Sedona
We took a family trip to Scottsdale, Arizona and wanted to venture out a bit. We decided to visit the Grand Canyon and stop off in Sedona on our way back to Scottsdale. It is an easy, short drive through the picturesque Oak Creek Canyon. Sedona is located in the northern Verde Valley region of Arizona. Sedona is fairly small in size, approximately a population size of 10,000. Our kids tend to remember the fascinating sightseeing in each location. For Sedona that would be the famous, red sandstone formations which light up vibrantly in the sun and give the illusion of changing color as the sun sets. The mystical formations array from reddish-orange to bright yellow at times! Sedona is an amazing place for photography- stop and take pictures of the rocks or pose as a family in front of the formations. To get up close to the formation, try booking activities that take place around the formations such as hiking, off-road Jeep & Hummer excursions and biking trails.
Sedona is commonly referred to as the Red Rock Country. The kids asked, “What makes the rocks red?” They are created by a layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation, which is a thick layer of sandstone which is unique to the area of Sedona. Sandstone is a chunk of sedimentary rock made of minerals and rock grains. Over millions of years the receding ocean left layers of sandstone and limestone. Iron oxide covered the sandstone and rust was formed leaving the beautiful shade of red.
Sedona is a great place to explore history, culture, archaeology, & art. The city itself is amidst red-rock monoliths (single large piece of rock) such as Coffeepot, Cathedral and Thunder Mountain. We visited Sedona for the day and would love to go back and spend more time there. Sedona offers an array of five-star hotels, spas, resorts, and bed & breakfast. Sedona Pines is an upscale, family friendly resort offering individual, modular cottages nestled on 19 acres. Sedona is a great place to explore with the family and has been referred to as “a red rock playground for families”. If you are interested in picking up a souvenir while visiting, there are over 80 galleries to choose from. Looking for something uniquely from Sedona? Choose from Native American crafts, healing gemstones, wind sculptures, hand-carved walking stick, wooden flute, blown-glass items, and even a healthy treat for your pet.
Spiritual and Metaphysical~ Sedona tends to attract visitors of all ages who are in search of themselves via metaphysical mystery. What exactly does that mean? If you are uncertain of the meaning, chances are you are not seeking such things. Metaphysical seekers go to Sedona in search of Spiritual Centers, New Age Gatherings, Readings, Massage, Healing’s, and oftentimes, Mediation. Sedona is named after a female pioneer, Sedona Schnebly, in the 19th century. Some people feel that Sedona offers nourishment for the body, mind and spirit. There are an abundance of businesses related to spiritual healing in the local area.
What are the vortexes about? Here’s where it gets real interesting – science! Typically, a vortex is a spiraling motion of air or liquid around a rotation.
Therapy on the Rocks!
When we lived in Nevada, the wind used to kick up and cause sand and dirt to spin, thus creating a vortex. It is a little different in Sedona, where the vortexes are not caused by wind or water- they are caused from energy. Some believe that Sedona vortexes are caused by spiritual energy. Visitors are drawn to these locations to pray, mediate and heal. There are four vortex locations in Sedona: Boynton Canyon, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Airport Mesa. The vortexes draw more visitors to Sedona than any other attraction.
5wheelsto5star was featured in the March 2014 issue of Destinations Travel Magazine
5 Wheels to 5 Star 