Chris decided to take me on a trip to a surprise destination to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary (January 1st, 2011). The only clue I got was that it might be chilly there so bring some warm clothes... so we're not going to a hot destination or a freezing cold one either. The morning that we left I was told that it was none other than the beautiful "enchanting city" as many call it, of Sedona. We quickly re-packed our bags (we had just got back from our Christmas vacation with our families in the midwest at midnight)... ran a couple errands and made sure our friends would be able to watch our pups, and.. we were off!
After riding in a car all day, we thought we were about there as we started going through winding roads, which were cool, but not beautiful. It was about 4pm when suddenly - bright red sandstone rock formations were surrounding us on all directions and it was obvious why this was such a sought-after area. We found our Bed and Breakfast "Boots and Saddles" it blended in with the beautiful adobe-style homes at first, but then as you walk up the stairs or a ramp to the front door, there is a little garden with fountains and a saddle straddling the ledge by the door. A western looking lady named Amy welcomed us in the common area which was stunning and cozy at the same time.
We sat down next to a coffee table to look at some maps and see the "hot spots" of the area. Amy showed us a basket of menus from the restaurants nearby and recommended a couple. Once we chose, she set up a reservation for us. Then, she led us outside, past a little water fall, up some wooden stairs to our room "Sacred Feather". It was fitting because there were all kinds of pieces in the room from a Native American tribe from pots to woven blankets, and it had a sort of sacred feeling to it. It had a patio with a hot tub as well as a telescope to look out at the stars at night. It was peaceful and perfect. 
That night we went to dinner at a place called Dahl and Da Lucia - an Italian, dim-lit, vintage restaurant. We were seated in a corner semi-secluded near a fountain with little cupids in it and grapes that lit up inside. There was one large chandelier in the center and a few small ones that spread out diagonally from it across the room connected by a sheer, pinkish cloth. When you've made it to a year in marriage after your husband being deployed half of that time, you might also decide it's okay to go all out for dinner at a more than fancy place... We shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine lovers platter, and then went back and forth between each other's meals - Chris got a pesto Chicken primavera pasta, and I got a Graganelli pasta with Italian sausage and a savory marinara sauce (it tasted like pizza in a pasta). We ate so much, but when our thick-accented waiter came over with a dessert tray, we couldn't resist and indulged in a creme brulee topped with berries. AH-mazing. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in our hot tub under the stars and getting sleepy from a day of traveling, good food and wine. Day 2: Sedona on New Year's Eve
This morning we woke up with the sun and made our way down to the common area for coffee and breakfast. We were encouraged to sit with the other 2 couples that were there at the same time as us at a table together. We were introduced to an earthy couple, Mike and Leah, and an adventurous couple, Justin and Eliza. We were told by Irith, the B and B owner, that our breakfast this morning would be a sweet one with a banana parfait in a martini glass to start, followed by a baked croissant with orange pieces intermixed in it, sausage, fruit and a fresh bread. As we ate, we got to know the other couples (it was the adventurous couple's last day, the earthy couple had just gotten there a little later in the night than us). I'll admit, I didn't know hardly anything about Sedona before we actually went, but I soon realized that, despite it not being a large city, it has a huge amount of rich history. We discovered this on our private trolley tour (it happened to be just Chris & me) down the south eastern part of the city. Things we learned were:
*The rocks were formed 300 million years ago from a shallow ocean that once covered the area, receded leaving layers of sandstone and limestone, and rusted leaving it red in color*The first Native Americans were the Sinagua and then the Apache, later settlers took over in late 1800's
*A man named T.C. Schnebly started a post office since mail service to the area was so slow - all the names he wanted were supposedly too long so he named it after his wife, Sedona
*Many artists come to Sedona because it is so inspiring; one artist, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright named Marguerite Saude Brunswig wanted to create a place that would allow people of all faiths to come & worship God. She designed what is now the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
We were able to go inside and look around this incredible prayer site and we were just in awe of it's beauty.
After our trolley ride we had a few hours to grab lunch, visit the shops uptown, and explore Schnebly Hill before we went horse back riding. Getting to the ranch was an adventure in itself, but once we got there we were taken back by all the horses. A guy about our age looked at each of us one by one and told us what horse we would have (yes, simply by looking at us). We realized that these horses are so used to being ridden and the trails that it really only mattered how big or small we were, not whether we were experienced riders or anything else. I hopped on a light brown male horse named Colorado and Chris got on a deep brown and white male named Sid. They briefly told us how to start, steer, and stop our horses and off down the trail we went. It was liberating and I could see how people rode horses to free their minds. This experience allowed us to get into our love of horses and who knows, we might even get horses of our own some day. That evening when we got back, we got ready for our New Years Eve celebration for sushi, music, champagne, dancing, and the count down. :)
Day 3: A New Year of Marriage
After having talked about our resolutions the night before, our second year of marriage is full of promises and blessings! We started out the day with a savory breakfast with a candied apple in wine sauce (better than it sounds..), ham, a western 6 shooter (an egg dish with supposedly 6 ingredients added), walnut bread and fruit. We sat again with our earthy friends and a wise older couple talking about our previous adventures and the ones to come. Although we had a late night, Chris & I were ready to take on the trails of Cathedral Rock. Getting the fresh air and an adrenaline rush up the fairly steep rocks was exhilarating, but the views were absolutely breath-taking! As usual, Chris had to keep motivating me to go higher up until we couldn't go much more.. of course he found another area where he could continue proceeding upwards while I just took in the scenery. :) 
That afternoon we had reservations at a winery for a tour and tasting! The Winery grew mostly Syrah and Petite Syrah grapes. We got to see how they grow and the complex process they go through turning them into different kinds of wines depending on how they are fermented and blended, as well as how long they are stored in oak barrels. (They also get other fresh fruits from Southeastern AZ to make their delicious wines). We learned a ton and got to soak in our new knowledge with tastes from their selections. I started from bright whites, then rosa, and finally reds while Chris just stuck with his full-bodied reds ending up with purple lips! We even got free glasses that say "I stole this glass from Page Springs Cellars Winery" and bought a bottle of Grenache (my favorite one there). Once we got back to uptown Sedona, we made our way through some more shops to get a couple last souvenirs to remember our inspiring weekend. That evening we were so worn out that we ordered a pizza & bought chocolates from a chocolate factory to enjoy in the comfort of our room, Sacred Feather and a movie that we borrowed. Before resting up for our day of traveling home, I wrote a message in the journal/guestbook in our room from the owners about all we were able to do in our weekend and how thankful we were for the opportunity to spend it at Boots and Saddles.
Day 4: Until Next Time
We woke up slowly like usual but eager to make our way back home while we had the energy to be on the road. So, after we had another sweet breakfast (a pineapple treat, blueberry french toast and bacon) and said "see you next year" to all our new friends, we packed up and were back on the road. What began as a weekend of celebration, ended up being so much more... we left feeling inspired to keep riding horses, collect postcards from all the places we continue traveling to, and hold on to our wine corks (the real ones are becoming rare!) so we can turn them into a cork-board! We also had our eyes opened up to a world of beauty we hardly knew existed. Souvenirs collected:
*"Hey! What's the Name of That Rock!" booklet of all the rock formations, their names, and a brief summary
*5 Sedona postcards
*a comfy long sleeved Thermal for me
*a clay angel from the Chapel of the Holy Cross
*2 glasses from the winery
*a bottle of wine (keeping the cork!)
*a Sedona shot glass for Chris's inherited collection
*a bunch of pictures & memories!
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