Travels with Tish Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide

Take yourself to another place — physically, mentally and spiritually. You’ll find out just how to do that in Sedona, an important metaphysical center for natural healing, spiritual enlightenment and inspirational experiences.

Retreats and Tours.
You can simply take a jeep tour to see a vortex location or two. But for a deeper experience, you can request a customized tour designed to help you connect with the earth’s natural energies. If you want to visit the sacred sites of Sedona’s ancestral peoples, walk the land seeking reflection and renewal, you can find guides and retreats suited to your preferences. Learn about vortexes, Medicine Wheels and how to use the earth’s natural energy to gain personal transformation. The guides can help you find your own unique path to inner peace through meditation, kiva circles, drums, chanting and visualization. For additional information on Sedona’s spiritual side, visit this Sedona Chamber of Commerce site.

Unwind on Your Own — Bliss Out.
Almost every shop in Sedona offers free maps of the area vortex sites. Pick one up and tour the sites at any time. And by the way, if you happen to visit an “upflow” vortex site, you can experience a condition called a “bliss out” memory loss. Upflow sites are known for spiritual stress reduction properties. The scientist/author I mentioned in my last post, Pete A. Sanders, says that these sites actually unwind you and help you tap into a universal oneness and harmony. Doesn’t sound like a bad trip, does it?

NEXT: The Grand Canyon’s South Rim

TIPS:
1) Arroyo Roble Hotel/Timeshare Villas. On a previous visit to Sedona, I stayed at the Arroyo Roble condo units. Right off the main street in Uptown Sedona. Very nice and located right on Oak Creek. I noted on this trip that it now combines its villas with a rather new-looking Best Western Hotel. My experience was good at the Arroyo Roble, which we booked quite economically on a timeshare exchange.

2) Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa. On this trip we used our Hilton Honors Points to cover the cost of our stay at the resort. It’s a great idea to stretch your travel dollars.

3) Enterprise Rental Car. I booked a car (which we picked up at the Phoenix airport) from Enterprise. First time with this company. Booked the least expensive model — an “economy,” I believe. When picking up the car, the rental agent tried to sell me on an upgrade — going so far as to say that 4-cylinder cars weren’t as good on gas mileage, that it has manual door and window levers/locks, etc. We stuck with our original “economy” model. BUT, when we went out to actually get the car, the agent out there told us they didn’t have any “economy” models and we could choose an SUV or PT Cruiser. We were glad we didn’t pay an upgrade fee!

4) Fly Midwest Airlines to Phoenix. Just a reminder that Phoenix is the nearest large airport. Rent a car for the easy drive up to Sedona. Midwest flies to Phoenix from Milwaukee with easy connections from Eastern cities and Florida.

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Sedona really is quite the place. Its natural beauty is legendary. The unique red rock formations bring a 320 million-year geologic history to Sedona. And those rocks are the basis for much of the mystical aura that surrounds the area. Generations of ancient Indians have considered the Sedona area and Oak Creek Canyon a spiritual and sacred place. They chose to live just outside the area, coming into Sedona only for spiritual enlightenment. Even today, some Native American tribes return to Oak Creek for an annual cleansing ritual.

The beauty and the sacred nature of Sedona have drawn fine artists, musicians and writers, making it a major arts center in our country. But Sedona is also a major center for the healing arts and local practitioners include psychics, native healers, intuitives, channelers and wellness therapists. People come to Sedona to experience inspiration, spiritual renewal, and a therapeutic cleansing of mind and body.

Powerful Meditation Sites in the Red Rocks
Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon are Sedona’s four major meditation and spiritually uplifting sites known as vortexes. These are areas of extraordinary energy flows that exist in dimensions deeper than electricity and magnetism, according to Pete Sanders, Jr., an M.I.T.-trained scientist. I picked up his book, Scientific Vortex Information, at one of Sedona’s unique book shops and would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand these metaphysical sites. He (and many others) say that vortexes can turbo-boost mental and spiritual skills. But you do have to understand how to tap into that energy.

Exquisite Resorts, Spas, Dining and Shopping
Besides the beauty of the high desert, which offers more moderate temperatures than lower desert areas, you will find wonderful accommodations. Many resorts feature spas. We stayed at the Hilton Resort and Spa and enjoyed it immensely. I scheduled myself for a 90-minute Sedona Stone massage – heated basalt lava stones enhance the massage experience. The combination is said to provide balance and harmony of mind, body, heart and spirit. Ah-h-h, it certainly was re-energizing.

You’ll find many shops that feature original art, handcrafted jewelry, one-of-a-kind clothing and furniture. Restaurants run the gamut of cuisine. Since this was our second trip to Sedona, we returned to Oaxaca for dinner in uptown Sedona. We enjoy watching the sun set from its rooftop cantina.

Exploring the Red Rocks and High Desert
Hiking, of course, gets you closest to the heart of Sedona’s landscape. And you’ll certainly want to be on foot when you visit the vortex sites. But you can get a great tour of the area by helicopter, hot air balloon or by jeep.

Getting To/From Sedona & Gambling Along the Way!
We flew Midwest Airlines into Phoenix, rented a car and drove up to Sedona, a very easy 90-minute drive. On the way back, we stopped in Camp Verde (about 25 minutes south of Sedona) at Castle Cliff Casino, owned by the Yavapai-Apache Nation. Castle Cliff is a very nicely appointed casino with both table games and machines. We particularly liked the poker machines as my husband hit a $1,000 jackpot within a few minutes of our arrival. This may become a regular item for future Sedona trips.

TIPS:
1) Get more information on Sedona at www.visitsedona.com. Be sure to request the “Experience Sedona” guide, filled with great information and a map.
2) Sedona WebCam and Slide Show.
3) Why are Sedona’s Red Rocks Red?.