Palm Springs - November 2008

 

My arrival in Palm Springs coincided with an appearance by the B52s at the MCCallum theatre in Palm Desert and I was lucky enough to be able to buy a ticket for the concert on November 8th.

The band sang songs from their latest album 'Funplex' along with hits from their previous albums.

The concert was fantastic with the exuberant performances from frontman Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. You can see the video of Love Shack on YouTube by clicking here.

I also took a side trip to Sedona, in Arizona. Sedona's red rock country offers some fantastic scenery, but Sedona is also famous for it's 'new age' vortexes; areas of spiralling spiritual energy that are said to promote healing and meditation.

There are many rock formations in Sedona including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Coffee Pot Rock and the Two Sisters.

Bell Rock is to the North of Highway 179, between the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona.  It’s often the first formation that visitors see as Highway 179 is a major access route from I-17 to Sedona. It's also the most prominent vortex site and was a gathering spot during 1987’s Harmonic Convergence (an exceptional alignment of planets in the solar system).

This "corresponded with a great shift in the earth’s energy from warlike to peaceful" and began the final 26-year countdown to the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012, the end of history and the beginning of a new 5,125-year cycle. Evils of the modern world such as war, violence, injustice and oppression would end on December 21, 2012.

Some of course believe that 2012 will be the end of the world, as solar flares, earthquakes, tidal waves or even an asteroid on collision course with earth brings about Armageddon. Time will tell.

I don't see how Cathedral Rock resembles a cathedral, but there's no denying that Coffee Pot Rock looks almost exactly like a coffee pot and it's one of my favourite rock formations in Sedona.

One Sedona attraction that I had missed on previous visits is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This Roman Catholic Chapel is just off Route 179, at the end of Chapel Road. It was designed by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, in 1956.There are breathtaking views of Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, and much of the eastern rim of Sedona.

The land the Chapel of the Holy Cross was built on was originally National Forest. Because of the "Separation of Church and State" it was specified that while the Catholic Church could take control of the property and build the Chapel, no regular services could be held there. To this day there are no regular Catholic services, but a Prayer service is held at the Chapel every Monday evening at 5:00pm.

From the chapel car park you will be able to see the Two Sisters. To the left of the Two Sisters is the Madonna and Child rock formation.

A great little rock formation that is missed by the vast majority of people that visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross is Eagle Head Rock. As you come out of the Chapel, just look up and to the left, and you'll see Eagle Head Rock.

The B52s at the McCallum Theatre

Fred Cindy and Kate perform

Bell Rock, a prominent red rock formation and vortex site

Cathedral Rock

Coffee Pot Rock, my personal favourite

The impressive Chapel of the Holy Cross

The Two Sisters with Madonna and Child

Eagle Head Rock