Sedona--Rocks and Roundabouts
Days 13 and 14 (Sunday, November 2 and Monday, November 3)
Snow and rain made for an indoor day in Flagstaff on
Sunday. We went to Mass at the beautiful
San Francisco de Asis parish, sitting high above the city on a hilltop. A cold rain fell as we arrived…but a heavy, wet snow had begun to fall by the time we left.
Despite the chilly, wet weather, the parishioners were warm and the
service, informal and friendly. The
church looks new, but artistic elements have been added, such as medieval-style
tapestry hangings that bring in a traditional feel.
Flagstaff has some great restaurants. We enjoyed a delicious Italian meal at Fat Olive’s on Route 66 on Saturday
night, and Sunday’s dinner was another tasty Thai experience at Pato.
There are many Thai restaurants in Flagstaff, and Pato was among the highest rated.
We found the food wherever we ate to be tasty,
reasonably-priced, and served with a smile.
Our best service: Denny’s!
Yes, the friendliest, most efficient service has been at Denny’s, with
surprisingly many healthy options and those great AARP-discounts! Oh, Yeah!
On Monday, we took 89A to Sedona…a twisty, backwoods road
that had many amazing views! I wish I
could have taken some photos of the mountains, colorful trees, and streams, but I
couldn’t pry my white knuckles off the steering wheel long enough to do so!
After such a cold and dreary day on Sunday, the weather in
Sedona on Monday was perfect, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s. This provided the perfect ambiance for
admiring the art around town…
…and, of course, the amazing surroundings…the hills and
mesas, and the famous Sedona “red rocks.”
One interesting thing about Sedona that those who have
visited will recall: there are few to no stoplights in Sedona. After we got past the “touristy” area
northwest of town where there was one traffic light, I believe all the other
traffic control in the city was done via “roundabout”—you know, those traffic
circles like they have in Europe…or downtown New Braunfels! There’s been talk of one in Corpus Christi
near the Louisiana / Ocean intersection, and there was one in Robstown when I
grew up.
I know people get all up in arms about them, claiming that
they are confusing and there must be dozens of collisions a day—not true in Sedona, from
what I could see. Traffic moved
smoothly, the roundabouts served to slow traffic through the city, and there
were no fingers thrown or other gesticulations.
It did occur to me, though—a community which relies on roundabouts for
traffic control is a place where there is an implicit agreement among the
citizens to be both responsible and
accountable. When you enter that
traffic circle, you better be responsible for following the rules, for doing
your part of the process…and you better hold everyone else accountable for
doing the same. It’s amazingly
civilized!
Scott
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