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Timeless Journeys
Timeless Journeys with Sage RV Road Trip - Part 3: Sedona & Santa Fe
by Kimberly “Sage” Pridemore
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Welcome to Infinity Magazine’s exciting adventure feature, “Timeless Journeys with Sage.” Sage has been with the Infinity team for several years, her wisdom, knowledge and experience makes her a perfect fit as Infinity’s Travel Editor for this special feature. Each issue will be a wonderful adventure with Sage as she travels to amazing destinations. Sage will share her travels with helpful tips, interesting facts about her fun filled and relaxing get-aways!
RV Road Trip – Part 3: The Magic of the Southwest – Sedona & Santa Fe
It had been an amazing trip thus far. We saw friends in Scottsdale. We enjoyed beach time in Malibu. We had a beautiful time in Napa Valley. For much of it, we were even joined by my son, Ari, and my son-in-law, David. Such great memories were made. After saying our goodbyes, we at last hit the road for Texas, albeit with a few more stops along the way. For our final leg of this adventure, we included an overnight in Palm Springs, with an additional two nights in both Sedona and Santa Fe. By now, Ray and I both felt like R.V. veterans.
Once we reached Palm Springs, we found our first stop, Happy Traveler. This quaint R.V. park sits at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains. After setting up camp we were ready for my friend, Rosemary, now a Palm Springs local, to join us. Unbeknownst to me, she even lived within walking distance to us. With champagne in hand, Rosemary swung by for a night of lively conversation.
The next morning it was time to make our way to Sedona, though not before we took in the sunrise, mountain view and a strong cup of coffee. I love Sedona and have spent a lot of time there. Ray, who is a retired geologist, had never been. But I knew he’d also fall in love with the red rock scenery. Thankfully, our drive to Sedona from Palm Springs was one of our easier jaunts at only five and a half hours.
Driving into Sedona is a spiritual experience that takes my breath away every time I drive in. It’s natural beauty of red rock formations will mesmerize your eyes. The area has become wellknown for spiritual wellness, in large part, because of its many energy vortexes. Located in a treeshaded park with a river nearby, Rancho Sedona R.V. Park quickly became home for two nights. It was also only a short walking distance to the heart of Sedona. We were sure to take a walking tour of our surroundings. The afternoon was then spent in Uptown Sedona, the city’s old town and most popular shopping district. There are many galleries, eclectic shops and fabulous restaurants to enjoy. We dined on shared plates of pork chili verde and southwest flautas at Oaxaca’s Mexican restaurant. It was an ideal spot for margaritas, the cool crisp air and views of those magnificent red rocks. After dinner, we sat outside under the Milky Way. Soft jazz filled the air, along with a feeling of gratitude to be surrounded like a cocoon by the red rocks. I surprised Ray that next day with a two and a half hour pink jeep scenic tour. We now had our chance to venture into the mountains for views and hiking. Our guide was amazing sharing tremendous knowledge about Sedona. Of course, my geologist fiancé added in some fun facts and observations of his own. We experienced sights that left us breathless. Climbing further into the high elevation we discovered the wild backcountry. We got up close to the great sandstone formations and hiked Slick Rock. This is a remarkable way to learn about local geology, landscape, wildlife, and the just as colorful, legends. Following our tour, we spent a lazy afternoon walking around Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. It’s also conveniently located directly across the road from the R.V. park. The Village is fashioned after a traditional Mexican village. Tlaquepaque, translating to “best everything,” has been a Sedona landmark since the 1970’s. Here travelers will find fine art paintings, eclectic bronze sculpture, ceramics and much more. The native turquoise jewelry and southwestern art are my favorites. Lunch consisted of a light Mandarin chicken salad and southwestern corn chowder at a little restaurant called The Secret Garden Cafe. It was a gorgeous afternoon, so we sat outside with our delicious food. We were happy to simply relax and peoplewatch. We opted to stay in that night. Before leaving Napa days prior, we purchased a bottle of pinot noir from Domaine Carneros. We paired it with a tasty pizza delivered from Moon Dogs. The night consisted of more conversation, stargazing and a competitive game of Scrabble. What an easy way to spend our last night in glorious Red Rock country. At the crack of dawn, we were up. Thankfully, it had been a long, restful sleep before once again getting the R.V. ready for travel. Our trip now took us to Santa Fe, about a six hour drive. We were excited to have an afternoon of play before needing to check into our hotel. I was equally excited for a break from the R.V., which included experiencing a real shower! Santa Fe is one of my absolute favorite places on Earth. I find it quintessentially magical. Together, Ray and I made a couple of trips there in the recent past and we both had our favorite sites. As planned, we arrived at the Santa Fe Plaza by midday. The afternoon was spent walking the clothing boutiques and art galleries. The galleries often feature the most incredible Native American paintings, pottery, textiles and jewelry. A live band in the center of town made the atmosphere especially lively. We were sure to sit down to rest and listen. We then had to return to knocking off places on our list, including a well-loved wine tasting room for vino and tapas. What can I possibly say to describe the uniqueness of Ten Thousand Waves Spa? This traditional
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Japanese hot springs resorts rests high in the mountains above historic Santa Fe. A visit here truly becomes a vacation within a vacation. We had now been traveling for fourteen days. I needed to end this experience with all the luxury of an exotic resort. Immediately, we felt as though we’d stepped into the Hokkaido mountains, with its traditional architecture and outdoor soaking tubs surrounded by fragrant pinon and juniper trees. There are two communal tubs with sauna and cold plunge features. There are also four private tubs, along with ample services including salt scrubs, Thai and hot stone massage, as well as foot soaks. The grounds are beautiful and lined with glowing lanterns in the evening. We lodged in the High Moon Suite, a combination southwestern and Japanese design. We were thrilled to sit beside the fireplace on those two brisk October evenings. Included with our stay was complimentary outdoor bathing in the grand bath, a breakfast bento box in the morning and Buddha chocolates on our pillows each night. We happily took advantage of the private soaking tub and signature Japanese shiatsu massage. On the last night before returning to the long road heading home, we dined at the spa’s restaurant, Izanami. Known for upscale Japanese bar bites, Izanami features small plates, designed for sharing and an amazing sake menu. The food was outstanding. The sake tasting was a cool, new experience. We each ordered a tasting flight giving us an opportunity to sample a wide range of flavors. Some of our shareable dishes included a spicy cucumber and avocado salad, grilled miso bass, roasted Japanese mushrooms and shichimi fries. We finished off dinner with a matcha pan cotta for dessert and conversation about our ten hour drive home in the morning! Ray and I were first time R.V. travelers, but we enjoyed our two weeks on the road. For us, having a break to both stay in an Airbnb in Napa and then later, two nights in Santa Fe proved to be a smart choice. We covered a lot of ground during our adventure and had so many new experiences. We had no regrets! Although we had flirted with one day buying our own, this trip did let us know we are not exactly not cut out for the R.V. life. But perhaps we’ll rent one for a long vacation every now and again. There were so many Zen moments throughout the trip, it’s hard to say which was most memorable. Being with family, spending time with friends, simply watching sunsets over the ocean and the Red Rocks, or wine tasting in Napa, just scratch the surface.
We made it back home to Texas safe and sound with such awesome memories and stories to share. But we both agreed that sleeping in our own bed without needing to drive for a few days may have truly been the perfect Zen moment!
As always, blessings and gratitude. Sage
About the Author: Sage Woman is an Intuitive and Spiritual Life Coach. Contact her to schedule an individual session with her. Her passion is to assist you in empowering and co-creating the life you desire with tools and practical applications along with intuitive messages to guide your journey. For more information, contact her at 512-2342075, or email sagewomen61@gmail.com.
