Sedona - Red Rock Country & Santa Fe

Our trip west began on a tuesday morning when we left the farm headed to Santa Fe. The weather was beautiful and sunny and we went to the altitude of 11,000 feet to clear the snowcapped mountains. The Sangria Valley was breathtaking. After we landed, I wanted to go see the rodeo grounds that we worked so many years ago.... Shawn was just a little guy!! but he was here!

The Santa Fe rodeo grounds... not a great picture of the grandstand - it was all fenced off.

View from 11,000..... coming into Santa Fe.

The Loretto Chapel and the one of a kind -

spiral Staircase! The legend is beautiful as is the church!

We also visited a veterans memorial across the street from The Lodge - where we stayed.

Landing on the USS Sedona - was a little bit intimidating - but was a good land :)

The huge meteor crater we flew over by Winslow, AZ

The view from our room in Sedona - Nice....

Headed to the ancient ruins after our pink jeep trip. Hiked just a short distance and then we saw

the Hopi ruins from many many years ago...

The two of us - taking it easy at the ruins....

There were a lot of pictographs on the walls, but I am only posting this one picture.

There were many rooms in this village used for cooking, sleeping, and other clan meetings.

I took this before we took off in the Wakko (sp) biplane - loved the headsets/headgear.

Hiking to the top of Lookout Ridge where one of the "Vortex" is located! We were not healed!!

Sure was a glorious view overlooking Sedona....

We drove out to Red Rock State Park - you drive around a ridge and this is your first glimpse!! I absolutely loved it there and the weather!! I'd go back in a heartbeat! We went to the headquarters - saw a film and then went to Eagles Nest trail and went hiking! Saw some incredible sights.

and then on to Jerome ~ a mining town! The town turned into a ghost town and then the hippies discovered it, and reinvented the town. Now it has a lot of artist galleries, but the big draw is the copper mine. It would profit over $1 million per month in the 20's - don't know how that translates in todays markets - but it is amazing. Enjoyed the history in this town - and another great view west of Sedona.

The Copper Mine!

She's Ready to Fly!!

Since 2007, this L2 project has been the source of many headaches, questions, pulling your hair out, and even some not so pleasant words. Eric and Bruce went to Clinton, Missouri to purchase this aircraft and even that was an adventure. They traveled through rain and flooding roadways - but after inspecting the old girl - Bruce decided she had to be totally rebuilt. After being stripped down and parts strategically located throughout the hangar, the rebuilding began. Now that Bruce put in the last screw, it is quite gratifying to see the outcome!! Eric and Russel came down and inspected her and found some things to be fixed - (that's what an A&P does) and now they are all corrected too! We went to Alva today and yesterday to taxi her around, but the winds and weather were not amicable. So that remains for another day!! Anyway, enjoy the pictures, you can't really see the seats and interior but it is awesome too. I'll post more pictures and a movieclip when the weather cooperates. There has been so many people who have helped that we are planning a cookout at the hangar for all who were involved!! Probably at the end of April or in May!! But for now, this is the L2's debut........

and here she is.......
Isn't she pretty??? Amazing!!!

Rearview shot...

I was headed to pick dad up from riding his bike and took this with my blackberry at the river by McCracken's. Saw a whole bunch of turkeys crossing the road - and they took their sweet time!

Well - I saw these chicks at Tractor Supply - Papa thinks we need to raise organic chickens for all! but I've been there - done that! Only if I have help from the other two Papon clans would this happen!!

We're ready to head west for a few days and we can't wait!! Hope to get some good pictures - and thanks to you all for the well wishes for our 38th anniversary!! It seems it was only yesterday when our boys were running around the farm, playing in the sand, playing ball, doing chores, etc........ but our family is our absolute joy!! We are so proud of all of you.....