On day two of my Arizona adventure weekend, I awoke bright and early. My tour guide and group would arrive around 6:45am. As a well-prepared traveler, I had purchased my breakfast the previous day and stored it in my hostel room. My breakfast from the vegetarian/vegan-friendly Bragg’s Factory Diner(Bragg’s Factory Diner) in downtown Phoenix was a delicious Spiced and Sliced Almond French Toast with cinnamon-ginger spiced citrus. After eating my fabulous vegan breakfast, my tour van had arrived and I was on my way to a day tour of Sedona’s Red Rocks and The Grand Canyon!
As the tour van made it’s way from Phoenix to Sedona, we passed through ever-changing terrain of the Senora desert that included single and multi-pronged cacti, mountainous regions, small rounded brush, a forested area with trees, and rocky ledges.
We arrived in Sedona during the mid-morning hours. The Red Rocks were stunning to say the least! Their red color is caused by iron oxide. Massive formations of rocks in varying hues of orange and red greeted us, as we drove through town and then later made a stop at an overlook to admire their majestic size and beauty! Each rock pattern in the red sandstone canyon is unique in shape, with each of its jagged edges and pointed peaks.
Next on our agenda was a visit to the downtown Sedona’s shopping district.
On the opposite side of our overlook stop, behind the main shopping road, we noticed some additional and unique red rocks formations.
This particular rock formation resembles Snoopy with Woodstock bird on his tummy.
After purchasing some souvenirs in town, I decided upon the “Wild Berry Vortex” juice at “Canyon Breeze Juice”(Canyon Breeze Juice). The raw juice was a tasty blend of apples, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries.
Our time in the gorgeous Red Rocks had ended. Our tour van passed through the scenic Oak Creek Canyon and the ponderosa pines of the Coconino Forest on the way to the next stop on our itinerary: The Grand Canyon!
After a brief drive, we arrived at the South Rim of The Grand Canyon.
The tour company had arranged for each of us to received a picnic lunch sandwich, which our guide picked up during our time in Sedona. He had confirmed with the “Wildflower Bread Company”(Wildflower Bread Company) that both the bread and the sandwich itself was indeed vegan. My vegan lunch meal was a roasted sweet potato sandwich with fig confit, tomato, roasted potatoes, arugula, marinated fennel and balsamic vinaigrette on herb focaccia.
Now it was time for the “Piece De Resistance:The Grand Canyon”! I strolled along the South Rim of the Canyon to admire the breath-taking views. The canyon and its deep valley floor displayed a wide range of geological forms and color schemes from its history of erosion. It was quite stunning!
The El Tovar Hotel resides on the South Rim of the canyon. This grand historic hotel first opened in the year 1905, was designed to cater to the elite at the time. The upscale accommodations include a full concierge service, dining, and a gift shop.
Across the walkway from El Tovar is the Hopi House. It was built as a market for Native American arts and crafts. The local Hopi tribe were the designated in-house artisans and thus the building was designed to resemble a Hopi pueblo.
The interior shops offer pottery, jewelry, and other local crafts for purchase.
Prior to allotted pickup time from our tour guide, I spent the remaining few minutes walking about the South Rim canyon views from the opposite side of the Hopi House.
Onward we went to drive for several miles along the East Rim of the canyon for some additional vistas. Each one was equally as spectacular.
Our final Grand Canyon stop of the day, was the infamous Watch Tower.
From outside its perimeter, I gazed upon the geological rock formations, flowing river streams, and native plants.
I entered the first level of the Watch Tower and found myself surrounded by indigenous carvings, colorful drawings, and intricately detailed paintings on the interior walls and ceiling.
A winding staircase brought me to an upper level. More colorful paintings of local characters and animals decorated the walls. Each expressed a story that was told among the local tribes people.
Upon climbing the staircase to the top, I peered through the glass windows for a closer look at the canyon panorama at this uppermost level.
Our day at the magnificent Grand Canyon had come to an end. We had one more stop on our day’s itinerary. The drive took us to the Navajo Nation, with distant views of the Painted Desert, as well as the Colorado River Gorge along the way. The popular trading post at the Navajo Nation gave us an opportunity to purchase some crafts made locally by the Navajo people and other Native American groups. Pottery, jewelry, and indigenous folk art were among the items offered for purchase here.
When we arrived back in Phoenix, it was dinnertime. I decided to dine at a popular vegan restaurant downtown. Vegan House Restaurant(Vegan House Restaurant) is a vegan restaurant serving Thai food on their menu.
I opted for the dumpling curry. My delicious vegan dinner meal included vegetable dumplings in a green curry sauce, served over rice.
Back at the hostel, I only had a few hours to take a nap. My early morning flight was scheduled for 5am. For breakfast, I enjoyed the yummy peach spice scone and strawberry mini-poptart I had purchased the day prior at Treehouse Bakery (Treehouse Bakery). This all-vegan bakery offers baked goods such as coffeecake, scones, cupcakes, pies, and more.
My flight departed Phoenix and we arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina for a brief layover. That gave me just enough time to eat lunch at the Charlotte airport before my connecting flight back home. Genghis Grill (Genghis Grill Restaurant) offers healthy bowls. I dined on the Buddha Bowl of veggies and tofu with a spicy sauce. My lunch was filling and flavorful.
As my connecting flight was taking off, I pleasantly reminisced about my wonderful vacation and the amazing sightseeing I encountered in Goldfield Mining Town, Sedona Red Rocks region, and the spectacular Grand Canyon.