The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

Arizona is home to some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen, some of the most controversial problems in the country, and some of the... well just plain weirdest stuff I've encountered.  And I lived in the Florida Panhandle for three years. 

Just a couple hours North of Phoenix, Sedona Arizona is a hub for both the beautiful and weird.  People flock from all over the world to gaze at the spectacular red rock formations, gain spiritual clarity, and if they're like me, indulge in a little curiosity.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Sedona with my dad and stepmom.  We enjoyed the crystal shops, psychic signs and vortex tour brochures just as much as the famous rocks themselves.   I see myself as a very scientific person, but I think it's fun to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, read up on vortexes, and take a slight detour to a "UFO Center" that actually turned out to be a creepy purple trailer next to a creek that I swear must have been featured in the beginning of an episode of Bones.

It's the off-beat characters, stories and places that are my favorite things about living in the desert.  Where else can you find this many UFO sightings, or chupacabra believers?  Even the plants look like they're out of a Dr. Suess book. 

The highlight of our trip was a Pink Jeep Tour that took us up close and personal to the rocks.  We even got to see an old sinkhole that's now home to hundreds of bats.  It was a bumpy ride (extremely bumpy!) but worth it.  Definitely a trip to remember.