Sedona Enchantment.

Sedona, Arizona---It’s all true. Everything I had heard about Sedona is true. It’s been 13 years since I first had friends visit here and then return and not shut up about how amazing it is. I hate that. Then I have the over-expectation-thing going and the disappointment that follows. But I have one thing to say about Sedona: book a flight today. TODAY. Do it now and get here.

I have never seen anything like this in our fabulous planet. And next to the Galapagos Islands, which is the total opposite experience, everyone should have this on their list.

 
It was a perfect day. I drove around and then walked around. You can’t stop looking at the rocks. There is a feeling there, hard to explain but the closest word is peaceful. There is mountain biking, hiking, jeep tours, balloon flights, wineries, helicopter tours, plane tours, restaurants, shops and lots, and lots, and lots of art.  Artists may just make up the majority of the 10,031 population.

A candle for Tim, Adam, Vaughn, Mom and Dad.

One place I had been told to go was The Chapel of the Holy Cross, built by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who had searched the world for the perfect spot and said "Our monument would become a chapel dedicated to finding God through art.”  It was finished in 1957 and was truly beautiful.

And then…there are the Vortexes.

I had not heard about going to a Sedona Vortex until I got here.  On the one tour I did do; the Sedona Trolley a narrated 55 minute tour around the area, I got a great lay of the land that prevented me from driving my vehicle and crashing into another because all I wanted to do it look up at the multi-colored shades of red rock mountains surrounding me. It was here that I got more information about the Vortexes. Turns out in Sedona vortexes are spiraling spiritual energy. They are believed to be spiritual locations where the energy is right to facilitate prayer, mediation and healing. Vortex sites are believed to be locations having energy flow that exists on multiple dimensions. The energy of the vortexes interacts with a person’s inner self. On the Trolley, it was said to be a heightened experience or a feeling that had to be felt and was harder to explain. The driver compared it to how do you explain being in-love…it’s an experience, a feeling. So it is with the Vortexes he explained.

I don’t know about all that but, I do know that after a glass of wine, standing high on the top of a vortex rock on the side of a mountain with about 20 strangers who had done the same climb and watching a magnificent sunset to the sounds of a women wailing the vocals of an American Indian sounding tune while beating on a large tambourine-looking drum, does heighten your senses.  And as the sun began to disappear, the women’s voice got softer and the drumming quieter and the silent bystanders around me stood perfectly silent with arms raised to the sky.

And the setting sun cast multiple colors and shadows over the red rock mountains.

And there was peace.