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Sedona: In the 'Zone
By DAN LEETH © St. Petersburg Times, published June 10, 2001
"That's really strange," one resident says with a snicker when she hears our report. "UFOs don't usually come this far north. Space fuel, I think, is cheaper down in Sedona."
Whether it is the place for gassing up, asking directions or stopping for a Milky Way bar, Sedona seems to be a favorite off-ramp on the flying saucer freeway. For us humanoids, the resort community lies 119 driving miles north of Phoenix. Located at the base of the Mogollon Rim, it entices all with an unworldly backdrop of Martian-red sandstone and cool chasms. Towers, buttes and plateaus pierce the skies around here. Sculpted by nature, this rock gallery offers representations of coffee pots and bells, cathedrals and capitol domes. Beyond town, Oak Creek satiates life in one of the most lush landscapes in this dry sector. The combination of colors and canyons attract about 4-million visitors annually. No one counts the intergalactic guests, but they seem to be equally welcome. "Last time through, I visited a shop that sold UFO magazines," says Phoenix chauffeur Marty Leonard. "My favorite was a publication that was written not about, but for, extraterrestrials. I guess it gave them news from home." The first stellar bodies to linger in Sedona arrived in airplanes, not spaceships. They came from Hollywood to film Westerns in the red rock country that surrounds town. "One of the most famous pictures made here was Broken Arrow," says tour guide Dennis Smith. "Jeff Chandler played Cochise. When local Indians saw the Technicolor film, they thought it was hysterical. Chandler was the only white-skinned, blue-eyed Apache warrior the natives had ever seen." Smith says the 1950 movie contains another inaccuracy. In one scene, a flying object has left its 20th century contrail across the film's 19th century skyline. Aerial entities are still leaving unexpected tracks above town. "I shot a video about two weeks ago," says Frank Gomez of Starport Sedona, a shop catering to UFO believers. "As I panned over Bell Rock, an object came in at a 45-degree angle. I feel it was a starship going into an "entry point.' "
Gomez publishes a newsletter on saucer-spotting, and he finds no shortage of material. Like me, many in Sedona have come face to face with flying phenomena. It's common for shop clerks to report their sightings, and even chamber of commerce volunteers treat UFOs with a straight face. In their book Merging Dimensions (Hummingbird Publishing, Sedona, $14.95), Linda Bradshaw and UFO specialist Tom Dongo report bizarre incidents that have occurred over the Bradshaw Ranch. The authors speculate that Sedona offers some sort of interdimensional portals, doorways to a world that overlaps our known existence. These open near local "vortex" sites. "The Earth is a battery," says Rich Eagle in a lecture he is giving outside Sedona's Crystal Castle. "There are points on its surface where energy comes in and goes out. "Vortexes' represent those nodes." Eagle adds this has something to do with the particular mineral content of surrounding rocks. Other power points supposedly include Machu Picchu in Peru, Mount Shasta, Wash., and the Tibetan Plateau. "What happens at a vortex?" I ask Tristin, a young clerk inside the Crystal Castle. "Everyone has a different opinion," she says. "For me, emotions are exaggerated: If I'm sad, I'll feel sadder. If happy, I'll feel happier." Tristin sells me a map to the major vortexes. "Which site would you recommend?" I ask. "Go to where you're drawn," she says. "If you are to experience anything, it's because you're attracted to the place." One site lies along the road to Sedona's airport. A highway placard marks the turnoff to the terminal. It's my drawing sign. From a parking pullout, I follow a trail up the sandstone bluffs. A quarter-mile later, I join a dozen others at the edge of a mesa, a flat hilltop. We gaze toward a valley hemmed by precipices. Estate-sized homes sprawl like roofed litter across the lower hillsides. The highway from Phoenix bursts with traffic. "I've been coming here for 35 years," says Charlie LeFevre, a vortex visitor from Wisconsin. "Back then, you didn't have homes selling for $2-million. The real Sedona people aren't here anymore." The town began with a few farms and orchards supplying railroad workers and copper miners. Located at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona blossomed into a recreation mecca. The iron-rich rock surrounding Sedona has now turned into a magnet that attracts retirees, artists and urban refugees. Sedona has succumbed to upscale trendiness. Decades ago, families could rent simple cabins. Now, most rustic accommodations have fallen to resorts sporting more stars than a sci-fi blockbuster. A gnawing stomach suggests it is time to head back for food. Standing up, I discover pennies in the dirt. I was feeling broke and now I find money. Perhaps it's a sign. I spend the afternoon sampling other vortex sites. It is soon obvious they share one characteristic. All occur in incredibly scenic places. First comes Sphinx Rock, home to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Shaped like a trapezoid, the simple glass and concrete structure rises from a stony spur. From afar, the building looks grandiose, but up close, it radiates intimacy. My next destination, Bell Rock, looms through its windows.
Rising south of town, Bell Rock's 550-foot-high dome attracts visitors from the highway. Hundreds of people hike its slopes, some coming because they believe the site has disease-curing powers. Sunset finds me at Red Rock Crossing, where I watch a blushing Cathedral Rock reflect in the stillness of Oak Creek. Often used by movie directors, this vortex setting has become a Sedona cliche. One almost expects John Wayne's apparition to come galloping through. Freelance writer Dan Leeth lives in Aurora, Colo. If you goWHEN TO GO: Located between the desert and the mountains, Sedona has become a year-round destination. Winter highs average in the 50s with lows just dipping below freezing. Icy roads are common heading into Oak Creek Canyon. Spring brings pleasant temperatures and blossoms. Late fall offers the changing leaves. Summer highs in Sedona tend to be 12 degrees cooler than Phoenix, so when it is 115 in the Valley of the Sun, it is a balmy 103 in Sedona. Thunderstorms make August the wettest month. GETTING THERE: Sedona is located in north-central Arizona at the junction of Arizona highways 179 and 89A, about 120 miles north of Phoenix and 28 miles south of Flagstaff. There is no commercial air service to town. STAYING THERE: In town, Sedona offers a full array of lodging options, including many national chains. Farther up in Oak Creek Canyon, a handful of establishments offer inn, cabin or condo accommodations. For information or lodging referrals, call the Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon Chamber of Commerce, toll-free at 1-800-288-7336. Rates start at about $50 per night. The Coconino National Forest, (520) 282-4119, operates five campgrounds in Oak Creek Canyon. Dead Horse Ranch State Park, (520) 634-5283, provides camping along the Verde River near Cottonwood (19 miles away), complete with showers and RV hookups. VORTEX SITES: The Airport Mesa site is reached from Airport Road. From the Y-intersection (where Arizona 89A meets Arizona 179) travel about a half-mile east to Airport Road. Turn south and go another half mile to a parking area beside the pavement. The Sphinx Rock site and the Chapel of the Holy Cross lie at the end of Chapel Road, which intersects Arizona 179 about 3 miles south of the Y-intersection. The chapel, (520) 282-4069, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though no religious services are held there. Motor homes and larger vehicles may have trouble turning around in the tight hilltop parking area. Bell Rock is a dominant feature that lies near the Village of Oak Creek. From the Y-intersection in town, travel about 6 miles south on Arizona 179. There are parking areas along the highway, and trails lead to the rock. Red Rock Crossing can be found off the Upper Red Rock Loop Road, which intersects Highway 89A about 7 miles west of Y-interchange in Sedona. The Forest Service charges a small parking fee. FOR MORE INFORMATION: for information about the vortex sites, visit the Crystal Castle, 313 Highway 179, (520) 282-5910, or any of the other New Age emporiums in town. Starport Sedona, 273 N Highway 89A, (520) 282-7771, offers information, newsletters, discussion groups and "welcome UFO crew" doormats. Merging Dimensions by Dongo and Bradshaw is published by Hummingbird Publishing, Sedona. The Bradshaw Ranch is not open to the public. Contact the Sedona Chamber of Commerce toll-free at 1-800-288-7336 or visit the Web site at www.experiencesedona.com.
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