While other people I know were up before dawn risking their lives at Black Friday sales, we slept in and then met friends, Bob & Eileen, for a late morning hike followed by a delicious lunch at Wildflower. We found that the farther we got from Najavo country, the better our food options became.



Fueled up again, we returned to the trails for a glorious loop on Brin's Mesa, Soldier's Pass and some other trails. It's been quite a while since I've run on trail and I loved every minute of it. Fresh air, red rocks, dirt under my feet. Ahhh.....





There were certain parts I loved a little less than others, like when the jeep tours came through and interrupted our solitude. However, we did learn a few things by eavesdropping on their commentary at the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole.



We stopped frequently for pictures and to play with dogs. Sedona is an amazingly dog-friendly pace - just one more reason to love it!







For dinner, we chose Chocola Tree, a raw food restaurant. And we chose wisely. I like hot foods way to much to go completely raw, but I love how healthful and creative (not to mention gluten-free) the diet is. We had the Kelp Noodles with Nut Sauce and the "Turkey" Sandwich Plate made with leftovers from the previous day's holiday feast. The "turkey" was actually nutloaf which is much tastier than it sounds.



We finished the meal with coconut ice cream and a slice of the Chocolate Ganache Pie. It was divine.



Fully sated, we headed to Tlaquepaque for their Festival of Trees. We had no idea what this was, but, having skipped the Black Friday craziness, we were due for some holiday cheer.

Various groups had created themed Christmas trees (or cacti) that were being auctioned off for charity. Here was our favorite - the decorations are used light bulbs of all varieties that were collected from local stores and painted.





And while this store was closed, we couldn't resist a photo. Sedona draws an eclectic group of people.