The intoxicating beauty of towering red rock sandstone monoliths and buttes…. rocks aptly named Coffee Pot Rock and Cathedral Rock…. equal parts of rugged and luxury…. a small town blessed with an abundance of beauty and surrounded by National Forest land…..
These words barely begin to personify stunning Sedona, Arizona. Sedona served as stop number two for my excursion with my daughter, and as you might expect, it did not disappoint. Ashton was pleasantly awed by the angular rock formations, high mesas, and stunning colors. 
Talk about a visual treat. A feast for the eyes. An abundance of beauty in all directions.
Those beautiful red rocks serve as a backdrop for a number of outdoor activities ranging from spiritual pursuits to hundreds of hiking and biking trails to guided Jeep excursions.
Since Ashton and I only had a couple of hours to tour the area, we set our sights on exploring the shops. Sedona is well-known for its vortex energy and folks from around the world come here for healing and spiritual renewal.
Many of the shops focus on the metaphysical and sell jewelry made from various crystals and stones, each serving a distinct purpose. We stepped into the Sedona Crystal Vortex shop and found ourselves learning the metaphysical value of the array of polished stones. The store offered everything from loose stones, to stunning pieces of jewelry that I would classify as “Art”, to simple elasticized bracelets. 
As we perused the numerous bracelets, we read the special benefits of wearing particular stones. It seems there’s a stone for whatever ails a person.
My skeptical nature may have had me doing an eye roll, but the bracelets were cute and thus I figured what the heck. It certainly couldn’t hurt to wear one of these ‘healing‘ bracelets and I can always use a little help. Hmm….. I pondered which stone(s) would be most beneficial for me; creativity, energizing, harmony, inspiration, courage, grounding, prosperity, calming, balance? The list went on, and although I was tempted to walk out of there with half a dozen bracelets, my wallet thanked me for walking out empty-handed. Perhaps I should have indulged in a citrine stone bracelet = prosperity!
Ashton, on the other hand, found healing and inspirational therapy at a wine shop. Following a little wine tasting, she walked out of the store with two bottles of Arizona wines.
We spent another hour engrossed in retail therapy before heading off for a little spiritual enlightenment.
Regardless of one’s faith, a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross is a must. Built in 1956 this Catholic Chapel rises 70 feet (21m) out of a 1,000 foot (300m) red rock cliff.
I must admit, a quiet moment of reflection inside this church had more of an impact on my aura than any of the crystals or healing stones I handled that day. Perhaps my chakras are in need of attention.
On that note, I know just the place to go to have my chakras aligned, engage in vortex energy, have my aura analyzed, or purchase stones to help heal whatever ails me 😉 Yes, Sedona…. I shall return. I’m itching to hit your trails!
Before heading out of town, we made one final stop. Not only had I worked up a thirst, but I felt compelled to show Ashton the architecture on this one of a kind McDonald’s. 
Yep, this is the only McDonald’s in the world where the arches are turquoise instead of golden. So when I told her we were stopping at the Turquoise Arches for soft drinks, she was initially perplexed and later humored.
Live Laugh RV 