A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

My daughter, Dottie, and her daughter, Cailey, managed to come visit their West Coast relatives so of course I had to take them somewhere. We talked of Grand Canyon, but that park was practically snowed in. So we made a day trip to Sedona, that beautiful home of red rocks and metaphysical vortexes.

They stayed in another daughter's, Jenny's, home, in this "mother-in-law" apartment. Notice all the flowers!

And finally, after a bit of a wait, Cailey made an appearance at the front door of the main house. (We waited another half-hour for her mother.)

As usual for this trip, we stopped at Sunset Point, a rest stop a little north of Phoenix. In addition to bathrooms, Sunset Point features amazing views, especially today when the air was particularly clear.

As we made our way past the Village of Oak Creek towards Sedona, I pointed out the red rocks and explained how the red is rust, that is, iron; and the iron spikes deep into the earth, bringing up the electrical and magnetic energies called "vortexes". (No, they do not call them "vortices".)

Our first stop was lunch at the Red Planet Diner, whose gimmick is nearly as many alien photos and memorabilia as one might find in Roswell.

After lunch, we drove to nearby Airport Mesa Saddle, site of a particularly potent vortex, for a short hike and the view.

It used to take a bit of an effort to climb to the top of the saddle. But now there is an easy trail. The temperature was a bit cool (in the fifties) but that didn't keep Cailey and her mother from enjoying the hike!

Okay, Dottie got colder even as the rest of us warmed up from the hike.

But what a view from up there!—That's Courthouse Rock, Bell Rock, and Castle Rock, in the upper left, below.

Meanwhile, Keith quietly occupied the point of the vortex, grokking the energy.

Three generations: Dottie, Cailey, and me.

Our final stop after Airport Mesa was the Center For The New Age, a gift shop featuring crystals, music, statues, books and even live psychic readings.

The Center For The New Age is located immediately above the banks of Oak Creek. 15 years ago, the banks were broader; there were porch chairs and meditation areas. But a terrific flood a few years back changed all that.

A statue of a cherub turns its back to Oak Creek.

When you're right, you're right.

With the sun setting, it was time for us to leave Sedona.

Parting shot: Bell Rock, with Courthouse Rock to the right behind it.