above: Courthouse Rock
I’m back! The Hippygeek found solutions to our technical problems (for now) and I will now try to make up for the last two weeks of silence.
above: The morning we left for Sedona, there was a was a full Lunar eclipse. This was the last picture I got before the sun came up and obscured the total eclipse, darn.
The town of Sedona just South of Flagstaff, Arizona is one of those places I have always wanted to visit. Although established in 1876 by settlers (unfortunately, after the removal of Native American Tribes to reservations), it became popular in the 1980’s because of it’s energy vortexes. It became a mecca for those searching for spiritual guidance and much of the tourism is based around the energy phenomena. But, that’s not all it has to offer as we discovered during our visit.
Our perception that the best time to travel is between Thanksgiving and Christmas was reinforced as we pulled into a beautiful empty campground in the middle of town. The large sites were flanked by giant sycamore trees and their dinner plate sized leaves were heaped around the campground giving the feeling of an extended Fall. And, just behind our site was Oak Creek which provided an afternoon of relaxation for the whole family.
The small town is nestled in a swirl of towering sculpted red sandstone. Each rock formation is unique and much of it can be viewed from any vantage point. The town itself is quaint if you block out all of the outfitters trying to sell their services and the inspirational qualities of the town has attracted artsy types resulting in numerous high end art galleries.
The Tlaquepaque (pronouced Tla-keh-pah-keh and meaning the best of everything) Arts and Crafts Village was having their Christmas celebration while we were there. Entering through the archways of the shopping mall patterned after a Mexican village transports one back in time. The adobe buildings, cobbled walkways, fountains, mosaics and sound of the chapel bells all make one forget one’s place in time. The evening we visited, the whole village was adorned with luminaries, musicians entertained in each of the courtyards and the Galleries were bustling with activity. Santa even stopped by and the Lil’ Dude had a chance to put his order in.
After our tour through Tlaguqpaque, we ventured across the street to the Los Abrigados Resort. The resort was also putting on a Christmas celebration called Red Rock Fantasy. Their buildings and gardens were all decorated with Christmas scenes and draped in over a million lights! The evening definitely put us in the Christmas spirit!
The next day was gorgeous so we decided to check out some of the hiking which the area is famous for and we weren’t disappointed. Dogs are allowed on the trails so the Princess finally got to accompany us instead of getting stuck in the RV which she was very excited about. The trails meander amongst prickly pear cactus and Juniper trees and the views are breathtaking in every direction. Although we didn’t take notice during our hike, it is said that the bark of Juniper trees growing in the strongest vortexes grow in a spiral pattern.
above: The Lil’ Dude didn’t find any heart shaped rocks but he did spot this heart shaped cactus.
The vortexes in Sedona are said to be subtle spiraling energy fields emanating from the Earth’s surface and can be found in several places in the area. We even found a hiking guide to the areas with the strongest energy fields. But, unfortunately, winter weather was forecasted which was our signal to get out of town so our short three day visit didn’t give us a chance to explore the town’s energy fields. But, the energy of the town did suck us into a desire to come back and explore it’s more mystical aspects.
“I firmly believe that all human beings have access to extraordinary energies and powers. Judging from accounts of mystical experience, heightened creativity, or exceptional performance by athletes and artists, we harbor a greater life than we know.” Jean Houston
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