Scenic Road Trip: Santa Fe to Pagosa Springs

 

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the

greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

Our view from the road heading to Pagosa Springs, CO

Oh, how we love the open road. With the summer heat hanging on in Phoenix, I'm reminiscing about our late summer road trip, over the Labor Day holiday, to cool Pagosa Springs. Stéphane and I hit the road to do a quick stop in one of our favorite places, Santa Fe, while on our way to visit family in Colorado.

Our hotel while in Pagosa...the place lives up to its name

We had a friendly visitor on the property!



Stéphane making a new friend 



We stayed for a long weekend and spent quality time with family. We enjoyed the local wildlife, the healing hot springs and the cool mountain air that Pagosa Springs has to offer. We're lucky my family lives in such an amazing place!

 

On the trip home, we headed back the way we came. Along the highway, we found a hidden gem in northern New Mexico. Echo Amphitheater is about 17 miles west of Abiquiú on US84, about four miles up the road from Ghost Ranch. 

 

It's a great stop to stretch your legs and experience this natural wonder. A place that's not only beautiful, but a sacred space that reverberates the voices of today and the native ancestors of our past.

Located in a beautiful area

  

Sandstone cliffs near the amphitheater...wow!

Stéphane walking to the amphitheater

 

 

As the sun set on our Southwest road trip, we enjoyed the view and started planning to head back this way again next year!

Happy Travels,

Christie



 

Love for Texas: Until We Meet Again

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

My heart is aching for the families and communities dealing with the devastating rains from Hurricane Harvey. The loss of life and property is beyond comprehension. 

Watching the recent news coverage, I'm saddened by what I see but also inspired by the level of Good Samaritans - neighbors helping neighbors - rising up to help each other.

Another kind of devastation will be to the environment, landscape and beauty of the area. Only time will tell the full extent of the flooding. One news report said, "some parts of the state will, most likely, never be the same."

This hit me hard, as I've only seen a few areas of Texas. I've never been to Houston. Luckily, in 2014 Stéphane and I, and our good friends from France, completed an epic road trip traveling from southern Arizona all the way across to San Antonio, up to Austin and on to Santa Fe, NM. 

Recent events have inspired me to get out and explore my state and the other great states, like Texas, as we never know what Mother Nature has in store.

For now, I'm sending love to Texas. It seems the spirit of its people may be bruised, but is not broken. Keep the faith, as this too shall pass.

 

Until we meet again,

Christie

 

Me and Stéphane, in 2014, at the Broken Spoke in Austin, TX 

 

What are your Favorite Summer Escapes?



These boots are made for hiking...I'm ready to go!

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

It's summer in Phoenix, AZ and it's hot. Right now, I'm spending a good amount of time dreaming about being somewhere else. I'm dreaming about putting on my hiking boots, jumping in the car and just driving...somewhere cooler.
 

This summer I've been home more than usual and this might be one of the reasons I'm doing more dreaming than actual hiking or traveling.

 

Luckily, I'll be making my great escape over the next few months to several of my favorite places for hiking and road tripping:

• Sedona, Flagstaff and Jerome, AZ
• Santa Fe, NM
• Pagosa Springs, CO

These are some of my favorite summer escapes and I'll be writing about my favorite spots in the coming months. What are your favorite summer escapes?

 

This summer, have you been able to travel around the beautiful state of Arizona? Or did you visit another part of the U.S. for the first time? Maybe you traveled abroad? Would love to hear about your summer adventures!

My planning is done and my boots are ready and waiting to Explore Beyond My Door. I hope yours are too.

 

Happy Trails,

Christie   

Hiking Mt. Lemmon: A Cool Summer Escape

The sky's the limit on Mt. Lemmon! (Photo by Carole)



ExploreBeyondYourDoor is spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

After a spring season filled with party planning, a Celebration of Marriage reception and hosting guests, I finally dusted off my hiking boots and my travel blog. Now that it’s June, I find myself wanting to fly the coop and head south to escape the heat...wait, what?

 

Heading south goes against my summer migratory reflex, which usually has our hiking group heading up to Flagstaff. When looking for a great summer escape, Tucson, AZ, offers surprisingly cool weather up at the top of Mt. Lemmon.

 

Amazingly, it can be up to 30 degrees cooler at the top, compared to Tucson. In about an hour you ascend 6,000 ft. from the desert floor to alpine forests. The scenic drive, along the Catalina Highway, makes it worth the trip!

Click here to learn about Mt. Lemmon

Hoodoo along Catalina Highway



Earlier this month, our ladies hiking group decided to try the Incinerator Ridge Trail. It had excellent views and felt quite secluded. It's a short 1.3-mile out-and-back, providing time to add on additional side hikes. 

We started the trail at a very small parking area near the Palisade Visitors Center. Another option is to start from the other direction at San Pedro Vista.

 

Click here for info on Incinerator Ridge Trail

The trail to the ridgeline marked by log-lined path

Before we headed to the right toward the ridgeline, we went left and did a side hike up to the radio towers. Once along the ridgeline, the view opened up to some incredible views.

Breathtaking view along the ridgeline

Carole, Stormy and I were determined to make it to Leopold Point. Off the main trail, there's an unofficial trail leading to a grouping of big boulders. We did a light rock scramble that offered amazing views in all directions! 

Amazing view from the top of Leopold Point

 

Stormy among the boulders at Leopold Point

Desert still in bloom in June 
 

This area offers many fun hikes and is a great place to beat the heat. This summer, be sure to Explore Beyond Your Door...and take a trip up to Mt. Lemmon!

Happy Hiking,

Christie



Got my head in the clouds at the top of Mt. Lemmon

 

 

 

Hiking Is My Happy Place



Sunrise on North Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is spot to talk travel,
share hiking adventures and experiences
about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our
own backyards.

 

It's the beginning of a new year and a perfect time to start anew. I've made some changes to the look and feel of my blog. I've simplified. This year I'm also focused on the simple things that bring me joy.

One of my favorite things is hiking and a benefit of living in the desert is being able to hike in January. The Phoenix area offers many opportunities to hit the trail, with some beautiful trails right in my neighborhood.

I love being able to do a quick morning hike to quiet my mind and find my happy place before the start of a busy day. North Mountain is a hike I do several times a month with friends or I go solo.

This month I was up early hiking this trail as the sun was rising over the mountains. It was truly breathtaking and in that moment, all was right with the world.

What a way to start a new day!

This year, I encourage you to find your happy place. Get out on that mountain, spend time down by the ocean, watch the sunrise or visit the place that's calling to you when you...Explore Beyond Your Door.

Happy Hiking,

Christie
 





Hiking Arizona: A year of great hikes!

 On top of the world near Brins Mesa Trail, Sedona, AZ

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is spot to talk travel, share hiking adventures and experiences about places far from home, in the greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

This year has been an exciting and unique one. To sum it up, I got married to Stéphane (a Frenchman) in March and spent most of the spring and summer navigating the unknown waters of marriage and the immigration paperwork process! 

Although exciting, this new lifestyle did not lend itself well to travel or adventure or offer a lot of time for travel writing (hence the huge gap in my blog posts.) Luckily, between paperwork sessions and adjusting to a new life, I was able to fit in some fun hikes this past year with our hiking group and Stéphane ventured out into the wilderness with me too.

Thought I would keep the theme going from my January post and provide an overview of my favorite Arizona hikes over the last twelve months...December to December from Brins Mesa to the Whitetanks. Enjoy!

Brins Mesa Trail, Sedona - December 2015

A great hike you can access from uptown Sedona. We did the easy/moderate out and back trail (1.5 miles one way) from the Jordan Road trailhead to the mesa rim.

 

We walked a bit beyond the mesa to a cool rock formation. I did a little rock scramble (see above pic) to enjoy the views and we walked back the way we came.

 

Click here to learn about Brins Mesa Trail



View from the mesa of Brins



Jennifer and a beautiful Sedona backdrop



Enjoying a sunny December hike

 ~

Mount Lemmon/Meadow Trails, Tucson - June 2016 

 

Stéphane and I took a trip to Tucson to visit family and escape the heat of summer up on Mt. Lemmon. We drove all the way up to the Ski Valley area to hike the easy Mt. Lemmon and Meadow Trails and have lunch at the top.

 

This makes for a perfect day trip with a friend or your hubby. (I love a man who wears his fedora hat while hiking!)

 

Click here to learn about Meadow Loop Trail



Check out the hoodoos on the drive up to the top

 

Stéphane leading the way on Mt. Lemmon Trail



We stopped in here for lunch with a view


Click here to learn about Iron Door restaurant


 ~

Veit Springs Trail/Lamar Haines Loop, Flagstaff - August 2016 

Another fun escape from the heat is to head up to Arizona Snowbowl to hike in the cool pines. Exactly two years prior, our ladies' hiking group did this hike but we never found the old abandoned cabin.

 

This time we found the cabin...and discovered a few other artifacts too!

 

 Check out my past blog on this hike! 

 

Click here to learn about Lamar Haines Loop

 

 Trailhead is a bit hard to find but it's marked as 9008U

The caved in cabin of the 1892 settlement by Ludwig Veit

Me pointing to the pictographs on the rock face above a small cave

 ~

 Waterfall Trail/Whitetank Mountain Regional Park, Waddell - December 2016 

 

Once it cools off, the greater Phoenix area offers many hiking options. I love that you can drive 30 minutes to an hour and be out of the city and in the desert exploring its beauty.

 

Our ladies' hiking group drove out to the west valley and did the easy and family friendly Waterfall and Black Rock Trails. No waterfall on this hike but the rock formations and petroglyphs are worth the trip.

 

Click here to learn about the Waterfall Trail

 

Example of petroglyphs in Petroglyph Plaza on the trail

 

Christina (lft), me and Jennifer at the end of Waterfall Trail
(photo by Carole)

No waterfall on this hike...have to come back after it rains!
(photo by Carole)
 

This year was a great year for Arizona hiking. What hikes are on your wish list for 2017? I wish you many fun adventures next year when you...Explore Beyond Your Door.

Happy Hiking!

~ Chris