Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Sedona, Arizona

Cathedral Rock, just south of Sedona


Mom and I made a day trip to the town of Sedona, about 30 miles south of Flagstaff. The drive there on Hwy 89A passes through the steep and narrow gorge called Oak Creek Canyon. Sedona opens out at the southern end of the canyon,surrounded by beautiful sandstone cliffs and buttes.

Thanks to an elevation drop of about 2,500 feet, temperatures here are much warmer than in Flagstaff. We left snow there, but basked in warmth once we reached Sedona, which lies at the northern fringe of the Sonoran Desert.

Chapel of the Holy Cross, completed 50 years ago
N34.83190 W111.76692


An odd thing about this town is that it is filled with stands claiming to purvey tourist information, but when I asked if any informative brochures might be available, was told that I should go buy a book, because "bookstores sell those kinds of things." Go figure.

Scenery is the main reason to visit Sedona. It also attracts artists and New Age devotees, who believe that Sedona has several "energy vortices." These are locations where Mother Earth supposedly produces invisible, swirling energy that is said to have an uplifting, rejuvenating effect on visitors. Just getting out of town--the traffic was terrible--had a rejuventating effect on me.


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