Through my windshield view a scene directly from an episode of Looney Tunes evolved. I slowed the motion of my speeding vehicle to attempt to drink in the vista as long as I could. In the moment, I couldn’t help but feel as though the roadrunner was about to race in front of the car, pause, deliver his signature “mee-meep” before dodging an incoming chunk of red rock. The landscape in Sendona, Arizona almost seems too much like the cartoons to be real. From a cacophony of gray and green foliage a bright red rock pushes itself from the floor offering a vast contrast to the scene.
For me, Sedona felt a little bit like someone took Whistler, British Colombia and dropped it down in the middle of Arizona. Unlike flat and dull Phoenix to the south, Sedona is young, vibrant, energetic and begs to be explored. Through the trees mountain bikers speed along the trails spitting out a trail of red earth behind them. In the many parks shutter happy tourists wander through the quiet trails hoping to catch a photo of a green-chested hummingbird as it drinks from a plant. And it seems like everyone stops where they are as the sun sets to enjoy the moment.
A man on a bench waiting for sunset at the cathedral
Sedona, was a breath of fresh air. It is a natural playground which drips with possibilities for anyone with even the slightest penchant for the outdoors.
I sat down on a riverside stone at a place known as Red Rock Crossing to enjoy the sunset and take a couple pictures. As I settled in I felt that buzz we so often require as long term travellers. As horrendous as it might sound, quite often we become desensitized to seeing beautiful and wondrous places. To maintain a level head we need these moments of clarity to ground us. These moments can come from seeing someone do something incredible, it can come from seeing something powerful and, quite often, it can come as simply as appreciating the fact that you can take the time out of every day to watch the sunset, no matter where you are in the world.
Red Rock Crossing, Sedona, Arizona