We flew out of Oakland on Thursday morning. Southwest internet was out but no problem I had downloaded a movie on Prime just in case. The flight was exactly the length of the movie so time went by fast. As we were looking for something to eat we ran into our neighbors Greg and Michele. They were headed home after a trip to Sedona. They gave us some tips and some maps. Thank you Michele and Greg. We picked up a rental car at Avis and drove to Sedona. The drive to Sedona took two hours and was mostly freeway. Sedona is beautiful with soaring red rocks. The whole city is said to be a vortex with some spots having the energy crackling most in intensity. I did not know what a vortex was so I looked it up. A vortex is a swirling center of energy that are conductive to healing, meditation and self exploration. The four best known vortexes in Sedona are found at Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Boynton Canyon. There are so many hiking trails here so you can find the hike distance you want. Parking can be difficult at the most popular hiking trailheads.
There is a free bus that will take you to the more popular spots and free parking. Our Airbnb is small but clean and well located. We are in Sedona to attend a wedding, the daughter of my cousin Gary Ruff. Gary and Jennie have invited us to dinner at The Vault Uptown. The grooms parents, bride‘s uncles and friends of the family attended. It was good food and company.
The wedding is not until four so we decide to hike today. Brocken Arrow trail is our first hike. It is a beautiful day and perfect day for a hike. There is parking so we feel lucky. The trail is used by mountain bikes as well as hikers but the mountain bike riders are all polite and wait for us to move aside before ridding past us. A that uses pink open air Jeeps takes a nearby trail to drive people to the top of the trail. The ride in the jeep may be easier than walking but it looks scary as you watch them turn around on a huge bolder. The hike takes two hours so we have time for a second hike. We choose Airport
Mesa trail. The parking lot at Airport Mesa is full so we drive to the airport and pay to park. This adds time to our hike since we have to hike downhill to the start of the trail. We find a bench on the trail with a view of Sedona and eat the sandwiches we bought at Whole Foods. People passing on our great lunch spot. We planned to hike here and we brought walking poles and hiking boots. The hike has views of Sedona and the surrounding area. We head back to our Airbnb to shower and dress for the wedding. The wedding is held at Agave of Sedona a wedding and event center. The wedding is held outside with a view of the beautiful rocks. The wedding is a big success. Good food, good drink and dancing the night away.
Next day the brides mom Cindy hosts a brunch. This gives us all a chance to visit some more before heading our separate ways. Gary and Jennie head out to the Grand Canyon. We head to Scottsdale to meet up with my niece Meagan and her husband Jessua. We check into the Courtyard Marriott in
Sunday Meagan picks us up for a hike on Quartz Ridge Trail. The trail is a 3.2 mile out and back and is considered a moderately challenging route. We were lucky to get the last parking space. It is a beautiful day for a hike. We go out to lunch after our hike. Jessua has an injury so he could not join us on our hike. A change of clothes was needed for our next activity. I bought tickets to Wonderspaces after reading about it in the paper. It is a art show featuring immersive interactive installations and a full bar. After buying drinks we go through the exhibit. Some exhibits we participate in and others we watch sometimes sitting other times laying in big beanbag chairs. Dinner follows at a beautiful restaurant and wedding venue. Our table looks out to the garden and we watch two brides having their pictures taken. After dinner it is back to our hotel. We had a great time visiting Meagan and Jessua.
