Sedona, Arizona

SEDONA, AZ.
According to USA WEEKEND Sedona is the No. 1 Most Beautiful Place in America. Dare I take exception? Without a doubt Sedona is a beautiful place with stunning views, but the survey had me wondering how many places in America the participants had visited. I can think of many places equally beautiful, but such things are in the eye of the beholder.

Burgeoning population = Expensive!

Perhaps it is safe to say it was much more beautiful before late 20th Century development turned it into a commercial enterprise. The city increased its population from 2,700 in 1970 to 11,323 in 2007 and continues to grow. On top of that, four million people visit every year. That translates to an expensive place to visit. B&B rooms alone run from $138-$399. (See Sedona accomodations and Sedona Chamber of Commerce sites.) My advice is to stay somewhere outside Phoenix, 113 miles south on Interstate 17. If you're averse to crowds don't visit during the summer months. The best time is late winter or early spring. Not only will you run into hordes of out-of-towners in June, July and August, it's where Phoenix residents go for relief from the heat. With an altitude of 4,000 feet Sedona can be considerably cooler in the hottest months. They can also get snow during the winter.

It's the vortex, say New Agers.

Sedona was "re-discovered" in 1987 when New Agers converged there in the belief--true or otherwise--that the area is a major power point on earth for vortexes. A vortex, according to these authorities, is a "spiraling cone or funnel shape of awesome energy." Supposedly, if you go to a vortex you can use Nature's dynamic healing to help you heal or release emotional traumas. Clear?

Visit Visitor Center in Oakcreek for a variety of ideas.

I prefer to go places in the off-season. It was February and this was our third visit to Sedona. We stopped at the Village of Oakcreek Visitor Center five miles or so east of Sedona to pick up a map and the beautiful, photo enhanced "Experience Sedona" magazine, the official guide that lists things to do, from balloon rides to river rafting, to hiking. An enthusiastic woman behind the desk suggested some things we had not covered on previous visits: the breathtaking panoramic view from the airport mesa and the picturesque, winding drive north (there are some hairpin turns if you're inclined to get car sick!) on State Route 89A, through Oak Creek Canyon, following Oak Creek, which meanders below, and ending just a few miles south of Flagstaff. The drive takes about an hour, at an altitude of 5,000 ft., and there's a fine, well marked rest area, with plenty of parking and a viewpoint of the canyon just before the terrain changes to a straighter road through Ponderosa. From the red rock desert country of Sedona the vegetation changes slowly from Juniper and Piñon Pine to forests of Ponderosa, greatly resembling the high desert of southern Oregon.

Flagstaff named by pioneers honoring America's Centennial

Flagstaff, with its clear, crisp air and cool pine forests, nestles about 7,000 feet at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks and would have been settled earlier had it not been for its isolation. (The railroad arrived in 1880 and made it more accessible.) Instead, it was used as a byway for emigrants on their way to settle in California. The original town got its name as the result of a party honoring the first Centennial of the country. On July 4, 1876, they stripped the bark and branches from a pine and raised an American flag. When they moved on the "flag staff" became a landmark for those who followed.

Photos top to bottom:
Oak Creek Canyon from viewpoint on Rt. 89A
View of Sedona from airport mesa
Red Rock country