Feb 17 - Sedona, AZ

What an incredible place is Sedona!  I loved the red rock formations, and the mountains and canyons.  Unfortunately, we didn't realize it was a holiday-Presidents Day.  So it was very crowded.  And, we put in the GPS the Red Rock Visitor Center.  What we didn't realize is that there is a Red Rock State Park and a Red Rock Ranger Station Visitor Center for the National Forest.  Both in different locations.  Actually, it was fortunate that we ended up in the National Visitor Center, as they gave us a great map of the entire area with all of the rock formation areas shown on it.  They also gave us a suggested route to see them.  We drove the main road, past Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, but the parking areas were all full, so we couldn't stop there to hike.  We ended up a little further down the road, at the Little Horse Trailhead.  We did a 3 mile round trip hike, past Bell Rock, into a canyon that ended up being right across from the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  This is a church built right up into the mountain, with an amazing vista.  The hike was incredible.  One amazing formation after another. 
  Next, we drove to the other side of the canyon and went up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  Again, the parking lot was full, so we just drove to the top and back down again.  The drive itself had great views.  By this time, it was getting to be lunch time.  We decided to go to the Tlaquepaque Art & Shopping Village, in the middle of Sedona, to see the galleries and eat at the Mexican restaurant.  However, there was a 40 minute wait, so we just meandered through the shops, and found a different nearby gallery plaza and ate lunch outside. 
  The next stop was Airport Mesa Overlook, where the "Vortex" is located.  This road drove up a mountain range overlooking the entire Sedona valley. 
  The final area we explored was Dry Creek Road, to Boynton Canyon Road, ending up at the Enchantment Resort.  We stopped at the Long Canyon Trailhead, and did a mile hike there.  Again, the various rock formations, the beauty of the mountains, and the colors were breathtaking.  We ended up at Enchantment Resort around 5 pm.  This resort is very upscale, with rooms going for $300 to $1,000 per night.  However, they do have a public restaurant and a public bar, with outside seating, overlooking a mountain side.  At sunset, the mountain is all lit up.  So, we sat and had a beer, and enjoyed the view.  The way back, down the canyon, was also lit up with the setting sun.  What an amazing day!

Little Horse Trail photos:

Bell Rock

 

View of the Chapel of the Holy Cross

In the Tlaquepaque Art Village photo (next to Emelia Earhart):

Airport Mesa photos:

Dry Creek Rd, Boynton Canyon Rd and Long Canyon Trail photos:

Enchantment Resort photos: