Daddy's Christmas Angel

Friday, April 22, 2011

"S" Is For Sedona

"Stormy Rocks" MM Sikes
The Passenger to Paradise has found that exotic destinations inspire the creative spirit. As a child I dreamed of travel to far away places, and I read everything I could find with picturesque settings. As an adult I still crave the discovery of magic destinations and am delighted when I find the unforgettable like the amazing Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona.

In the early 1990s we made our first trip to Sedona. It was amazing to drive through the awesome scenery I had viewed only in movies as a child. With my 35 mm Minolta dangling from my neck, I trudged over dusty trails searching for medicine wheels along the way. Then, I viewed with reverence those that I found, and I watched, entranced, as a few fellow wanderers chanted softly into the quiet calm of vortex sites.

The rock formations such as Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Rock and other fascinating views rose high against a clear blue sky, and we took amazing photographs that I used later to create paintings. Just being in the midst of the vortexes and on the sacred land was a spiritual experience. Although we did not see the flying saucers others have claimed to view over Bell Rock, the sight of that magic formation did inspire a fantasy print I created of saucer images above a rocky landscape. It also inspired my novel, Eagle Rising.

In addition to the "S" for Sedona, I have to claim also the "S" for my novel, Secrets by the Sea. Characters in that book have been revived and are part the book I'm now writing--Jungle Jeopardy. It's fun to be caught up in all sorts of discoveries related to the ancient Maya as I travel with my characters through the jungles of Central America.

7 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Been there! It was a long time ago, but I've been there. Beautiful scenery.

RosieC said...

Oh, I LOOOOOVE Sedona. I had never been there until I met my husband's family a few years ago and they took me. I can't think of a more inspiring place in the southwest. :)

Rosie
East for Green Eyes

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Thanks Alex and Rosie for your comments! I was sorry to see Sedona more commercialized when we were there a couple of years ago.

DiscConnected said...

I am originally from Philadelphia, and on a Friday in November, 1994 I was working in Phoenix and was offered a transfer.

The next day, I drove up to Sedona for the first time. I thought, "I could retire here."

That Monday I accepted the offer.

While Sedona has been built up and gotten a little too crowded for me to want to retire there, the scenery is still breathtaking.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Thanks Disc for your comment. Sounds like you made a good decision even though things have definitely gotten crowded.

Doreen McGettigan said...

I have never been there. Husband and I talk about it all the time. I have only seen the grand canyon from the air. We have decided this is the year...
I have enjoyed your posts for the A-Z challenge.

http://www.doreenmcgettigan.com

Julie Flanders said...

I visited Sedona some years ago, and this post made me feel like I was there again. Such a beautiful place!