Red Rock Country

Try as I may, photos fail to capture the breathtaking landscape in and around Sedona. The true beauty of Red Rock Country is something you will have to take my word on...and go see for yourself! The colors, first of all. I mean, come on. Give me a break. They were difficult to capture, partially because we experienced varying weather conditions during our stay in Sedona. Most of the days were partly cloudy and overcast, but then we had a couple of rainy days and maybe one really nice, sunny day. Regardless of the weather, our surroundings amazed me every day. I wondered whether long-time residents eventually take their view for granted. I couldn't imagine. Nature is awe-inspiring, is it not? Just. Well, just look at this...


Many of the rocks have been given nicknames after their shape and things they resemble: Coffee Pot Rock, Chimney Rock, my favorite, Snoopy Rock, and this one: Bell Rock:

Many of the rock formations also take me remind me of the architecture of temples found in India. (Hi, Art History geek!)

You can see these amazing hills of rocks just driving through town, but you can also get up close and personal, like we did, thanks to a really cool jeep tour, as well as hikes on a few of the dozens of hiking trails in the area. I highly recommend doing both.



Dis clued me in on a very pretty scenic drive which takes you north of Sedona, through Oak Creek Canyon. Along the way, make sure you stop at Slide Rock. Oy, was this pretty! Nestled at the foot of these rock hills are smooth, flat rocks, formed by the creek that flows through. There wasn't a whole lot of water when we were there, but evidently people swim there during the summer. We hiked through this area, mostly along the water, up and over the rocks - it was stunning! It would have made for a fabulous picnic site, had we known in advance. I could have stayed there all day!

At one point, while sitting in the shade, I may or may not have uttered the words, "I could really just sit here, knit, and then take a nap." B just laughed. (Note to self: Next time I'm in this neck of the woods, take a knitting a buddy or two!") PS: check out that ginormous boulder below and see if you can make out the humans just to the right of it, for scale:

As you continue to drive north through Oak Creek Canyon, you will eventually get to a vista point, where you will see this grand view of the canyon. There really isn't much more to say...