Ivy Morris 2021-08-19 23:41:34
A lot can be said about the experiences you can have in Arizona—just try to sum up the incredible heat of a salsa you tasted near the Mexican border or the colors of a sunset over Sedona’s red rocks. But some of the most impactful moments you can have in the Grand Canyon State are the ones that cause words to fail. Places where you’re moved to stillness, your surroundings bring you inward and where just a few seconds can stay with you for a lifetime. Step into a pigmented work of art at the Painted Desert. Here, stratified layers of clay and sandstone form a canvas of color—from brick red to light lavender, as well as ochre and coral—created by millions of years of volcanic eruptions, floods, sunlight and earthquakes. A large portion of the Painted Desert is located on Navajo Nation, which is also home to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Chinle. Spanning more than 80,000 acres, Canyon de Chelly National Monument is best known for its White House Ruin cliff dwellings and Spider Rock, an 800-foot sandstone spire that juts out from the landscape. Learn about the history of the Navajo people on a scenic drive along the South or North Rims—each more than 30 miles long. Or lace up your shoes for a 600-foot round-trip, self-guided hike to the White House Overlook on the South Rim. Navajo-led tours are also available from guides registered with the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department. In Sedona, take a short walk beneath colorful prayer flags to Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park, an outdoor gathering space for reflection, meditation and spiritual seekers of all beliefs. Two Buddhist stupas—the 36-foot Amitabha Stupa and the smaller Tara Stupa—represent one of the oldest forms of sacred architecture on earth and are a rarity in the West. In addition to the stupas, find an American Indian medicine wheel, a wooden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and several quiet spots for contemplation among piñon and juniper pines. Nearby, the Courthouse Butte Loop Trail in Sedona is a 3.9-mile, moderate hike that circles Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock—some of the most famous rock formations among Sedona’s red rocks. Bell Rock is also famous for being the location of one of Sedona’s four energy vortexes: places with positive intensity and healing qualities. It’s been said that a visit to a vortex strengthens a person’s inner being and can cause amazing, uplifting transformation. The Courthouse Butte Loop Trail brings you close to the energy, but to get closer, hike the 1.1-mile Bell Rock trail (which connects to the Courthouse Butte Loop Trail), where views from above are worth the scramble. More than 21,000 acres are yours to explore at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fort McDowell, where the desert and lower Verde River basin becomes a playground for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Keep your eyes open; the park offers views of the Four Peaks and the distinct Weavers Needle spire, and you may see javelina, coyotes and deer. Ponder the vastness of the universe at Oracle State Park, an International Dark-Sky Park in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains, where the unobstructed sky views and supreme darkness create perfect conditions for seeing the Milky Way and other celestial bodies. After park hours, access the American Avenue Parking Area for nighttime stargazing. The best place to be earlier in the day? Yavapai Point, within the Grand Canyon Village. Take in sunset views: below a changing sky of magenta, burning orange, indigo and violet, spot the river and Isis Temple to the north, and peaks all the way to the Desert View viewpoint to the east. Yavapai Point is the northernmost point of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the closest to the Colorado River. The Fine Family Contemplation Garden is situated at the heart of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and was created as a place to center the self. Within the Kitchell Family Heritage Garden, on the 0.3-mile Desert Discovery Loop Trail, the multisensory space connects past and present. Photos from the 1940s show the area planted with small cactus, which stand tall today, surrounding a swirling, circular labyrinth made of high-contrast terrazzo. Shallow water features multiply the surrounding flora and fauna in their reflections and serve as resting spots for birds. DESERT-INSPIRED SPA TREATMENTS Take a walk through an Arizona desert landscape and you’ll find yourself surrounded by healing botanicals for hair, skin and self. Statewide spas make the most of the region’s bounty with spa treatments that use area-grown ingredients, like the A’ut Thoachta (Healing Agave Wrap) at Aji Spa at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on the Gila River Indian Community near Chandler, which nourishes skin with raw agave nectar and includes a lavender-infused, soothing aloe vera gel. The Havasupai Falls Rejuvenation at Well & Being Spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess uses a body scrub made from essential oil-infused desert salts and a facial mask made from warm red clay from Sedona for a head-to-toe Southwestern experience. An anti-inflammatory native prickly pear sugar scrub and citrus scent are used to re-energize skin and spirit during the Sonoran Desert Rehydration at Lakeside Spa at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson.
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