Tag: Sedona

Arizona Adventures Day 2 Continued: In Search of Cathedrals and Sunset #Sedona #ChapeloftheHolyCross

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures8 Comments

After our long hike through Boynton Canyon and the Subway, we loaded our tired and very thirsty bodies into the car and began searching for a refreshing lunch. We found it in the form of an acai bowl cafe not too far down the road. Inside the air conditioned eatery, I inhaled my frozen tropical treat in record time and sat shivering from the shock of cold until we made our way back into the sunshine.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona is nestled into the surrounding landscape without feeling obtrusive

Our day, though, was not finished. We had passed by the famous Chapel of the Holy Cross on the way to Boynton Canyon, and decided we would make a stop on the way back to our hotel. The chapel, nestled into the red hills of Sedona is open to the public during daylight hours and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Unlike urban sprawl below it, it almost feels like it belongs.

The views from the chapel are stunning and well-worth the short trek to take them in.

It is said that the chapel, like Boynton Canyon, is situated on one of Sedona’s famous vortexes. Even if one doesn’t feel a surge of energy here, it is undeniably a peaceful and beautiful place as you will see in the slide show below:

After spending some time admiring the chapel and its surrounding landscape, we returned to the hotel to relax and hose off. As we were determined to take in a Sedona sunset, we chose a nearby, albeit over-priced restaurant to have dinner before we got in the car for one more adventure. Our destination, the famous Airport Mesa, which is also reported to be a vortex site.

A trail towards the setting sun

We passed by the natural stone mesa to park our car, and began walking along a trail towards the setting sun. In retrospect, I would have preferred standing atop the red rocks, but we had thought we might get a better view from the trail. As it was, the sunset was not as magnificent as we had hoped, but one can never really complain about the views in Sedona.

Our sunset view

It had been a long day filled with lots of walking, and we were all quite tired, but instead of driving home, we made our way up to the top of the Airport Mesa road where there is a large parking lot and viewing area to see the stars come out. We didn’t last long.

Arizona Adventure Day 2: Boynton Canyon Plus The Subway #boyntoncanyon #sedonahikes

On By Alethea KehasIn Travel Adventures7 Comments

We had an early start to our day two adventures in Arizona as my husband’s conference ended at 9:30 am. Ava and I were up early to take a sunrise (6:30 am) yoga class by the pool. It was everything I envisioned in a Sedona yoga class. And, you couldn’t beat the view.

The four of us decided on Boynton Canyon for the main adventure of the day, a choice that we may have made differently in retrospect. Arizona sunshine in June is more intense than one might expect, and the dry heat is difficult for the unaccustomed skin and airways. Our Boynton hike adventure took us eight long hours of walking through the dusty landscape with enough snacks and sunscreen, but not quite enough water.

The hike, aside from the Subway portion, is considered easy, albeit long. The red trail winds along the canyon floor with views of the red rocks and pockets of welcome shade.

The trail to the end of the main loop of Boynton Canyon is about three miles long. We saw several butterflies along the way, a few lizards, some beautiful wildflowers, and spectacular views of the cliffs.

At the end of the three miles, the trail steepens until it culminates at the mouth of the canyon where smooth red rocks rise into the cliffs. It’s a nice place to stop for photos and refresh the body before turning around.

Although we were already feeling a bit tired and eager for a cold beverage, we were determined to find the hidden Subway trail on our way back. After inquiring about it with everyone we passed along the way, and getting an idea of the general location, we took a gander off the beaten path. Winding our way through a very narrow trail filled with bushes, we encountered a friendly group of individuals who were making their way down from the Subway viewing points. They too had, inadvertently ventured off the unmarked Subway trail, and as luck would have it, they offered to walk back with us to the main trail and point out the entrance we were meant to take, which was ambiguously marked by a sandy inlet with a couple of branches shaped into a rough looking arrow.

I was amazed as we walked, how many people find the deliberately obscure trail and make their way to the most spectacular spot in the Canyon. In fact, many don’t bother with the main trail at all, and just head straight to the Subway. We could understand why when we got there…

Both Boynton Canyon loop and the Subway offshoot are well-worth the trek if you have the time and are prepared with plenty of (cold) water, snacks, sunscreen and appropriate attire. Only my daughter ventured up into the steep crevice of the canyon when we got there, but we all made it to the caves.