Red Rocks: Stunning Sedona

K was told not to miss Sedona while in Arizona--and that turned out to be exceptionally good advice! After a long day of conference sessions in Phoenix, K and some colleagues were determined to find the McDonald's with the turquoise M...and of course, enjoy views of the Red Rocks.  We stopped at Bell Rock--no, we didn't climb it, but it was still a great stop.  If we had more time, we may have done the hike or found a local canyon, too, in a nearby state park...but driving and hiking distances would have required more time.  Nonetheless, sunset visits to the area are spectacular--even with some clouds.

Views were so breathtaking that this is how we behaved, everywhere...

We also learned that wrong turns into neighborhoods bring solid views, too, including this awesome one of the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

We ate a leisurely dinner in one of the Gatlinburg-like small roadside mini shopping areas--substantially more upscale than Gatlinburg, but with similar parking challenges and quirky architecture.  We found lots of quirky outdoor sculptures and grand views.  Shops close down early, but the boutiques in several places we walked made for delightful window shopping. We particularly enjoyed wandering through Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, even if everything was closed for the evening.  In case the last shopping area you visited didn't resemble some opulent version of a Spanish mission...

If you go, the drive from Phoenix to Sedona is a treat for East Coasters--you take in some views of changing desert topography.  In the summer, you also experience a substantial temperature drop...we went from 106 degrees F to the 70s.  We know summer is not high tourist season in Sedona, but in K's humble opinion, it's still not a bad time to travel there.  You will find good overall travel rates--if some closed attractions and early closings on others.  Just take plenty of water.  When driving in the desert, keep your tank full--we found that our car's "miles remaining" decreased rather oddly and rapidly, probably due to the driving conditions, and this made for a little adventure in an area where service stations are few and far between and most apparently close at 8 PM.  Our night was a bit cloudy, but stargazing in the area is described as generally spectacular--even on a cloudy night from a car, a sense of grandness is apparent.  There are even stargazing tours--but they are best taken outside of July/August monsoon season.  And there really is a McDonald's with a turquoise M...