previously. These turned out to be small cacti to hang on the wall - made out of copper or something.
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| The Church In The Rocks | From Sedona we shot down the Oak Creek valley and stopped off at the church built into the rocks. This is high up on the east side of the canyon. It is built between and out of two outcrops of rock, is tall and thin and the main frontage takes the shape of a cross.
Very impressive and the history behind it very interesting. However . . . inside it was a little - well - spikey. The altar looked a bit "sacrificial" and some of the decorations inside and out were similar. As Katie said as she passed an "icon" in a water feature by the path, the designer "had some big issues to sort out".
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| Our Final Vortex | By this time the clouds had started to build up again - moving down from Sedona. Off we set towards Bell Rock, parked up and waited for the rain to stop. Yes folks - very early it had been sunny, by the time we were up and about it was completely overcast. When in Sedona it had started to rain (many of the peaks being shrouded in cloud). This rain followed us down the valley. We deliberately didn't pack any rain gear to bring on holiday because we knew it would be sunny all the time. Hence the 10min wait in the car. When it finally stopped we set off on our last visit to the Vortex on Bell Rock - pausing only to tell a Japanese man where to get a Red Rock Pass.
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| Something Or Nothing? | Now, as before, I offer nothing about these Vortexes. However . . . I shot off up the rocks (almost) like a young 'un. Didn't get breathless (but did sweat - humidity due to rain and high temperature) - basically felt great. In places the hairs on my arms tingled - but it might have been the light breeze. Found the spot from the last visit and sat and "meditated" for 20mins. Used the same simple techniques as I started doing around last Christmas when I was fraught with the job and had high blood pressure. Finished that, deep breath, stretching exercises, then go and find the girls, thoroughly centred. The girls had been sitting and thinking - enjoying the quiet (apart from the traffic from the main road below and the biplane flying overhead doing tourist flights). All suitably centred we left the rock. I actually felt a great sadness at this point. Now it could be because the "nature" part of my holiday ended here - rest being monuments and shopping - or it could be leaving the influence of Bell Rock had an effect - who knows.
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| Final Directions And Away | Stopped off at Oak Creek at the Holiday Inn to get directions to the one by Phoenix Airport. They didn't have a spare brochure, but wrote down directions for us. Having not had anything to eat for at least 90 minutes KT was dying, so we also got details of the nearest Subway or similar - 3rd stop on I17 South.
Headed down 179 towards our destination. Sun was out again now with a vengeance. Couple of itchy spots, one on my arm and 2 on my legs - legacy of the walk in the ruins yesterday - mosquito bites. 20 miles or so and we find the I17 Southbound. Tease KT a bit when we see a sign for fast food - its not a Subway - maybe we should continue to the next exit. Stopped at the fast food outlet - playing 60's music, light and airy. Mary expected the Fonz to come thru' the door any minute. Eat. Restrooms. Back in the car - it is really hot now.
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| Downhill All The Way | Downwards, ever downwards and southwards, ever southwards. Saw markers for 5000ft, a little while later, ears pop and 4000ft. Sometime later - hey below level of Snowdon for the 1st time in 10 days or so! All of a sudden the "proper" cactus appears at the roadside - you know, the tall ones with the arms that look like coat stands (not coat hangers as Mary insisted!).
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| Fun In Phoenix | Eventually we approached the outskirts of Phoenix, having passed thru' places like Horse Thief and Bumble Bee on the way. This is where the fun starts. Our "little" I17 gets a bit bigger heading into Phoenix - like 6 lanes each way, loads of interchanges and, as it is 4:40ish, a great deal more traffic - almost bumper to bumper, all doing 60, with a lot of lane changing going on.
I have a sketchy memory of a map of Phoenix from a magazine in Sedona. I can see, in my mind's eye, the I10 running North/South and the airport over to our left (east). The address of the Holiday Inn is 4300 East Washington and I know it is near the airport. So - head for the airport - oops - no signs yet. OK then - head for I10. Hello, it says I10E and I10W - which to take? Actually that bit is a minor irrelevance for a while! My way of dealing with the traffic, multiple lanes etc, if you remember from Las Vegas, is to choose a "middle" lane, stick to the speed limit and that lane and all will be well. It would have worked too, if only I hadn't got cocky and moved over 1 lane to the left, thus cutting myself off from I10E by two lanes. I had a chance with 1 lane, but not 2. OK, so ease over to the right, take next exit, look out for traffic trying to join the I17. On the slip road, drift over to the left lanes, at the traffic lights at the top of ramp hang a left. OOPS - still 2 lanes to the left before I can retrace my steps. Let the Police Car go by before cutting into (and cutting up) traffic in the left lane, hang another left and voila we are heading back north on the I17 with our Collision Damage Waver still intact! Next bit is easy because of course I10E is a right turn from the lane I am in - so back on track heading east and the Airport signs start on the gantry above us - about time too!
Now we look for an exit for Washington Drive. There's one - hang a right. Oh-oh 4 lanes end up at a set of traffic lights with Washington running left and right of us. Which way to go - it will HAVE to be right as that's the way the arrows in our lane point. Lights green, turn right (heading west now - inkling of a potential problemette) on a 6-lane one-way road. Building numbers are decreasing ie away from 4300 East Washington. Problemette is no longer at potential status. Stop at a gas station. It is HOT out of the car (93°F we find out later). "Hi - how are Uderday?" - "I'm, lost, trying to get to the Holiday Inn".
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| The Way Explained | Apparently its "real easy". All I have to do is turn left at these lights, then left again onto Jefferson (6-lanes, one-way heading east parallel to Washington). Jefferson joins Washington and becomes two-way. Holiday Inn is at junction with 43rd street. I remember now how the layout works. E-W have names, N-S have numbers.
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| . . And Followed | Sounds reasonably easy doesn't it? We just turn left at the junction. Our Gas Station is in the right lane (of 6). I was confident, the girls weren't. Gap in traffic, foot hard down, car over in far left lane ideally positioned to turn left. Zoom to next lights in left lane, hang a left into Jefferson then back to normal mode - pick a "middle(ish)" lane, stick to speed limit and the lane - let everyone overtake if they like - whichever side they like! Oh Look - there's the junction we should have turned left at. Count up the traffic lights from 24th street upwards nearing 43rd Street turn. That building looks like an hotel (over on the left 3-lanes two-way traffic over there). Indicate, take a deep breath, drift to middle, gap in oncoming traffic, dive thru' into tranquillity of Holiday Inn Phoenix Airport's car park. Great relief all round - but no applause, just a very English "Well Done". KT also remarked that she felt a little sick - physically or mentally I don't know.
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| Check In | Into the lobby to check in - wonderfully cool after the heat outside. Alvim served us - he is very Nice - yes that sort of nice - but very efficient and friendly. Must let Lucy talk to him about his nails. Park in the 15min parking, unload absolutely everything, up to rooms. 2 good size rooms opposite each other on the 7th floor - ours overlooks the airport. Not a lot to unpack, so I ring Alamo (which we passed 20 blocks back on Washington) and asked if we dropped off there. Yes we could, but also at Airport. Now 20 blocks is a long way in 93°F. Airport is only 5mins away and HI run a free shuttle service. No contest.
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| We Drop The Car Off | Girls go to the pool, Mary and I take car to the Airport. Follow the signs to Car Rental Return. Well Mary followed the signs. I was in 3-4 lanes one-way again with left and right peel-offs that would have made the Red Arrows Green with jealousy. So, watching both sets of wing mirrors, I took the lane pointed to by Mary. Ended up at the right place in Terminal 3. No bother with the car - if it had dents, scratches etc - just took the mileage 12707 and noted tank was ˝ full. All done -lets go and find the courtesy phone and ring HI.
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| A Tragedy Averted | Courtesy phones - what courtesy phones? Walked up the outside, walked up the inside. STOP! Where's my Tilley? Left my "Not Quite World Famous" Tilley hat in the car. Rush back, there it is, gimme quick - calmness. Ask where the phones are (we would have reached them but I had turned back to find my hat) rang 20 for HI, lady told us where to stand "10-15". Outside man asks us if we are OK - explained where we wanted.
"Did they say Northside?" YES. On the shuttle, zoom back to hotel, tip for driver - success.
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| Chill By The Pool | Join girls by the pool for an hour or so - just beginning to get some hazy cloud by 5:30(ish). Upstairs to cool off and get ready for our evening meal. |
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| Dissention & No Dessert | The evening meal was lovely - all had something different - all came with soup and salad starter. I had a couple of bottles of beer. No desserts required. The ladies took exception to the service charge/tips. I pointed out that the norm is 15%-20% of the bill. They were outraged. I pointed out that this was how their "economy" worked - so that's what we do. I also pointed out that I had been tipping porters, waiters, room maids etc throughout the holiday - some meals had already had 18% added to the bill etc etc. They still didn't think it was right.
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| Tomorrow's Timetable | So, leisurely meal over, back to rooms. Decide that as plane leaves 9:05 need to be there by 7:30. Therefore catch the 7am shuttle bus, therefore up by 6:15am. That way, if 7am shuttle (which is 1st come 1st served) is full, we can catch the 7:30 and still be at the airport in plenty of time.
Settle down for the (early) evening by watching MI-2 then set the 3 alarms (watch, travel clock and room clock/radio) for 6:15 ready for a quick getaway tomorrow.
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Words and pictures © Steve Andrews 2001 - 2012