The Great Tempe Escape
Before the nighttime crust had evaporated from my still sleepy eyes, we boarded I-10 heading north on a day trip that would require both swimming suits and sweaters.
We had heard that to the north in Sedona were amazing electro-magnetic energy vortexes can wash, rinse and spin-cycle your spirit. During our escape from the pounding summer heat, we were determined to find one of these washing machines for the soul. We all needed a good “quickie”— vacation, that is.
To begin our amazing adventure, we had to maneuver the freeway switch from I-10 west to I-17 north. And here, the quest began.
Around 8:30 a.m., we left the city of the eternal firebird behind. We had hours of driving time to bond. It had been a long time since we’d had in-depth discussions. We were already grateful for the trip.
As the altitude increased, our selections of radio stations decreased. Anyone planning on venturing along this path should bring a CD player or some tapes. The ascent was already very smooth, mellowing and relaxing. All of our worries stayed in Tempe.
We reached the turn off to Sedona nearly two hours, 100 miles and three cell phone rings after we began our trip. As our acceleration shifted onto a smaller roadway, our eyes shifted to the huge, deep-red rock formations. The gigantic natural columns and towers gave me the impression we were driving toward the heart of Hades.
When we saw the gas prices, starting at $1.49 (and 9/10) per gallon for plain unleaded, we knew we had reached our first destination. We wish someone had told us to fill up the gas tank in Phoenix. The land we were on was suddenly that of Sedona; the land of mysteries, the land of vortexes, the land of … shopping.
Lions and Tourists and Donkeys, Oh My!
Our bladders demanded we stop. We swerved into a decent-sized shop on the left, Son Silver West, 663 HWY 179. The shop touted itself as having “the finest traditional and western art.”
A copper weathervane topped by a green copper goose, along with assorted other weathervanes, greeted the entrance to this eclectic shop. The veranda leading to the entryway was cluttered with knick-knacks of every size: Mexican style pottery, retro-style metal signs advertising Pepsi and Life Savers, cacti, donkey-shaped pots and the like.
There were even two 5-foot tall metal lions welcoming our pocketbooks. The southwestern household adornments had a wide range of prices, some as cheap as $40 and others costing around $1,000.
The interior of the shop was more quaint and included typical Arizona souvenirs, along with some unique ones. The shop even had a “cacti room;” a scary, narrow room lined with unusual cacti. Again, prices varied.
We purchased one of the many displayed guidebooks, “Sedona Guide.” In it were instructions on how to find the sought-after vortexes, and hoped the $7.50 we paid would help us find at least one of the energy-pools.
Our bladders reminded us of our original reason for stopping, but the only restrooms available at Son Silver West were port-a-potties, and those are hardly spiritual. So it was off to find a more suitable place to relieve ourselves.
A Meeting With Destinee
Shortly up the road from the Silver Sun, at the intersection of AZ179 and US89A, known as the “Y” by Sedonians, we finally found a place to pee.
Wings of Light, a psychic shop at 435 Hwy 89A, grabbed our attention as we pulled into its parking lot, somehow knowing, as if by a sixth sense, that they would have a real, flushing toilet.
Wings of Light sells an assortment of crystals, new-age books and other spiritual items. But what draws most people to the shop is the chance to get a real-live psychic reading or a real-good massage. Wings of Light offers psychic channeling, including past life and medical intuitive channeling, tarot card readings and therapeutic massages.
We found Destinee on a balcony over a creek, arranging her tarot cards. Although none of us had the money for any of the services, we got a generous dose of friendliness from Destinee, one of the resident psychics, and Jeremiah, the masseuse.
At Wings of Light, a 30 minute tarot and palm reading costs $45, a past life reading is $120 per hour, a full body massage is $75 per hour and a “chair massage” of the neck and back is $1 per minute.
We didn’t bring enough money for the services, but we mustered some free information out of Destinee.
“Sedona is an absolutely beautiful and sacred place,” she said.
Destinee told us about the vortexes around Sedona and described seeing a huge white eagle soar above her while meditating at the Airport Vortex, which she recommended visiting.
Keep Your Wallets in Their Upright and Unlocked Positions
Before visiting the vortex, we were off to the Sedona Airport at the end of Airport Road, west of the “Y” intersection on US89A. There, the public can charter flights from Skydance Helicopters, Sky Safari or Red Rock Biplane Tours.
Skydance Helicopters offers a variety of helicopter tours ranging from $40 to $625 per person.
“These helicopter tours get within 12 feet of ancient Indian dwellings and have the capability to descend 1,000 feet into the canyons,” said Antoinette, a representative for Skydance who also has no last name. Skydance can be reached at 1-800-882-1651.
There are only a few places in the United States that offer biplane tours and Red Rock Biplane Tours is one of them. They fly in red, modernized biplane replicas, like those from the 1930s flown by the Red Baron. Biplane flights range from $36 to $215 per person.
If the thought of the wind whipping through your hair in the open cockpit of a biplane scares you, Sky Safari offers Cessna flight tours ranging from $29-$290 per person. Red Rock Biplane Tours and Sky Safari can be reached at 1-800-TOO-RIDE.
All of the flight tours operate out of Sedona Airport.
Captain’s log- Star date 2001: The Spin Cycle
According to the “Sedona Guide,” the Airport Vortex will “intensify your personal psychic energy” and emotionally stimulate and charge you.
Different vortexes trigger different things, according to the guide, such as “radiating joy and contentment” and recollection of past lives. The guide also says Native American medicine wheels, consisting of circles and patterns of rocks, are sometimes assembled at the vortexes.
The Airport Vortex is located halfway up Airport Road.
Down the hill from the airport and past the vista point was a small, dirt parking lot with an information podium. We began to walk up the rock formation, a little to the left of the podium, to find the Airport Vortex. The trek requires the shoes suitable for hiking.
But we didn’t see any vortex. We didn’t see any circles of rocks on the ground. We didn’t experience a rush of emotion or an electrical charge. Perplexed, somewhat disappointed and very much out of breath, we paused to admire the wonderful view.
The Rinse
We donned our bathing suits and headed for the cool waters of Oak Creek, just north of Sedona on US89A.
A few miles north of town and under a huge metal bridge crossing the canyon, we discovered a 500-foot long natural water slide and a marvelous place to swim. With only 15 swimmers and no fee, it was preferable to the overcrowded Slide Rock, slightly to the north.
Just before the rainbow-shaped bridge, there are dirt parking areas on both sides of the road. To the east of the road is a lookout point with an information plaque, and beyond that is a steep trail, involving a little climbing, that leads to the creek.
Following the creek north led us to an open area of flat rocks on the side of the creek — perfect for picnicking and sunbathing.
The cool water quickly whisked us down the shallow creek, gently tossing and turning us over the slippery soft rocks and carrying us over drops and swells before spitting us out over the sandy bottom of the swimming hole at the end of the natural slide.
On the Road Again (to Flagstaff)
After leaving Oak Creek Canyon, we hopped on the U.S. 89A, a two-lane, hairpin-turn road leading to Flagstaff. The drive from Sedona to Flagstaff only took about half an hour, but by the time we arrived we were starving and ready for lunch.
We stopped by Mike and Rhonda’s/The Place, a breakfast joint on Route 66 favored by locals, where we refueled on omelets, hash browns and grilled cheese sandwiches before driving up to Snowbowl.
Though Snowbowl gets its biggest crowds in the winter, the ski resort still has a breathtaking view in the summer. Take the Scenic Skyride, a trip up the San Francisco Peaks in the ski lift. During your 30- to 45-minute trip, you’ll travel to an elevation of 11,500 feet. From this height, you can see as far as 70 miles away — that includes all of Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.
At the top of the mountain, a helpful U.S. Forest Service interpretive specialist is on hand to answer any questions about the biology or geology of the region.
A word of advice: pack a sweater. When we made the trek up the mountain, we were surprised by how chilly it was at the top. It’s 10 to 15 degrees cooler at the top of the mountain than in Flagstaff. Also, during the Monsoon season, thunderstorms often appear out of nowhere. Be prepared.
Admission is $9 for adults. Snowbowl is open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. until Labor Day. After the holiday weekend, the park is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday through October. To get to Snowbowl, take Fort Valley Road (Highway 180) out of Flagstaff. Call (928) 779-1951 for details.
Things Will Be Great When You’re Downtown
Later, we drove back down to Flagstaff and checked out the quirky shops that line the downtown streets. Our first stop was Incahoots, a vintage store at 9 E. Aspen, where we picked up some pulp fiction postcards and fawned over a red velvet vintage coat.
Incahoots features mostly vintage and military surplus goods. Newer merchandise, such as boas, wigs, sunglasses and bags are sold as well. The store also runs a costume rental, by appointment only.
“We’re a fun, funky shop,” said Nancy Wardell, owner of Incahoots. “We have everything from the funky to the fabulous.
“We have a huge wig and boa section, and a department of vices: cigarette holders, ashtrays and flasks. People going to Vegas like to stop here and pick up something crazy.”
The store offers a 10 percent discount for purchases made with cash. A 15 percent discount is given for cash purchases more than $100. Incahoots also buys your old vintage clothing.
Our next stop was The Sweet Life, an ice cream shop at the corner of San Francisco Street and Route 66. The Sweet Life has the feel of an old soda shop, with homemade ice cream, sodas and candy offered. The shop used to be a bar, and is the second oldest building in Flagstaff.
Where to Crash
Though our trip only lasted one day, there are several inexpensive, historic hotels in Flagstaff that would make an overnight stay worthwhile. Combining the romance of a historic past with nifty antique furniture, these hotels break away from the pack of Travelodges and Holiday Inns that line Route 66.
The Historic Hotel Weatherford, 23 N. Leroux, was built in 1897. Since then, little has changed at this quaint, eight-bedroom site.
“It’s all turn-of-the-century,” said Chelsea Taylor, whose parents own the hotel. “There’s no TV, no phones and no air conditioning.”
But why would you go there to watch TV anyway? What this hotel lacks in appliances, it more than makes up for in opportunities to socialize and have a few drinks. The Hotel Weatherford houses three bars, including Charly’s Pub & Grill. Live bands play at Charly’s nightly.
And if the three on-site bars aren’t enough, the hotel is situated in the middle of the downtown bar scene.
“(The hotel) is the best place to stay for downtown drinking because it’s within walking distance of all of the bars,” Taylor said. “It has all the amenities to have a good time.”
To make a reservation at the Hotel Weatherford, call (520) 779-1919. Rooms cost between $49 and $60 per night.
A few blocks from Hotel Weatherford is Hotel Monte Vista. This hotel opened New Year’s Day, 1927, and today is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel was recently renovated and features antique reproductions and lots of brass detailing.
But the best part of staying at the Monte Vista is choosing which room to stay in. Each room is named after a famous guest who stayed in that room. Choose from Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Theodore Roosevelt, among others.
The Monte Vista is located at 100 N. San Francisco St. Rooms cost between $60 and $150. Call (520) 779-6971 for reservations.
For more things to do in Sedona and Flagstaff, check out each city’s Web site. For Sedona, go to www.city.sedona.net/. For Flagstaff, go to www.flagstaff.az.us/.
