Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There (Sedona & Montezuma Castle, Arizona)

Welcome to my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There Blog.

Today I’m visiting two beautiful spots in the state of Arizona – Sedona and Montezuma Castle National Monument, located near Camp Verde.

Highlights.

Stunning desert landscape. Sedona is known as ‘Red Rock Country’, and for good reason. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful area and I only wish we had more than a quick drive-thru visit.

Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is one of the most spectacular churches I’ve ever been too. It’s a bit of a mini-hike to reach it (especially at it’s obviously popular with tourists like us, all vying for a parking space) but well worth the walk. The views over Sedona are stunning, and there’s a profound sense of peace to be found inside with the soft hush of voices and the flickering tea candles, all leading toward the incredible view of the desert beyond the huge cross. The church is actually built into the rock and the huge cross set into the natural split of it.

  Montezuma Castle National Monument. Not too far a drive from Sedona on the main road headed south is the most fascinating place, that appears to be a well-kept secret. How we found MCNM illustrates perfectly the reason my husband and I LOVE road trips. Stopping off for lunch the local Denny’s restaurant in Camp Verde, we saw these amazing photos of MCNP on the wall. A quick chat to the waitress revealed that it was only a short drive away—backtracking the way we’d come, but hey—road trip, people. It’s what you do. Tucked away in the gentle rolling hills of Camp Verde is this amazing slice of living history. While the cliff dwellings weren’t in the same league as Mesa Verde further north in Colorado (I’ll take you there another time – it’ll blow your mind), they were still a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the Sinagua Indians who lived there about thirteen hundred years ago.

Hope you’ll take a road trip of your own and be open to any adventurous detours that come your way!

Tracey.