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Sedona
“Red Rock Country,” Sedona, Ariz., has been voted the most beautiful place in America for a reason. The towering, flaming red rocks offer beauty and mysticism, adventure and serenity. Sedona sits in a masterpiece of mesas and plateaus, and amid this scenery, the town itself offers resorts and spas, shopping and outdoor activities for the tourist of every flavor.
Sedona is located 113 miles from Phoenix, Ariz., and true to much of the north country, there’s as much to see in the journey as in the destination. A popular drive will take tourists from Sedona along the Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road to Flagstaff, Ariz. For stunning views of Cathedral Rock, one of Sedona’s most well-known spectacles, try driving the Upper Red Rock Loop Road. This will take you to the Red Rock State Park visitors center and offer some of the most breathtaking vistas of the red rocks of Sedona.
Sedona is known as a global power spot, or an area suggested to have highly concentrated energies conducive to prayer, meditation and healing. Sedona has been known as a sacred place for centuries, with Native Americans performing ceremonies here, some even to this day.
A great summer spot in the Sedona area is nearby Slide Rock State Park. Slide Rock State Park was originally a 43-acre apple farm in Oak Creek Canyon. An innovative desert farmer, Frank L. Pendley, homesteaded the land in 1910. Pendley was able to develop an irrigation system, allowing him to develop a desert apple orchard. Fast forward 100 years. The Pendley Homestead is one of the few remaining complete farms in the region. There is rich history of the early agricultural development here, but perhaps what brings more people to the area is the recreational use of the irrigation canals. The park is named after the famous Slide Rock, a stretch of slippery creek bottom adjacent to the homestead. Visitors may slide down a slick natural water chute, or wade and sun along the creek.
Wanting to hike Sedona, rather than swim? Try visiting Arizona’s own region of the Coconino National Forest. The West Fork of Oak Creek Trail is spectacular. From rippling streams to dizzying cliffs surrounding them, the brilliance of nature is ever-present on this hike. The length is 3 miles, but plan on spending two to three hours. This is one of the most popular hikes in the beautiful Oak Creek region, so off-peak times like mornings and week days are better times to visit.
Sedona Visitor’s Bureau
Red Rock State Park
Slide Rock State Park
Coconino National Forest
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon isn’t named one of the Natural Wonders of the World for nothing. The canyon stretches 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide and a mile to its depths. Offering every tour medium possible – bus tours, guided hiking tours, mule ride tours, horse ride tours, air tours, Colorado River trips – for the novice adventurer to the advanced explorer, the Grand Canyon has a bounty of features for the nature and scenery lovers, and thrill-seekers, alike.
Entry into the Grand Canyon National park is $25 per private vehicle, and $12 for an individual entering by foot, bicycle or motorcycle.
The must-see places in the canyon are usually easy to find. The South Rim of the canyon is a great place to start, (4.5 out of 5 million visitors come to the south rim each year), and offers many amenities for those looking for some spectacular views, and easy access along the rim.
The North Rim has less tourists, and is great for the lone adventurers looking for the best views. The North Rim has been suggested to offer the canyon’s best sunsets.
In 2008 The Hualapai Tribe developed a new visitors center and a breathtaking opportunity on the far western end of Grand Canyon (about 250 miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park). There you’ll find the all-new Skywalk. The Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped steel frame with glass floor and sides that projects about 70 feet (21 m) from the canyon rim. The Skywalk is included in several different tour packages at Grand Canyon West. The Skywalk and the Grand Canyon West facility is not affiliated with the National Park system. Tickets and tour packages range from $10 upwards to $159.
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon Skywalk
Bonito Lava Flow
The youngest volcano in Arizona erupted some 1,000 years ago. Today it is a sight to behold along the Sunset Crater Volcano trails.
The Sunset Crater Volcano is a cinder cone volcano. This means that during each of the volcano's eruptions, hot molten lava was spewed into the air. As it cooled and hardened and headed back to Earth, it took on new forms. There were popcorn-sized particles, "scoria", and larger "bombs" - some reaching 3 ft. in diameter.
Sunset Crater's cone is about 1,000 feet high and more than a mile wide at its base. The crater itself is 400 ft. deep and 2,250 feet wide, rim to rim.
When Sunset Crater was erupting, two main flows spouted from its base. One, the Kana-A Flow traversed six miles to the northeast, just outside what is now Coconino National Forest. The other, the Bonito Lava Flow, came from the northwest base of the volcano. The molten rock backed up over a two-sqare mile region.
Here is where, today, you can see the beauty of Sunset Crater National Monument.
Because of the arid conditions of this region, archeologists have found the 3,040 acres of Sunset Crater park to be an area of archeological significance.
As many as 50 types of pottery have been found in the Flagstaff area. There is a complex naming system for each "family" of pottery found - each having a geographical distinction, as well as a style name.
When visiting the park, if you stumble across any pottery fragments or other artifacts, the park asks that you please leave them undisturbed.
The highlight of your trip to Sunset Crater Volcano will likely be the self-guided loop trail, the Lava Flow Trail. This is a one-mile round-trip trek. One-quarter of this trail is paved and accessabile, but the park system does rate this trail as “Easy to Moderate” on difficulty level. This trail will provide a beautiful view of the San Fancisco Mountain Range.
Sunset Crater Volcano is only 12 miles from Flagstaff, Ariz., on U.S. 89 N.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset for scenic drives and trails.
For more information on Sunset Crater Volcano and the beautiful Bonito Lava Flow walking trails visit www.nps.gov/sucr.
Trading Posts of the Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation covers over 27,000 square miles, occupying northeastern Arizona, the southeast portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico. Tourists wanting to experience the Navajo culture can tour the Navajo nation on guided tours, or discover its treasures on their own. The trading posts were a vital part of the Indian culture after their forced migration to the West, offering goods, services and gathering places to remote areas of the region. Gap, Tuba City, Hubbell and Rough Rock Trading Posts are all located in northern Arizona. The Hubbell Trading Post, located in Ganado, Ariz., is the oldest continuously operated trading post on the Navajo Reservation. In 1878 John Lorenzo Hubbell, a known trader, purchased the trading post and collected western and Native American art, which are displayed in his furnished house on the site. Tourists can purchase supplies and Navajo relics from yesterday and today, and delve into the culture of the Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo people
The Hubbell Trading Post hosts two Native American arts auctions, one in spring and one in fall. In Tuba City, be sure to check out the Explore Navajo Interactive Museum. This museum guides visitors along the journey Navajos take through life. Four monumental directional symbols divide the Museum into four quadrants. Traveling clockwise, visitors enter in the east and move to the south, west and north. In each section a Navajo guide discusses the land, language, history, culture and ceremonial life of the Navajo. Also see a traditional Navajo Hogan (home) and Navajo stories of creation.
Navajo Nation, Trading Posts and Attractions: www.discovernavajo.com
