[articulate]

...he keeps the old homestead
And sends the children down there...
To run wild in the summer—a little wild
--- Robert Frost, A Hundred Collars

If it weren't for such splendid things like good friends, a Jeep, and a dangerous level of enthusiasm for adventure, I might stay home most of the time. Instead, though, we turned what should be a 2-3 hour trail near Sedona, Arizona into an entire weekend of fun.

The destination is called the Oak Creek homestead where an old rock building is depleting away with every rain storm at a gorgeous crossing along Oak Creek. The trail roams through the Red Rocks area and tends to be mild in difficulty and extreme in scenery:


And sure, if you want, girls driving Jeeps counts as great scenery.
One hill provides several rock ledges to negotiate, and this photo might do it some justice. (my apologies for the silly stock bumper....mods in moderation, you know):


At the river crossing, you can enjoy the water by using the rope swing and eating lunch in the shade. And you may as well drive across it, too, to explore some more roads:


And when it's all over, you still have time to go up Mingus Mountain to the little drinking town with a ghost problem, Jerome, Arizona. Here, you'll find places like this:


And if you can make it past the bearded-biker-bouncer wearing leather and a girl on each arm, go inside to have a shot of tequila. Enjoy the live music, and watch for these drunk women:


Go ahead, it's ok to "run a little wild" like Robert Frost says. It's a fun thing, everybody should understand:


Read and see more at: http://www.markdstephens.com/oak_creek_homestead/

Cheers!,
M

[CBlakeNS]

Nice pics, looks good.

[lupinsea]

Mark, that was an excellent write-up of what sounded like a very, very pleasant adventure. The thought of being amoung the red rocks of Arizona and then cruising in to the rough and tumble town of Jerome later that afternoon for a tequila is invigorating. You have definitely raised the bar for "trip reports" with your eloquence and composition. My hat is off to you.

Not to mention, your photography is stunning. Truly beautiful work. Not only do you have a good camera but your eye for the colors, composition, and sense of place is a stounding. I hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberty to post some of your other photos in this thread. They're truely beautiful.

[articulate]

Originally Posted by lupinsea

Mark, that was an excellent write-up of what sounded like a very, very pleasant adventure. The thought of being amoung the red rocks of Arizona and then cruising in to the rough and tumble town of Jerome later that afternoon for a tequila is invigorating. You have definitely raised the bar for "trip reports" with your eloquence and composition. My hat is off to you.

Not to mention, your photography is stunning. Truly beautiful work. Not only do you have a good camera but your eye for the colors, composition, and sense of place is a stounding. I hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberty to post some of your other photos in this thread. They're truely beautiful.

Thanks! You make me red in the face.....

However, I'm quite excited about these photos I found "somewhere":




I'll have to make a trip up Pacific-North-West way sometime.....we'll camp, drive some trails....drink some tequila.

Ahh, and I almost for forgot one. Now this one captures more than anything anyone can compose, meter the right light, etc etc. It has gut-busting-humor:



Cheers,
M

[articulate]

One more thing about this area: On Mingus Mountain, there is a hang glide launch pad - watching these people run and jump off of a perfectly good cliff is a lot of fun.


Cheers
M

[tahoe wheelers]

The blonde driving the red jeep makes for nice scenery as well.

[articulate]

Originally Posted by tahoe wheelers

The blonde driving the red jeep makes for nice scenery as well.

HAHA! Who, her?


Cheers,
M

[tahoe wheelers]

Sure, she can drive my red jeep anyday