My fourth pit stop was Phoenix in Arizona and it’s one of those places that boast of many attractions but actually has only one – its desert landscape (I was excited to spot several cacti growing on the side of the roads). And to truly enjoy what the city does have to offer you have to be an adventure enthusiast. Phoenix has several hills and mountains that one can hike, climb, camp-on and/or jump-off of. But I always prefer to take my trips one step further – I went to Sedona.
Sedona is a two-hour drive from Phoenix and a hiker’s paradise. It’s known for its Red rock formations, adventure tours, thousands of miles in hiking trails, Vortexes and has served as the backdrop to many Hollywood movies. To start my adventure, I went on one of the world-famous Pink Jeep Tours, which is a rocky jeep ride in the mountains with the driver telling you stories and secrets of the area. Honestly, the jeep ride wasn’t as great as people make it out to be. It’s an expensive, slow ride with a few bumps to look-out points in the mountains which one can easily hike to. And hiking’s way better. I think cars are for roads and legs are for mountains. Reaching the summit doesn’t have the same feeling of achievement if done on wheels than on foot. It’s a hard feeling to describe. You need to have earned that beautiful view and the only way to earn it is to do so using the instruments that nature provided to you – your legs. A hike is a one on one with nature. You get the time to reflect and soak in the beauty around you. And the journey becomes just as important as the destination.
I started my tête-à-tête with the Sedona Mountains along the Jim Thompson trail. It was a four mile hike to Midgely Bridge which hangs between two cliffs with the Oak Creek running under it. The hike was scenic with close encounters with unique red rock formations. And it was all going fine until I lost my way with around half a mile to go. I had about an hour and a half of sunlight left, so I gave myself 30 minutes before hitting the panic button. Lesson: hiking is great but hiking alone and getting lost is not so great. Plus, I had recently seen ‘127 hours’ so I knew getting stuck somewhere could get PRETTY bad. Some sort of survival instinct kicked-in then and I started running towards where I thought the bridge might be. Again, not the brightest idea but it got me onto the right path. Few minutes later, I saw a little shed, a few people, a bridge and then I took a deep breath. I made it. The sight was breath-taking and I felt I had earned every bit of it. I wasn’t done yet. I had to find a way to get back to the city centre where I started. It was almost Sunset so I couldn’t hike back. So, in true 60’s style, I hitched a ride with a bunch of nice women and made it on time for my shuttle back to Phoenix. Lesson: America is impossible without a car.
The Native Americans believed that Sedona is the actual center of the Earth and some still believe it continues to emit a spiritual energy. Energy or not, I was thankful for the day I spent there. It was a great end to an action-packed week.
