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Adventure on the rocks

Step away from the tourist strip and drink up the scenery

Have Your Aura Photographed. Psychic Energy Readings Here. Vortex Information. Therapy on the Rocks.

These are just a few of the enthusiasm-dampening signs along the roadside driving into Sedona. This is “Red Rock Country,” after all, where the stunning terra cotta-coloured buttes tower into view as you approach the city popularized for not just its stunning copper scenery, but also its vortexes — the natural energy that is said to deeply affect people spiritually.

This phenomenon has been studied and written about by both scholars and enthusiasts for years. According to a recent Northern Arizona University study, 64 per cent of people who visited Sedona said they came for a spiritual reawakening.

After reading about Sedona for years as a New Age haven set against a backdrop of drop-dead beauty, one expects a moment of discovery like driving west on the Trans-Canada — where suddenly around the next bend, the Rockies appear. Sedona’s rocks have that kind of impact, too, except after a view of the first few gorgeous rock formations set against a brilliant blue sky, the windshield fills with signs, strip malls and a long line of traffic along its main street.

First Nations people — including the Hopi, Zuni, Navaho and Yavapai — have regarded this geographic enigma — eons of layer upon layer of sun-burnt sand and limestone formations sitting 1,300 metres above sea level — as far back as 4000 BC. So special was this place to them that it served as a venue for religious ceremonies. In the 1980s, stressed-out seekers from cities across North America came in search of refuge. New Age Sedona attracted massage therapists, psychics and healers, as well as artists and writers. But when word trickled out that this place held a special healing energy which enhanced spiritual and psychic experiences, the tourists came en masse.

In the spirit of the real Sedona, when you visit, escape the ice-cream eating and latte-drinking crowd. Magical places are not far from the ticky-tacky strip — with its crystal boutiques and cowboy trading posts –on some of the hundreds of trails and byways just a few minutes from the sprawling town. You may or may not have a spiritual experience, but you’ll be rewarded with silence, save for the crickets (and cicadas?) in the desert, and jaw-dropping views.

Save your souvenir shopping for the end of the day.

HIKE: Because you’re at a national site, (Coconino National Forest) you’ll have to buy a $5 daily Red Rock Park Pass (weekly pass is $15, annual $20) at any of the visitors centers along the way.

Maps are available, as are good suggestions from staff for a variety of hikes. There are hundreds of trails around the area, some well-marked, others not, and some trailheads that begin in residential areas.

We hiked Brin’s Mesa, a moderate climb on trails speckled with prickly pear cactus, yuccas and juniper trees. The vistas along the way are stunning and once on the mesa, you’ll see the valley for miles and be able to pinpoint the most well-known buttes in the area.

Other recommendations from local hikers:

n Wet Beaver Wilderness: Located about three kilometres east of the Sedona exit from I-17. Though challenging, this is purported to be a hidden gem of hiking trails that includes the opportunity to swim as you hike through some of the canyon pools along the 17.4-kilometre Bell Trail.

n A second hiking recommendation from a native Sedonan is the West Fork hiking trail, considered the premier and most scenic hiking trail in the area. It’s accessed from Oak Creek Scenic Road and part of the Secret Mountain Red Rock Wilderness. The wooded trail, which winds along terra-cotta canyon walls along Oak Creek, is about 16 kilometres, and the first four or five kilometres are easy enough for young families. The last portion would appeal to the seasoned hiker/backpacker.

DRIVE: Oak Creek Scenic Road (off Highway 89A) On the west side of Sedona’s main tourist area, take this winding, two-lane road that rises to an elevation of 2,000 metres.

Along the way, you’ll see people fishing and beautifully treed campgrounds.

But the main event is the vista from the top, which overlooks the lushly treed Oak Creek Canyon. There’s an interpretive trail and you’ll also find local Indians selling handicrafts and jewelry here, seven days a week.

Play: Bring your bathing suit and wade or better yet cruise down the natural water slide on your bottom at Slide Rock State Park, located about 10 kilometres up 89A, the Oak Creek Scenic Road. The fee is around $10 per car.

Chill: Back on the main street (North Highway 89A) line up at the Black Cow Cafe for homemade ice cream.

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Discover America – red rocks of Sedona and Williams, Ariz.

In my article last week I offered several vacation ideas where the exchange rate of the dollar against foreign currency would not be an issue. One idea was staying closer to home – vacationing in the United States.

I had been to Sedona several years ago, but this was Carol’s first excursion into Red Rock country. As we turned off Interstate 17 toward Sedona, it’s only a matter of minutes before you see the first of the magnificent red rock sculptures that make Sedona an artist’s paradise.

The rock formations are vivid colors of red and gold, and change colors as the sun shifts and ducks behind the clouds. I could only imagine what it would look like at sunrise and sunset.

As we headed into town, our first stop was to see the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Built in 1956 by famed religious artist Marguenite Brunswig, the church was built directly into a butte and offers a spectacular view of the valley below. The most prominent feature of the church is the giant cross that appears to support the entire structure as it juts out from the rocks. If you plan to visit the chapel, I suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes – it’s a steep climb up from the parking lot; however, the view of the valley is worth every step.

As we continued driving into town, I was surprised at how much development had taken place since my last visit. In the midst of the numerous art galleries along Route 179, there is a factory outlet mall and several new resorts and golf courses. The tourists have definitely discovered Sedona, or maybe I should say, Sedona has discovered the tourists.

We stopped for lunch in the “city center” and took time to browse in the art galleries, jewelry stores and gift shops along the main street. Unfortunately, or maybe I should say fortunately for my pocketbook and credit cards, we did not have a lot of time to wander, since we had hotel reservations in Williams for that evening.

If you have more time than half an afternoon, and are into hiking, golfing, fly-fishing, horseback riding or are looking for a few days’ rest and a place to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit, Sedona is a perfect destination. There are a dozen state and national parks and several campgrounds operated by the Forest Service in and around Sedona. Spring and fall are the most popular times to visit Sedona – summer is hot and at 5,000-feet elevation, it gets mighty cold in the winter.

We took the scenic route to Flagstaff and caught Interstate 40 west into Williams, the home of the historic Grand Canyon Railway. I had been to the Grand Canyon before, but like most travelers today, I arrived by car. The very first passengers boarded the train in Williams, Ariz., on Sept. 17, 1901, and traveled along the 65 miles of track through the high desert plains and the dense Ponderosa pine forest to arrive just steps from the canyon’s South Rim. The history of the Grand Canyon Railway is a familiar story when talking about train travel in the United States.

In the early 1900s the railroad was the popular mode of transportation and made the Grand Canyon easily accessible to the traveling public. In the early 1920s, a road was put into the newly established Grand Canyon National Park. It was this singular event that marked the fate of train travel to the Grand Canyon.

The figures are astounding: in 1927, 70,382 passengers arrived at the South Rim via train. In 1933, 73,034 cars entered Grand Canyon National Park and 11,239 passengers arrived that year via train. In 1968 there were three passengers on the last passenger train to the Grand Canyon.

It wasn’t until Sept. 17, 1989, 88 years after its inaugural run, that the Grand Canyon Railway resumed operation. Max and Thelma Biegert, owners of the Grand Canyon Railway, brought an important piece of Arizona history back to life. It seems like we’ve come full circle. Today, not only does the Grand Canyon Railway provide an historical and fun journey to the canyon, it is now responsible for keeping more than 50,000 cars outside the park, which helps preserve the pristine beauty of a national treasure.

I’m getting ahead of myself. We arrived in Williams around 5 p.m. and checked into the Fray Marcus Hotel (now called the Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel) adjacent to the Williams Depot. The hotel is not an historic treasure, but it is a delightful hotel with a wonderful lobby and even more wonderful stone fireplace. By the time we arrived in Williams, the temperature had dropped and rain was in the forecast. The blazing fire in the main lobby, along with a cup of hot tea, was a welcome sight.

At present, the hotel has 196 rooms, but is adding 102 rooms. The hotel offers an indoor pool, small exercise room and hot tub. In the hotel is Spenser’s Lounge, a small pub-type restaurant with the most wonderful 19th-century hand-carved bar brought over from Europe. There is also a full-service restaurant, Max and Thelma’s, located next to the depot and a short walk from the hotel.

Once we checked into the hotel and warmed up with a cup of tea, I wanted to check out the town of Williams. Five minutes later we were back in the hotel. Seriously, the town of Williams – founded in 1882 as a railroad town, and later regaining its popularity as part of the Route 66 craze – is two main streets with curio shops, motels, gas stations and restaurants. There is also a Safeway and a 99-cent store. Williams has been around for more than 100 years and is now enjoying a renaissance due to the popularity of the Grand Canyon Railway.

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Off-season tranquility at Slide Rock

SLIDE ROCK STATE PARK – The road less traveled can make all the difference when it comes to visiting this Sedona-area park.

Slide Rock, the second-most-visited state park after Lake Havasu, is well known as a warm-weather destination, but visiting in the cooler months has its own rewards.

Summertime crowds can get raucous as visitors shed clothes and inhibitions while grooving to tunes broadcast from portable players. But in the cooler months, it’s easy to hear the stadium-applause sound of the rushing Oak Creek. And the visitors are more bundled up and laid-back.

In the off-season, traffic flows smoothly along the 7 miles of Arizona 89A from uptown Sedona to the park entrance. Along the way, you can glimpse the roiling creek off to the right. In summer, it’s slow-and-go as visitors inch their way to the nature-made water slide, and the creek is obscured by lush vegetation.

Summer visitors come to experience the natural water slide on Oak Creek, which provides thrills for adults and older children. Little travelers can splash in nearby wading pools.

Year-round, the 43-acre park is a popular choice for picnics and hikes. Visitors also get a glimpse of what the countryside must have been like when the park was an apple orchard a century ago.

Thirteen kinds of apples are grown on the homestead of innovative settler Frank Pendley. Others passed on homesteading the site because they couldn’t figure out how to get water from the creek to the orchard above. Pendley figured it out; the irrigation system still is used.

Scattered about the grounds are 1920s farming equipment, apple trees, the 4,026-square-foot Pendley house, a 6,696-square-foot apple-packing barn and three tourist cabins built in 1933.

Tours of the farming area and the rest of the park, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, are offered several times a year. Check www.azstateparks.com for dates and times.

Three hiking trails are open year-round. None is too taxing, but shoes with good grip are important because the rocks are wet. Pendley Homestead Trail, 0.25 mile, is partially paved and ideal for strollers and walkers. The trail offers stunning canyon views and guides visitors near the original apple orchards, the homestead house, cabins and apple-packing barn.

The Slide Rock Route, 0.3 mile, is of moderate difficulty and provides access to the swimming area. The trail, which runs adjacent to the river, becomes more difficult the farther you walk.

The Clifftop Nature Trail, 0.25 mile, begins near the barn and offers a view-from-above of the swimming area. Along the way, sidestep the imposing agave and prickly pear and take in the scent of ponderosa pine, juniper and skunk. Yes, skunk. These creatures also enjoy Slide Rock year-round.

After working up an appetite, relax at one of the more than dozen picnic tables.

If you need warming up, the Slide Rock Market between the parking lot and the water slide, sells hot cider, hot chocolate and coffee for $1.50 each.

Bottled water and snacks also are available.

Or pick up sandwiches on the way and have a picnic. Safeway, on Arizona 89A in west Sedona, has sandwiches starting at $5. Or in Oak Creek Canyon south of the park, try Garland’s Indian Gardens Trading Post and Deli. Sandwiches cost $5.95 for a full or $3.49 for a half. Pair that with a gallon of organic cider.

You have to take out any garbage you make in the park.

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