Arizona - Day 1 - Sedona

For spring break we decided to visit Arizona. It's an easy and cheap flight from Oregon, and we wanted to go somewhere warm and new. I traveled to Arizona when I was 10, but I don't remember much of that trip. 

We flew into Phoenix and drove up to Sedona for the first 3 nights. Unfortunately, there was a cold front that came through and our one and only full day in Sedona was cold, cloudy and rainy (upper 40s). In the end, I think the unfavorable weather played to our advantage. We were able to find easy parking for a quick scramble up Cathedral Rock....when we came down there were at least 10 cars waiting for a parking spot!

the famed Chapel of the Holy Cross as seen from my zoom lens while hiking up Cathedral Rock

the chapel again, this time standing right below it...

I remember seeing a photograph of this Chapel that my grandparents had taken when they traveled to Sedona. When I was researching Arizona and things to do, this chapel popped up, and I knew I wanted to see it. It really is a beautiful place to visit. 

We also visited the arts shopping area called Tlaquepaque...designed after a city in Mexico. The sycamore trees and ivy growing on the buildings were amazing. 

Sedona is such a crowded tourist attraction. We didn't realize that until the next day when we returned from the Grand Canyon....the weather was better and the traffic was unbelievable!! We even tried to watch the sunset from the airport and there were easily 500 people up there. As frustrated as I was with the weather, I'm so glad it allowed us to do a couple things we wouldn't have otherwise been able to do without waiting for hours.