Two hours north of Phoenix Airport is Sedona, Arizona. This is a magical place that has its own zen and its famous red rocks have a calming resolve. I stayed on the main street at the Sedona Hilltop.
Nothing fancy but it had a little balcony of sorts with a view of the surrounding rocks that glowed at sunset. There are more hikes than I could have done in a month and all are incredible. Trails for every level of walker, hiker and climber. I’m more of a walker/easy hiker and the Red Rock Trail hit the spot. Located about 20 minutes outside of “downtown” Sedona, the trailhead has lots of parking. Even the drive to the trailhead is nice.
I did the same trail two days in a row. On the first day, I did some easy climbing. Second day I got smart, walked the trail further in and climbed the main rock formation from the north side like everyone else. Challenging but it requires no gear, you can go nearly to the top but no matter how tar up you go, the view is stunning in every direction.
It gets crowded so go early. On my way, I stopped at Sedona’s Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is truly a special place for all of us. If you have time, a few hours north is the Grand Canyon South Rim. Try to take in its majesty!
