Day 8

After enjoying a more-than-adequate expanded continental breakfast, we headed down to Sedona via the Oak Creek Canyon in the Cocino National Forest. This was surprising as it appeared very un-Arizona like. I could have been in Maine as we drove through evergreen forest. Like our other drives we navigated many hairpin turns and elevation changes. We eventually made our way into Sedona and I immediately saw why this place is famous. Beautiful red rocks, plateaus, and buttes lined the horizon. The town was as inconspicuous as one could be, built into the landscape without ruining the natural feel of the environment which is often case with human sprawl. Even the houses matched the landscape in their style and color and blended well into the scenery without being overbearing. We first headed to a chapel that is built literally into the rocks not overbearing in any way as many chapels can appear to be. We then drove around on Sedona's red dirt roads trying to find more sites. This dirt would continue to be a problem as every time we put our luggage into the trunk we would rub against the car and get our shorts all dirty! The construction that was taking place made it more difficult to get around as it created more traffic and confusion. We eventually found our way to Red Rock Crossing, which is considered the most photographed site in Sedona. Small red rocks cross a creek which allow you to stand in the middle of the creek with breathtaking views of Cathedral rock and others in the distance. After we finished there, I decided to be a chivalrous man and ran a quarter mile or so uphill to get the car and pick up the others. This seemed like a good idea until I realized that it was probably 100 degrees and our elevation was 7000 feet or so. I was very winded and hurting as I reached the car. Pathetic, I know but it shows that you do not want to mess with that environment too much.


With grumbling bellies we headed back into town for lunch. We settled on a Korean place that also made sandwiches (strange combo but worked very well!) The food was very fresh and satisfying unlike many of our road trip meals which have not been the most nutritious or nourishing experiences. After lunch, we perused the main street stores a bit. Our next goal was to find one of the four vortexes in Sedona. A vortex is a location where there are meeting energy fields which supposedly you can feel. Some describe the energy to be positive in nature and a rejuvenating experience. We found the airport vortex which is an area near a large hill outside of town. I kept an open mind and headed to the center of the vortex where the juniper trees were the most twisted (a sign of high amounts of energy). I definitely felt really good while I was there but I couldn't help but wonder if it was the unbelievable view of the surrounding rocks that lined the landscape. Dan and I climbed to the top of the hill and enjoyed the gorgeous 360 degrees of scenery and soaked up the energy from the vortex. On the way down I noticed a piece of cactus that was sitting on the ground. I had the brilliant idea of picking up this piece and bringing it home as a souvenir! I recanted this idea as it was sharp to the touch even though I thought I was being careful to not get pricked. I left the cactus and we headed back to the car. I felt a stab of pain on my hand as I was opening the door and looked down to see 3 or 4 cactus thorns stuck into my finger! I made an embarrassing yelp and quickly pulled them from my hand. I Couldn't help but feel like a moron after that!



We drove back to Flagstaff and had a nice amount of downtime in our hotel room to recharge our batteries. Later in the evening, we decided to see the X-Files movie as Monica has always been a huge fan of the show. The movie was flawed but entertaining and an enjoyable time; especially for Monica. Another soak in the hot tub was in order as we prepared for our Grand Canyon trip the next day.