Finding Peace in the Red Rocks: My Visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona

I didn’t go to Sedona looking for a spiritual awakening. Honestly, I just needed a break from the noise, from the questions swirling in my head, from the ache I couldn’t quite name. My spiritual journey with God hasn’t been easy. I stay strong in my faith but I’ve felt like there was something I wasn’t quite getting.

Then I visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

I had seen photos before. This striking chapel built right into the red rock cliffs, a giant cross rising boldly from the stone. But no image prepared me for what it felt like to stand in front of it. There’s something deeply humbling about how it’s nestled in the landscape, as if it wasn’t constructed but called forth from the earth itself. It’s not flashy or extravagant. It’s quiet. Solid. Steady.

I remember walking up the long incline to the chapel, my footsteps slow, my heart oddly heavy. The closer I got, the quieter everything around me seemed to become. The red rocks, the sweeping desert views, the endless sky. It felt like nature itself seemed to lean in, asking me to pay attention.

When I stepped inside, something shifted.

The interior is simple. There wasn’t ornate stained glass or gold trim. Just towering windows behind the altar that frame the sky like a living painting. Sunlight streamed through them, warm and golden, stretching across the pews and softening the sharp edges of everything, even my thoughts.

I sat down. I didn’t pray… not at first. I just sat. I let the silence hold me. And somewhere in that stillness, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time: peace. Not a loud, dramatic moment of revelation. No big answers. Just a quiet sense that I was being met right where I was. Confused. Guarded. Hopeful.

Maybe that’s the gift of a place like this. It doesn’t demand anything from you. It just offers a moment. A breath. A chance to lay things down, even if only for a little while.

When I finally stood to leave, I felt lighter. Not because everything was solved, but because I no longer felt like I had to carry it all alone. And for the first time in a long time, I wanted to talk to God again. I wanted to be able to hear Him again, because I have missed Him. In the midst of my chaotic life I hadn’t made much space for Him and I needed to recreate that connection.

If you’re ever in Sedona, whether you’re sure of your faith, uncertain, or somewhere in between. I hope you make time to visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross. You don’t have to be religious to feel its power. There’s something sacred in the way it holds space for whatever you’re carrying.

I didn’t go looking for healing. But maybe the best healing is the kind that finds you anyway.

The Best Sunset in Sedona: Airport Mesa Overlook

There are places that don’t just show you beauty, they quiet you.

Sedona’s Airport Mesa Overlook is one of those places.

When you first arrive, it’s hard to ignore the crowd. People are everywhere… travelers with cameras, couples holding hands, families passing snacks back and forth, solo wanderers leaning against railings. The parking lot is small and fills up fast. There’s chatter, the clicking of phones, the low hum of anticipation.

But as the sun begins to dip behind the red rocks, something shifts.

People stop moving. Conversations fall to whispers, or stop altogether. It’s as if everyone collectively realizes that thismoment deserves more than words.

The view from Airport Mesa is breathtaking in every direction. To the west, the sun slowly melts into the horizon, painting the sky in waves of peach, coral, violet, and gold. To the east, the red rock formations catch the light and glow like fire, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Courthouse Butte all illuminated in a soft, fleeting brilliance.

And for a few minutes, everyone just watches.

You feel the warmth of the rock beneath you, still holding the sun’s heat. The wind brushes your skin. The colors keep changing… deeper, softer, bolder. You try to capture it on camera, but nothing quite does it justice. So eventually, you just stop trying. You just watch.

It’s strange how even in a crowd, this place still feels intimate. Sacred, almost. Like everyone instinctively understands this is something worth slowing down for.

I’ve seen a lot of sunsets, but this one… this one felt like a pause in time.

Yes, it’s a popular spot. Yes, you’ll likely be shoulder to shoulder with strangers. But don’t let that stop you. Because in the moments when the sky begins to dance with color and the rocks blush beneath the fading light, you’ll find a kind of silence that speaks louder than words.

And that silence?
It stays with you.

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Tips for Visiting Airport Mesa Overlook:

• Arrive early. Parking is limited and fills up quickly around golden hour.
• Bring water and wear good shoes. The walk to the overlook is short but rocky.
• Stay a little after sunset. The colors often get even more vivid just after the sun dips.
• Bring a light jacket. Desert air cools quickly once the sun is gone.
• Be present. Photos are great, but the memory of simply being there is even better.