No, not with my husband. The Internet had not been invented back then. Yes, kiddies (get off my lawn!) there was a time many, many years ago when you had to get out the daily newspaper and check the movie section to find out the time for the showing of a movie called “Jaws” which nobody had heard of and everyone thought would be a real yawn-fest about a fish, for God’s sake and then go on a blind date with someone you had never seen before. And fall in love and get married and be together 35 years later. So, yeah.

It wasn’t him I fell in love with on the Internet. That happened at the movies when he didn’t mind that I was climbing in his lap because shark!shark!shark!

It was the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona that I fell in love with on the Internet.

Well. Look.

Wouldn’t you?

Photo courtesy of the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa

There was no question in my mind where we would stay in Scottsdale once I saw this picture of the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa. Because, seriously. Is that not gorgeous or what? And I am here to tell you that it is just as fabulous in reality.

The day we were to check in to the Westin Kierland started out as a good day and things only got better from there. We decided to have lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Scottsdale before we checked in and apparently I just don’t eat at enough fast food restaurants because they had seriously the coolest soft drink dispenser I have ever seen.

In my life.

Seriously. Coolest soft drink dispenser ever.

You chose your soft drink, then you got to choose a flavoring to put in it. A variety of flavorings. I just stood in open-jawed amazement and was so overwhelmed that they had something this totally fabulous in Scottsdale and thank heavens we got to see such cool things on our travels and then Tom totally burst my amazement bubble by informing me that we had a Five Guys in Lexington and they had a drink machine just like that. Huh. Who knew? Now, I might feel a little more geekish about my obsession with this drink dispenser except that I went online to find out more info and you would not believe the number of videos on youtube about it. Like this one.

So, yeah. Pretty fab drink dispenser. Then we still had a little time before checkin so we went to the Kierland Commons, this wonderful shopping center with tons of great stores that is located literally steps from the Westin Kierland. And I bought two darling tops on sale at Chico’s. So, I was on a high that could only be induced from raspberry flavored Diet Coke and two darling tops bought on sale when we drove into the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa so you might think I could not get any happier.

You would be wrong.

The entrance to the Westin Kierland is gorgeously landscaped with colorful flowers, palm trees and local plantings.

All of the grounds are just this lovely.

And when you step in to the lobby, you are immediately entranced by the view through the huge windows out to the open air restaurant, the fire pit and the golf course.

The lovely, lovely view.

It’s very classy and yet kitschy at the same time with touches like him.

Why, yes, yes that is a marble bear in the lobby.

Another cool thing about the lobby is that every evening they bring out this completely marvelous dessert cart with a huge selection of freshly made desserts. After eating some of the chocolate cake, I wanted to stay for a couple of weeks so I could sample everything on the cart. I probably should have taken a picture of the dessert cart but did you hear me say chocolate cake? I got sidetracked, is what I’m saying.

We got checked in and headed up to our room, where we were once again mesmerized by the fantastic view. Although I am not personally a golfer, if I was I would come here to golf because it is so beautiful. There’s also a ton of things for families to do here including a 900-foot lazy river ride that I could spend an entire day experiencing. When you are tired of lounging around although that time never happens to me you can check out the fitness area and the tennis courts.

View from our room - hard to tear yourself away!

We were in a deluxe room with a king bed which was perfect but they have a variety of accommodations, all the way up to the Presidential Suite with 2,135 square feet! We settled in, then quickly changed our clothes and headed downstairs to Dreamweaver’s Canyon, an open terrace area with plenty of seating and a large firepit. We were anxious to see the “Scottish Pipes at Sunset Series” which takes place in Dreamweaver’s Canyon every evening at 5:30. The bagpipe playing is a  nod to the contributions made by the Scottish immigrants to the development of Arizona’s railroads, mines and towns.

Tom and I both have a Scottish heritage and there is absolutely nothing like the wailing melody of the bagpipe to make your heart clench up and tears come to your eyes. When Michael McClanathan strolled out by the lake with his traditional Scottish garb and began playing, the entire crowd fell silent.

Incredibly moving.

After the bagpipe performance, we headed over to the Waltz & Weiser Saloon which offers an upscale bar menu and appetizers. You can eat inside while watching a game on the flat-screen televisions or you can eat outside in the Dreamweaver’s Canyon Courtyard.  It was a clear, beautiful and cool evening in the desert, so we sat outside and enjoyed it. They have a pretty extensive menu and I recommend the Nachos although you should share them because it’s a portion approximately as large as your head. But good.

I should have held this plate by my head so you could see how truly huge it was.

We slept peacefully that night in our wonderfully comfy room, then headed over to the Brittlebush Bar & Grill for breakfast the next morning. We did manage to get a little lost since the grounds are so extensive and the restaurant is a little hidden (at least from us) in the golf course clubhouse but we made our way there and I am so glad we did because I had the best French Toast I have ever eaten. Ever. I was intrigued by the description of “Cornbread French Toast” on the menu and wondered how they could make French Toast out of cornbread and wouldn’t it just fall apart? I am here to tell you that not only does it not fall apart, it is good. Good, good, good.

Cornbread French Toast with prickly pear syrup. You should order this immediately.

After breakfast, I ditched Tom and proceeded to have a completely fabulous day at the Agave Spa, which was so completely fabulous that I am going to have to devote an entire blog post to it. Then there was dinner at Deseo which was also completely fabulous and I’m going to tell you all about that as well. See how much you have to look forward to?

So, in conclusion you should absolutely stay at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa because it’s totally one of the nicest places I have ever visited.

And you can walk over and get a soft drink from that drink dispenser at Five Guys.

Really.

It’s a win-win situation.

Full disclosure: Our stay was provided by The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.

My husband and I love a big, hot breakfast when we are traveling. Not only is it a pleasant break from our rather casual dining experiences at home — which, on a good day, might include a frozen toaster waffle — it’s also a great start to a long day of touring. And it also means we can often skip lunch and get by on two meals a day.

When I’m planning our accommodations for a trip, a free breakfast is high on my list of requirements, along with WiFi in our room. There are several ways to insure you will have a free breakfast included when you travel.

Read the rest of this article on Travel for Boomers HERE.

But we were there to snorkel.

The crystal-clear water of the many coves and inlets of St. Thomas provide the perfect opportunity for hours of snorkeling and all the girlfriends were completely ready for this experience. There are lots of places to snorkel in St. Thomas – there are even locations where you can snorkel from the beach. Here’s a site with a few snorkeling suggestions.

We disembarked from our cruise ship, decked out in swimsuits covered by tee-shirts and shorts – after all, we did have a little time for duty-free shopping after snorkeling and who can pass that up?

With no problem, we located the large catamaran that was to be the site of our adventure, docked at the pier. We wasted no time clambering aboard and partaking of the provided punch and snacks as we waited for the crew to hoist anchor, raise the sails and set out on the gorgeous spring day for our interlude of snorkeling.

Read the test of this article on Travelhoppers HERE.

So I began plans to visit Savannah again. And, in one of those synchronous events that often happen, the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau was sponsoring a press trip about the Tall Ships Challenge. I wanted to come to Savannah? I wanted to see the Tall Ships Challenge? I could write all about it? Done, done and done. I was in the group of journalists. Not only would I get to see the ships, there was mention that we would actually get to sail on one of the ships. Sail on one of them.

My life is complete.

We are staying at the River Street Inn which is, quite aptly, on River Street. Last summer when I was in Savannah, River Street was absolutely one of my favorite places. Great seafood restaurants, tons of shops, original cobblestone streets and tons of atmosphere. We will be staying right there, overlooking the water and the tall ships. In heaven.

River Street Inn, photo courtesy of riverstreeinn.com

Then we started thinking that was a long way to drive and maybe we should stop on the way. So, I pulled out a map and found Asheville, North Caroline. Roughly halfway between Lexington, Kentucky and Savannah, Georgia. OK. Fine. I wonder if there is much to see in Asheville, North Carolina? Hmmm. Turns out there is a lot to see in Asheville since the Biltmore Estate just happens to be there.  In fact, when we realized just how lovely Asheville is and how much there is to do, we decided to stay a few days. Two days at the Hilton Ashville Biltmore Park and two days at the Grove Park Inn. Both properties look so lovely, that we may never want to leave. But we will. Because we decided, since we will be so close to pretty little Tybee Island when we visit Savannah, we must spend a couple days there.

The Biltmore Estate, photo courtesy of biltmore.com

I’m not sure which of the exquisite little beach houses we will be in yet, but Mermaid Cottages is going to provide us with a perfect little abode. After staying on Tybee Island for a week last summer, I know that every restaurant is better than the last, but I can’t wait to share The Crab Shack and AJ’s Dockside Restaurant with my husband.There will be lots of eating and lots of walking on the beach and possibly some naps. Possibly lots of naps.

Then we head to Savannah. For a while, that was the whole trip. We were headed home after Savannah. Then, I was asked to visit The Beach House, a Holiday Inn Resort property in Hilton Head and Hilton Head is really very close to Savannah and, really, they had me at beach. So we added on a couple of days.

The Beach House, Holiday Inn Resort, Hilton Head Island, photo courtesy of hihiltonhead.com

THEN Tom mentioned that he would actually kind of sort of like to visit Fort Sumter. Which is in Charleston, South Carolina. Not far at all, really. And the Charleston folks were so kind and gave me a press pass for tours and all kinds of things in Charleston that look oh, so interesting so how could we possibly not stay a few days?

I don’t actually know where we are staying in Charleston yet but I learned from our road trip around Arizona that those things tend to just work themselves out. We haven’t had to sleep in the car yet. Being the anal, compulsive, trip planner that I am, I used to want to have every single detail worked out before we left home. I’m becoming more casual about that kind of thing. We have our passports? We have our credit card? We are good to go.

So. Another trip. I’m still working on posts from Arizona and our beach trip to Navarre Beach and I just got a gig writing for these people and I have so much information about trips and travel and resorts and restaurants filling up my brain and I should probably think about doing some packing and you would think I would be overwhelmed.

But not a bit.

I love every second of it.

Anyone been to Asheville, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Tybee Island, Georgia; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; or Charleston, South Carolina? Any travel tips?

This was a painful reminder that I need to back up, back up, back up. Luckily we had all our vacation photos because Tom backs up everything and why aren’t I more like him? but I lost quite a bit of original work that I had done in Word and I lost all the iPhone pictures that I had just put on the computer and deleted from my phone. Tom does almost all the photography when we travel – he is just much better than me and I constantly forget about taking pictures. If it wasn’t for him, we would have no photos and the ones we did have would be pretty much crap.

The only exception is food photos. I take all the food photos when we are doing restaurant reviews. It’s quick and easy with my iPhone, I can use Twitpic and put them up on Twitter immediately, which the restaurants appreciate,  and I actually find it kind of fun.

This was really a blessing in disguise when I got ready to write my Wine Me, Dine Me post after the Great Virus Takeover of 2012 and realized I had no pictures and couldn’t remember exactly what we had eaten. They didn’t have a menu online to refresh my memory, they only had one professional picture of the demonstration kitchen and I couldn’t find any pictures online. I remembered the experience in detail but all I could remember about the food was that it was fabulous. When I went to write the post, I found I had made notes about each of the dishes! I never do this so I was thrilled to find that apparently I was prescient enough to realize my computer was going to crash. Apparently, I am a frakkin psychic. Then I realized I could get the pictures again that I had put on Twitpic so I was saved.

I was lucky that time but it made me realize I really need to take more notes. Only I hate taking notes. It’s really a pain when we are busy, busy, busy traveling and I may not have access to a computer during the day when we are touring around. I realize I could theoretically do it on my iPhone but who wants to take the time to type detailed notes on that eensy screen?

Then I was watching one of those crazy Siri commercials the other night and I thought man that might be kind of handy but what I really need is something where I could dictate some quickie notes like on a tape recorder and I thought tape recorder because apparently I am approximately 4,831 years old and then I thought man I bet there is an app for that.

Well, of course there is.

In fact, there are probably hundreds of them. But, after doing some research, I came to the conclusion that the Voice Memo app that comes with the iPhone is pretty much all I need. I have played with it a little bit and plan to use it on our next trip, but I thought I would share what I have learned in case anyone else is interested in taking some notes this way.

First, find your Utilities Folder. The Voice Memo app is in there. Click on it and open it up.

Voice Memo in Utilities Folder

To record, just press the red “Record” button there on the bottom left and start talking. From what I understand, you can record as much as two hours of narration.

Voice Memo app with Record Button

When you are finished recording, just click on the “Pause” button – the one with the two red lines. The record button turns into this when you start recording. If you are completely finished recording, click the “Stop” button – the black one on the right. Once you click on the “Stop” button, you can’t put any more in that recording so click “Pause” if you think you might want to add more. Click on the “Microphone” button on the right to see your recorded memos.

Pause and Stop buttons

Once you click “Stop”, your voice memo will automatically be saved on your phone. Depending on how you want to use it, you can leave it there or email it. When you open it in an email, it will automatically open in iTunes and you can use it from there.

Memos you have recorded

Email your notes

If you want to manipulate your voice memos before you email them, just click on the arrow beside one of them.

Trim your voice memos

If you have a bunch of voice memos – which I anticipate I will – it will be easier to organize them if you name each file. You can do this by clicking on the arrow beside the voice memo, then choosing “Custom”.

Click on Custom

Then just choose a name for each voice memo.

Now you have them organized and can use them as you want. As I say, I’ll be trying out this system on our next trip and I’m really interested to hear if you take notes this way or use some other audio app to do so. Thanks for comments about this idea!

Answer?

Pretty darn cool.

As soon as we heard the 50′s and 60′s music in the lobby, we knew we were going to love it there. And we did.

The Hotel Valley Ho is the epitome of chic after an expansive and beautifully designed renovation. Planned to update but maintain the mid-century theme, the renovation was perfect.

It’s interesting to compare the photos of the hotel on display which depict the way it looked back in the 50′s with the current hotel and see just how closely they matched the decor and yet managed to make it comfortable and elegant. The modern lobby with comfortable, kitschy furniture is a great place to relax in front of the cozy fireplace on those cool Arizona evenings.

The lobby at the Hotel Valley Ho

You will find all kinds of interesting touches all through the hotel.

Guitar art

The hotel is in a perfect location in downtown Scottsdale, just a short walk from Old Scottsdale with plenty of shops, restaurants and art galleries. Be sure to check out Arizona Food Tours for a great walking tour of the area – we loved it. Although you may find it hard to leave this wonderful hotel!

Our room was not quite ready, so we stored our suitcases and went to Zuzu’s for lunch. We strolled out to the patio, surrounded by gorgeous flowers, overlooking the sparkling water of the pool and had delicious salads and sandwiches. We liked Zuzu’s so much, we went back later for dinner and I had tomato soup with tiny square of grilled cheese sandwich in it. How fabulous is that?

We loved the lobby area but were still unsure about our room. A cabana room? What did that mean exactly?

It meant a completely fabulous room, roomy and filled with sunlight that was just a few steps from the pool. We had a great patio with comfy, cushioned furniture where I lounged for the better part of an afternoon. It was wonderful.

Cabana Room. Photo courtesy of the Hotel Valley Ho.

The cabana room is just one of the choices; they have a variety of accommodations in the hotel itself and in the new Tower, sort of an elite, exclusive hotel within the hotel. There are one and two bedroom suites in the Tower and they have some lovely views. We did a site visit of the entire hotel and saw some really gorgeous rooms and suites.

Living room in one of the suites.

Suite bedroom - the TV swivels so you can watch it in either area!

Some of the suites have a full kitchen. Great for families!

The hotel grounds are truly beautiful with emerald green lawns and beautiful trees, the local cactus and flowers growing everywhere.

Beautiful grounds!

The pool is centrally located and has some very nice private cabanas available. These would be especially great in the hot Arizona summers.

Beautiful pool!

The perfect cool retreat - your own private cabana!

There’s also a great spa and fitness area. So, whether you are having a spa experience, enjoying your fabulous room, strolling around enjoying the interesting decor, having a lovely meal at Zuzu’s or just relaxing by the pool, you will enjoy your stay at the Hotel Valley Ho. I know we did!

Here’s a video to give you an idea of what the hotel is like.

Full disclosure: Our stay was provided by The Hotel Valley Ho, but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.

Located right on the sandy beach just steps from the ocean, the Perdido Beach Resort has a variety of room sizes, most of which offer a view of the water so gorgeous you will never want to leave your balcony. The corner rooms with a view of both the Gulf and the Pass where boats head out to sea were our favorites. The rooms all feature complimentary unlimited high speed and wireless internet access, 37-inch screen TV, refrigerator, in-room coffee service, electronic safe, and separate his and her bathroom vanity areas. We especially enjoyed the large refrigerator in our room and kept it stocked with drinks and snacks.

I popped the tiny appetizer of barbecued beef on a tostado chip into my mouth and nearly swooned with delight. The meat was tender, the chip was fresh and crunchy and please can I have another? Or possibly a dozen more?

We were seated at the bar overlooking the busy demonstration kitchen area for Wine Me, Dine Me at the Southwest Bistro, located in the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa. We had immediately learned that the head chef, Jason Ljunggren, was personable, friendly and really knew how to transform food into works of art that were absolutely scrumptious. And that the waitstaff and everyone who worked in the kitchen really, really loved what they did and were thrilled to share it with us.

When I first heard about Wine Me Dine Me, I wasn’t sure what was involved but I knew it involved wine, tequila and fabulous food. And, as you know, when it comes to fabulous food?

I am there.

And, once we experienced the atmosphere, enjoyed the food and relished the interaction with the culinary team, I was so glad I was there. The goal of Wine Me, Dine Me is to experience the unique flavors of the southwest, which comes complete with tequila and wine pairings of the area.

We have never had a dining experience that was so personal and interesting – we felt like we were sitting in the kitchen with some old friends. Of course, these were old friends who really, really knew how to cook. It was a little amusing how excited they were when we praised them for how delicious everything was.

Wine Me, Dine Me! Photo courtesy of Hyatt Regency PR.

Every course had a different wine and tequila sampling paired with it and, although we are not big fans of wine, we tasted everything and found many of the southwest wines to be just as good as those we had on a wine tasting tour in Europe. I had no idea that tequila could have so many different flavors. The nicest thing about the tasting was that Jason explained what we should be tasting as we sampled each glass. Smoky, tart, sweet – they had it all covered.

Yes, a dozen more appetizers just like this, please.

After the appetizer, they brought out some corn chowder. Now, I am a fan of corn chowder. I actually have a can of corn chowder in my kitchen cabinet right now – no lie. And I had some great corn chowder in San Francisco, even going back the next night and ordering it again.

But those corn chowders can’t even begin to compete with this bowl of deliciousness. It was a black bean and corn chowder with shrimp salsa on top (just the right amount of spiciness) and some sort of little fried bread things on the side that were scrumptious all by themselves.

Those crunchy bread things were almost as good as the corn chowder.

The main course was a grilled pork chop that was, in all seriousness, the most tender pork chop I have ever tasted in my entire life. We asked Jason how in the world they made it so tender and he explained but I unfortunately didn’t make a note about that and I don’t think I could duplicate it anyway. We will just have to go back to the Southwest Bistro if we want the most fabulous pork chop in the world.

I'm serious. Best pork chop I have ever eaten.

At this point, of course, we were completely full and had no business even thinking about dessert but do you know me?

Of course we had dessert. And if there is a better dessert than chocolate cake with a peanut brittle crust, I don’t know what it might be. Think of a Reese’s peanut butter cup only one million times better and you might be able to imagine what this cake tasted like.

The wonderful dessert topped off an evening that was definitely one of the best in our trip to Arizona. The phrase “dining experience” is used often, but this truly was a dining experience. The food, of course, was the best part but we truly enjoyed the intimate experience of being right by the kitchen and interacting with the culinary team. Everyone was so kind, friendly and generous with their advice and suggestions. It could not have been a better experience.

Just the right size of deliciousness for our overstuffed selves.

Although I probably should have asked for a piece of that chocolate cake with peanut brittle crust to go because I think it might have been mildly addicting. I’d like a piece right now. Or maybe one of those pork chops.

Or possibly just the entire meal.

Full disclosure: The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch provided us with this experience, but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.

Right? Right? Riiiiiight?

As our hot pink jeep climbed the trademark red rocks of Sedona, the rocks where there was absolutely no trail in existence, all I could think was gee they really meant off road, didn’t they?

Pink Jeep Tours, located on the main street of Sedona, Arizona which runs right through town, does indeed mean off road in the tours they offer in their distinctive hot pink jeeps. And, once I relaxed and enjoyed the ride through the canyons and valleys of red rock right outside town, I loved it.

Earlier that morning, we met up with the other passengers who had signed up for the Broken Arrow Tour, one of their most popular tours, in back of the Pink Jeeps office. The jeeps, all very comfortable and with room for several people, were neatly lined up in the parking lot, ready for an adventure.

We were strongly encouraged to visit the bathrooms since it was the last chance we would have for a while, then we all clambered in to one of the jeeps and set off through town. We turned off the main road and the trail got rougher and rougher as the scenery got more and more gorgeous.

One of the tamer trails we traversed.

We almost immediately left civilization behind and the incredible beauty of these red rock mountains quickly became apparent.

Incredible views were everywhere we turned.

Our young, outdoorsy driver was friendly and very knowledgeable about the area. We pulled up to one vista of smooth, huge red boulders and he stopped so we could walk around, get some pictures and appreciate the size and scope of these mountains. Tom climbed up on the highest boulder and I watched him. Heights are not my friend.

Tom climbed mountains, I posed for pictures. We each have our strengths.

Up to this point, we had been on a pretty easy trail but we soon went off road and began climbing huge boulders. I was absolutely amazed at the places those jeeps could go.

Wait. We are not going down there, are we?

Ack! Thank heavens for seat belts!

You DO realize this is not a trail, correct?

We drove through through what I considered to be wilderness a while longer, although I have to confess at one point when I was marveling at how far from civilization we were and how difficult it must be to get around, a group of hikers came strolling by who had apparently just walked up the mountainside. They were approximately 85. At least. There must be something invigorating in that cool and lovely Sedona air.

We spent some more time just appreciating the amazing scenery.

Have you ever seen anything so incredible?

And then it was time to head back to town. Our off-road tour with Pink Jeep Tours was, without a doubt, one of the coolest things we did the entire time we were in Arizona. They offer a variety of tours and will even take you all the way to the Grand Canyon, which is fairly close to Sedona. Pink Jeep Tours began in Sedona but they also have a location in Las Vegas. We actually took a tour with them to Hoover Dam, which I wrote about here and here. Both locations impressed us with their professionalism and desire to make sure everyone enjoys the experience.

If you are in Sedona (or Vegas!), check out Pink Jeep Tours. They can take you anywhere you want to go and do it in style. Just be prepared to go really off-road on the Broken Arrow Tour.

And you will love it!

Full disclosure: Pink Jeep Tours provided us with a hosted tour,  but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.

This is the way to travel. On a train.

Seriously. Why can't airplanes be like this?

No tiny airline seats with someone smushed up against you. No eensy aisles to maneuver, careful not to bang into anyone’s elbow or protruding foot. No dried up peanuts eaten while hunched over a tray that might any moment be jammed into your stomach as the person in front of you reclines their seat.

No. This is the only way to travel.

Not only was this First Class railroad car itself completely comfortable and relaxing during our journey on the Verde Canyon Railroad, the scenery for the entire trip was absolutely spectacular.

Just one of the many fabulous views.

A trip on the Canyon Verde railroad was one of the first things I arranged on our trip to Arizona when I realized it was only about a half an hour from the Junipine Resort in Sedona because a train trip? How fabulous is that?

Pretty darn fabulous, as it turned out.

From Lake Havasu City, we headed to the Verde Canyon Railroad which is tucked away in the tiny and quiet town of Clarkdale, Arizona. When I say tucked, I mean it is tucked into a canyon surrounded by absolutely magnificent mountains.

We did not actually realize this.

So, when we left from Lake Havasu where we had lounged by the lake in our shorts and the temperature gauge in our rental car began falling and falling and then falling some more and then we began to see snow by the side of the road, we were glad we had checked the weather in Clarkdale and knew it was going to be pretty cool. Driving from spring temperatures to winter temperatures, then to back to pleasant and cool spring temperatures in Clarkdale was pretty surreal. Well, look. Here’s a topographical map of Arizona. It’s easy to visualize our journey from Lake Havasu to the Sedona area.

Check out the mountains between Lake Havasu and Sedona.

Once we arrived at the Verde Canyon Railroad, we realized what a popular destination it was. The parking lot was full and people were streaming into the depot to buy tickets. Luckily, because the marketing people with the Verde Canyon Railroad are so kind and generous, we had tickets waiting for us. When the woman asked if we had Coach or First Class tickets, I had no idea. She checked and then handed us our two First Class tickets. I didn’t know anything about rail travel but I knew that First Class was probably a good place to be.

I could not have been more correct.

The only thing better might be the Caboose, where you have the entire car to yourself. Maybe next time.

We browsed in the gift shop and had lunch in the depot cafe which was perfectly lovely, fresh and hot, but we came to regret eating when we found out there was a sumptuous spread offered to us in First Class. We stepped into our railroad car and were instantly amazed at how luxurious it was. Soft and comfortable love seats with a low coffee table in front of them or cushioned seats with a higher table were the two seating choices. We made an immediate beeline for the loveseats and settled in. Bowls of potato chips and bottled water was already set neatly on our table along with napkins and silverware.

When I spotted the silverware, I figured there was going to be more food and I was right. One of the first announcements was that there would be a food spread once we got going. We were annoyed with ourselves that we had just eaten, but somehow we still managed to pack away samples of the fresh veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, chicken drumsticks and brownies. Drinks were available to purchase – there was actually a full bar on the car – and they had bottles of local wine available, which some people purchased and drank as we tooled along, then took home the remainder.

The train took off smoothly and Tom immediately went outside to our private viewing car so he could get some pictures. I, on the other hand, went to get more brownies.

I, as you know, have my priorities set.

Yet another incredible mountain view.

Desert, mountain - this trip had it all.

The canyon we were traversing was virtually devoid of human occupants. We saw a couple of dwellings but I guess it’s just too far from everything to make it a comfortable place to live. The ruins of Perkinsville are a sad reminder of how difficult life can be in this area. This means that the windswept desert and towering mountains are clean, unspoiled and quite, quite lovely. We saw beautiful mountain streams and rivers, meandering through deserted landscapes. The only sound was the quiet noise of the train as it passed through.

Of course, I saw these views through the window, curled up on my comfy loveseat. But I did occasionally go out on the viewing car where Tom perched almost the entire trip, taking picture after picture. This is precisely one of the reasons why I bring him along.

Proof that I actually went out on the viewing car. At least long enough to have my picture taken.

The train chugged quietly along, through tunnels and over bridges, each vista more incredible than the last.

Crossing one of the many bridges.

Side view of the train.

The train runs from Clarkdale to Perkinsville on a trip that lasts about four hours total. On the way back, we both relaxed inside as it began to sprinkle. We watched through the window as the train reversed and took us back through the beautiful countryside again, back to the depot where we rather sadly disembarked.

This was truly one of the best things we did the entire time we were in Arizona. It would be absolutely wonderful for a family, especially for ones with train-loving kids. And who doesn’t love trains? The train runs all year long and the lovely scenery would be different during each season.

If you are visiting Arizona, you should check out the Verde Canyon Railroad. You will be so glad you did.

I leave you with a video to help you make up your mind.

Full disclosure: Our tickets were provide by the Verde Canyon Railroad, but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.