Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Sedona, AZ

Sedona is a pleasant, easy two-hour drive from Phoenix, so if you ever find yourself in Phoenix with time to spare, do make the trip to visit the striking Red Rocks of Sedona. These fascinating sandstone formations change color with the varying location of the sun. The area around Sedona is also known for its hiking spots, biking trails, art galleries, and sacred vortexes - which are visited by new agers from around the world. Fortunately for me, my host invited me and my Nikon along on a trek to this stunning area; I had been here years before, but not with my Nikon. 

Our first stop was the Red Rock Information Center...
 Here's where you get the first glimpse of the Red Rocks and hiking trails...



  After the Information Center, you enter the town of Sedona...
 A must stop before heading into town is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. 
From this spot, you get fabulous views. 
Here's the chapel nestled into the side of a rock...
 Here are the views from the chapel grounds...





The next stop was the Sedona Airport - for lunch...
 There's a restaurant called Mesa Grill right next to the terminal where you get wonderful vistas 
of the surrounding mountains - they serve great food as well. 
It's also a popular spot for cocktails and skywatching...

Right next to the restaurant is a lookout point with plenty of parking...

Here's a panoramic view of Sedona from the lookout point...
Just a little bit down the road from the airport is the Airport Mesa, one of the many vortex areas. It's a short walk up to the peak and there are several trails around the area which give you a 360 degree view of the red rocks and valleys below...
Please stop and enjoy the views...

  
 A typical neighborhood as seen from the vortex...





A panoramic view from the Airport Vortex spot...

Did you know that Sedona was named after the wife of the city's first postmaster? 

Next stop: Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, which is a mini replica of the charming Mexican town of Guadalajara. 




4 comments:

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Photo Cache said...

Did you take the pink jeep tour? It's what I want to do when I go there. It's so beautiful all the red rocks. Sedona is one of my fave spots in the world. It's one of a kind, I think.

Kay L. Davies said...

Sedona is certainly a gorgeous place. I recognize some of the views from our visit there a few years ago.
Fabulous photos!
K

Ebie said...

Your view of the rocks from the Airport is amazing! We never went this far because we drove from LA through RTE 66 which was fun! We hiked and drove around too. Did you by change went to Pebble Beach? Its in the red rock crossing, behind Cathedral Rock.