Beautiful, awesome Sedona Arizona

This is more like it!
After a challenging day driving from Las Vegas to Sedona I have found what I think is probably the neatest place on earth for many reasons.
Maybe it was arriving in the dark last night and waking up to the amazing sight of the sun rising on Castle Rock outside my window (nothing beats getting up early to see stuff). Or maybe it's the really friendly people at the place I'm staying, or maybe it's the birds that are congregating in the back yard around the pool in the feeders.
This place is awesome.
The red rock is really something to see.

Okay, the Grand Canyon and Hoover dam yesterday were really, really cool too but there's a real peacefulness about this place. Oh yeah and it's still 85 F too. That helps. I think.

I'm excited to be here. There's so much to do in Sedona and the area. Hiking around the fantastic rock formations, watching the stars come out over the rocks to give me sights that I've only seen on The Mother's jigsaw puzzles. But I'm seeing it for real. In real life. In person.
How cool is that.

The rock and the "vortex's" that are believed to bring positive energy and are sacred to all faiths bring people to sit and contemplate, perhaps meditate around them. For me, sure, they have that kind of pull but they are also incredibly beautiful in any light. The picture above was taken at 10 am.

This one taken at 6:15 am from the balcony of my room (which is awesome too I might add)

This, I think, is better than the Grand Canyon in some ways. There's a quietness about the whole scene.
Yesterday I was at Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk. The drive also included a 12 mile stretch of washboard gravel (not warned about this little tidbit) but once I arrived and sorted out what is expected (there is a bus that takes you to the sights) and then the same drive back out to the highway.

Really though, it is a once of a lifetime thing to see. I think everyone needs to see it at least once.
It is so majestic. So huge. So unbelievable. The colours, that you hear about are there in the layers of the rock but being there at 1 pm in the after noon on a 90 F day means that things get a little muted in the picture but you get the idea I think.

One thing I've noticed in the south west is the dryness. It's so dry, really dry. In October the average rain fall is 1.6 inches. Everything here is parched. Where there is any moisture around it disappers really fast. When I was washing the windows in the car I had to re wash them before I could sqeegee them clean! Yikes!
The plants, of course, have adapted but I still haven't seen my big huge cactus yet (the one that looks like a person standing with there arms up) but I know I will!

The Adobe Village Graham Inn is a small hotel like B and B 5 miles south of Sedona. I found it on line. I am so glad I did. Usually I don't say where I'm staying but this place is so fantastic that I can't help but blow their horn. My room has a gas fireplace which is two sided, one side is on the "living area" side and the other is on the whirlpool tub side. Right on. There is a plate of home made cookies on the bed at "turn down" time and the outdoor hot tub and pool are a fantastic place to unwind. Oh yeah, there's even a really comfy robe in the closet! This place rocks. The breakfast is to die for. Right, so I've never had chilli grits before but along with the breakfast burrito they were a great addition. Anyone needing a place to just chill this is the place. I am soooo glad I picked it.

So I have recovered I think from the insanity of Las Vegas and so enjoying my time in Sedona.
This is a part of the country that is so different. It just is. There are so many reasons why. Tomorrow I'm going to take more pictures of pretty red rock because I don't want to forget this place.

No wonder people find it sacred.

Below is a picture of Holy Cross Church. This spot is awe inspiring too!

These are cactus flowers...weird...



Maybe tomorrow I might see a cloud in the sky... I know I'll see some neat, red rocks!

Cheers!