March 26…. Sedona

We spent the day yesterday around Sedona AZ. One of the prettiest places I think I’ve ever been.

The town is back in a bit of a notch in a ring of mountains, surrounded by towering cliffs colored in shades of red, brown and tan. Striped layers. Eroded peaks and spires. Pine and piñon and juniper, mixed with agave and cactus all over.

We walked a couple miles up, following the rim of a canyon, overlooking the town. It was supposed to be an old wagon trail, but if that was a wagon trail, the wagon would have had to be less than two feet wide.

Funny part, as we walked, we heard a noise, and suddenly on the hill above us, we saw a jeep thru the trees. So maybe that was the old wagon road and the sign at the trailhead was full of crap. 🙄

Afterwards, we visited Slide Rock State Park just outside Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon. The park used to be a family farm famous for apples back in the 40’s. The orchards and packing houses and old farm implements are still there on display, but the real draw of the place is the canyon itself.

Oak Creek comes down from the hills above and has cut a deep notch in the rock, making a natural water-worn flume, about 3-4 feet wide at the narrowest, and a hundred feet or so long, and then spreading out to beautiful wide pools. The flume is surrounded on both sides by what almost looks like a natural amphitheater. The red rock is cut away in steps and layers, making perfect seating to watch the fun.

People would jump in at the head of the notch and ride it down thru the flume. Looked like a lot of fun, till I waded into one of the pools and found out how cold the water was. So cold it was painful. Bone chilling. Those people are nuts!

Driving back thru Sedona, it becomes clear that they work very hard to blend the architecture into nature. All of the buildings and signs are kept low, and all done in shades of red and tan. Even the Mickey D’s was done in tan, the arches done in an aqua color instead of the familiar yellow.

Another noticeable vibe as we drove thru town, Sedona has a huge mystical influence. I’d call it a hippie town. Susy says “free spirits”. However you say it, there are crystal shops and psychics everywhere! Signs for healing crystals, or energy crystals, any number of qualities.

I’d read about “vortexes” here. Places around the area where energy is supposed to flow from the earth, affecting plants and animals, or people, in those areas, especially standing on the spot. People go to these vortexes to connect with the energy for healing or strength. Very spiritual, from the descriptions. We’ll save that for another day.