Monday, January 15, 2007

Rocks


With 2 glass end walls, you can see right through the chapel


We'll be going back to Sedona!!


Just after sun-up at the Grand Canyon










Hanging on the side of a mountain, the Chapel of the Cross in Sedona Arizona is without a doubt the most beautiful place of worship we have ever seen. The beauty of this church lies in its stark simplicity surrounded by the remarkable red rock formations of Sedona. A 5 story wall of glass behind the altar allows worshippers a panoramic view of the surrounding red rock mountains. The signature cruciform support behind the glass wall extends downward almost to the valley floor 200 feet beneath the chapel. The entire area around Sedona is populated with unique, mammoth, eroded, red rocks. Just as in Banff, cameras are snapping everywhere but, trying to capture a panorama on a tiny; two dimensional piece of paper is a mug’s game.

Which segues into trying to capture the Grand Canyon in pictures. Can’t be done!!! The canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles across and averages 1 mile deep. Try and capture that!! It seems to go on forever. Some of the major Colorado River rapids, which are visible from the south rim, look terrifying from one mile up. It’s hard to imagine how they would look when they are about to hit you in the face, in a raft. One interesting fact about Grand Canyon Park is that the Rangers will not allow salt on the roads. There have been light snow showers over the past few days and, the roads have become totally iced as a result of traffic and a beating sun. The temperature is just cold enough to ensure that the ice stays firmly attached to the roadways. We are getting very good at spotting Alabama, Georgia and other southern license plates and, we give them a WIDE berth. They seem to have SOME difficulty on the ice!!!! Sometimes funny, sometimes destructive!! According to a ranger, there were 3 rollovers yesterday plus numerous other fender benders and, the park isn’t busy!!

We didn’t get slammed from behind by any of our southern friends, so made it back to Flagstaff, then eastward to Albuquerque. No cell phone coverage much of the way??? Passed through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. Ho hum, more beautiful scenery!! Dozens of long, long freight trains. Saw 3 at one time on the high plains. Vast spaces!! I know I sound like a shill for the US tourism industry but this is one big, beautiful country.

1 comment:

Karen said...

Amazing Arizona pictures! I feel in love with Sedona on my first visit. The Chruch of the Red Rocks has a glass wall too. It would be wonderful to worship God looking at His amazing creation every week. And the Grand Canyon...do words even come close to describing its beauty?!?! Arizona is a real treasure.