JANUARY 2: Sedona, AZ: Shopping and Chapel of the Holy Cross

Jan. 2, 2018
   Sedona is located just south of Flagstaff, Arizona.  The city is nestled in between red rock canyons that provide spectacular views from every angle.  Oak Creek  winds its way through the valley providing  green vegetation to flourish. The greenery is a welcome site for us.  We have been in desert lands where the brown, dusty landscape where foreground and background blend into continuous open spaces.
  Rancho Sedona RV park is a short 10 minute walk to the shops in the western section of Sedona.  The first night we were here we walked to town for dinner at Creekside Cafe.  We had been told that this is a very dog friendly city and to be sure to take Jack with us everywhere.  The restaurant was able to seat us outside on the balcony overlooking Oak Creek and the red canyons.  When the menus arrived there was a special menu for Jack!  We were served water as well as Jack in a special silver dog bowl.  We ordered Steak Tartare for Jack.  It arrived in another silver bowl with a raw egg on top.        This was a first for us.  Jack certainly was a happy guy. With such great service,  he even left a tip!
   After dinner we walked around Tllaquepaque, an open air arts and crafts village.  It was a warm night and the white Christmas lights were still on.  The shops featured art works reflecting the colors and scenery of the area.  Kuivato Glass Gallery had glass sculptures that twisted and turned with yellows, reds and oranges giving movement to the blown glass.  In the Rowe Fine Art gallery, local artists captured the scenery in oils and water-colors.  Some were realistic attempts at capturing the landscape in a two dimensional format while others were impressionistic or modern.  They were all extraordinary and very high priced.  Other interesting shops were particular to the area, Echo of the Dreamer Gallery, The Turquoise Tortoise Gallery  and the Honshin Fine Art, Gallery of the Ascending Spirit, and Gallery of Wholeness, Harmony and Radiance.
   We ended our evening walk to a Navaho jewelry gallery where Mark bought me a beautiful silver and torquioise bracelet.  (He also bought Sophie and Kate Birthday gifts, and two more bracelets for me the next day!!!)
   Evidently there are vorticies here.  There is one at Boynton Canyon, Cathedral Rock and the Airport Vortex.  There may be  more but these seem to be the most popular.  They are believed to be energy fields.  Whether or not this is a scientific fact or not, there is certainly a peaceful feeling here. Perhaps, it is from the altitude, or the climate, or  the water that flows through the canyon, or the voticies, a great marketing plan or all of the above.  Whatever, Sedona  is a warm, welcoming, peaceful city.
 
   Chapel of the Holy Cross is located just east of the city. It  is a Roman Catholic chapel that was built high on a hill and built into the red rocks with views of the canyons form inside the chapel through glass windows on either side of the chapel. Marguerite Brunswig  Staude, was a sculptor who captured the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright back in the 30’s.  Together with architects Richard Hein August Strotz the projet was completed in l956.  The use of glass captures the light from the entrance way and continues through the chapel passing over and through the red votives located at the front of the altar.  The glass from behind the altar faces outward to the canyons and is framed around a massive stone cross that seemingly is built into the side of the canyon.  The walk up to the chapel is a winding circular one that provides a meditative walk through simple modern sculpultures and water-scapes. Typical of the Wright style the chapel is timeless in its design, modern yet classic.