Bell Rock Hike in Sedona

April 28, 2015 By Devon Leave a Comment

OK, first question: Will you guys go to prom with me?

I worked really hard to gather all the branches and rocks to set this up, so it’s going to be really disappointing if you say no.

JUST KIDDING! Man, you should have seen the look on your face. I got you good. But in all seriousness, how adorable is this promposal? I don’t think anyone I’ve been with would have taken the time to write out “PROM?” in found objects from the desert and then climbed to the top of a giant rock just to ask me to a high school dance.

It feels like I’ve spent all my time in Sedona lately (3/5 weekends), but I’m definitely not mad about that. My dad came to visit a few weeks ago and to celebrate a very special birthday of his, we packed up the car and hit the road for Sedona and Flagstaff. On day one we decided to check out one of four of Sedona’s famous vortexes. The vortexes are in spots where the energy of the Earth is released and you are able to feel it. Whether we felt it or not is a whole other story, but you can find evidence of it in twisted tree branches.

We chose Bell Rock for our vortex hike because it’s claimed to have the highest energy levels. This area between the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona has a lot of hiking trails and many of them are on level ground around the base of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, like Bell Rock Pathway, the nice and easy 3.6 mile hike we did. Once you get to the opposite side of Bell Rock you have the option to actually hike/scramble up to the top of the rock. If you are able to make this steeper, sometimes difficult climb, it’s definitely worth the trip.

The further up the rock you go, the more twisty trees you’ll see along with wide views of red rock buttes and maybe even a promposal, if you’re lucky. From the far side of the trail we could also see the Chapel of the Holy Cross jutting out of the red rock. Since we were so close and it was Easter day, we decided the architectural work of art of a church was worth a visit.

Just down the road, a giant cross frame surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows makes up the front of this small chapel. After seeing the giant structure towering above me from the street down below, when we finally got to the top to go inside, it seemed surprisingly small, but beautiful nonetheless. Access to the church is free and the parking is fairly organized to get you as close as possible without having to hike up the hill. Once inside you can make a donation to light a candle or visit the gift shop, which happened to be closed the day we were there.

We capped the day off by rolling straight off the trail and into Cucina Rustica for a nice Italian meal. Like, we were sweaty and wearing our hiking clothes and shoes in a nice Italian restaurant. Got it? OK. We step inside the fairly empty restaurant (it was pretty early for dinner and also Easter day) and tell the host we’d like a table for two. He immediately told us the only available seating was outside, and I think we all know why. We were too much of a hot, embarrassing mess to be allowed into the dining room. Regardless, we didn’t care. It was a gorgeous night and the cozy patio had a live musician, string lights, plants, fountains and a great view of the red rocks (and an adorable table of elderly friends). The food was fantastic. My dad was happy with his veal saltimbocca while I chowed down on some delicious seafood pasta made gluten free just for me (they were very accommodating, but forewarning: the pasta was very overcooked, the seafood on the other hand, perfection). The perfect end to another successful Sedona day.

And a moment of silence for this house right next door to the Chapel and caterpillar trails:

Chicken Caesar Pizza

April 21, 2015 By Devon Leave a Comment

Lately I’ve been somewhere halfway between wanting to sell all my stuff to be a nomad and knowing I need to be a responsible adult with a steady job.

I mean, come on. What 20-something fresh-out-of-college doesn’t sit at their day job every once in a while and wish they were climbing a mountain in Iceland instead? (Or sitting on a beach in Greece, or sipping on wine and munching on cheese on a cobble stone street in Italy, etc, etc.) Regardless, I remember I need my health insurance and the steady paycheck keeps my life low stress, so I opt for something in the middle—working a responsible day job and spending my weekends exploring, hiking, eating and traveling.

Chicken Caesar Pizza is basically the food-equivalent of my nomad-responsible life compromise. You know, like you really just want pizza but you know you should be eating a salad. So instead you just put your salad on a pizza and it sounds like it won’t work, but it so, totally does. Trust me, you guys.

So before you stop reading and skip this recipe all together, I was skeptical too. There’s a fast-casual pizza place here in Phoenix called Sauce (and it’s amazing). They have a chicken Caesar pizza, so I can’t take credit for this idea, but my friend Ashley is obsessed with it. She would get it every time we went and for whatever reason I just thought it sounded so disgusting. Plus, I was still holding out on my responsible side, I just wanted a pure, greasy pizza, I wasn’t at compromise level yet. Then one day I was really feeling like a salad but couldn’t not have some delicious Sauce pizza, so I did it. I got the Chicken Caesar Pizza and it’s my new go-to.

I couldn’t believe how great it was and immediately knew I needed to make it at home. A refreshing pizza seems like an anomaly, but this really is one and it’s perfect for these warmer temps. It’s like eating a Caesar salad on top of a giant, cheesy crouton instead of having to try to poke the croutons with your fork and winding up with just a bunch of crouton dust. I mean, it’s a Caesar salad you can eat with your hands, I don’t think it gets any better than that.

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Author: Devon O'Brien

Serves: 1–2

Ingredients

1 10-inch premade pizza crust (I use the ones from the refrigerator section at Whole Foods and Sprouts)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces of shredded chicken breast (leftovers work great, or see note below for cooking instructions)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 heaping cup chopped romaine lettuce
¼ cup halved cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, or according to the package directions on your pizza crust.
Top the pizza crust with both cheeses and place in the oven on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for about 15 min (or according to package directions) or until crust is crisp and cheesy is golden and bubbly.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until combined to form dressing.
Toss the dressing with the romaine, tomatoes and chicken (for cooking directions, see note below). Place the salad mix on top of the cooked pizza and top with any desired extra Parmesan.
**To cook chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken breast with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet for 35 minutes. Let cool, then shred with fingers.

Devil’s Bridge Hike—Sedona

April 17, 2015 By Devon Leave a Comment

Fellow Phoenicians: What I’m about to say is scary and unfathomable, but, we are quickly approaching summer AKA if-you’re-going-to-hike-you-better-do-it-before-the-sun-comes-up weather.

Last summer I checked my weather app every morning. I would look at Phoenix, then Sedona, then Flagstaff. The temperature difference from Phoenix to Sedona/Flag would always be about 20 degrees and I kept promising myself I would just hop in the car and go up for the weekend. I never did it.

But this year is going to be different! I’m going to take advantage of those cooler temps and get up north to keep my hiking butt in shape so I don’t have to repeat the experience of re-entrance to hiking that I had this year (Hint: not good. Can’t breath. Someone help. Water).

Thanks to all my visitors this month (Hi, sister-cousin! Hi, Dad!) I was able to get up to Sedona twice and Flagstaff once for days of exploring and hike scouting. If you’ve never been to Sedona, you need to go. Just driving in your chin will fall to your lap. The scenery is gorgeous, all those red rocks and they actually have some water and green things there. Desert win.

Since I took a total of three days up in that area this month, we covered a lot of ground. I want to share it all with you, even if you don’t care (the pictures are pretty?), so I’m going to break it up in a few different posts, starting with this one: The Devil’s Bridge Hike.

Here’s the basic info: The last mile of road leading to the Devil’s Bridge trailhead is treacherous. I really don’t think you could do it in anything but an off-road vehicle, Jeep or a truck. Needless to say, little baby Ferne (my 1999 standard Honda Civic) wasn’t about to make that trek. Luckily there is a parking area just before the paved road ends. It’s then a one mile walk to the trailhead to make a two-mile, one-way hike (four miles total). For me, that’s the perfect length, so I was glad we had the option to do a little extra.

Plus, the hike to the trail head was really pretty. We wound through a big, open area with great views of the red rocks and then ended up hiking the last bit along the road, but it was still nice. Once you get to the trailhead, you start gaining more elevation. But I will say it’s a pretty steady, not terribly steep climb until you get to the very top. The very last portion of the trail is a little loop. If you go left, you can get under the bridge before going to the top. If you go right, you go straight to the top. I thought going under the bridge was definitely worth it, but getting up to the top of the bridge was a bit of a scramble that way. So it might be best to go see the underside of the bridge, then go back to the right side of the loop to hike to the top.

Being up on top of the bridge was one of the most fun experiences of my life. The bridge itself is majestic. A giant wall of rock with a big arch in it, creating what looks like a thin layer of rock that could collapse beneath you at any minute. Once you’re actually standing on top of it though, you realize it’s so much stronger than it appears and completely safe.

Across from the bridge is some nice flat rock and a stream—it’s the perfect place to hang out, mingle and take photos of the bridge from. The day we were there, there was a big group of the most fun people. Maybe it’s because we were all out in nature and not at work, but there was such a sense of community. We all took photos for each other, chatted, laughed and even cheered on those who were too afraid to stand on the bridge for a picture. I started a slow-clap chant for Scott until he finally walked out to get a quick shot with his wife. One of my biggest achievements to date. Good job, Scott, I’m proud of you!

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Bell Rock Hike in Sedona

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Devil’s Bridge Hike—Sedona