Sedona

Surrounded by the Cocónino Forest you can find Red Rock Country and the quaint artsy town of Sedona. As you enter into town through the village of Oakcreek and the Red Rock Visitor Information Center, you will have passed the iconic Bell Rock formation with its distinctive cone visible from all sides.

The panorama of red rocks that lays before you as you slowly wind your way into town exudes a feeling of spirituality and imbues a sense of energy quite unlike any other place. These rocks are old, and from top to bottom layers have been placed over each other for over 275 million years. A little to the east of Bell Rock lies the majestic Courthouse Butte, soaring some 4000 feet over Bell Tower.

Jan’s brother Joe and his wife Nancy came out for a long weekend from chilly Ohio and I think they enjoyed the red rocks.

Emblematic of the wild life of the region is the javelina, a short, stocky mammal similar in appearance to a wild boar. These guys lie low during the heat of the day, but do come out to forage in the cool of the night. They usually travel in packs or herds and communicate with each other with sounds eerily similar to a coyote. Like with those chaps,you don’t want to mess with the sharp-toothed javelinas.

Another “can’t miss” sight is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a non-complicated structure set amidst and framed by the red rocks. Simple, stunning , and spiritual.

A ton of rock formations, one prettier than the next, lie in wait for the photographer, the hiker, the biker and those receptive to the spirituality of the landscape.

A final stop for us on the red rock tour was the Crescent Moon Day Use Area, a popular spot for picnickers, swimmers and fishermen, framed by the majestic Cathedral Rock, another of the most popular photographed areas in Sedona.

Truly majestic and awe-inspiring. There’s a lot more to see, both among the rock formations and the town itself. Stay tuned for another episode.

Morocco is getting a lot of play lately – a land of wind-blasted sand deserts, coasts on both the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, a cultural hodgepodge of several diverse ethnic groups, boasting cities of lore, mystery, romance, history and Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman slogging it out in a smoky nightclub in Casablanca. Oh, and the food is pretty good too.

Enjoy.

grilled moroccan spiced pork tenderloin