My LOVELY Mom & DAD INSTILLED My Desire To Share Pine With You
Tradition vs Passion
When I was a child, my Dad's idea of family fun was to take long, "Cowboy & Indian & Pony Express" themed car rides through the wild west of Arizona. We'd moved from Kansas City, Missouri to Phoenix when I was 9, so these "Western" adventures and the accompanying tales my Dad would spin were magical to me.
We would meander through Payson, Pine and Strawberry, following the outcropped mesa of the Mogollon Rim. The village of Pine seemed to be our halfway point. We could always anticipate a stop at the East Verde River or the Tonto Natural Bridge for a secluded picnic of peanut butter and jelly.
My Dad would lament that he'd forgotten a machete because he had learned to slice open the fruit of a prickly pear cactus and extract the jelly for our sandwiches!
We could hardly sit still long enough to finish our lunches. We scrambled over the trails on the hunt for critters in the falls below and sky varmints like Turkey-vultures and Bald Eagles soaring above our heads. It was just the 6 of us. How did my parents do it with 4 children all under the age of 10?
After the picnic, we'd pack up: my Mom always said "the best camp ground is the one that never gave away the fact that you were there..." just in case the outlaws Jesse James or Wild Bill Hickok were on our trail.
We scrambled over trails returning with fallen branches and once we had thoroughly swept away the "evidence" of our bushwacking trail, we packed everyone in the station wagon and made our getaway back through the craggy mountain passes of Camp Verde, slowly making our way west to Oak Creek Canyon. The scenery evolved from dense Junipers to sparse high desert Saguaro and then back to dense cottonwood trees nourished from underground streams and melting snow pack as we approached Oak Creek.
Our Mom and Dad appointed us as Scouts and we reveled in the responsibility of staking out our camp site for the night.
Once we had set up camp, we gathered kindling as a family in preparation for our storytime campfire where we would feast on Ballpark Franks and vegetables roasted right over our own fire!
I now laugh when I recall my Mom's inappropriate laughter after she exclaimed in her most festive voice, "the only way we could improve on this grand feast was if we could find a taco stand instead of these hotdogs!"
I reminisce about my childhood and our family's wonderful excursions every time I delight at the sight, smell and sound of a fire inside one of the two fireplaces at the Wandering Elk Cabin.
Mornings at Oak Creek Canyon unraveled in a vastly different scenario; the hordes of RVs, 4-wheelers and dirt bikers in their cutoff dungarees and muscle t-shirts would descend on Oak Creek Canyon like locusts. The quiet, riverfront solace transformed into a loud, crowded, dank playground complete with all the discarded waste and odors transported in from the city
Don't get me wrong, to this day I still love the drive through Oak Creek Canyon. Spring of 2021, I took over the driving duty from my 85 year old Dad when he visited the Wandering Elk Cabin. We were just as mesmerized by the stark beauty of the landscape as we were over 50 years ago!
It is astounding that way back in history, settlers experienced the awe of nearby Sedona as they traversed the hillsides and came upon these majestic red and rust precipices.
Native Americans thrived among the sacred splendor of Sedona, Walnut Creek, Montezuma's Well, Second Mesa and Oak Creek Canyon for tens of generations. The area is breathtaking! There is no denying it.
But the congestion, the mass produced, overpriced tsotskis and the disregard for one another in the quest for a selfie in front of the red rocks has cheapened the experience for "non-first timers".
On the
Other Hand
Pine and Strawberry have not changed much over the last 50 years. The scent of the Junipers is reminiscent of that earlier time. At night, assuming a full moon is not lighting your path and throwing shadows, you'll be mesmerized by a celestial blanket , dotted with bright planets, stars and Galaxies.
The song of the crickets is nonstop. The air is crisp and clean and most importantly, here is my wish for you, family and your good friends on your visit to the Wandering Elk Cabin . . .
My Wish for You
- hopefully . . .
you'll find time to unplug, relax and focus on re-discovering or finding your why...
- ideally,
you'll take time to appreciate your plentiful gifts
- understandably
you'll acknowledge that on your next trip to Pine, you should definitely allow for twice as much time.
Come for Adventures & Excursions
The fun begins with the exciting inflation of the balloon and soon you'll be soaring with falcons! Watch the sunrise during your ascent. You'll glide among Sedona's gorgeous Red Rock Country and celebrate with champagne!
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