After a wonderful and long Saturday at Petrified Forest you might think my weekend adventures were over and I would be satisfied with a relaxed Sunday afternoon. Well, you would be right and wrong. I was interested in a relaxing Sunday afternoon, but willing to drive just under an hour to Sedona, Arizona to realize that relaxation among the red rocks and cool pools.
I started off the day at the local Episcopal Church (yay!) and a quick stop at the farmers market before Laurel and I headed south on 89A to Sedona. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are three business plan interns at Grand Canyon. But for this weekend, Laurel and I were left to our own devices while Jay visited his family. So day two of the adventure began!
From Flagstaff there are two ways to get to Sedona: 1) efficient and reliable interstate 17 south and 2) windy mountain pass 89A. Of course we chose the windy mountain pass! It was a little scary at times, but well worth it for the amazing views. We drove through forest, forest and more forest before catching glimpses of Oak Creek and finally the red rocks. The drive reminded me a little of windy roads in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee - it was nice to remember drives with friends for hikes in Cades Cove. But when we got to the red rocks, it was like nothing I had ever seen before and I knew I was definitely not in Tennessee.
When we pulled in to town, which is like a more sophisticated, spiritual Gatlinburg, we stopped for a hearty lunch before hitting the trail in search of a good swimmin' hole. While in town we also popped into the Sedona Chamber of Commerce to inquire about local vortexes. That's right, places where the energy of an area is concentrated. In Sedona's case, that is spiritual energy. With full bellies and our Sedona Vortex map in hand, along with a map of Sedona highlighted by a colleague with swimming holes, Laurel and I set off for more adventure.
Thankfully for our spiritual well being, our planned hike lead us right to Cathedral Rock - one of the main vortexes! Cathedral Rock is a pretty great vortex at that, because it has both inflow and upflow energies and feminine rather than masculine. I am still figuring out what all that means for me spiritually, but I did feel some pretty great energy there.
I started off the day at the local Episcopal Church (yay!) and a quick stop at the farmers market before Laurel and I headed south on 89A to Sedona. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are three business plan interns at Grand Canyon. But for this weekend, Laurel and I were left to our own devices while Jay visited his family. So day two of the adventure began!
From Flagstaff there are two ways to get to Sedona: 1) efficient and reliable interstate 17 south and 2) windy mountain pass 89A. Of course we chose the windy mountain pass! It was a little scary at times, but well worth it for the amazing views. We drove through forest, forest and more forest before catching glimpses of Oak Creek and finally the red rocks. The drive reminded me a little of windy roads in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee - it was nice to remember drives with friends for hikes in Cades Cove. But when we got to the red rocks, it was like nothing I had ever seen before and I knew I was definitely not in Tennessee.
When we pulled in to town, which is like a more sophisticated, spiritual Gatlinburg, we stopped for a hearty lunch before hitting the trail in search of a good swimmin' hole. While in town we also popped into the Sedona Chamber of Commerce to inquire about local vortexes. That's right, places where the energy of an area is concentrated. In Sedona's case, that is spiritual energy. With full bellies and our Sedona Vortex map in hand, along with a map of Sedona highlighted by a colleague with swimming holes, Laurel and I set off for more adventure.
Thankfully for our spiritual well being, our planned hike lead us right to Cathedral Rock - one of the main vortexes! Cathedral Rock is a pretty great vortex at that, because it has both inflow and upflow energies and feminine rather than masculine. I am still figuring out what all that means for me spiritually, but I did feel some pretty great energy there.
 |
| Cathedral Rock from the trail on the way to the swimming hole. Notice the pretty giant sunspot - it was crazy sunny and hot. |
 |
| View of the red rocks of Sedona from the Cathedral Rock trail. |
We only stopped for a few photos on the trail, because we were soooo ready for a swim in Oak Creek. After only about a 30-minute hike we reached our destination.
 |
| View of the swimming hole with Buddha Beach across the way. Notice the stacks of rocks left by other hikers and those seeking spiritual awakening in Sedona. |
 |
| View from the red rock where we sunned. |
 |
| Clouds! A pretty exciting sight in Arizona before monsoon season. |
 |
| Enjoying swimming and letting my hair down on a beautiful summer afternoon in Arizona! |
When we had our fill of swimming, sunning and reading, well as much as we had time for, we headed back towards Cathedral Rock. The hike back was pretty short, so we decided to try and hike up to the rock. It would not have been a long hike, but was definitely a slippery one up slick rocks with no rails or ropes. After making it only a short way up we decided to head back into Sedona for some dinner. After all, we dressed for swimming, not mountaineering.
Our last few hours among the red rocks consisted of a delicious Mexican dinner and a quick stop at the western store to buy me some cowgirl boots for the upcoming rodeo! It turns out cowgirl boots are pretty expensive. Thankfully, I was able to fit into the children's size and get them for 1/3 the adult price! With our bellies once again full, we headed down the dark road back to Flagstaff, this time up safe I-17 north, satisfied with our amazing weekend adventures.
Here are some more photos from our hike back to civilization.
Our last few hours among the red rocks consisted of a delicious Mexican dinner and a quick stop at the western store to buy me some cowgirl boots for the upcoming rodeo! It turns out cowgirl boots are pretty expensive. Thankfully, I was able to fit into the children's size and get them for 1/3 the adult price! With our bellies once again full, we headed down the dark road back to Flagstaff, this time up safe I-17 north, satisfied with our amazing weekend adventures.
Here are some more photos from our hike back to civilization.
No comments:
Post a Comment