Another Jeep Tour in Sedona

Today, I made an excursion to Sedona to take another Jeep tour of the area's backroad beauty. The tour itself was excellent. Our tour guide was friendly, conversational, and, most important, fully knowledgeable. My only regret was the weather, with an indecisive sun that couldn't resolve to either stay hidden behind clouds or slip out into blue sky and bathe the high desert with light. That compromised the quality of some of the photographs, or so I feel. But here is a collection of some of the best from today's batch. I hope you enjoy them.

This backroad grants access to a number of hiking trails that provide incredible views of the area.

I love the jagged quality of the red rock on this mountain.

Nothing instills in you a sense of awe like the wide open space of the Arizona desert!

The light rock on top of the red rock is simply stunning. Okay, I must admit that I haven't retained the vast majority of detailed information our tour guide shared with us. I was simply entranced by the beauty of the red rocks and my camera kept calling for my attention.

The photo above, along with the two below, were not part of the Jeep tour. They were photos I took at a scenic view as we drove towards Oak Creek Village and to the interstate that would take us back to Phoenix. But how could I resist stopping to enjoy this?

This might be my favorite photo from this batch. Such a sense of distance, with the desert spread out far beyond, and such a sense of magnitude, with the giant outcrop of red rocks punctuating the distance. I never tire of Sedona's beauty. It makes me proud to be an Arizonan!

Jeep Tour in Sedona

It took a couple of weeks before the weather was ripe for a Jeep tour in Sedona, but yesterday was a reward for patience. As I have already mentioned, the weather was clear and sunny, and warmer. It was a picture perfect day, and what else could I do but celebrate it by taking photographs. The picture above is the first photo I took on our Jeep tour, as we made our slow, but rocky, ascent up the mountain. In the distance lies the town of Sedona, sandwiched between ranges of red rocks jutting up from the earth into sunlight and sky. I always marvel at the beauty of Sedona, as it feels almost surreal to catch sight of these massive rock formations shouldering the blue heaven. Sedona is a famous center for art galleries and New Age stores. There are several energy vortexes located in the area. Looking at this stunning beauty, one can understand why people feel such a powerful, even mystical, affinity for Sedona.

I believe this is the red rock the tour guide called "Mitten Rock," but I couldn't relate to that name. For some reason, this red rock formation reminds me of a boat or a ship floating in an arid blue sea.

Here is a close-up of Sedona red rock, part of a wall of a large red rock formation. See how beautifully smooth the red rock is. As this photo was taken while we were driving, and the red rock was so far away, I consider myself lucky that I was able to capture a sight as crisp and vibrant as this.

Just on the other side of all this red rock stands this more "classic" (for lack of a better word) mountain populated with pine.

Practically one solid wall of red rock.

I have no idea what the official name of this red rock formation is, but I see a top or a dancer with a long, flowing gown twirling around. The grooves in the flaring bottom of this rock suggest a circular motion. This sense of movement, along with the angle of this photograph, helps me to imagine this red rock spinning its way down to the desert floor and heading towards town.

Just a closer view of the same top-like red rock formation and its flaring robe that looks as if it is sweeping across the desert. And distance, so much distance of desert and mountains, vast expanses that suggest the vastness of possibility.