Sedona

Everyone I know who has been to Sedona highly recommends it. They all agree on the natural beauty that surrounds the town. Upon experiencing that beauty, even for only a few hours, they were right. Red tapered mountains surround Sedona and are the draw for tourists, but the town itself has a lot to offer. Restaurants, shops and a few attractions make Sedona an extraordinary place to visit.

Montezuma’s Castle:

Spoiler alert, this structure had nothing to do with Montezuma but it was certainly worth a visit. A seven-hundred-year-old multi-level structure built into the side of a mountain about halfway up a sheer cliff by the Sinagua Native American Tribe is an engineering marvel. Simple and amazing, the stop will take about thirty minutes to an hour, depending on how long you spend enjoying the details. There is a walkway that has some information on the local plant life and a diorama of the inside of the building, since tourists have not been allowed inside since the 1950s.

Meteor Crater:

It takes some time to get to Meteor crater since it is about an hour and a half from everywhere, but the trip is worth it. There is a visitor center that provides a total tourist experience. There is are a few videos to provide information, a museum dedicated to meteor strikes, and of course the crater itself. In addition, there is the obligatory gift shop that offers more than souvenirs and a restaurant to complete the experience. The site has three observation decks to provide spectacular views of the giant crater. On days the weather allows, there is a walking tour that is about a mile roundtrip. Unfortunately, the 60mph winds prohibited the walking tour and restricted the use of the upper observation deck on the day I visited, but the trip was well worth the afternoon I dedicated to seeing the crater.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross:

This simple tourist attraction was very popular and busy. It was very close to Sedona, which probably contributed to the influx of tourists. Saint John Vianny Catholic Church runs the chapel, which is a fully functioning Catholic chapel that includes Mass, Adoration, and Confession. None of those were occurring while I was there and it seems as though it would be distracting with tourists continuously flooding in, but the beauty of the site certainly enhances the experience. There is also a gift shop in the basement that has just about anything you could imagine in a Catholic gift shop, although it gets cramped with all the people in a small space. There are several parking lots along the road, none of which offers many parking spaces. The top lot next to the chapel is handicap only. This attraction is popular and busy, but a quick easy activity with beautiful views.