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.

You can't go to Sedona without hitting some new age shops. There are plenty there to check out. The one we frequent is near Tlaquepaque with alien wood statues adorning the place. The Center For New Age in a purple building you can't miss when you drive into town from Phoenix. It has everything you would expect from this type of shop. It has crystals, jewelry, books, music, psychic reading, aura photos and so much more. We decide to have our tarot cards read and the results were fascinating. I enjoyed wandering around the shop area and of course I bought several items.

One of the places you must see while visiting Sedona, AZ, is Tlaquepaque (Tia-keh-pah-keh).  The name means "best of everything" and was built in the 1970's.  Located near Oak Creek with flourishing vegetation all around its grounds, Tlaquepaque has the look of  being transported  somewhere in Europe, perhaps Italy.  Inside are many interesting shops, galleries, restaurants, with cobble-stoned walkways and arched entryways with vines growing all over the stucco walls. Sitting in the back area in Tlaquepaque Village is the El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano.  Their food is a mixture of Arizona Style and traditional Mexican food.  You will see how the Navajo/Hopi lifestyle is swayed in each meal.  They are know for their delicious El Rincon Chimichangas which are wrapped in a sopapilla masa and stuffed with either beef, chicken or tiger shrimp.  If you can find room in your tummy, they also offer dessert chimichangas with either choc...

I am always excited to find a great antique store. My hubby and I were looking for an old door to use as a decorative wall in our house. I found a place called Antiquities Warehouse which had lots of doors to pick from. What I didn't expect was how large the place was and the huge array of items that was stuffed in every corner of the warehouse. You can take an hour or two just wandering around looking at all the amazing antiques that the place is chalk full of. All the antiques are owned by one woman. You can see all the details of this wonderful place on their website:  https://antiquitieswarehouse.com/ Below is a slideshow video I made of the many things you will find in the Antiquities Warehouse:

Located along Glendale Avenue in the historic district sits a couple of shops that are noteworthy. The Astrology Store has all kinds of items for astrology and so much more. I took some pictures so you can get an idea of what is there. Sharon and I did an aura picture. It takes just a few minutes to see what colors your aura is. Mine shows me that I am charismatic, futuristic, sensual, visionary, imaginative and creative. Afterwards you are handed a folder with your aura chakra report. The Namaste Cafe had interesting items as well, but it was their teas that roped us in. I tried the Arizona Sunrise tea and love it so much that I bought a jar.