This was our long awaited early autumn getaway to Northern Arizona’s famed Red Rock country. We arrived at the newly remodeled Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix after a brief 55 minute flight from Los Angeles. We rented a sharp black convertible Jeep Wrangler to get in the "off road" mood as we commenced our two hour open freeway drive to Sedona on Friday afternoon. Still hot temperatures in Phoenix, we had been alerted that the drop in temperature in Sedona could go as low as 40 degrees at night in October so we packed an extra sweater and our hiking boots.

Making good time we decided to add a 45 minute stop off in Camp Verde to visit Montezuma’s Castle, a cliff dwelling of the Sinagua Indians some 10,000 years ago. They mysteriously vacated the area after only a few centuries. Some of the inhabitants never left the cliff dwelling during their lifetime. Some Hopi Indian elders suggest they assimilated into the Hopi nation. Great photo opportunities here.

After this short detour, we arrived at 5:30pm at L’Auberge de Sedona’s "hidden" entrance in Uptown Sedona’s Arts District. The tiny L’Auberge Lane drops down unexpectedly into a creekside valley which leads you out of the Red Rock desert landscape into a lush green and blooming Vermont style cottage and country lodge environment.

We were just in time to freshen up and join our fellow guests for a casual wine reception in the Lodge. A local vintner was chatting up the Northern Arizona wines in front of the large juniper infused burning fireplace. Our concierge and host, Graham, greeted us with an Australian accent softened by his many years as a head waiter in the L’Auberge dining room and his tenure as a tour guide for Pink Jeep Tours of Sedona. Graham presented us with our written weekend itinerary, planned over the phone and via email prior to our departure from Los Angeles.

The executive chef of L’Auberge Restaurant had just delivered a tray of boursin filled mushroom caps and smoked salmon canapés for us to sample. We then strolled across the 11 acre resort to an open air creekside six course tasting menu among the gurgling creek waters and the friendly mallards. Francois, our server, greeted us with a welcoming "Bonjour" and quickly reverted back to his mildly accented English (he must have seen the trepidation in our eyes) as we made our way to our romantic creekside table for two on the rustic flagstone terrace from which we could lean over and splash our hands in the crisp creek waters. The Napa style cuisine of Chef Gelman included a tasting menu that changes nightly with several signature dishes that anchor the menu in its French roots. Each course specifically chosen to complement the setting and the season was impeccably prepared and presented, especially the Axis Venison Chop, served with a delicious creamy polenta, locally harvested Golden Chanterelle mushrooms, and a blackberry demi-glaze. The subtle flavor of fresh blackberries is enhanced by a glass of Panther Creek Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon — the perfect match.

During our dessert course our dinner host, Maury Kepley, inquired if he could arrange to have the "wood butler" start the fireplace and light the candles in our cottage. We returned to our cozy and upscale creekside "cottage" to a roaring fire of unbelievably fragrant juniper wood. This aroma stayed with us the entire weekend and will always beckon us back to L’Auberge for seasonal visits for years to come.

However, this was a Friday in autumn and this meant we needed to walk off our culinary adventure and visit with the resort’s astronomer who claims his self-made telescope is more powerful than the one at the Lowell Observatory in nearby Flagtaff. Dennis, our stargazing guide, gave us a visual tour of the universe through the lenses of his 12-foot tall telescope which occupied two parking spaces. I had once heard the reference to seeing Rembrandt’s masterpiece Night Watch for the first time as a "life changing experience." We can now add seeing the rings of Saturn up close to that elite list of life-altering visual experiences.