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Sedona |
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Sedona
Is there such a thing as an energy vortex? Clearly something is attracting visitors to Sedona. We’re pretty sure it’s just the combination of great weather, excellent outdoor activities, shopping, dining, resorts, and the artistic atmosphere. It is true, however, that the area’s beauty is almost supernatural. Come to Arizona’s most relaxing small city and decide for yourself if forces beyond plate tectonics and climate are at work here.
Activities and Attractions:
Many of those who come to Sedona are attracted by year-round access to the great outdoors. At an altitude of 4,300 feet, Sedona doesn’t bake as ferociously as the rest of Arizona during the summer. The area is laced with hiking trails offering exertion ranging from a quick stroll to strenuous hilly treks.
Recently the area has also begun attracting serious mountain bikers—the buzz is that the terrain can be every bit as challenging as famed Moab. As with hiking, though, you’ll find trails to suit every ability level. And if you really don’t want to tackle the terrain under your own power, Jeep tours and horseback trail rides are also a popular way to get an up-close view of the spectacular rock pinnacles and formations that are part of this high-desert landscape.
As powerful an attraction as the dusty trails are to the active set, Sedona’s natural beauty exerts an equally strong force on the local art scene. Sedona has been luring artists for decades, and in recent years, these craftspeople have been followed by legions of loyal customers hoping to snap up something by the next Frederic Remington. Shopping for art is a major activity here. The uptown neighborhood of Sedona is thick with galleries where you can find everything ranging from jewelry to indigenous crafts and Navajo rugs.
The epicenter of arts and crafts shopping in Sedona, however, is the Tlaquepaque (“Tla-keh-pah-keh”) arts and crafts village. This charming shopping plaza is laid out like a traditional Mexican village, complete with adobe buildings, courtyard fountains, and a bell tower. Come in December, when the streets are lined with thousands of luminarias, paper bags illuminated from the inside by a candle.
For every traveler who comes to Sedona for the art or the fresh air, it seems there are two who are here on a spiritual quest. Many pilgrims are drawn by the area’s strong Native American history. You can still see petroglyphs left nearly a thousand years ago by Sinagua Indians at the V-Bar-V Heritage Site just south of town. Another fascinating archeological attraction is the Palatki Ruins site, where you can see the ancient cliff dwellings where the area’s first inhabitants lived.
Then there are those who swear that the Sedona area is criss-crossed by vortexes of the earth’s energy. These vortexes center on the formations known as Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. As outlandish as it sounds, the locals who have made a local industry of aura readings, past life regressions, and crystal booths are quite taken with the idea. Whether you believe it or not, you’re sure to find that some kind of power will take hold of you and make you want to return to Sedona.
Insider Tip:
One pastime that some are surprised to find they can partake of in this dry town is fishing. Oak creek is stocked with trout during the summer and offers excellent fly-fishing.
-Exclusively for Perfect Escapes by Nicole Clausing |
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