Sedona

June 22, 2016 – on the way to Sedona, intending to experience the famous vortex.  We drove via the Oak Creek Canyon and Coconino National Forest. In some areas, the road followed the edge of dramatic cliffs with the canyon below. It’s hard to convey the effect in a photograph, but if you click on the photos below you will get some idea of the path. We did not go up here in Tyrtle – it would never have made some of the turns – but in Murtle, the Mini-Cooper.

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Some of the views were reminescent of the Grand Canyon, although on a smaller scale.

This area also had hiking trails which we did not follow, but just stopped to look up the paths of the “roads not taken” …. one reason we suggest people not wait until their 70’s to begin this sort of travel.

Continuing on to Sedoma
 

Sedona city limit sign (left) and some scenes from Sedona itself below.

 

We followed our GPS directions to the first VORTEX …. a magnetic center that is supposed to have curative or magical powers.  But the GPS said “You have arrived” in front of an Ace Hardware store.  The employees had no idea. One suggested following the detour sign at the adobe building (above) but it led nowhere recognizable.

Continuing our search, we found the beginning of a rather long (for us) trail to another VORTEX (there are 3, I think) but it was unmarked and not very clear where we would end up, so we didn’t follow it, especially as our car thermometer had reached 103 degrees and we were reluctant to leave the air conditioned comfort of Murtle.   The sign at the beginning of the trail, however, was interesting – not about the Vortex, at all, but rather about preserving the “crust”  …. enlarge to read by clicking on the picture.

We still had hopes for the third VORTEX which was called the Airport Vortex.  We arrived at the airport, indeed, but nobody had any idea where the Vortex may be.  We gave up and had a nice lunch at the Airport restaurant.   It was decorated in black and silver, very elegant, and the food was good.  From our table, we watched the comings and goings of small airplanes, probably taking people on the advertised flights which included seeing the vortexes from the air.  I wonder if they passed over the Ace Hardware?