Sedona
Part 2: The Arrival
We woke up in Prescott, Arizona on the second day of our trip. Jackie searched for quick things to do in town before we headed to Sedona and I was easily convinced to make a short drive from the hotel to Watson Lake. I almost turned away when I saw a paying station at the entrance but it was only three dollars so I obliged.
I wish we could have completed the loop at the lake. It was so peaceful, so blue. It sounded like it was mating season for the ducks but they were most likely begging the kayakers for food. The rocky path was an easy hike, leading to boulders with gorgeous views of the mountain rocks and clear blue sky. It was hot but we had found what we had sought out to find: serenity.
I walked sadly back to the car an hour later. There was a new group of kayakers getting ready to row their boats and I wanted to join them. But the clerk at the hotel had discouraged us from stalling in town too long if we were headed to Sedona.
“The earlier you get there, the better,” she had said.
Jackie thought the clerk might’ve just been protecting us, especially after mentioning an interest in stopping by the historical landmark called Whiskey Row. Either way, we knew we had to get back on the road. Sedona was still an hour and a half away.
After merging onto several highways and passing a few towns, the plains were replaced by mountains. I expected to see the notorious red buttes from a distance at least thirty minutes before we arrived but all that existed were hills covered in green round shrubs. Until I turned a corner.
It was beautiful! I drove through a tunnel of red rocks. It sucks being the driver because you can’t soak up the sights until you pull over. But it was also overwhelming. The highway was busy for a Thursday afternoon; the clerk at the hotel hadn’t lied. There was only one way in and one way out. Instead of intersections, State Route 89A is composed of traffic circles, a bad idea when people don’t know how to play my-turn-your-turn. We had points of interest plotted on a map but no parking pass to stop and explore. We decided to grab a bite before we dove into the Sedona adventures we were set on having.
We assumed a small city such as Sedona would shut down early but not 3pm early. Unable to agree on the two or three food options available, we ended up at Subway. Then we asked for hiking suggestions at the tourist information station in the same shopping center. It was there that T-Bone gave us a detailed map of Sedona which replaced the one I had printed. He circled, labeled, and recommended his top choices. Jackie asked him if it was too late to go on a hike — it was 4pm — and he advised that we see the the Chapel of the Holy Cross before the parking lot closed at 5pm. And so we did.
This point of interest was very busy. Like my dad says, it takes luck to find a good parking spot. I crept the path around the bend and was inching closer to the dead end when I finally spotted a free space. Unbeknownst to us, having waited to find parking was better because we didn’t have to climb the hill in the 80-degree heat. There were two workers driving golf carts to escort those who needed physical assitance.
It seemed like every tourist in town was visiting the chapel at that exact time. Everyone was posing on the landing, getting their Instagram shots, and there was a line to get into the small church. Up until then, Jackie and I hadn’t worn our face masks because we hadn’t been exposed to too many people at once…and because we didn’t want to provoke anyone giving us beef for our choices. But at that moment, rubbing shoulders with folks from all over the world, I wanted to cover up. I had packed both cloth and medical masks and they were all in the car, but I was too lazy and hot to trek back down. So we sucked it up, got in line, and stepped inside the chapel. There seemed to be a wedding planner giving instructions to a family so we descended the stairs to the basement to check out the gift shop. Uncomfortable without a mask, I climbed back up to meet the fresh air.
I wanted to check into the hotel after visiting the chapel because although we had reservations, it was still first come, first served and I wanted a room upstairs. I am the lightest sleeper in the world and did not want to hear anyone or anything above me. But Jackie didn’t have faith we’d come back to do a hike and finish before the sunset so we made our way to the Vortex at Bell Rock.
