Rock piles that marked many of the trails throughout Sedona–it was nice to have little signs that you were on the correct trail! 

Trail at Airport Mesa right in the middle of Sedona

The Airport Mesa is an area of Red Rocks and an energy vortex right in the middle of town.

The views from the top of the mini-vortex are stunning and you may even see some vintage airplanes as the airport is right nearby.

The vortexes are said to be spiritual powerhouses and bring a sense of energy to anyone in the vicinity.

Some people chose to meditate, we decided to put our feet up and absorb the views for a bit.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross sits right on top of the Red Rocks and was built on what is said to be one of the famous Sedona vortexes.

The church is Roman Catholic, but it is open to all most days of the year. There is also a gift shop downstairs that sells various religious trinkets.

Built in 2004, the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park is a place for spiritual rejuvenation and the prayer flags line the path all the way to the park.

According to Buddhist tradition, the stupa is considered Buddha’s living presence.

Tibetan prayer flags line the park and there are two stupas on site–the larger Amitabha Stupa and the smaller White Tara Stupa.

Hiking the Long Canyon Trail and right around sunset there was a beautiful glow on the Red Rocks.

We were searching for a vortex I found online, but with no cell reception, we got a bit turned around. We didn’t find the vortex we were looking for, but we did catch some gorgeous views.

On our way to an early morning hike, we stopped to watch the hot air balloons float effortlessly amongst the Red Rocks.

Hiking the trail to Devil’s Bridge–the trail is marked pretty well, but we couldn’t tell if this was indeed part of the trail or if it was just a riverbed. It was the trail!

Rock crumbles along the trail out to Devil’s Bridge. We set out just after sunrise, so it was great to have the trail basically to ourselves.

I loved looking at all the layers of the rocks–they almost looked like biscuits!

Almost to Devil’s Bridge. The hike isn’t hard, but we kept wondering if we were even on the right path–thankfully, we were on track and so close at this point.

Right before getting to the bridge, you come to an open plateau with peaceful rock piles lining the edge. I could have sat here for quite some time.

Although the natural arch is breathtaking, the expansive scenery behind the arch is gorgeous as well with all the contrasting colors.

Fellow hikers venturing out on Devil’s Bridge. The bridge looks very narrow, but it really isn’t that scary when you are out there!

Standing on the arch and looking back at the people trailing in for a visit.

The arch is the largest natural arch in the area and it’s a far 50 ft. down to the ground.

Stopping underneath the arch to get a different view.

I was expecting Sedona to be more desert-like, but I found out in a hurry that the Coconino National Forest is nearby, so the area is filled with many, many trees and unique plant life.

I am not a plant person, so I have no idea what this is, but isn’t it pretty?

Cactus hanging out along the edge of the trail–don’t get too close or you will get stuck!

Courthouse Butte is right next to the more popular Bell Rock, and although it doesn’t seem to get quite as much attention, it still makes for a great hiking spot.

We watched the sunset with Courthouse Butte in our view as Micah was taking a time lapse of the setting sun.

Bell Rock is one of the more famous rock formations near Sedona and with its unique shape, we can see why.

There are many trails that lead around and up Bell Rock, which makes it a great place to hike unless you need shade.

After Google Maps lead us astray, we ended up at the backside of Cathedral Rock. Even though we didn’t have time to hike to it, we had a great time with the scenery.

Some say the juniper trees in Sedona are twisted due to the energy of a nearby vortex.

The Montezuma Well is located about 30 minutes from Sedona and a few miles from the Montezuma Castle. Each day, over 1 million gallons of water flows continuously into the well.

Irrigation channels were built near the outflow of the river to provide water for area farms and livestock.

The Montezuma Castle is a preserved cliff dwelling that was home to several Hopi Clans. Tours of the dwellings were discontinued in the 50’s–I wish it was still open to walk through!