What can I say about Sedona? It is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. It’s a photographer’s dream. It’s a spiritual haven… apparently. It’s a hiker or mountain biker’s paradise. It’s a great place for a vacation. While I only spent a day here, I could easily have spent a week.

It was a jam-packed day for me, which started with a hike to Bell Rock. This hike was a bit longer than I expected, but had some pretty good views from an elevated spot of the rock, though I think the rock itself was pretty spectacular, too!

By the time I got back off of that trail, it was time for lunch. I stopped at a great little place called the Red Rock Cafe where I had a wonderful chicken melt sandwich, sweet potato fries, and key lime pie! I didn’t feel guilty at all about that meal, because I had just come back from a long hike, and was about to go on another! I can’t speak for any other restaurants in the area, since this was the only one I went to, but I can highly recommend Red Rock Cafe! They seem to be very popular for breakfast, and I was very close to getting breakfast for lunch!

After lunch I headed to the Airport Vortex. There’s some kind of special metaphysical energy you’re supposed to feel at this spot. I guess I’m not into that sort of thing… I didn’t feel any different! It does have fantastic views, however! It’s a very short hike up from the parking area, so this is a good place for everyone to go and experience.

I sat up there for a while, just taking it all in. Not that I had time to explore the whole town, but I’d have to say this is the spot for the best views. Considering how quick and easy it is to get to, it’s a must stop if you’re in Sedona!

Next up was my favorite part of Sedona… the hike to Devil’s Bridge! If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle with a high clearance, or you rent one, this hike is considerably shorter. If not, you’ll have to park an extra mile and a half or so from the trailhead. This would not have been that difficult of a hike, but after climbing Camelback Mountain in Phoenix the day before, and hiking Bell Rock earlier in the day, my feet were downright killing me by the end of this one! It felt like I’d get one big blister on the ball of each foot! So unless you’re in the same boat, this one isn’t too bad. There is a pretty steep climb to get up to Devil’s Bridge, but anyone in moderately decent shape should be able to handle it without issues.

The view is, of course, amazing. From this location you cannot see any houses or other buildings, it’s just those beautiful red rocks, shrubs, and trees! The above picture is a wide angle shot, and doesn’t really do the drop-off justice. If you fall from the top of Devil’s Bridge, you probably won’t survive. However, it is not as sketchy as it looks from this angle. It’s actually very wide, even at its most narrow point, where I’m standing. You’ll have to wait your turn to get a picture alone, hopefully not as long as I had to wait for this group that sat out there forever taking selfie after selfie after selfie! Annoying.

After that, it was about time to start thinking about getting the shot I really came here to get; Cathedral Rock at sunset! Unfortunately on this day, the clouds had other plans. I also had a difficult time finding the spot I wanted to shoot from. It is actually called “Secret Slickrock Trail”. There is no official parking area for the trailhead, you just have to park along the side of the gravel road. But in my opinion, this is the best viewpoint of Cathedral Rock, and not quite as over-shot as the Crescent Moon area below this slick rock.

At least there was some water in that pool, but I was definitely hoping for more sunlight on the rock. Thin high clouds were muting the sun quite a bit, so this was about the best I could do. I’m still happy how it turned out, though!

I left that spot before sunset, and debated on where to go from there, thinking there was a chance for a good sunset. I decided to head back to the Airport Vortex, and right as I arrived, the spectacular sunset was taking place! Unfortunately it was packed! I could not find a place to park! I finally parked in a little gap on the end that was actually a parking spot, but my car fit! I had to run to a little ledge above the road, as I didn’t have time to get to the top of the Vortex.

That ended up being a great way to end the day in Sedona! Accommodations in Sedona itself are quite pricey, so I had reserved a room about 45 minutes to the north in Flagstaff. It’s a windy road with a big elevation climb once you leave Sedona, and suddenly you go from the Red Rock desert, to a pine forest! There was also quite a temperature change!

As I was making this drive, I looked up and saw that the stars looked brilliant in the breaks between the clouds, and I envisioned how great that would look in a picture above the tall pines, so I found a spot to stop along the side of the road! Sometimes these impromptu shots end up being my favorite shots, and this one was no exception!

The orange glow on the bottom right is a result of the city lights of Flagstaff. The trees at this spot weren’t perfect, but for a shot that was completely unplanned, I’ll take it! There was also quite the change in temperature at this higher elevation, and I had to get my winter coat out to shoot from here!

Those Ponderosa pine trees had a very unique aroma. I can’t really describe it. They did not smell like what you think of as a traditional pine. It was not bad, by any means. I actually liked it! Some say it smells like vanilla, but I didn’t think so. I wonder if the people living in Flagstaff even notice it, or if their olfactory centers have gotten used to it, and they smell nothing? It’s probably the latter, but for an out-of-towner, it was a lovely welcome to town!

Sedona is definitely a place I want to go back to and spend more time. I’d love to get some sunrise shots, and some better sunset shots as well, particularly at Cathedral Rock. If you have never been, I highly recommend it! You will not be disappointed! As always, pictures do not do it justice, you’ll have to go see it with your own eyes!