Even though options are limited, flying in and out of Peoria is a real timesaver – especially for a quick Spring Break vacation! Saves almost a day’s worth of travel to Chicago and back – not to mention the free parking at Peoria airport!! And this itinerary has been on my wish list for quite some time – fly into Phoenix from Peoria, drive to the Grand Canyon and Vegas, and then an Allegiant flight back from Vegas to Peoria!!

So there we were – we took the last flight out of Peoria to Phoenix-Mesa airport, and stayed the night close to the airport. Next morning, we were going to begin our drive to Grand Canyon National Park with a stop in Sedona. But first, a whimsical detour to a surprise destination – the ‘other’ Peoria – Peoria, AZ!! A small town on the outskirts of Phoenix, Peoria, AZ turned out to be a charming little place. And this was so not planned, but on our way to the the town center, we missed a turn and ended up – where else? The Peoria Public Library!!!

As we approached Sedona, the signature rocky cliffs of red sandstone provided a strikingly dramatic backdrop to the winding road and the picturesque towns. We stopped for lunch at a place called Rotten Johnny’s Pizzeria – weird name, for sure – but the wood-fired pizza was absolutely wonderful!! And then lest anyone think this was to be a leisure-filled vacation – our first ‘warm-up’ hike – Cathedral Rock. Actually, we had plenty of options to choose from – the Sedona area and the Red Rock National Park are dotted with trails of all levels of difficulty – but Cathedral Rock came highly recommended.

Looks kind of daunting, doesn’t it? The final destination was the saddle between the 2 rocks on the left. It was only a mile or so to the top, and the trail started deceptively easy. Soon, we were scrambling over rocks, wedging ourselves upward through narrow canyons – and there were several times when I thought I was done. But I couldn’t give up on the very first day, right?!! Was it worth it – absolutely!! The view from the top was spectacular!! And scary – I must add!! It was literally a narrow ledge about six feet wide – with sheer drops on either side. Ok, vertigo kicking in with full force now – but I did manage to take some pictures – before heading back!

The walk down was a challenge too – lots of slipping and sliding!! Took us 3 hours total – not bad at all for the first day hike!! We didn’t linger too much, leaving right away for Grand Canyon Village. As the elevation increased, the temperature started droppping significantly, and there was even snow in the mountains!! Last stop before Grand Canyon – Flagstaff, and Walmart of all the places to stock up on snacks and drinks for next day’s hike. From there, it was a race against the sun – will we make it to the Grand Canyon for the sunset??!! Stay tuned – coming up next!!