Sunday, June 8, 2014

Triple Crown & Sedona

Gerry and I both have a love of horse racing and always make it a point to watch the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. (Triple Crown).   California Chrome had won the first two races and looking for the crown today at Belmont.  Each race is a different distance and it takes a special horse to win all three.  We were hoping to see the first triple crown winner since 1978, but it wasn't to be.  CC came in 4th and didn't really seem to be competing during the race.  What a disappointment.  

The owner of California Chrome was very upset after the race since a horse that only ran one leg to the crown won the race.  That horse was fresher and primed for this race.  I also think if they are going to call it the Triple Crown, then each horse should run all three races.  

Since we don't receive NBC at the campground, we decided to drive into Sedona and watch the race at an Irish Bar.  We had a great corned beef sandwich and a couple good beers.  I even had a chance to throw some darts, but my aim has seriously deteriorated over the years.  Hard to believe I used to be good enough to win beers throwing darts.

Only two bulls eyes
 

Dollar bills on the wall

This says it all.

Very smooth beer
We rode around Sedona for a while and checked out some of the sights.  It was a busy Saturday with a number of Pink Jeeps running up and down the street.  We've shopped in the stores before and almost every thing is overpriced or out of our comfort range.  We also found a 3/4 acre lot on a steep hillside for sale for only $249K.

Since we aren't early morning people, Gerry decided to go to the 5:30pm Saturday mass so we could sleep in Sunday morning.  The church was quite different from other churches and quite interesting.  The altar had large windows on each side one could see the red rocks of the mountains.  It was quite a beautiful setting.

After church we went riding around the area on back roads and managed to get some great photos of the area.  The photos don't come close to really showing the beauty of the area.  The red rock mountains were beautiful in the late afternoon sun and were stunning.  A couple of the photos below were taken in 3D, but it doesn't show up on my computer screen.  Viewing them on our 3D TV is very impressive.





Cathedral Rock

Side view of Cathedral rock
We would have taken more pictures, but the battery on Gerry's camera ran out.  I think sunset is the best time to take photos in the area since it highlights the rocks even more.  We drove down some gravel roads and were off the highway more than a few miles and were wishing we still had our Jeep 4X4 and able to explore even more.

Our neighbor next door stopped by for a visit this evening and we sat outside on the patio talking for a couple hours.  She is a little younger than we are and travels with three dogs in her Tiffin motorhome. She has been on the road for 10 years and loving it.  She noticed our South Dakota tags and was curious why we picked there for our home address.  After discussing why, we chatted on and on over various subjects.

She lost a arm in an accident just after she graduated from high school, but manages to do everything very well with one arm.  She only mentioned the accident in passing and didn't dwell on it.  You have to give her a lot of credit for her great attitude.

That was our day, how was yours?

2 comments:

  1. I agree - I think horses need to run all three races in the Triple Crown. I was really sad that Chrome didn't win. Sedona is a gorgeous area but so many people and definitely prices out of our pocket size. We're headed up towards Pinedale WY on Monday where our friends Tom and Diane are camphosting. Tom lost a leg in his 20's and he's just like your new friend. Sure doesn't let it slow him down any.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In total agreement about the Triple Crown! Maybe they should start listening to their supporters and consider revamping the qualifications... The scenery is breathtaking even by camera via computer. You certainly are seeing such beauty that only the west can provide. Henry and I are walking in our 90 degree heat and have the same view of our neighborhood each time! Good thing we like our neighborhood! 10K steps daily and counting

    ReplyDelete