We were heading east on I-80 when just west of Salt Lake City I made Jamie pull over so I could capture these photos. It was cold but the sun was so bright. The lake projected mirror images of snow capped mountains. It’s moments like this that made driving the best part of this 3 month long short journey.
^ Top of Cathedral Rock. There is a fearless guy on the edge taking a selfie.
It was a long drive through the night and we couldn’t see anything surrounding us as we arrived, but we finally made it to Sedona! We were only staying for one day so we knew we had to jam pack our ONE day with as many activities and sightseeings as possible. We had read about the infamous energy vortexes that claim to have healing and uplifting effects, so naturally, we were interested in checking them out. Thankfully, you have to hike to get to them, killing two birds with one stone! (don’t you just hate that saying, I’m sure PETA agrees, I’m going to come up with something a little less violent for the future). While in bed, Jamie mapped out our hikes for the next day.
When morning came, I was so excited to go outside and see the beautiful red rocks we couldn’t appreciate the night before. Our first stop was the Boyton Canyon Vortex, it was a very mild hike to get to. There was a magical sound drifting through the air, someone was playing the flute at the top of the knoll, all you needed to do was follow your ears. On the way, you will notice a lot of unique looking juniper trees that have really twisted branches, that is suppose to signify a very strong energy presence. I did have one experience on this hike, it felt as if a ghost had passed through my body or like the feeling of piercing through one dimension and out to the other. Was it true, or did I give in to a hoax? I’ll never know, but the feeling was definitely there. When we got to the top, we sat a long while basking in the sun and enjoying the view. Our next stop was to conquer Cathedral Rock!
Holy crapola! We had no idea what we were getting into when we hiked up Cathedral Rock. A large part of the climb is so steep, it is almost vertical, people have carved notches into the rock in order to get a better grip. If you are afraid of heights, don’t look down! We got down and dirty clawing our way up. It kinda helps by repeating in your head, I AM a lizard I AM a lizard. The hike was so thrilling and frightening at the same time, and at the end you are rewarded by the (crazy scary high) beautiful views of the city. I was so proud of myself for overcoming all of my self doubts and conquering the fears I had along the way. However, I wasn’t going to gloat until I made it back down in one piece!
After leaving Cathedral Rock, we were able to make it to the Airport Vortex just in time to catch the incredible sunset. We hiked up there with a cup of coffee in hand and a bag of scones. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
^ If you look closely, there are Ancient Petroglyphs well preserved on these rocks. So rad!
^^ Parts of the Historic Route 66.
We drove through the Petrified Forest or “Painted Desert” in Arizona after leaving Santa Fe for Sedona. Wow wow wowzas! What a find this place was. The clouds rolled in just above our heads, we could almost reach out and touch them. The quiet sense of desolation was eerie, yet peaceful. If you are a nerd like me when it comes to geological formations and the Earth’s incredible history, you will love this place. Oh, it is beautiful to look at too! The forest is a National Park, so there is a small entry fee, and you will be given a map to the 147 sq. miles you will be driving through. You will feel like Indiana Jones. There are around 12 points of interest that you are meant to stop at along the way, including hikes through petrified wood that shimmer with pure quartz or you can hike down the colorful hills where you may even discover a fossil. There are formations here that archeologists have confirmed to be from the Terrasic Era and there are over 10,000 years of human history that can be found here too. The Painted Desert is an archeologists and a photographers dream alike.