Sedona

Welcome to Sedona, Arizona (sort of)....

Sedona, AZ., is located in the northern central part of Arizona, about two hours north of Phoenix, and about two hours south of the Grand Canyon. It is known as Red Rock country, for obvious reasons. The mesas and mountains in the Verde Valley have been worn down by water, wind and time to expose magnificent peaks of rough-hewn rock that is a red-brick color. The combination is magical, and, in fact, the area tends to attract a variety of people interested in new age philosophies. That may explain why Sedona is thought by many to have energy fields known as "vortexes" in several areas.

These are just a handful of pictures taken while hiking a variety of trails during those week-long vacations. Each hike offers spectacular views of the Verde Valley, as well as the other mountains and mesas nearby -- including one of the taller peaks in the area, Mingus Mountain, to the west.

Combined with what is often an intensely-blue sky (and an equally intense black sky at night, filled with stars), the area attracts a large number of tourists each year - including in October 1997 Craig and I, and in 2000, Alejandro and I.

Looking out over any of the Sedona valleys, the contrast between the the green cacti and sage and the red rock walls is stunning. Equally stunning, the long, slow sunsets, such as the one shown at left captured just outside Flagstaff from beside the highway.

Just remember, no digital photo can possibly do this landscape justice. To see more of Sedona, click on the Gallery icon below for a photo gallery in a pop-up window.