And now...Sedona!

The weather was a bit dreary, and quite frankly,

more cloud cover than I would have liked for photography.

But ohhh...the colors of this desert oasis!

Our day began at the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park.

"A Stupa is one of the oldest forms of sacred architecture on earth, dating back to the time of the Buddha, 

26oo years ago."

They are quite rare here in the Western hemisphere 

and generally found in the East.

"A Stupa is considered to be the living presence of the Buddha 

and as such represents the Mind of Enlightenment...

Their sole purpose is to bring benefit for all living beings,

and the mystical accounts of the healing powers of stupas

are well documented."

National Geographic, Sedona Verde Valley

Prayer flags were strung from the Stupa itself, 

to surrounding trees.

This statue of the Buddha sits on a low hill 

overlooking the Stupa.

I can't help but get "Red Rock Fever" whenever I'm in Sedona...

and even going through my photos!

Red Rock Fever is the feeling of wanting to drop everything

and move to Sedona!

Can you blame me?

We missed the cactus flowering season...

but what's left is certainly interesting!

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of the most beautiful

and serene I've ever seen.  As you can see, it is quite small,

yet still magnificent...built in the buttes of Sedona.

Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a local Arizonan rancher and sculptor was inspired by the Empire State Building in 1932.

She first attempted to build the chapel in Budapest, Hungary,

but WWII broke out and halted the project.

She later decided to build it in Sedona and selected architect

August K. Strotz to construct the chapel.

The chapel was completed in 1956, took 18 months to complete,

and cost $300,000.

Arizonans voted it as one of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona in 2007. 

The altar is graced by this extraordinarily beautiful

crucifix.

 

This small chapel really is a stunning bit of architecture 

and you can't help but feel the magnificence of God

when there.

To visit more little corners of the world, click on the images below...