May 6, 2002

May 6, 2002

Yesterday we stopped by the tourist office for a map and hiking recommendations. They also suggested taking their famous Pink Jeep Tour. So this morning our tour driver picks us up at the hotel in an open bright pink jeep. He takes us into the backcountry for up-close views of Sedona’s red rocks. At one point we literally drive UP the side of a hill to come out on top of a red rock expanse.

Afterwards we give ourselves a tour noting the many named buttes in the area. We drive by the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is a beautiful little artistic church set high on the base of a butte. West of Sedona, we take a hike around Boynton Canyon. It is a pretty box canyon, and has a famous spa, the Enchantment Resort, nestled inside it.

From there we drive northwest of town on a gravel road to the Palatki Heritage site and hike amongst some ancient Anasazi Indian cliff dwellings. There are also numerous petroglyphs painted on the cliffs here.

Back in Sedona we run across a little Motion Picture museum about the many Western movies that were filmed here. The Sedona airport is built on a flat mesa in the middle of town. At sundown we drive up and watch the sunset from that vantage point (along with a hundred other tourists!)