Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Aaron Anderson [72]
Spirit Tree Inn
Each room of this historic ranch has desert views and the bunk house is good for small groups. 520-394-0121; www.spirittreeinn.com;
3 Harshaw Creed Rd, Patagonia; r from $95
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.arizonavinesandwines.com
www.patagoniaaz.com
LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner
TRIP
21 Southern Desert Wanderings
26 Flagstaff’s Northern Playground
56 New Mexico’s Wine Countries
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Return to beginning of chapter
Into the Vortex
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WHY GO These towers of red rock in Sedona don’t just glow with an otherworldly light at sunset, they concentrate Mother Earth’s mojo, or so say the many spiritual pilgrims here, such as tour guide Blair Carl. With a cleaned out body and mind, use the energy of Sedona to tune in to the cosmic radio.
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TIME
2 days
DISTANCE
30 miles
BEST TIME TO GO
Year-round
START
Sedona, AZ
END
Sedona, AZ
ALSO GOOD FOR
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With a rapid-fire intensity, spiritual tour guide Blair Carl draws on references ranging from the Aztec calendar to the New Testament to the study of UFOs. “I tell people to think of themselves like a radio receiver where the tuner has been stuck on one station for a long time,” he says. “There are other frequencies out there but we need to quiet ourselves long enough to find them.”
It all starts with breathing, and reconnecting with the land, Carl explains. A guide for Earth Wisdom Jeep Tours, he likes to gauge the openness of his passengers to New Age ideals by asking them questions about paranormal experiences they’ve already had.
Earth Wisdom Jeep Tours visit a few of Sedona’s most powerful vortexes, and participants get quiet time at each one to think, meditate or just bask in the view. Vortexes usually dwell in a specific rock formation or a canyon, and there’s no one official explanation on what a vortex really is. But, most believers agree that they give off spiritually empowering energy.
“Any vortex tour is a good way to learn about some of the power centers in Sedona and get some ideas on how to get grounded here. After that, I encourage people to strike out on their own,” says Carl. The most powerful vortexes are Boynton Canyon, Airport Rock, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock. But, as Carl says, feel it out for yourself.
To visit the vortexes solo, you’ll need a Red Rock Pass from the Red Rock Ranger District to park for more than a few minutes in the forest around Sedona; it takes longer than that to get settled for a deep-breathing session. While there, pick up a free map of area hiking and picnic spots. Or get the pass at visitor centers, the ranger station or vending machines at some trailheads and picnic areas.
Carl tells people to eat differently when they come to Sedona seeking clarity, saying that a cleansed body and a cleansed mind go hand in hand. “If in your big-city life you’d normally drink martinis and eat steaks on vacation, try something different here or else you’re bringing the same energy to a new place,” he counsels.
Even taste buds accustomed to creamy, meaty fare will relish the vegan dishes at D’lish Very Vegetarian. It dishes out a good selection of raw foods, which in some circles act as a shock treatment on the intestines to cleanse polluted bodies. Before giving a tour, Carl often stops at Wildflower Bread Company on Sedona’s main strip. Lines can be long around lunchtime, but the to-go sandwiches provide the perfect sustenance for the body while the mind tries to tune in and turn on.
A well-rested person has a mind more open to whatever truth is out there, or so the thinking goes. Try resting that buzzing brain at one of the basic rooms at the White House Inn, just a stone’s throw from D’lish Very Vegetarian and a short drive to spiritually super-charged Boynton Canyon.
Set on the banks of Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona recharges guests with pampering fit for a guru. The spa technicians knead the