Goal was to check out as many must see‘s in Arizona in 2 days.
If you haven’t checked out part 1 of the series. Click here.
The Plan
A was where we lived. (via AirBnB)
B—Tonto Natural Bridge
C—Bull Pen Swim Hole
D—Montezuma Castle
E—Devil’s Bridge
8:45AM
Not chasing sunrise today, so we took off relatively late. The long day from part I knocked us way out.
9:46AM
On our way to Tonto Natural Bridge Park.
Little did we know, there were very few gas stations over the span of a very long ride.
Then, guess what…
And the closest gas station…
..was not close.
Luckily, we made just in time.
Tonto Natural Bridge
Tonto Natural Bridge is a natural arch in Arizona, USA, that is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world.
The hike down to the bridge was steep but relatively short. Took us around 15 minutes to walk down to the bridge (but just over 2.5 hours to drive here).
Unfortunately…
Due to the heavy rain over the last couple of weeks (monsoon season), the access underneath the bridge was closed… dammit.
A glance from afar was still satisfying. The arc was a beauty:
Tried to squeeze a bit more out of this park by going off road:
Over the span of our 4 day trip, we seldom dined in restaurants. Most meals were done in the car, on the road, consuming these…
From Costco (not a paid sponsor.)
11:18AM
Our next location required a bit off-gravel journey
Bull Pen Swim Hole (that we never found)
The Bull Pen.
Actually, we never made to the Bull Pen swim hole that everyone raved about.
We just couldn’t find it.
We did stumble across a swim hole that we don’t have a name for.
We followed the directions we searched online..
’til around this spot:
Then we got totally lost.
No more familiar cues.
15 minutes later..
We found this spot.
Water was a bit muddy and it wasn’t looking exactly like what we remembered (no reception here to double check).
We didn’t know what might be in the water, neither.
But whatevs. We settled:
Wasn’t gana risk losing my wedding band here.
Fingers crossed and hoped for the best. We all wished there was no predators in the water.
The rocks behind us seemed like a diving spot.
But the water simply wasn’t deep enough to warrant an attempt.
How deep was the water exactly? About..
1 Benson tall (6′)
It was pretty cold to start out…
My first ever swim hole. Good times.
4:07PM
On our way out we found this fella:
4:45PM
Indian fry bread.
Perhaps one of the most unhealthy things: fry dough.
Not bad tasting, though.
Montezuma Castle
A.k.a. the Indian Castle.
This was a cliff side dwelling built and used by the Sinagua people about 1000 years ago ( approximately 1100 and 1425 AD). The main structure comprises five stories and twenty rooms, and was built over the course of three centuries.
That was $20 per person. Worth? Never coming back again.
5:25PM
Devils Bridge
Rather, the Devil’s Arch.
(Opening was formed through weathering and wind, not by water. And, there’s no flowing water through the opening.)
This spot was one of the best bang for the buck.
In fact, it was free. The hike was relatively easy (2 hours round trip via the easiest option by foot) for a spectacular view.
This is the largest stone arch in the Sedona area.
One can also drive in with off-road compatible vehicles or even paid to be dropped off at the trail head, which can cut the hike down by 40 minutes to an hour round trip.
We skipped lunch and had just been grubbing on beef jerky and…
Lu’s ready to roll:
I never realized how short Lu’s short was.
–
It was a short but steep climb up the final destination.
Cougar Jaguar status.
More steps.
Terrific view and we weren’t even at the bridge, yet.
The Devil’s Bridge:
Just. Look. At. That.
7:35PM
We wanted to make it down by sunset. Yet, the very sunset stalled us:
Gawd dam.
8:32PM
Quick dinner.
10:42PM
How could we not star gaze when in Arizona.
That was just about as much time as we had to explore Arizona.
Still tons of places to visit, so I’ll certainly be back. If you missed part I, here it is.
Thanks for checking out my journey, guys.
Travel often and safely.
’til then!
