Traveling Geologist: Sedona's Dark Sky

Wow!! Sedona, AZ was Gorgeous!! I drove in Tuesday night and discovered that they have a dark sky ordinance and aren't allowed to have outside lights...It was gorgeous at twilight with all the rock formations in the background!! Unfortunately the Moon was almost full and it was a bit cloudy so I couldn't even take advantage of the dark sky!!! The moon was very helpful on my way out east through Oak Canyon the next night though!!

My mother had been to Sedona with some friends of hers and highly recommended this chapel!! I am so glad I went!! How gorgeous!! Chapel of the Holy Cross.

For more information check out the website.
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2809087-chapel_of_the_holy_cross_sedona-i

For more pictures see this website
http://www.chapeloftheholycross.com/store/shopcontent.asp?type=Pictures

This is a catholic chapel built into the rocks. A sculptor named Marguerite Brunswig Staude from NY was watching the Empire state building being built and she saw the Cross in the cross beams and designed a church with the same idea in mind. She worked with Frank Llyod Wrights son to design the chapel!!! She finally found a location for it!! What a location!!!

Wow!! What an amazing view from inside the church. Especially at the end of the day!!

A view walking into the church

View of the Madonna and child on the left and the two monks (or nuns) on the right. I don't see either!! I believe this influenced her choice of location.

Aunt Leslie I thought of you when I saw the contrail!! Actually kind of looks like a star facing east over the Madonna!! : )

The walk up to the church

Can you guess which Saint?? St. Francis of Assisi.

A close up of the Madonna and child facing left

I WANT this house!!! It has an observatory!!! unfortunately it was poor planning..Dark sky city and they find the only location where the Cross on the church is lite up at night!!! Ooops!!!

An Eagle keeps a watchful eye over the church...to the right of the rocks...just the head...

Did I mention that I LOVE this house!!! Watch...McCain probably owns it!!!

Believe it or not you can see the church at the base of the cliff in the middle of the picture. Click on it to enlarge it.

So Sedona hikes are famous for energy Vortexes. There are alot of new age spas and massage parlors. I didn't take advantage of them this time hoping to save some money!! I just took a few little hikes to see what the Vortexes were about.

http://gosw.about.com/od/sedonaarizona/a/sedonavortex.htm Here is some more information about them and Sedona itself!

I read in one that they could have positive or negative energy!! If nothing else the hikes were gorgeous which to me .....that in itself gives me energy!! Nothing like a hike with a view to re energize you!!

Standing in Front of Bell Rock

The hike around Bell Rock

Bell Rock... I found a little alcove to try to sit and read....Yup me sitting still!! Only I seemed to find negative energy if that was it. I was getting frustrated by the highway noise echoing from about 1/2 mile away. You could see and hear the cars going by... not my idea of middle of nowhere!! Hard to meditate in that!!! Oh well not my thing I guess!!