The Mid-Cart Parentals: Sedona

We spent the last week of August in Sedona, AZ...oh my, that place is beautiful! I have seen some great pictures that friends have posted of Sedona, but I was NOT prepared for how incredibly beautiful the landscape was! I took over 300 photos...many of the exact same rock formations!

We flew into Phoenix & rented a car & drove the long flat highway towards Sedona. We were heading into a thunderstorm. I love thunderstorms in the desert! All of a sudden these red rock formations just started popping up on the horizon!

I made Paul pull over so I could "get a better picture"...I was so captivated by the beauty & majesty.

We ate dinner overlooking the surrounding red rock formations...our view at the restaurant was pretty cool.

And then, the sun began to set...so amazing to see the vivid color pop as the setting sun threw it's light upon the rocks!

The next day we decided to drive around & check the place out. We drove up the canyon on Red Rock Scenic Byway towards Flagstaff. Unfortunately, the parks along the way were all closed due to recent fires & flash flood warnings. I really wanted to see Slide Rock State Park, but we could only get as close as the parking lot...

We followed Hwy 179 along Oak Creek up into the Coconino National Forest. At the end of the drive was this lookout point at the Ranger Station. As gorgeous as it was, I thought the red rock formations below were way more impressive!

So we drove back into Sedona to the southern end to check out the Chapel of the Holy Cross...I made Paul stop at this scenic view on the way...

This is the view from one side of the parking lot of the chapel...

This is the view from the other side of the parking lot...I was pretty fascinated by this fancy compound right below the Chapel...who do you think lives there? I learned that this 8148 sq ft home was built by the doctor who invented Lasik eye surgery & has it listed for a cool $29 million (incase you wanted to buy it). As impressive as it is, it's really kind of an eyesore & doesn't seem to belong in these surroundings.

Meanwhile, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is a tiny chapel built into the red rocks above Sedona...Senator Barry Goldwater approved the construction of this iconic structure. On a plaque next to the door as you walk in it reads, “Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality.”

You can see the stunning view through the windows...

You can't get a view of the chapel from the parking lot because it's pretty tight quarters, but it's easy to see that one would feel closer to God in such a setting - this is literally next to the door of the chapel entrance...

You can see the chapel from the vista point below...as you look back up. The chapel is literally built into the cracks of the rocks! I'm not sure how I feel about this structure, either, but it does blend in better than the fancy house across the street!

The next morning we took the famous Pink Jeep Tour out to some ancient ruins...it was a bumpy ride off road & hard to take pictures from the jeep - but these red rocks go for miles & miles!

We hiked up to the base of these cliffs to see the rock paintings & remnants of the homes/structures built by ancient cliff dwellers...

That afternoon we decided to take the Cathedral Rock hike...it was my favorite thing about Sedona!
Here we are before the hike, I have no idea what I'm about to get into...

Basically, we hiked across Red Rock Crossing, up & around this big rock on the left & took the "Back O' Beyond" trailhead that ended up in the "saddle" or gap between the points of the cathedral formation in the center!

I love the rock garden we walked through. We've seen these cairns (stacked rocks) in many places. Originally they were built to mark a trail or to mark a burial place, but today many people will make a wish or say a prayer or simply see how high they can stack the rocks! I always wonder what wish or prayer goes with this one or that one?

We had to cross Oak Creek to get to where the trail starts. Not bad at the moment, but the desert is famous for flash floods so if it was raining, this could be a problem!

It didn't take long for the trail to start to climb & the views were breathtaking (even more so than the climb)!

Wait a minute...we're going where? It sure looked closer than it really was because it was REALLY BIG!

The higher we climbed, the more spectacular the views!

Finally! We made it to the base of the cathedral...

I was content to call it good, but Paul encouraged me to go a little further - except that little further required you to be part mountain goat! Look at how tiny those people are I circled! Come to think of it, that top circle just might be a bush. My point is, we still had a ways to go!

After a little rest, I got my 2nd wind & after showing off for the camera, I followed Paul to the top...

If I make it to Heaven, it will be because of this man, leading the way & encouraging me to keep going! (I am the luckiest.)

I made it! The wind was whipping through the gap...

WOW! Look at the view looking back from where we came...

And this view? Ummm...is that rain?

Yes, it is, because the minute we snapped this picture, it started to pour!

Needless to say, it was a wet & slippery climb (or slide) down the mountain trail! The rain created a few unexpected waterfalls!

But just before we came off the mountain, the rain passed us & we were treated to a rainbow...

...& then a double rainbow!

Whew! We made it! Oak Creek was up past our waist & moving pretty swift, but we managed to make it back across. Soaked to the bone & the sun shining again...