| Sedona Arizona is one of the most beautiful areas in | | | | 5) Chapel of the Holy Cross |
| the state. This small town is made magnificent by its | | | | No matter what your faith, Sedona Arizona's "red rock |
| world famous red rock canyons and buttes and its | | | | chapel" is a marvel of modern architecture. Sitting high |
| high desert locale. | | | | on a butte overlooking town, this soaring concrete and |
| The scenic setting has made Sedona Arizona a haven | | | | glass Catholic church looks like it was carved right out |
| for artists, outdoor enthusiasts and New Age seekers. | | | | of the surrounding mountain. The views from its stone |
| These diverse groups have blended in with the area's | | | | patio are spectacular. All visitors are welcome and |
| homesteaders and Native Americans, creating an | | | | admission is free. |
| interesting mix of sights and activities for the Arizona | | | | 6) Drive through Oak Creek Canyon |
| vacationer. | | | | The 33-mile road through Sedona Arizona's Oak |
| Here are the top 10 attractions you won't want to | | | | Creek Canyon is one of the most scenic drives in the |
| miss, in no particular order: | | | | state. It begins up in the ponderosa pine forests south |
| 1) Sedona Arizona Vortex Sites | | | | of Flagstaff and winds through a technicolor rock |
| You don't have to be a New Age believer to visit | | | | canyon, paralleling Oak Creek. Along the way, they are |
| Sedona's well known vortexes - places where a | | | | plenty of stops for hiking, picnicking or just enjoying the |
| strong yet indefinable energy radiates from the earth. | | | | views. |
| These spectacular red rock sites are some of the | | | | 7) Slide Rock State Park |
| most beautiful spots in all of Sedona. The top four | | | | Slide down one of Oak Creek's natural red rock |
| vortexes are: Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa | | | | chutes and you'll feel like a kid again. Sedona Arizona's |
| and Boynton Canyon. Stop by a Sedona Arizona | | | | most scenic creek runs right through the heart of this |
| visitor center to pick up a map and directions. | | | | popular park, like nature's waterslide. Kids of all ages |
| 2) Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village | | | | enjoy splashing in the creek's cool waters on warm |
| This is Sedona Arizona's most unique shopping venue | | | | summer days. This is a scenic spot for a picnic too. |
| with over 40 galleries, stores and restaurants. The | | | | 8) The Sedona Heritage Museum |
| open air, Spanish Colonial style marketplace is modeled | | | | Discover Sedona Arizona's history at this museum run |
| after the artists' community of the same name in | | | | by the Sedona Historical Society. The museum |
| Guadalajara, Mexico. Even if you don't want to shop, | | | | focuses on Sedona's settlers from 1870 to the present |
| Tlaquepaque is worth a visit to stroll its shady, | | | | and is housed in an old stone homestead. See vintage |
| flower-filled courtyards or have lunch on a garden | | | | farm equipment and stroll the old fruit orchard. One |
| patio. | | | | room is devoted to the more than 80 movies made in |
| 3) Take a Hike, or a Horseback Ride, or Cycle | | | | Sedona and another features the life and work of real |
| Sedona offers some of the best hiking, mountain biking | | | | cowboys. |
| and horseback riding in Arizona. Dramatic red rocks | | | | 9) West Fork of Oak Creek |
| are visible from every spot in town but to experience | | | | Often called the most scenic hike in Arizona, the West |
| their majesty you need to get out on the trail. The | | | | Fork of Oak Creek Trail crisscrosses this tributary |
| helpful rangers at one of the Coconino National Forest | | | | through a narrow red rock canyon. Soaring cliff walls, |
| Service stations can recommend trails suited to every | | | | moisture loving wildflowers and ferns and dense |
| skill level and time schedule. Prefer to go with a guide? | | | | groves of trees give this 3-mile trail a fairyland quality. |
| Talk to the friendly staff at the Sedona Chamber of | | | | It's a moderate hike and your feet will get wet. |
| Commerce for suggestions. | | | | 10) Montezuma Castle National Monument |
| 4) See Sedona's First Artists | | | | This ancient Native American site is not technically in |
| Sedona Arizona's canyons were historically home to | | | | Sedona Arizona but 30 miles southeast. Why would |
| the Yavapai and Apache people. You can see their | | | | you want to leave the beauty of Sedona? To see |
| centuries-old rock art at three Forest Service sites: | | | | one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the United |
| Honanki, Palatki and V-Bar-V Ranch. These sites have | | | | States. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Sinagua |
| ruins as well as petroglyphs and pictographs. Be sure | | | | people lived in this amazing five story, 20-room pueblo |
| to call ahead before you visit as some sites are open | | | | tucked into a limestone cliff overlooking Beaver Creek |
| for pre-scheduled tours only or may be closed to due | | | | in the Verde Valley. |
| to bad weather. | | | | |