Sedona and Oak Creek.
Okay, up and at ’em. This was a day of driving, walking, and hiking, starting with a lovely drive north, up through Oak Creek Canyon. I drove all the way to Flagstaff, about 30 miles north of Sedona, just so I could turn around and head south, back to Sedona, on Route 89a, the scenic route through Oak Creek Canyon. The drive north is beautiful, but the drive south is even better, as heading south takes you down (instead of up) the twisty mountain road and you get to look down at this amazing canyon as it lies ahead and below.
Other than a couple of spots where a car can pull in, there’s nowhere to safely stop and gaze at the fabulous views along route 89A. But then comes the Oak Creek Canyon Vista, a viewing area at 6,420 feet with exceptional views of the canyon. This is also a spot for local indigenous Indian vendors to show off and sell beautiful hand crafted jewelry, pottery, flutes, and other hand made wares. The open air market there consists of perhaps six or seven vendors, who rotate days in order to ensure that others can also market their crafts.
I bought several items there, from several different vendors, and was pleased to be able to do so. Most of the goods are made by the vendors themselves or family members, and in one case, the young woman not only made most of her products but was making them right there and then. I got something hot off the press, so to speak.
The viewing area overlooking the canyon was extensive and offered views all along the canyon below, including route 89A snaking around the canyon far below. Hawks and other birds were flying below, sailing on the thermals, and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good shots or a bird soaring over my head, out into the canyon.
I released more of Bev’s ashes here, and watch them drift out and over into over the canyon. I said a few words to Bev, saying why here, and watched part of Bev – and those ashes really are Bev – intermingle and become part of the canyon below. And then back to Sedona, heading south on 89A.
I’m wearing the same tank top today.
I decided I would continue driving south, past Sedona, and toward Scottsdale, as when I first discovered Sedona by chance, in 2000, I drove the road north from Scottsdale, and recall it being lovely, filled with box canyons, but today decided the drive was way to long (and I decided also that I might have been confusing those box canyons with another Arizona trip in 2006), so I turned back and instead came into downtown Sedona, lovely as always.
Sedona is named for Sedona Schnebly, the wife of the guy who helped first incorporate the town in 1902, and she was also the towns bible school teacher. She died in 1950, at age 73. There are echoes of the Schnebly name all over town, including Schnebly Hill Road.
Sedona is another lovely town with a great and active downtown, although Main Street is both somewhat upscale and also pretty tourist driven. Still, there are many lovely stores, and lots of places to eat and drink, with statues all over town, and surrounded by the red mountains that ring the town.
The town is on a plain surrounded by mountains, and a number of restaurants on the west side of downtown Main Street have outside eating areas with great views of the valley and those surrounding mountains.
Then, late in the afternoon by now, it was time to take a hike, even though the weather was still around 94 degrees. I drove out to Cathedral Rock, where Bev and I hiked in 2019. But, on the way I spotted Son Silver West Gallery, and just had to stop.
Bev and I were here twice previously. It is one of these south west places that are dotted here and there that carry Mexican, indigenous Indian, and western stuff, like pottery, blankets, rugs, jewelry, mirrors, garden and indoors statuaries, saddles, and a great deal more… and LOTS of this stuff, and is much, much bigger than you imagine when you view it from the outside. This store is a particularly eccentric one, with lots of found sculpture, old road and gas station signs, and a million other things in their outside garden. I had to stop, and I had to buy a few things to bring back home. Luckily, this time I have my car with me, and there’s plenty of room for stuff.
From there, I drove to Cathedral Rock, and hiked up. The round trip, up and down, is a little under 2 miles, and pretty arduous. and rated moderately difficult by AllTrails (a great app for hiking). When we hiked this in 2019, Bev did fine, but had to stop about half way up, as at that point, it changed from hiking over rocks and upo steps, to really having to clamber and climb up crevices, although I don’t mean to make it sound more difficult than it is. Still, at that point, it became too difficult for Bev, and she waited in the shade for me to climb/hike to the top and return. I released more of Bev’s ashes at that very spot.
This time, I found the hike/climb more arduous than in 2019, and I realized it had become steeper now and with more rocks than five years ago. Amazing, but there is no other explanation for why I found it more difficult, and had to stop regularly and take breaks. Isn’t geology amazing? It took almost 300 million years to form Cathedral Rock, and yet just five more years to become harder for me to hike.
Anyway, I did it, and it took almost an hour, but coming down, which was itself actually quite tricky and hard going, was a much easier proposition than going up. The views along the way up and the view from the top made it more than worthwhile, of course (not to mention being good exercise following all the driving I’ve been doing).
I finished the day’s activities, timed just right after the hike, with a visit to Airport Mesa, which overlooks the town, and is famous for its beautiful sunsets over the mountains to the west, and overlooking the town in the valley below. Bev and I were here in 2019, and I’m pretty sure with Kaye in 2021.
The place gets crowded, although less so today than last time I was here, with everyone psyched up to see the sun go down at 6:50 pm , and the clouds turn pink and deep crimson and purple. It’s a scene. Not as spectacular as the last sunset we saw here, it was nonetheless a lovely and spiritual way to end the day, and I released more of Bev’s ashes into the void over the town below.
And then back to Los Abrigados… where I did my laundry for free (they even provide the detergent). I’ve decided to spend another couple of days in Sedona, but tomorrow will move to a less expensive place (even though the price is great here, it’s still more expensive than the Super 8, plus I get points when I use Wyndham properties, that I can use for a reduced or free stay when I have enough of them, which I do already).
One more thing. The vortexes. Sedona is known for these mystic, transformational, spiritual sites. Proponents/believers describe them as “vortexes where the subtle energy that exists at these locations interacts with the subtle body energy belonging to each visitor. The energy vibrates within and emphasizes the inner being of each person.” People swear (some I know well) they have had strange physical and sometimes emotional experiences when at a vortex site. I never have, and neither did Bev or Kaye. Today, I was at Cathedral Rock and Airport Mesa, two of the seven Sedona vortex sites. Other than getting pooped when climbing Cathedral Rock, I never felt a thing.
Tomorrow morning, after I check out of here, I’ll be taking a 2½ hour tour of a canyon rim with Pink Jeep (a company well known in these parts, specializing in open jeep tours across rugged terrain), which promises to be fun. Then, maybe another hike, plus I really have to figure out to make this blog more user friendly, and this will give me the time. Maybe I’ll even do some drawing or painting. I’m also hoping to hear from a couple of friends in Utah whom I’m hoping to visit once I head up there after I leave Sedona. For now, though, goodnight.