Sedona

The camera stands on bare slickrock in the notch between the towers, which is where the trail stops. On one side a row of rounded red fins goes up out of the frame, cut into separate columns by vertical joints; on the other a single mass of sandstone stands even higher, banded in horizontal layers with a dark streak of desert varnish running down it. Between the two the ground drops away and the country opens out - green flats, a bend of river cottonwood, low mesas and a blue rim of distant high ground. The rock underfoot is the same red as the walls, worn smooth and dished where the route goes, with juniper and scrub in every crack that holds soil. It is a short walk to get here and a completely disproportionate view at the end of it.

The town of Sedona Arizona is set in the Verde Valley about 150 miles north of Phoenix and in the midst of beautiful red sandstone formations in imaginative and impressive shapes. It is this spectacular scenery and the many outdoor activities-especially hiking-around them that draw visitors from around the world. Beginning in the 1960s, artists and artisans began arriving in the town, which today has numerous artist workshops, handcraft boutiques, and art galleries. More and more "New Age" and spiritual types also came, and today the town is full of health spas, meditation retreats, yoga instructors, palm and tarot readers, crystal and Reiki healers, vegetarian restaurants, and similar establishments.

Since at least the time of the Anasazi, the Ancient Pueblo People, this awe-inspiring region has had spiritual significance. One aspect of the New Age era is the belief that vortexes (vortices) in four of the sandstone formations emit a healing power and energy. (A vortex is the funnel shape produced by whirling fluid or energy, from a tornado to a whirlpool to the water swirling down the kitchen sink.) The Harmonic Convergence, organized by New Age artist Jose Arguelles, was held August 16 and 17, 1987, and Sedona was one of the global centers for the event. The four main vortexes in Sedona are Airport, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Cathedral Rock, each of which is said to emit a masculine, feminine, or balanced energy. There are hiking trails to all them, which you can do on your own. There are maps available in town, and the vortex spots are marked by cairns. There are also guided hikes and tours around the Sedona vortexes.

The Cathedral Rock Vortex (pictured) is one of the most beautiful and famous of the sandstone formations around Sedona. Its name comes from its several spires reaching to the sky like a majestic cathedral. It is said to be one of the strongest of the four vortexes and to emit a calming and balanced feminine energy. The first part of the hike to the vortex spot is fairly strenuous, so there are fewer tourists on the trail than at the other vortexes around the city.

Bell Rock Vortex This formation, as its name suggests, resembles a giant bell with the tapered end at the top. This makes it easily recognizable, and the parking areas and trails are well-marked. The rock is noted for the many whimsically twisted juniper trees, which believers say is the result of the strength of the energy emanating from its vortex. The energy from Bell Rock is considered to be a more active masculine force. There is a loop trail around the formation that can be managed by most people quite easily.