Behold The Natural Wonder Of Sedona!
I took this breathtaking shot last fall during a trip through the magical town of Sedona Arizona.
Sedona is an Arizona desert town south of Flagstaff surrounded by breathtaking red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests.
In fact, you pass through those canyons, surrounded by enormous pine trees, as you drive to the town.
Here is a visual tour of this incredible town, and the amazing natural beauty all around it, beginning with how to get there!
Driving To Paradise…
Sedona is located south of Interstate 40, which runs eat/west through northern Arizona. Interstate 17 takes you there from Phoenix, which is to the south. As you can see from the map, either 89A from the north or 179 from the south easily take you there. Here is what highway 89A looks like as you head toward Sedona from the north:
As you can see, massive pine trees part to show off red rock formations along the side of the highway, and the closer you get to Sedona, the more pronounced they become:
The downtown area has a relaxed, spiritual feel, with lots of New Age shops selling crystals, along with many holistic spas and art galleries. The town is known as the center of a spiritual vortex, which are:
“Sedona spiritual vortexes are powerful and transformational energy centers that are located at specific sites throughout Sedona, Arizona. Vortexes are the intersections of natural electromagnetic earth energy, also known as ley lines.”
And they are everywhere you look…
On the town’s outskirts, numerous trailheads access terrific viewing spots like Red Rock State Park and Girdner trail, and you can park and see the amazing rock formations all around the town:
Here’s how the town’s website describes itself:
“Sedona’s main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The red rocks form a popular backdrop for many activities, ranging from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails.”
And of course, vistas all around the town like this:
Finally, are you ready for some geology? Here you go:
“The red rocks of Sedona are formed by a unique layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation. The Schnebly Hill Formation is a thick layer of red to orange-colored sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. The sandstone, a member of the Supai Group, was deposited during the Permian Period.”
For anyone seeking a spiritual getaway, this is the place to go. As I left town, I got this one last shot…and it appears that these to cacti are giving me a “one finger farewell”:
I chose not to take it personally.
I was driving through Sedona on my way back from a visit to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon:
It is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible natural wonders in the world – and I got there by train! See my trip here:
https://johnrieber.com/2018/09/09/my-trip-to-the-grand-canyon-by-train-natures-beauty-on-display/
Let me know if you’ve ever felt the spiritual vortex of Sedona!