Sedona was on our agenda following the Grand Canyon experience. What Yixian, Julia (Jiaojian) and I didn’t anticipate was how different the Sedona experience would be from our Grand Canyon. The brilliant red and orange sandstone formations kept the cameras clicking non-stop.
If you’re coming from Flagstaff, Sedona is a short one hour drive on Hwy 17. Our first stop was the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Inside the Chapel of the Holy Cross
Chapel of the Holy Cross from the bottom of the Valley looking up.
Marguerite Brunswig Staude was the force behind this timeless place of worship. In 1932, she watched the Empire State Building being constructed in NYC and wanted to build a church. Her first attempt was Budapest, Hungary with the assistance of Lloyd Wright (Frank’s son) but WWII broke out and the plans were abandoned. With help from Senator Barry Goldwater, she build the chapel on a rock precipice in the Coconino National Forest. The chapel was completed in 1956. Note: The Chapel sits 200 feet above the valley floor. Parking is at the bottom. Be aware that there is a hike to the chapel.
The ramp leading to the Chapel of the Holy Cross
The views from the Chapel were spectacular, but it was time for ice-cream. We did a quick Google search for the best ice-cream in Sedona and off we went to Black Cow Cafe on Hwy 89A. The ice cream was spectacular as well as the homemade pies. We drooled on the glass partition as we watched the lady in the kitchen make a peach pie.
Yixian eating ice-cream at the Black Cow Cafe
Hummm, which one of these is better?
Tlaquepaque (artist community) , Uptown Sedona (hotels, boutiques and restaurants) and West Sedona (strip malls and the highway to Red Rock State Park). We would have stayed and explored more of the town(s), museums, view from the airport (the airport is built on a mesa so there is a 360 view of the mountains) and eaten at some of the outstanding cafes and restaurants, but Julia and Yixian’s flight would not permit. We’ll have to make a return trip to one of the many festivals and experience the Vortexes that are said to radiate the earth’s power.
