My brother (Craig) came to visit recently.
His inaugural trip to the Southwest was in April, helping me settle in to my place and welcoming Sunny to his new home. So in November, I wanted to show off more of Arizona, beyond home goods stores and car dealerships.
A couple weeks ago, we hit up the zoo where my brother became a big fan of the Arabian Oryxes grazing on the mountain.
I’d never heard of an oryx, but as seems to happen after a previously unknown “thing” is brought to your attention, references were suddenly plentiful. A few days later, while tuning into a news station, a headline about these interesting-looking antelopes flashed on-screen. Apparently, a UK zoo called Whipsnade (just north of London and the largest in the UK) is trying to revive the oryx population by introducing a male (named Sabre) to a herd of 9 females. Sabre is going to be exhausted…
Next on the itinerary was an excursion to the Grand Canyon. It was nice to introduce my favorite brother to a Wonder of the World.
Wanting to stare at the big-hole-in-the-ground as much as possible meant a late departure down to Flagstaff (our home base that night). For the record, it’s a little daunting navigating a 2-laned, unlit road once the sun goes down. There were many (many) signs warning drivers of animals possibly ambling about and my eyes were peeled for frolicking oryxes, but we eventually got to the city without incident.
Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University and three different restaurants featured in the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives”. Having worked up an appetite from hiking around the Canyon (and expending nervous energy from the dark drive), Mexican food at Salsa Brava fue aún más deliciosa – ole’!
The following day, heading from Flagstaff to Sedona, we took the scenic route which is 24 miles of twists and turns along the Oak Creek Canyon Drive. Breathtaking in its gorgeousness, as well as breathtaking in that my brother might have held his in as I maneuvered Sunny around the curves. The colorful autumn leaves provided an extra special visual.
Back in the Phoenix area, another agenda item was to check out the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Fitting efficiently on 3.5 acres, the experience included a koi pond, streams, waterfall, foot bridges, lanterns and apparently (according to the printed brochure) an award-winning restroom.
The koi pond holds 550,000 gallons of water. For reference, there’s about 490,000 gallons in an Olympic swimming pool. So, lots of room for the numerous koi and mosquito (eating) fish that reside there.
According to their website, the Japanese Garden’s mission is “To provide a beautiful place of serenity, peace, education and cultural engagement”. Plus, one of their core values focuses on tranquility. The fact that Craig actually said (without knowing this information) “it’s so tranquil”, earns them a point in the values-achieved column. The only thing I was a little tepid on was the restroom’s claim to fame (maybe if they’d had those heated seats). But otherwise, the visit offered a calming, appealing atmosphere.
In all, it was a great week of exploration. Seeing the fall foliage up north provided additional dazzle to the already-exquisite landscape. Plus, I got to remember what temperatures hovering near freezing felt like (note: they felt too cold, but my fleece jacket was happy to be back in rotation).
Do you think Sabre can help increase the oryx population? Did you know that a group of koi could either be referred to as a “glint” or a “troubling” (use that esoteric fact at parties). What are your favorite fall destinations? Comment below on these hot topics!