Arizona Christmas Trip

Date: Christmas 12/21-26 2006
Park: Sunset Crater, Petrified Forest, Red Rock State Park, Montezuma Castle and Wells, AZ and Mojave Preserve, CA
Condition: Sun and Clouds, Rain and Snow.
Trail: No specific record
Hikers: Me, Mug, Sarah, Pak
Pictures: Coming Soon
12/21 - Drive to Mojave
12/22 - Flagstaff - Sunset Crater National Monument, Drive to Sedona
12/23 - Sedona - Oak Creek Canyon, Holbrook - Petrified Forest National Park, Sunday Vigil Mass
12/24 - Sedona - Boynton Pass, Red Rock State Park, Christmas Vigil Mass
12/25 - Sedona - Chapel of the Holy Cross, Oak Creek Village, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Wells National Monument, Drive to Needles
12/26 - Mojave National Preserve, Drive home
Highlights: Snow and rain on the first 2 driving days. They were so pretty, we saw them in Williams, Flagstaff and Sedona. We saw a coyote walking across the highway, an UFO one night when we were driving. The snow was so pretty at Sunset Crater, we got there just before closing. The drive out of Sedona to Flagstaff is so pretty, snow everywhere. We saw a snowman beside the highway. The lady at our inn told me they don't get snow too often. The highway is Oak Creek Canyon Road. We went to route 66 when we almost get petrified, find all the petrified trees and forest. Sedona is pretty at the Red Rock State Park, the Cathedral Rock is pretty, we got there around sunset. Oh man, our God is so awesome. We attended a good Christmas Vigil mass at Sedona. The Chapel of the Holy Cross is spectacular, although the chapel itself was closed on Christmas day. We have drive big circles on Christmas day, first to take pictures of the sunset, without finding a decent location. Second to look for an early dinner at Flagstaff without finding one, every where is closed and dark. Third at Williams for a bathroom and dinner and getting very desperate. Thank God we finally get relief and get some hamburgers before the only Jack in the Box that opens ran out of items in the menu and closed early for the holidays. Needles is very confusing because it sounded like "here" in Cantonese. We stayed there the final night. We tried to visit the cavern in Mojave Preserve but it was not open until 1:00 PM. We went to the sand dunes instead, but the lighting is not very good to give it a good contrast for pictures. JC is getting knee problems and the last 2 days are handicapped or "legicapped". The pig and horse and cat and dog can not communicate with each other well, hopefully we will do better next time.