Briar Patch Inn - Our Favorite Escape

      When we want to get away, the Briar Patch Inn is where we travel.  We simply love this place!


     The welcome at the Briar Patch Inn itself puts a person at ease because as you arrive at the secluded inn along Oak Creek Canyon, in your cabin you will find a small box with a card that reads…

    “There is a legend amongst the highland Indian village of Guatemala.  If you have a problem, then share it with a Worry-doll.  Before going to bed, tell one worry to each doll, then place them beneath your pillow.  Whilst you sleep the dolls will take your worries away.  Please have this small token from the Briar Patch Inn hoping you will leave your worries behind.”

     Yes, the Briar Patch Inn, nestled along the banks of Oak Creek near Sedona, is truly one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots to escape in all of Arizona.
    It was in the late 1930s that a German carpenter by the name of Raacke made his way to what then was a very isolated and remote part of Arizona.  He found what he considered a paradise along the trout filled stream of Oak Creek, surrounded by red rock canyon walls.  Here, he thought, he would find solace from the rest of the world.
     His Oak Creek paradise was only 3 miles up the canyon from a small settlement that provided him just enough human company.  The town’s namesake, Sedona Schnebly and her husband, Theodore, were living here too and were just a few of the local people scratching out a living in their beautiful Arizona landscape.
     But Mr. Raacke’s quiet and secluded world began to change early in 1940 when the movie folks from Hollywood, California discovered that Sedona was a perfect backdrop to shoot Western movies.  Into the small town of Sedona flooded actors, producers and all the supporting Hollywood cast but with not a single hotel in which to stay.
     Mr. Raacke saw an economic opportunity and decided to build a few cabins along his Oak Creek land and rent them out to those most colorful people from Hollywood.  His cabins became known as “Rocky’s Cottages” and the working folks from California filled them to capacity when in Sedona filming a new movie.
     Time passed and people changed in this red rock paradise.  Into Oak Creek Canyon in the late 1960s came Ike and JoAnn Olson with their 3 sons to escape the summer heat of Scottsdale, Arizona.  Here they too discovered the paradise once found by a friendly German carpenter.
In 1983 the Olson family decided it was time to secure their piece of that paradise and purchased two pieces of Oak Creek cabin properties – one called Briar Patch and the second one known as Rocky’s Cottages.   Three other small properties were soon added resulting in the 8.6 acres and a 19 cottage resort today called the Briar Patch Inn.
     Here Arizona’s paradise is still found.  Rustic cottages beautifully decorated greet every guest. Crackling fireplaces warm the rooms as well as refresh the heart and soul.
      Fresh water springs spill into Oak Creek at the site resulting in the sounds of always rushing water, creating a refreshing, clean stream.  Trout still flourish in the creek and guests can still refresh in the nearby swimming hole.  And for the very lucky, majestic Bald Eagles can be seen diving into Oak Creek competing with the fishermen for that special trout.
     A creek side breakfast, afternoon hot mulled cinnamon cider, tea and coffee, home baked cookies and more are all a part of the special experience provided for guests at this old and quaint Arizona bed and breakfast inn.  Even the inn’s “ grass caretakers”, three, loveable sheep known as Wooley, Billy & Lilly, add a peaceful charm and enjoyment for all looking to refresh the body, mind and spirit.
    


If You Go
Destination Name:  Briar Patch Inn
Address  3190 N. Highway 89A, Sedona, Az.
Directions Driver north on I-17 80 miles to Exit 298, Sedona.  Travel 15 miles on AZ-179N to the roundabout in downtown Sedona.  Take AZ-89A North 3.3 miles, turning right into the inn.  The Briar Patch Inn is 99 miles from I-17 & Happy Valley Road.
Price  Prices vary with cabins; see website for rates
GPS Coordinates
N 34° 53.988’
W 111° 43.803’
Info www.briarpatchinn.com/

Battle of Hawikuh - July 7, 1540

      July 7th is the 473rd anniversary of the Battle of Hawikuh when a Spanish army, led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, fought the first battle against the Native American people of the American Southwest at a small pueblo in what is today northwestern New Mexico.  It would begin 346 years of warfare in our land between Europeans and Native Americans.  We wrote about the Battle of Hawikuh in June 2012, but on the anniversary of the battle,  here again is a link to that story...

http://azbugztwo.blogspot.com/2012/06/battle-of-hawikuh.html

Arizona's July 4, 1776 Connection

     Arizona has a connection to July 4, 1776 too!   After you read our story below, we hope you will take the time and discover Hopi for yourself.

Note: The Hopi Tribe ask that you not take pictures of their land, their homes and the people when you visit their reservation.  We have always honored that request when we visited the villages of Hopi.  The pictures you see here come from two sources.  Picture #1 is of a pot we bought from the late Hopi potter Pauline Setalla while visiting her and her family in Keams Canyon.  The remaining pictures were provided to us by the Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites with permission of the Hopi Tribal Council. 

Please, when you visit Hopi, be a good guest and follow and obey all of their tribal requests.  Remember, you are a guest in their home and will be graciously welcomed.  Here is our July 4th story...

     Father Tomas Garces was moving quickly that hot, summer morning for he had just been kicked out of the Hopi village of Oraibi.   Father Garces and his traveling party needed to get back to their mission near today’s Yuma and they were moving quickly to descend off the heights of Third Mesa so as to comply with the village elders’ demands.
    When they came onto the high desert plains a few miles southwest of the ancient village, Father Garces paused to write in his journal an account of his quick departure from Oraibi.  The date of that journal entry was July 4, 1776.  The final attempt by Spain to establish missions on the Hopi Mesas had come to an end on the very day that the birth of a new nation occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
     The Hopitu, “The Peaceful People” live on a 1.5 million acre reservation in the high desert region of northeastern Arizona.  And with the April 2010 opening of the Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites Hotel the people and their mesa top villages are more accessible then ever for visitors to come to their magical land and discover just want it means to be Hopi.
     The Hopi are one of the oldest living cultures in North America.  Their roots in Arizona go back over 2000 years but their genesis as a people goes back many more thousands of years.  The people believe that their ancestors once migrated north from what is now Central America and Mexico.
A traditional agricultural people, the Hopi are closely tied to their matriarchal clans and still today reside in 12 traditional villages.  Each village is self-governing and about 10,000 Hopi live on their northern Arizona reservation.
    The Hopi have perfected a “dry farming” technique that has allowed them for centuries to produce their famous blue and red corn, beans, squash and melons in a land that first appears impossible to cultivate.  They are also known for their amazing arts and crafts, especially their Kachinas and pottery.
    The village of Upper Moenkopi is the western gateway to the land of the Hopi and with the opening of this modern, 100-room hotel, now is the perfect time to discover the culture of Hopi.  From the beautiful traditionally decorated lobby, to the salt-water swimming pool and the high-speed wireless Internet, this hotel speaks of culture and comfort.
    The TUUVI Café is located just across the street from the hotel in the TUUVI Travel Center.  It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves both traditional American meals as well as traditional Hopi cuisine.
    Guests can travel themselves to the Hopi villages but if this is your first visit to Hopi, let us suggest you consider a guided tour.   Either way we recommend two “must sees” while in the land of Hopi – the first is the Third Mesa village of Old Oraibi which is believed to be the oldest, continuously inhabited village in North America.  Sometimes Old Oraibi is closed to visitors so be sure to follow any closure signs that you might come upon.
    The second is the First Mesa village of Walpi found some 76 miles from the hotel on Highway 264.  Words can’t adequately describe the history and views that await visitors to this cultural treasure high atop First Mesa.  If time allows, the Hopi Cultural Center is located on Second Mesa between Old Oraibi and Walpi.
    Tour guides know the homes of the Kachina Doll carvers, the best potters and basket makers.  They also know of the “do’s and don’ts” of the Hopi culture.  Photography and drawings are forbidden in most villages of Hopi, so please follow all the cultural rules and guidelines. 
    But with the new Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites hotel now open, put a visit to Hopi into your summer travel plans and you will experience a part of Arizona that is both ancient and magical!

Destination Name Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites
Address Junction Highways 160 & 264, Tuba City, Arizona 86045
Directions Take I-17 North 110 miles to Flagstaff on merge onto I-40 East.  At Exit 201, take US-89 North toward Page for 62 miles.  Turn right onto US-160 and travel 10 miles to Tuba City/Moenkopi and the hotel.   The Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites is 191 miles from Anthem.
Price Room cost vary with style; check hotel’s web site
GPS Coordinates
N 35° 93.240’
W 111° 37.989’
Info www.experiencehopi.com/index.html

Lowell Observatory - Flagstaff, AZ

     Pluto was once known to the world as the 9th planet of the Solar System but this far away object has recently lost its planetary label and now is classified only as one of three dwarf planets along with Ceres and Eris.  Whether a planet or a dwarf planet is for the astronomers to decide, but the discovery of this little piece of our solar system is an Arizona story, a Flagstaff, Arizona story to be exact.
     In the 1890s interest in astronomy was high all across America.  Of special interest were those “roads” or “canals” first seen in the planet Mars in 1877.
    American astronomers needed a place where the nighttime sky was still crystal clear and very dark.  The sky above the 7000-foot high town of Flagstaff, Arizona Territory was determined to be such a perfect place.  As early as 1892 Flagstaff was begin called America’s Skylight City.
    In 1894 American scholar, businessman and astronomer Percival Lowell decided that Flagstaff would be a perfect place to build his new observatory.  The town of Flagstaff pledged to Professor Lowell its total support, including good wagon roads and excellent railroad facilities. 
     The town even agreed to sell Professor Lowell a 15-acre mountaintop just west of the downtown area for the grand sum of $1.00!   The deal was made and construction of Lowell Observatory began in late 1894. 
     By 1896 Professor Lowell was gazing upon those “canals” on Mars from his Flagstaff observatory.  So involved did Lowell become in the study of Mars, that the hilltop upon which his observatory was built was given the name Mars Hill.
    In 1902 Professor Lowell stunned the world by stating that he believed another planet existed beyond the orbit of Neptune.  Between 1902 and until his death in 1916, Lowell tried to prove that the ninth planet did truly exist. 
     Proof of that ninth planet now fell to one of Dr. Lowell’s students, Clyde Tombaugh.  On March 13, 1930, the 75th anniversary of Professor Lowell’s birth, Dr. Tombaugh announced the discovery of the ninth planet of the solar system.  The name Pluto was given to this new planet since the first two letters of the name Pluto honor the man who first suggested the planet existed – Percival Lowell.
     Over the many years Lowell Observatory continued it work in the exploration of the solar system. In 1965 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.  Today the observatory is still an active and vibrant scientific community whose mission remains the study of the solar system and to share the results of their astronomical research to educate the public.  Public tours and educational programs are daily events for visitors of the observatory to enjoy.
     Whether Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet is for the astronomers to debate and decide.  Nevertheless, Lowell Observatory is an Arizona treasure and a place to see whenever visiting the cool, high county of Flagstaff, Arizona.


Lowell Observatory is located at 1400 West Mars Hills Road in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The GPS coordinates for Lowell Observatory are N35 12.101 W111 39.914.  For more information about visiting Lowell Observatory visit http://www.lowell.edu/.  For more information about Pluto visit www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/pluto/pluto.html

Visitor Center

The Original Observatory

Lowell's 24 inch telescope

Visitor gallery

Lowell Library

Dr. Lowell's tomb

Original frying pan dust cover

Flagstaff as viewed from Mars Hill

Humphreys Peak viewed from Mars Hill

Humphreys Peak with an early fall snow

Arizona Lavender Summer Festival

    A lavender farm in Arizona might seem about as likely as a cold day in July, but the fact remains that the Red Rock Ranch & Farm near Concho, Arizona does exist and its 130 acres of 45,000 lavender plants are about ready to explode into bloom again.  Mid-September is the second  blooming season for the 13 varieties of high-altitude, organic lavender, which is processed and shipped from this Arizona farm throughout the aroma-loving world.
    Ahh….the smell of lavender!  For lovers of this fragrance the smell brings a sense of relaxation, calmness and peace.  Lavender lotion, lavender oil and lavender potpourri all bring into the home a sense of well-being. 
     For over 2000 years this invigorating fragrance has been used for healing purposes. In addition, Christine and Mike Teeple, owners of the Red Rock Ranch & Farm, have even come up with a variety of recipes that use their lavender in the preparation of many culinary delights.
     Provence, France is the most famous location for the growing of lavender.  At an altitude of 6273 feet, this French area is the highest location in the world where lavender is grown.  Lavender grown at high altitudes possesses a higher ester content than lavender grown at lower altitudes.  The higher the ester content the more fragrant and the more valuable the lavender becomes for use in medicine and therapy.
     The Red Rock Ranch & Farm is located at an elevation of 6100 feet in the pristine air of the White Mountains making this Arizona lavender the second highest altitude lavender grown in the world.  The ecosystem and environment of this area of the White Mountains produce intensely fragrant lavender with a scent that lasts and lasts.
    Thirteen varieties of lavender are grown at the Red Rock Ranch.  French varieties include Provence and Grosso.  English lavender varieties include Royal Velvet, Buena Vista and Pink Melissa.  The growing and harvesting of all these varieties of lavender are done by hand.
    The ranch is also home to the lavender oil extraction process.  With a state-of-the-arts distillation system, 100% pure high altitude lavender essential oil and lavender hydrosol are produced.  With the oils now extracted a myriad of commercial products are made using these well balanced, superior fragrances.  The lavender oils of the Red Rock Ranch are a favorite of aroma therapists from around the world.
    In addition to lavender, the Teeples grow a variety of organic vegetables and fruit on their land.  Their orchard consists of cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, pears and apples just to name a few.  At the large ramada by the ranch pond, guests are often treated to Mike’s grilling of freshly picked vegetables and are heard to exclaim, “My goodness, this taste is incredible!”
    
   
    The Red Rock Ranch & Farm is about 225 miles from Anthem and is located near Concho, Arizona.  The GPS coordinates are N34 29.806  W109 36.262.  For more information about this Arizona lavender farm visit www.redrockfarms.com.  

"Get Your Kicks, On Route 66"

     With the high heat of summer returning to the Valley of the Sun, now is the time to discover and enjoy Arizona's high country.  Check out all that you can do in the Holbrook area - you will enjoy your time there!  



      “Get Your Kicks, On Route 66” was a popular song written in 1946 by Bobby Troup.  Nat King Cole’s rendition of this Troup’s tune rang out across the many small towns of northern Arizona for the next 30 years.  America’s “Mother Road”, Route 66 entered Arizona from New Mexico in the high desert area of the Navajo Reservation and quickly brought travelers to the historic railroad town of Holbrook, Arizona.

      Holbrook, Arizona is a town alive with history and adventure.  It was once the headquarters of the famous Aztec Land and Cattle Company whose cowboys were known as the Hashknife Gang.  It was the site from which many events of the 1887 Pleasant Valley War played out.  And any town with a local hangout named the Bucket of Blood Saloon must surely have played an important role in the naming of the Wild West.

    Today’s Holbrook, now located on Interstate 40 some 3 hours from the Valley, is far more peaceful than its historic roots.  But fun and adventure can still be found everywhere.    

     Historic Route 66, now called Hopi Drive, is still main street of today’s Holbrook. It is on this old road that the “must-stay” motel of Holbrook is located, the Wigwam Village Motel #6.  “Have You Slept in a Wigwam Lately?” is the ad that entices modern visitors to stay in this 1950 motel.  Fifteen, concrete wigwam rooms make this overnight experience one of the most unique and nostalgic sleep-overs in all of Arizona and America.

     Now the teepees are a little snug by today’s standards but they are very clean and well maintained. Each is furnished with the original hickory log furniture.  No telephones nor 3-pronged plugs to be found, but modern cable TV and air conditioning have been added.

     Holbrook, Arizona is the Gateway to the Petrified Forest National Park.  Rock hounds will find Holbrook to be their rock and mineral Disneyland.  There are so many outstanding rock shops found in the Holbrook area but Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Company may just be the finest.

     Here visitors can find the largest selection of Arizona Rainbow Petrified Wood in the world.  The beautiful shop contains a huge selection of fossils, minerals, gemstone jewelry and gifts from around the world.  The store’s museum features “Wild Bill”, a 2.9 million year old alligator fossil.  A working lapidary shop allows visitors to watch raw gems be transformed into beautiful jewelry.

     The heydays of Route 66 may be gone but the small Arizona towns that line the ol’ historic highway are still there and very much alive.  You can still “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” and Holbrook, Arizona is the perfect place to start. 

The GPS Coordinates of the Wigwam Village Motel #6 is N34 54.150 W11010.108.  For information about staying at the Wigwam Village Motel visit www.galerie-kokopelli.com/wigwam/.  For more information about historic Route 66 and in visiting Holbrook, Arizona visit www.theroadwanderer.net/RT66holbrook.htm.  For information about Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Company visit www.petrifiedwoodco.com/.