We hauled out of Las Vegas Friday morning, pausing just long enough for nice hot showers and for me to grab coffee and get cheap Vegas gas. We had intended to get some food as well, but put it off. We headed out and past Lake Mead, just missing Hoover Dam as EK had Fallout: New Vegas flashbacks, and arrowed down Hwy 93 into Arizona. We trucked down through the desert, where I encountered driving very similar to that in Nevada, making it nice and difficult to reliably use my cruise control. Eventually we picked up I-40, and enjoyed the scenery getting more and more scenic, even as the towns became fewer and further between. We also enjoyed a plethora of signs warning us about the elk/deer for the next 20/30/65 miles.
We pushed straight through to Flagstaff, and got here about 3. We checked into the Grand Canyon International Hostel, which is tucked up right into/next to Historic Downtown Flagstaff, and looks like it was part of an old motel at one point. The motel part has since been converted into apartments, so parking is a little convoluted, but over all the hostel has a really nice, homey feel to it. As soon as we moved our stuff in, we headed out for close and cheap food. The winner was Dara Thai. The hostel manager recommended it, and it was almost directly across the street. The food was damn good and damn filling, which was just what we needed.
Sated, we hopped back into the car for the half hour drive or so down to Sedona. Ah, Sedona. We have determined that Sedona is essentially Helen with scenery and a lot more New Agey nonsense. For those unaware, Sedona is well known for it's amazing vistas as well as the "energy vortexes" that have, for lack of a better term, cropped up, in the surrounding landscape. Regardless of your particular beliefs on the matter, you can't deny that Sedona is quite gorgeous. EK and I perused a few kitschy shops, got some ice cream, and then decided that our feet were still a little too pissy after our impromptu Vegas trek to go hiking to see one of these mystical places. They shall remain forever a mystery. On the plus side, we did get to see the much promised elk on the drive back to Flagstaff.
Once we arrived back at the hostel, EK and I took our laptops down to the common room, since the room we had was crammed with two bunk beds, and had no AC or ceiling fan. Upon discovering the vast collection of VHS they had, we decided to watch Disney's Tarzan, since that one had somehow escaped me as a kid. Logically, we also decided that we needed liquor, and lo, we had passed a purveyor of booze on our way back to our hostel.
As it turns out, the liquor store was further than we thought (but still only a few blocks), and was in fact, not a liquor store at all. They did, however, sell many fine smokables and beer. So much beer, and so much of it local. EK and I walked out of there with two bottles of Lumberyard (local brewery a few blocks from the hostel, actually), EK got some Dogfish Head, and I picked up a 4 pack of pretty good English cider. We then proceeded to have beer for dinner, watch Tarzan, and then watch The Ghost and the Darkness, which was quite a Thing. Yes. By the time we were beered/cidered out and had finished our foray into cinema magic with Val Kilmer, our roomates had already come in and gone to sleep. I think EK passed out pretty quick, but I was in sleepy but unable to sleep mode, so I read until about 2, and listened to the drunk graduates celebrate on the streets outside.
Day 11:
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