Sedona
Oak Creek Canyon, with many scenic spots. Then Chapel of the Holy Cross, a church built in the mountains.
Overlook at Airport Mesa.
Hiking to Devil's Bridge. At the start of the hike, we saw hot air balloons. We saw the top and bottom of Devil's bridge. The bridge is a popular spot to take photos - arrive early. The bridge looks narrow in the pictures, but it isn't as scary as it looks.
Hiked Scorpian and Pyramid trails in west Sedona. Saw a rock formation that looks like the UT-Austin tower. Also spotted red cactus.
Hiked Bell Rock trail and enjoyed the sunset. The mountains become brilliant colors at sunset. Spotted purple cactus on the trail.
We hiked on South Kaibab trail. This trail has great views of the canyon and is one of two trails on South Rim that go to the valley (Bright Angel trail is the other). We hiked to Tipoff, where we could see the Colorado River. From trail base to Tipoff, distance is 4.5 miles one way and 9 miles roundtrip. We completed the 9 mile hike in just over 8 hours.
During the trip, Grand Canyon got snow. I think snow adds to the natural beauty of Grand Canyon.
During our time in Grand Canyon, we had dinner at El Tovar dining room, an upscale restaurant that reminds you that you are enjoying nature. We liked how the dining area is decorated for Christmas.
225 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, Arizona was a rainforest. As the continents drifted, Arizona transformed into a desert environment. Fossilized ree trunks from prehistoric times remain.
Jasper Forest and Blue Mesa have badlands of blue and purple hues with equally colorful petrified logs.
Painted Desert, multi-colored badlands. The colors come from iron and manganese compounds. The Painted Desert and Blue Mesa remind me of Artist Palette in Death Valley.
