Echoes of the Southwest

Just recently, my husband and I went back to Laughlin to celebrate his birthday. On the trip up we pass through Wikieup AZ. We will usually have to stop for gas, to pee and stretch. One of the places I like to stop at was the trading post. It was huge and had lots of items to shop for. It also had a grill, unusual stuff on the walls and sitting in chairs. When Sharon and I went there in 2015, we had a blast just walking around the place. She wanted to get the Jackalope. We also had lunch there as well. I did a post on it after our visit:  Wikieup Trading Post and Restaurant (echoesofthesouthwest.com) Sadly, on this last visit, we were shocked to see that the entire trading post had burned down taking all the fabulous stuff with it. We were told that it happened in May of 2021 and we were shown pictures of the blaze. I was heartbroken. I loved that place and hope they do rebuild it.

 

When it comes to wanting to photograph a cowboy, you can always find one in Sharon's backyard. She used some dead cholla branches, a mannequin head, cowboy shirt, denim pants, burlap and added a stick in his mouth to look like a cigar. The best time to take pictures of him is when the sun is setting behind him. He has an eerie and mysterious look about him. She named him Josiah after the cowboy in her book  Josiah: Undead Cowboy . You can find her book on Amazon.com.

Coffee Pot Rock Courthouse Butte Bell Rock Cathedral Rock Thunder Mountain  

The Chapel of the Holy Cross, a well known and familiar sight tucked inside the red rocks. This Roman Catholic cathedral was built in 1956 and took only 18 months to complete. It offers spectacular views of Sedona and all its famous rock formations from its chapel’s large windows. 

On our way to UFO watch in Boynton Canyon, we stopped off at a place where there was a medicine wheel, labyrinth and Zen garden. We only went there to see the first two items, the Zen garden was a pleasant surprise. We took photos of the wheel and walked the entire length of the labyrinth. It wasn't easy recording a video while walking. I am just not that coordinated. We did make it to the middle, put in an offering in the bucket, and circled our way out. We noticed a path behind the medicine wheel and it lead us to a beautiful garden. We felt peace and calm as we walked through it. That was a wonderful experience.