Sedona - Arizona (A pretty, little desert town)

 Sedona is a small but beautiful town near Flagstaff located in the Arizona desert and is surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests. It is particularly noted for its vibrant arts community. While searching in the web for places of interest near Grand Canyon South Rim, Sedona jumped out. People who had visited the town had very good things to say about it and the area and advised not to miss it. Finding out that it was only about a hundred mile from Tusayan (where Grand Canyon south rim is located) I had made plans to stop by there on our way back to Las Vegas from Grand Canyon. I saw some nice images of Sedona and the surrounding red rock mountains but still wasn't fully sure about the visit. However, once we made it to the small, hilly town, all my doubt disappeared quickly. It was one of the most beautiful places I have seen in that trip. Nobody should miss a trip to the town and the attractions nearby if visiting in that part of the country.   

There are quite a few places to visit in Sedona, some of which are told to have spiritual power that may have some influence on some people. During my research I found some people claiming that they did feel a spiritual uplifting when visiting the Sedona Vortexes. While I wished to visit all of the vortexes, we had time for only one and we decided to visit the Cathedral Rock Vortex. 

The parking lot was small but we still found space to park, possibly due to off season. There were plenty of information boards there.  

From the parking lot to the rock is a bit of a walk through light woods and red dirt trail.

As we went up the trail nice panoramic views emerged. 

The way up the solid rock is not as easy as it looks. It is steep and slippery. I was surprised to see many seniors, some even alone, dared to go up. 

Going all the way to the vortex can take hours. Most of the ladies in our group had no taste for that. So, we went up half the way, took some pictures and started back. Even though we didn't go for the vortex, the view and the walk up the trail was very enjoyable. 

From there we went to the small but beautiful town, found a place to eat sitting outside and enjoyed the views as we ate. 

Later, we went for a walk to check out the shops in the area. The weather was nice and warm and we had a great time. 

This little boy spontaneously started to dance with the music. There was a small crowd enjoying his performance.

Grand Canyon - South Rim

 We visited Las Vegas in mid December and drove to Grand Canyon South Rim from there. At that time of the year only the South Rim was open to visitors. The Eastern Rim closer to Las Vegas was only accessible by tour buses. South Rim is approximately four hours drive from Las Vegas. Our plan was to stay one night there at the Best Western. We have heard so much about Grand Canyon and have seen so many photographs and videos of the majestic place that we were all very excited.   

We reached Grand Canyon Village in the evening and checked in at the Best Western. It was a pretty good place. This nice display is located in the lobby. 

 I wanted to see the sunset at the Grand Canyon however we spent way more time than I wanted in the Hoover Dam (no regrets) and the days are smaller in December. So, we decided to see the sunrise the next morning. 

Visitor Center:

There was a decent crowd to watch the sunrise in the cold morning. 

After watching the sunset, we went back to our hotel, ate breakfast, packed up as we had to leave our rooms at 11 in the morning and then went back to the Canyon again for one more look before heading toward Sedona, the place famous for red rocks. 

Ballerina?

Two people are chilling on the rocks. There is a way to it which is hidden behind the trees but it is not an easy trip to make. I hate heights and was pleasantly surprised to see them there.