Red Rocks

After our long day traveling, shopping, and eating last Saturday in Sedona, we headed back to the hotel. The room was still not ready, so we opted to change into swimsuits and go swimming. The resort had three pools. One was huge and beautiful with waterfalls, views, fountains, etc.... All the bells and whistles, but unfortunately, every screaming kid at the hotel was there that afternoon. I'd heard a father at the front desk asking which one was the rowdy pool, but I thought he was kidding? So after viewing that scene, we opted for the quiet smaller adult pool which was also crowded and definitely not heated. I dipped into the water and discovered it felt like the Pacific Ocean in December, so I headed to the jacuzzi. Ahhhhhhhh. After about a half hour, my cellphone rang and it was the front desk telling us our room was finally ready, so we headed upstairs for a nap!

Long story short, I noticed about an hour later that I felt like I was coming down with a case of the flu. Fever, chills, etc... Oh no! I took some ibuprofen, and both of us decided it'd be best to just get carryout for dinner. While trying to decide what to eat, I started getting really painful muscle spasms in my legs and feet. The light bulb finally came on. I googled dehydration, and sure enough, the fever, chills, and muscle cramps were all symptoms. I'm a little embarrassed after living in Arizona and traveling to the tropics that I was dumb enough to get dehydrated. I take blood pressure medication with diuretics, so maybe I'll blame it on that!

Anyway, that episode changed our Sunday. We were a little disappointed because we were both looking forward to a good hike in the morning, but we decided that would be foolish since my body was obviously about a gallon low on water. So we decided to do a car tour of the Red Rocks instead. These rocks actually have names like Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, etc..., but after looking at a lot of them, they looked like Red Rocks to me!

And no, we never felt the vortex. Some people think it's real, some people think it's hocus pocus. Here's a supposedly scientific explanation for the vortex:

A vortex is the funnel shape created by a whirling fluid or by the
motion of spiraling energy. Familiar examples of vortex shapes are
whirlwinds, tornadoes, and water going down a drain. A vortex can
be made up of anything that flows, such as wind, water, or
electricity. Sedona has long been known as a spiritual power center because of
the vortexes of subtle energy located in the area. These vortexes
are swirling centers of subtle energy coming out from the surface
of the earth. This energy is not exactly electricity or magnetism,
although it does leave a slight measurable residual magnetism in
the places where it is strongest. There are four main energy vortexes in Sedona.

The subtle energy that exists at these locations interacts with who a person is inside.
It resonates with and strengthens the Inner Being of each person
that comes within about a quarter to a half mile of it. This
resonance occurs because the vortex energy is very similar to the
subtle energy operating in the energy centers inside each person. If
someone is at all a sensitive person, it is easy to feel the energy at
these vortexes, and it can be an uplifting experience. The energy
absorbed in this way can have a positive effect for days afterwards.
People come from all over the world to experience this.

After a long day of driving on bumpy backroads in pursuit of the elusive vortex (Okay, we really didn't try that hard!), we returned to the hotel for a swim and nap. We found the third pool that was just right for us -- the lap pool at the spa. There were a lot of quite serious seniors in Speedos, swim caps, and snorkels swimming laps at that one, but I did manage to find a lane where they'd let me dip in.

That night, we were undecided about where to eat. Driving towards downtown Sedona, I noticed a Wildflower Cafe, a bakery/deli type restaurant known for its soups, sandwiches, salads, breads, and sweets. We found a table out on the deck overlooking a gorgeous view of the Red Rocks. I think contemplating that view while eating my wonderful chicken salad sandwich, fruit, and cookie was my vortex moment!

Gorgeous bouquet of blown glass wildflowers.

View from our the dinner table.