Many residents and visitors swear they encountered UFOs, Aliens and other strange events in Sedona. I myself did not experience any of the above, although I was more than willing.

The Sedona mystics claim there are magnetic vortices running through the area that give it an otherworldly significance.

Although I am a skeptic, I do have an open mind, so I decided to go with Safari Jeep Tours of Sedona on their Vortex Tour.

The tour operator offer rides from your hotel, but we decided to drive to Uptown Sedona to enjoy a stroll after the tour.

After check-in, we jumped on one of the sturdy jeeps with our guide Bo. Bo had a wealth of information for us about Sedona’s famous vortices and their effect on well-being.

Our first stop was at Rachel’s Knoll, which is supposed to be an active and strong Vortex. Rachel bought the land in the 1970s and decided to share it with the community. Many ceremonies celebrating peace and harmony were held at the Knoll. Go here for more on Rachel Knoll’s history.

The knoll is a high rock formation overlooking 7 converging valleys with lush green views from the top and the sheer red rocks in the distance.

The view is truly stunning and relaxing, but I didn’t see any otherworldly phenomena. Our guide Bo believes that the confluence of the seven valleys, underground running water, and iron-quartz filled rocks create an electric current that affects people.

In an experiment, he asked us to hold out our hands close to the red rocks for a while. I did feel a tingle in my extremities, but I am not sure if this was proof of magnetism or electricity or a Vortex.

I remain skeptical of such claims, but I still enjoyed the experience.

On Rechel’s passing, she sold the land to a developer with the stipulation of keeping the Knoll accessible to the public. Today, anyone can visit the Knoll for a small fee of $3.

We continued our journey through Sedona’s Vortecies by driving to the   and Peace Park at the base of thunder mountain and under the shadow of Chimney Rock.  

The stupa is an imposing 36-foot building dedicated to meditation and enlightenment. It is said to be at the center of several alignments, giving it some significant spirituality.

A little closer to thunder mountain and above the Stupa, Budha sits in contemplation towards the city of Sedona.

A charming Buddhist tradition is to hang prayer flags for the wind to activate and prayer wheels for people to spin as they pass by. True believers also think that if you meditate in this Vortex spot you will be granted your deepest wishes – even if you don’t know what those wishes are.

The two Vortex spots we visited were fascinating with great views, but the drive in the jeep through all those valleys and cliffs is even more thrilling. Our guide kept us entertained and we shared our impressions of those locations with each other.

We had a self-proclaimed psychic in the group and it was interesting to hear her perspective on the whole Vortex claim. She seemed to be more in-tune with nature and more accepting of the phenomena.