| By: Paul S. Cilwa | Viewed: 4/27/2024 Occurred: 8/12/2018 |
Page Views: 1464 | |
| Topics: #Arizona #Dominic #Gianna #Places #Sedona #Vortexes | |||
| Gianna and Dominic's first visit to the fanous vortex. | |||
Summer is almost over. My grandson, Zach, is about to return to school in Manhattan; his visiting cousins are about to return home to the East Coast as well. We had hoped for a camping trip, but there just wasn't time. So today we made a pilgrimage to Sedona to take Zach's baby brother and sister to Bell Rock for the first time.
Bell Rock is an awesome place for little ones to experience unpaved ground, moveable rocks, and fantastic scenery.
You will require a Red Rock Country Parking Pass, $5 as of 2018. They can be obtained at vending machines in most of the main parking areas and trail heads, as well as the Ranger station and Visitor Center just north of the Village of Oak Creek.
My youngest grandchild, Dominic, was given an early driving lesson by his daddy, Jimmy while I picked up Red Rock Country parking passes for the three vehicles that made the trip.
We drove up through Oak Creek Village, so our first full-on Red Rock view was of Courthouse Rock (also known as Courthouse Butte, as indeed all of these rock outcroppings are technically buttes.) Geologically, Courthouse Butte is composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock of the Permian Supai Formation.
From left to right: my husband, Keith; little Dominic, and his New Jersey cousins Brianna, Trish, and Amelia.
Another view of Courthouse Butte, from the trail to Bell Rock.
L2R: Amelia, Trish, Brianna, Jimmy, Gianna, Jenny, me (with Dominic on my back), Keith.
Dominic loves my caps.
Gianna got envious that Dominic was being carried so made her mother give her a ride, too.
Uncle John is Gianna's very special guy.
Even though there is a gentle rise in altitude as one approaches the butte, the trail is really easy for anyone to follow.
Getting close!
Brianna, Trish, Gianna, and Amelia. Gianna loves hanging out with her cousins.
And Dominic loves hanging out with his daddy.
The trails are very easy to follow, thanks to these very natural-looking cairns.
Siblings: John and Jenny. I'm so proud of both!
It was a real treat to have my son-in-law Jimmy along for this trip.
The Rizzos: Gianna, Jimmy, Jenny, and Dominic. (Zach had arrived ahead of us and was already nearly to the top of Bell Rock!)
Jenny, Trish, Brianna, Amelia, Jimmy.
Little guys love rocks.
Keith and I.
