Sedona, Arizona (Sinagua Land)
Nestled in the Sonoran desert at 4,500 feet, Sedona is known for its thought-provoking red rocks, steep canyon walls, energy vortex centers and pine forests. Simply put, Sedona is staggeringly beautiful. As proof of its beauty bargaining power, Sedona has the ONLY McDonald’s in the world sans yellow arches - they are a beautiful hue of turquoise. Leave it to Sedona to call the shots on that one.
There is an undeniable magic in Sedona which has made it popular with healers, artists and spiritual guides. If you find silence and reflect - it’s a very real possibility that messages from the universe will come to you - at least that is my personal experience. Sedona is also a world class mountain biking, trail running, golfing and hiking destination. We saw lots of happy faces of all ages in the pristine backcountry - and yes, despite Sedona’s popularity - thankfully the backcountry is still extremely pristine. Check out my friend Jeremy’s review of adaptive MTB in Sedona. Sedona is a very popular destination; there is traffic, there is a Whole Foods, and there are multiple Starbuck’s. If you go to the popular hikes on weekdays during favorable weather (Cathedral Rock, Devil’s Bridge) - there WILL be traffic, parking attendants, and many times no available parking. Sedona is not/no longer a wilderness destination. But maybe, just maybe, it makes it feel that *extra* special to venture off at sunrise and get as far away from the crowds as possible. As this was my third trip to Sedona, it remains on my list of places I would revisit. There is a magic to Sedona I haven’t felt in many places.
5 Quick & Dirty Sedona recommendations:
Mescal Trail - this hike enchanted me. You are as close as you are going to get to the steep canyon walls and bowls of red rocks. Park at Mescal Trailhead.
Hiline Trail - rated as a double black diamond mountain bike trail Hiline makes for a really nice 4 mile round-trip hike. Park in Yavapai Vista Point parking lot.
For both hikes I recommend going at sunrise. You have the trails all to yourself :)
ChocolaTree Organic Eatery - organic, vegetarian restaurant - everything here is made with care and love. You could stay here all day on the oasis of an outside patio. Also, as the name indicates - they have the largest selection of handmade, artisan-crafted raw chocolates in the world. Chocolate, enough said.
Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen- despite looking kind of cheesy and commercial, I LOVED this restaurant. They have an entire veg and vegan menu and damn it was good. Extremely friendly servers and fire pits outside.
Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park - one of my favorite places on the earth to go and sit in silence. A very peaceful place for meditation and reflection. Please respect the silence here.