Off the Court: Trocadero la Tour Hotel - Paris

Off The Court - Trocadero La Tour Hotel

I arrived in Paris this afternoon, after the brutal 8 hour red eye flight from Atlanta. Amazingly, things were extremely easy at CDG when I arrived, customs took no more than 5 minutes, and transportation to my hotel was waiting for me when I picked up luggage!

Based on recommendation from Delta Vacations, I chose to stay at the Trocadero la Tour - a Best Western Premiere Hotel. The location of this hotel is my favorite part so far; In the area called Passy, I walk out the door and am greeted my numerous shops, cafés, and restaurants. Even better, I made a left turn & had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower, which is less than a mile walk from this location. There are also 4 metro stations less than a 10 minute walk away, making it convenient to see all of the sights in Paris.

A small hotel, the Trocadero has the cutest decor and I love the architecture of and surrounding the building. The also offer 24 hour room service, free wi-fi, and a breakfast buffet (things I find extremely important when traveling internationally).

Pictures are below and the hotel contact information is:

http://www.trocaderolatour.com/m/en/

































































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Location:Rue Massenet,Paris,France

Horsin' Around Adventures - Sedona

Horseback Riding - Sedona, AZ

While in Sedona, I went horseback riding in South Sedona, an area I had not seen yet on any of my hikes or other tours.  This area contains all of the wineries in the area and has a different looking landscape than the canyons and red rock areas of Sedona.

My wrangler's name was Bill and I was lucky enough to get a private tour that day, as no one else booked the time slot that I had.  Bill was great and had some of the most interesting stories of film making in Sedona.  He has worked a lot with movies and commercials, often the man who is seen falling off of a horse, trains horses for films, and is often contacts for use of his personal horses.  Talking with Bill while riding through Sedona gave me some great insight into this side of the area and I gained a lot of the historical knowledge about the area.

Bill and his horse, Manzanita, leading the way on the trail.

"Bullet" was my horse that day and he gave me the hardest time at the beginning of the ride.  He kept turning around and going back to the stable, which I think was a combination of testing me and just not wanting to go out that day.  However,  once we got to know each other a little, the ride was so enjoyable!  Parts of the ride went through the creek and river, which always amazes me with horses, and we road along the old stage coach road for portions as well.  It was so interesting to see this and made you realize why it took people so long to get anywhere back then.  

 Me and my new friend, Bullet.

For my ride, I used Horsin' Around Adventures.  From advice I was given, this company takes you through rides in the best areas and I highly recommend them.  They were very accommodating and changed my reservation, finding last minute space for me when I was running late after falling in the creek on my morning hike (freezing cold!)

 Some of the other horses.

Albuquerque, NM - October 15, 2014

Albuquerque, NM

I only spent one day in Albuquerque, NM.  It was two days after the Balloon Fiesta ended and the town seemed very quiet.  I did not find many exciting things going on downtown, but I did enjoy seeing the large number of horse ranches when driving along the Rio Grande.  There were multiple opportunities to go horseback riding or take lessons.

I chose to visit the Balloon Fiesta Location and Museum, which was only $4 and a tiny bit interesting to me.  Here, you can see replicas of the very first hot air balloons, see how they are made, and learn about the history behind trips around the world and the balloon Fiesta.

Old Town

Old Town Albuquerque is one of the most popular places for people to visit and has a large amount of shops and restaurants featuring local artists and allows you to experience historical and cultural aspects of the town.  When I visited, there were very few people in the area, but I found it to be a quiet and relaxing walk.

Sandia Crest

There is one main area right outside of Albuquerque (30-40 minutes) for hiking and driving through scenic areas.  I was not able to hike here because the entire park was closed due to the government shut down, but I did think that they trails looked enjoyable with amazing views of the surrounding canyons.  Instead of hiking, I drove to the top of the mountain, Sandia Crest, and was really impressed with the panoramic views of New Mexico.  I highly recommend this drive, as it does not take long and takes you through cute small town areas with shops and restaurants.  Skiing is also available here in the winter months.

An interesting/creepy face in one of the windows at the top of the mountain.

Sandia Peak Skiing - Closed at this time, but will open for winter.

Oak Creek Canyon Hiking

I stopped by a place called The Hike House yesterday that sells hiking gear, has an energy cafe, and give guidance for all of the trails in the area. After discussing with the staff, I decided to make my first hike on the West Fork trail in in Oak Creek Canyon.
West Fork charges a $9 fee to enter, is about 6 miles round trip, and takes anywhere from 2-4 hours on average & crosses the creek 13 times. At times, I was a little confused where the trail went, but there were plenty of other people on the trail to help figure it out. The rocks were a little slippery when crossing the creek, which can be intimidating; however, everyone seemed to be handling it well.
Everything about this trail was well worth the time and $9 fee. In October, the leaves are changing color, making some extremely beautiful views with the red rocks and creek as a back drop. Check out the photos below!




























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Location:Sedona, AZ

Pink Jeep Tour

Today I took a Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona to Broken Arrow & Scenic Rim. In the area? Highly recommend it! The view from these locations is one of the best in the world. Unless you're in an off-road vehicle, driving is not possible to the areas we visited. The tour guide was very personable & knowledgeable about all of the geography & history of the area. I'm considering taking another tour to some ruins with them. If you like bumpy rides, beautiful scenery & some excitement, this is a great tour.















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Location:Sedona, AZ

Short Stop in Flagstaff

I stopped in Flagstaff, AZ today for lunch on my way to Sedona, where Northern Arizona University is located. This is a really cute little town with mountains as a backdrop. It's all brick streets & brick buildings in the historic area and the trees around were just changing color, making it a beautiful place to walk around on a fall day.
The downtown historic area is filled with unique shops and restaurants. BI had lunch at Criollo Latin Kitchen - they were offering $2 fish tacos & other great choices during their happy hour, along with a large list of seasonal margaritas. I tried the Butternut Squash Margarita, which was TO DIE FOR. The fish tacos were also really tasty.
I loved the atmosphere here and they had an outdoor patio in the back that was really cute. I chose to sit at the bar & received a lot of great advice in Sedona from the bartender, who grew up there. He even gave me his mom's phone number to call for advice or a visit to her home.
Flagstaff is a great little town and, only 1 hour from Sedona, I might make a day trip here to spend more time.




















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Location:N Beaver St,Flagstaff,United States

Continental Divide, Painted Desert

On my way to Sedona, stopped at the Continental Divide in New Mexico. The desert area here is so beautiful, a deep red color. Not sure if I will get to see much more of the painted desert since the park is shit down due to the government shutdown....
















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