Forget the vortexes, the crystals, the condo salesmen. Sedona, Arizona, is a place for hikes and jaw-dropping views.
what makes it special are the rich red rocks that change in shades of sun and shadow.
And panoramic vistas, this one from the town’s airport.
Nearly a mile high, Sedona, we learned on our February visit, can get plenty cold. But Kathy (right) and her old college friend, Margie, came prepared for the elements so we didn’t care.
Our hotel had hot tub and sauna, which helped in the snow. Come at a warmer time and Los Abrigados Resort and Spa offers plenty more, from ping-pong and pickle ball to tennis and bocci. We stayed indoors or under warm water.
On the way to Sedona from Phoenix, we stopped at Montezuma’s Castle, a cliff dwelling built by indigenous people as long as 900 years ago.
Its condition is extraordinary.
Even during our chilly, gray week
the extraordinary rock formations
were breathtaking.
As a town Sedona isn’t all that charming.
It’s a place to shop, to seek New Age energy,
to shop some more.
But even in the snow, it offered Southwest charms.
There was enough snow on our last day, Feb. 18, so that the main road from town was closed
by an accident. A helpful concierge steered us toward the Fay Canyon trail.
It’s but a mile hike in and is absolutely gorgeous.
Author Slowlanefrance 