To Vortex or Not to Vortex, that is the (Sedona, AZ) Question

Lacey Payne
May 9, 2019
5 min read

Updated: May 12, 2019

My best friend Lauren and I are celebrating 25 years of friendship this year. We are also turning 30 as our moms turn 60, so naturally we set out on an all girls weekend adventure to prove that age is only a number. Unless you're talking about bedtimes and hangovers then you may as well consider us ancient because 9 PM is the hour in which you will see no more of this wild crew.

Thinking about taking a trip to see the Red Rocks?

Good, Go!

Here are some details from our trip that may help with your planning:

Getting There:

Those of us who were not within driving distance flew into Phoenix (Sky Harbor International Airport) and then continued 2 hours by car from the airport out to Sedona. The drive is easy and straight forward, it's one of those "You can't miss it because you'll know when you are there" kind of drives. You can also fly into Flagstaff and get a little closer but, unless you're very lucky, you will probably have a layover in Phoenix anyways and then still have a 45 minute drive from Flagstaff to Sedona, so I would suggest just jumping in the car and heading out directly from Phoenix.

1: Exploring Downtown

Parking is not easy to come by on a busy weekend downtown so it's ideal to walk or ride into town. The downtown area is overflowing with native american art pieces, street artists and unique shops. We spent a few hours down in the area waking around and exploring the local shops. There is enough around to spend all afternoon perusing the shops and maybe even getting your aura pictures done. I enjoyed the candle shops and a body bliss shop with all kinds of fun lotions and bath salts. I definitely smelled much better walking out of there than I did walking in.

2. Hiking

The goal for the weekend was of course to have fun, but being that Lauren and I are both reflections of our moms we were all very on board and excited to get outside and do some hiking. There is an overwhelming network of trails to explore in the area so we settled on a few of the classics and were not disappointed.

Cathedral Rock (1.2 miles OAB, 750+ ft elevation gain)

By the time that my mom and I arrived (late), Lauren and Susan had already completed a 6 mile loop including the hike up to Cathedral rock. They had set out late morning and battled the holiday weekend crowds the whole way up, down and around the prominent rock formation. Shade is limited and the sun warms everything right up once it starts to beam its rays down onto the desert area. Their experience, although beautiful, sounded a little too much on the hot and crowded side to really enjoy the experience. However, Lauren and I later did an early morning sunrise double and jammed up both Bell and Cathedral rocks in one morning push. It was an incredible experience. We had front row parking, wonderful views, great weather and we even got to enjoy the serenity of some of the most prominent vortex hikes all to ourselves. Cathedral's hike has a small technical section but overall it is a well marked hike up and back down. My suggestion is go before coffee hours to avoid the crowds and heat.

Devil's Bridge (~6 miles OAB, 725 ft elevation gain)

This is a popular and iconic route because of its unique awe inspiring views. There are a few routes to get to Devil's Bridge trail head. There is a 4x4 dirt road to get to the trail head if you have access to a well equipped offroading vehicle. For those of us who don't or plan to hike, I would suggest walking along the chuckwagon trail to avoid the dust on the dirt road from passing offroad-ers. The hike is longer on the chuckwagon trail and you will need to look out for mountain bikers, unless you are one than shred on because there are some beautiful lines to ride. The climb up to the bridge can be a little hairy, I wouldn't suggest it in wet or icy weather. But, if conditions are good the trail is safe if you're mindful of your own abilities and limitations. The rock scrambling/hiking reminded me of Angels Landing in Zion. Overall, the hike is very doable and ultimately worth getting to the end to see the bridge.

Bell Rock (1.1 mile OAB, 300 ft elevation gain)

Bell Rock was my favorite of all the hikes that we completed. We went in the early morning to try to catch the sunrise. Luckily for us, the full moon was out so the early morning hours were bright enough that we didn't even need to break out a headlamp. The trail was well marked up to the first rock bench and then it was more of a guessing game. We got lost and ended up circumnavigating the whole lip of bell rock looking for a way up the rock. Mind you my sense of direction is far from perfect, but it was easy to miss the trail to the top. When we got back to the location where we had last seen a trail and gone on a circular detour we decided that this had to be the best option and started to just walk straight up the rock slope. Fortunately, both of us had proper hiking soles on our shoes because it was a steep enough climb that I would not have been stoked to have on a pair of everyday sneakers. We continued straight up navigating the easiest path we could find and eventually ended up at the top to watch the sun light up the valley. Courthouse Rock is directly to the East of Bell rock so we were in the shadows while the sun rose. The sun's light behind courthouse rock made it glow as if we were truly seeing mother earth's aura and I would say it rounded out the whole vortex experience for me. If I were to do this again I would start with Cathedral rock for sunrise and then go to bell rock second. Either way, the views are stunning the hiking is adventurous, and it‘a worth the early alarm to get up and experience the allure of these hikes.

3. FOOD!

Lisa Dahl seems to have a handle on some of the most wonderful food in Sedona. I would suggest trying out any one (or all four) of her mouth watering restaurants: Dahl & Di Luca Risorante Italiano, Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa, and Mariposa. We also had a great experience at the Local Juicery on the way back into town from the Devil's Bridge Hike. It was a perfect after hike stop where we all found something healthy and fresh to dig into.

Most Importantly, Take a trip with your mom & keep exploring because you never know what you will find out!