Maybe the best aspect of the Teen Center is the incredible skate park. This skateboard bowl is one of the best I’ve personally seen in the country. And believe me, with a teenaged son of my own fervently attached to the skateboarding scene, I’ve been to my share of parks.
 
Even if you don’t skate yourself, the caliber of the local and visiting boarders will keep you mesmerized for hours on end. If you are interested in defying the laws of gravity, the skateboard park is surely the place for you.
 
Another great spot for the kids, trust me now, is the local Sedona Public Library at 3250 White Bear Road just off of Dry Creek Road in West Sedona.
 
Groan if you will, but once inside I think you will see what I mean. If reading is not your thing, although I bet you’d like it if you tried it, then there are several other activities to choose from.
 
There is an entire room dedicated to children and teenagers where, for one, you don’t have to fight with the grown ups for computer access. You can happily play your favorite on line RPG (that’s Role Playing Games for the computer illiterate among us) or participate in one of the many events geared for kids that go on almost daily at the Library.
 
You can also choose to check out a movie, no charge, and go sit in the back portion of the Library to watch and listen under head phones, undisturbed by the outside world.
 
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
 
Okay, so by this time even Mom is tired of shopping. Now what do we do?
 
Another Sedona sweet spot can be found down in the V.O.C. (Village of Oak Creek) down Rte 179 heading south from Sedona towards I-17. Just take a right on to Verde Valley School Road and follow it to the end. Don’t go too far or you’ll find your self floating in Oak Creek.

Sophia & her dog Luther

A beautiful swimming spot awaits you and your family far away from the congestion of Slide Rock. There is plenty of room to spread out a nice picnic here on the wide flat rocks while you enjoy a dip in the cooling waters.
 
There is a nice deep spot to bask in as well as a small water fall to tumble over if you are feeling gutsy. There are also several shallow spots provided by large flat rocks sloping into the water where you can simply plunk down and read a book.
 
This is a great place to spend a quiet but fun day.
 
Sedona is a stellar area for a hike or a bike ride. There are so many places to go you will find entire sections in local book stores dedicated to the subject.
 
Stop by any local Visitor’s Center and pick up a hiking guide provided by the local Parks and Recreation Service. It not only gives you a map of the trails for Sedona and surrounding areas, but also provides the length of each in miles and a corresponding rating, E for Easy, M for Moderate and S for Strenuous.
 
Some of my favorites include the Big Park Loop around Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock, Little Horse Trail just South of Chapel Road going towards the V.O.C. and Devil’s Bridge up in West Sedona.
 

Bell Rock

The beauty of this area is legendary, and there is truly no better way to experience it than to get out in it. At this time of year (late summer) it is recommended to hike or bike either early in the morning or later in the day just before sunset. That way you won’t get sun stroke and just might get lucky and see a javelina or two.
 
Remember to always take lots of water and a hiking stick with you in case you come upon a sun bathing rattlesnake that needs to be relocated from your path. It is also a good idea to always leave an itinerary of your hike with friends and family for safety’s sake, and there is a sign-in log at many of the trail heads.
 
Last, but not least, let us not forget that peculiarity of the Sedona landscape known as energy vortexes. These geographic energy points, regardless of your metaphysical leanings, are very easy to sense. A map of these spots can be found here, and can also be obtained the local Visitor’s Centers.

The Chapel

Point in fact, the first week I moved here I was plagued with a never ending migraine. Finally I wandered over to the Chapel on the Rock located on Chapel Road off the 179. No sooner had I stepped inside the Church than my migraine simply disappeared as if it never was.
 
Those of us who suffer from migraines know that they just don’t go poof! and disappear from one moment to the next. As soon as I left the vicinity of Church on the Rock poof! the migraine returned.
 
I found this phenomenon rather odd so I returned the next day, migraine securely ensconced in my head, to the same effect. It was then that a Volunteer for the Church on the Rock clued me in to the fact that I was experiencing the all too common effect of the local vortex.
 
Whether fact or fiction, I really didn’t care. After I left the Church on the Rock that day my migraine disappeared and I’ve yet to experience another one since. Hooray for vortexes!
 
So put down your check books, get out there and enjoy the sweet spots of Sedona. They are as plentiful as they are accessible and enjoyable. And not only are they easy on the wallet, but on the mind and spirit as well.

Other Articles:  Eight Interesting Facts About Sedona's History
 
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