Finding Serenity in Sedona
TravelLiving in Arizona for several years I never ventured out to the northern part of the state and discovered all the beauty and history it has to offer. I’m glad I finally made it to several of Sedona magical hiking trails, The Grand Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend which should be a must on your list if you are making the trip to the Red Rocks. My recommendation is to go in October. The leaves are changing and heat is bearable.
Our 5-day trip was jam packed and started with a tour of the spiritual vortexes in Sedona with Crystal Starr Weaver.
We watched our first sunset from Rachel’s Knoll. The area is named after the woman who felt the view should be available for the world to see. Rachel’s Knoll has been used as a site for mediation, prayer gatherings, and simply to find peace.
This land was most sacred to the Native Americans in the area and was used by them for centuries for their ceremonies and inspiration. Rachel knew when she entered this sacred place that it would be her goal to save it for all people so they might enjoy and honor the Native Americans who once lived there. It was sold to Seven Canyons after Rachel’s death in 2001, but with provisions to allow visitors to the site.
After Rachel’s Knoll we headed to the Airport Mesa to stargaze and see the beautiful lights of the city. We ended our day with dinner up the road at Mesa Grill (best to go during the day for great views).
Day 2
We packed in quite a bit and started very early since we were on the road for about 12 hours. From Sedona, we drove to Horseshoe Bend which takes about 3 hours. The rock formations did not disappoint, and the pictures hardly do this place justice.
About 200 million years ago, a massive sea of sand dunes covered the landscape from Arizona to Wyoming. They eventually became petrified turning to stone by water and minerals, solidifying into a uniform layer of sandstone.
After the bedrock of Navajo Sandstone formed, other sedimentary layers of sandstone, mudstone, calcite and limestone settled on top of it, then began to wear away with all the weather changes of flash floods, extreme heat and cold.
Today, the Navajo Sandstone is once again exposed, and its top layer is turning to sand. This is what remains of a gigantic sand dune that actually saw dinosaurs walk upon it.
The Colorado River is about 1000 ft below you the blue green color is always 40 degrees because it flows from the bottom on the Glen Canyon Dam. I would highly recommend spending some time sitting on the stones and feeling the energy from them as you mediate.
Most trips to Horseshoe Bend include a visit to Antelope Canyon, but because of COVID no tours were allowed. https://navajotours.com/
It was what I was most looking forward to seeing, but our trip was filled with many other wonderful sights. Including our next stop which was another 2.5 hours from Horseshoe Bend – the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Being one of the seven natural wonders of the world, The Grand Canyon lives up to its name. It holds a tremendous amount of history and information about the Earth. Can you believe it’s almost 280 miles long and on average, 10 miles wide?
Its history is fascinating The Grand Canyon is the result of a distinct and ordered combination of geologic events. Still today these forces of nature are at work slowly deepening and widening the Grand Canyon.
Its story begins almost two billion years ago with the formation of the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the inner gorge. Above these old rocks lie layer upon layer of sedimentary rock, each telling a unique part of the environmental history of the Grand Canyon region.
Then, between 70 and 30 million years ago, through the action of plate tectonics, the whole region was uplifted, resulting in the Colorado Plateau. Finally, beginning just 5-6 million years ago, the Colorado River began to carve its way downward.
Next time you visit, don’t forget your bubbles!
We decided to take it easy the next day by staying in Sedona and hiking Devil’s bridge. It takes about two hours and the line may look long to take that Instagram shot at the end, but it’s not too bad. It’ll give you plenty of time to think about the fun pose you are going to strike and give you a temporary reprieve from the heat.
Since we were always on the go wanting to make most of our time and not sit down for lunches one of our favorite places to stop everyday was the Local Juicery. It’s a must as you love your body, and feed your soul in Sedona. My favorite was the root juice, and they have a wide selection to pick from.
Then it was off the see the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It was built in 1956 and inspired and commissioned by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.
From the Holy Cross we headed to a Amitabha Stupa and peace park. The 36-foot enlightenment stupa gets its name from Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Limitless Light, whose bronze image is nestled in the faceplate of the stupa. It’s filled with hundreds of millions of prayers for peace, sacred relics and ritual offerings.
We ended our day watching the sunset from Cathedral Rock. It takes about an hour to get to the top, and is a mile round trip. The trail runs up the east side, across a flat area, then ascends up the rocks. Some areas are quite steep and can be a bit tricky. Cathedral Rock is also home to one of Sedona’s famous vortexes.
We ended our night at Mariposa, hands down in my opinion one of the best spots for dinner in Sedona. As you walk into the Latin infused grill, you’ll notice the elaborate door which cost $37,000. After a long day of burning calories hiking you definitely deserve a margarita or two, and as a self-proclaimed tequila snob their selection of tequila is on point. Every single thing we ordered was delicious. Some of my favorites include their handmade empanadas, pulpo, cauliflower curry bisque, and of course the lemon mashed potatoes with lobster scampi.
For our next adventure we headed about 7 miles north of Sedona to Oak Creek Canyon. The drive to the West Fork trail is gorgeous, and it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road with all the breath-taking scenery. Since the trail follows the creek and is surrounded by a beautiful forest it makes for the perfect hike to beat the heat. There are about 13 creeks to cross so make sure you bring the right shoes. The trail is easy and is about 6 miles roundtrip. And if you’re looking to buy an authentic dream catcher there’s a stand with lots of options from American Indian vendors near Oak Creek Canyon.
On our last day in Sedona we visited a medicine wheels and a Labyrinth a first on both fronts for me.
The medicine wheel is a sun dial and it marks the seasons and the movements of the sun. It also marks the directions and the elements. In fact, it’s a rock teaching guide. As you walk the wheel, you walk the day, the year, a lifetime.
There are many secrets hidden in the wheel and it’s best to have a healer or guide walk you through how to go through the wheel and what each rock signifies. The ceremony can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
As I walked into the Labyrinth and read the directions, I learned there’s no wrong way to get out of the maze. It made me realize we all create our own path in life and getting off the path at any point instead of following what you’ve been told or going in another direction is ok and that’s the beautiful lesson I took away.
Sedona is just what my soul needed in 2020. The serenity and healing from mother nature can do wonders for your energy. Take the journey to remind yourself of three simple words. You are enough.
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