For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself.
One of the best things about traveling to a place like Sedona is the drive to get there. Even if you fly to Arizona you still have about a 40 minute drive until you get to the quaint town. The views during the drive there are absolutely amazing and you know as soon as you enter Red Rock Country. Tucked away and hidden within the beautiful landscape is Sedona, a vibrant and unique town unlike any other.
Waking up in early in Sedona means you are up with the hikers and adventurers packing and leaving for a day trip among the red rocks. Hiking is one of the major activities in the small town and many attribute the almost 4 million annual visitors to that activity alone. There are more than 20 hiking trails just within the city limits and there are dozens more in the surrounding areas. Hiking in Red Rock Country is considered a little different than hiking in most communities. Many of the avid hikers that visit are drawn to the area by the famous Sedona vortexes. Sedona is said to have four major vortexes among the red rock and that these special locations have natural healing and spiritual power.
After a long hike many visitors will walk the main street in Sedona. The mom and pop shops that line the street are constantly filled with visitors. The stores specialize in everything from handmade goods, large paintings, and aliens. The sidewalks themselves have tiny vendors, including one below that was educating walkers by on the importance of snakes and why we should leave them be. Another few minutes down the road is the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts village. This beautifully landscaped area is home to art galleries and high end stores. Just as the sun starts to set, you can watch as people jump in their cars as leaving to find their favorite spot to watch the sun leave the sky. On the long list of amazing sunset views are Snoopy Rock (a red rock thats in the shape of the famous cartoon character) and Chapel of the Holy Cross pictured below.
When the sun sets much of the small town of Sedona retires for the evening but there is one restaurant that stays open a little later. The Relics Restaurant and Roadhouse stays open as a tourist attraction. The restaurant is widely known to be haunted and has proudly been featured on Ghost Hunters! When you walk in the staff and owners are over eager to give you a tour and tell you of the latest ghostly happenings. After hearing the stories over an absolutely delicious meal many of the visitors have a little harder of a time sleeping that night.
Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back next week as we explore Mayan ruins in Xunantunich, Belize!