by Ginny Lloyd
If you’re looking to EXile in a place the American Indians and all who’ve followed consider sacred, Sedona is the choice you should make. Your spiritual, physical, and creative sides are nurtured synchronously in this desert environment. Be sure to bring your camera, sketchpad, or journal because the area is a feast for the sightseer and artist. Solo travelers are welcome in Sedona, and you’re especially pampered at the Southwest Inn (http://www.swinn.com/ 800-483-7422). Or you can stay at one of the world class spas in the area. Great meals can be had at the Sedona Airport Restaurant (http://www.sedonaairportrestaurant.com/ 928-282-3576) situated on the Airport Mesa with 360° views of Sedona's Red Rocks, not far from the inn. If people watching is more your mood, head to “uptown’s” Fiesta Deck at the Oaxaca Restaurant. (http://www.oaxacarestaurant.com/ 928-282-4179)
Aside from the many excellent spa treatments or in-room massage services you find in this town, you can EXhale whatever troubles you have at the various energy centers, called vortexes, that have made Sedona a famous spiritual mecca unlike anywhere in the USA. To locate these vortexes, check the maps available at the Center for the New Age. (http://www.sedonanewagecenter.com/ 928-282-2085) While you’re there, EXplore your past or your future with a psychic reading from one of the many readers. The bookstore with its selection of spiritual inspired items will tempt you as well.
To continue the EXplore part of your Sedona experience take hikes on numerous trails to places with names like Bell Rock, CoffeePot Rock, and Castle Rock. Be sure you plan your hiking choices based upon your EXorcise fitness, time of day, and the trail’s distance. A good hiking map will give you options for easy, medium, and difficult routes. Sign up for a Pink Jeep Tour (http://www.pinkjeeptours.com/jeep-tours/sedona/ 800-873-3662) to get to some of the sites by vehicle, or participate in a group hike instead. If you prefer your solitude, be sure you have a vehicle that can handle rough, dirt roads. You’ll especially need one if you visit the many archeological sites where early American Indian villages were built into remote cliffs. Driving from Phoenix to Sedona on I-17, a stop at Montezuma’s Castle will wet your appetite for this aspect of southwestern history. (http://www.nps.gov/moca/) If you haven’t seen the Grand Canyon, it’s only 2.5 hours away and well worth taking a day trip. Your concierge can help with arranging a lot of these activities, but one more EXplore tip you’ll want to try--a helicopter tour of the canyons with Arizona Helicopter Tours. (http://www.arizonahelicopteradventures.com/tours.htm 928-282-0904) The majestic beauty of the unusual landscape is experienced from a vantagepoint that’s too difficult to reach on foot.
