World On Fire We are off for a spa weekend in Sedona's Red Rock Country (turns out the rocks are really red!). After a quick stop at Tim's house for lunch we head north. Within hours of being in Arizona, once again the offices of Klip are abuzz with another OMG-the-world-as-we-know-it-is-coming-to-an-end freakout to deal with! This one is about getting git to work!
Red Rocks Enchantment Resort is spectacularly set in the fold between two mesas. Everywhere you turn you have views of the big red rocks. We end up eating at the resort's restaurant most of the time. The setting is a bit odd - it is temporarily being hosted in a ball room while the new restaurant's construction ends - but the food is pretty good: prickly pear drinks, kobe beef burgers, perfectly made sea bass, super yummy mac'n cheese. The best part, though, is the massive outdoor fireplace; each night we spent hours by the fire, drinking wine, eating dessert, and chatting with folks from all over.
Hike. Spa. Repeat. Our goal is to have equal amount hiking and spa'ing, and boy, do we achieve this. The hikes in Sedona are generally easy and spectacular. We do one canyon hike, Boynton Canyon Trail which we pick up right at the resort, and several climby hikes, all but one around sunset.
Airport One of the most spectacular views of the mesas and the town is from the airport which is a few hundred feet above the city. But it is a secondary trail, right off the road to the airport, that we really enjoy and end up hiking twice. A short little hike of about a hundred meters - and a hundred feet of elevation gain - and you have 360 degrees of views. The interesting thing about this hike vs the airport is that 99% of the tourist don't want to make the climb so we are pretty much all by ourselves… both times!
Rocks on Fire Another fantastic hike is the Doe Mountain Trail, just a short drive from Enchantment. The trail is very steep and lands you on top of a mesa which is small enough to traverse from end to end, but big enough to possibly get lost on! We hike up right before sunset; the red sun on the red rocks makes everything just glow. Our photos are not enhanced or photoshopped! We promise :)
Crystals and Vortexes And then there is the spa. Oh my! Not only the treatments provide massive relaxation factor, the spa menu provides endless material for mockery and entertainment. I mean, who wouldn't want to have their chakras straightened, consult a vortex, be lectured about their Dosha, whatever that is, and have an opportunity to connect with their spirit through three hundred and fifty dollar "Astrology with Crystals" treatments?! Let's not forget "Reading of the Moment" for another 350 bucks, "Psychic Massage" - all about the energy! - "Soul Seeker" to heighten your awareness, "Aura-Soma Color Reading" -- the colors we are drawn to reveal who we really are… turns out -- and "Past Life Regressions"! Alright then!
Straightened Chakra All mockery aside, Mii Amo is a fabulous spa… so much that it might be our new favorite. We both love our Sedona Clay Wrap treatments. Dan gets an Intentional Massage, not to be mistaken with an unintentional one, and a Flower Essence Bath where he is lectured about his chakras and his flowers: larkspur and aster. Assana' Hot Stone therapy is perfectly fine, but it is the Watsu that is the clincher: it is so good that it dislodges the treatment at Golden Door at Boulder's as her all-time favorite.
Still One More Sedona, check. Next trip to Arizona: Petrified Forest National Park, and then we'll be done with AZ.
P.S. To the dude from Cupertino: hope the Ohio gal didn't ruin your weekend!
