USA – Western

Hidden Gem in Sedona, AR – Have you ever visited…

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Sedona Community Cemetery,

199 Pine Dr., Sedona, AR?

 

I’m a sucker for graves decorated by family and friends. This cemeter is full of them! I love Daniel’s bricks, the many walls hand-crafted with colorful native stones, the statues and the whimsical found-objects. Each display’s careful construction whispers, or shouts, clues about the life led and lost. I find cemeteries like this one sooo much more compelling than those full of plaques – “In loving memory…birth date…death date.”

The Sedona Community Cemetery is only a little way out of town. With the address above, GPS got me there just fine. It’s tucked back off the road among the trees with gorgeous red rock views. Don’t miss it!

While you’re in Sedona, stop for breakfast at Cafe Jose. All the tourists will be at The Coffee Pot, so you’ll have the place to yourself. Lunch is probably great there too, but I kept going back for breakfast and excellent coffee.

Cheers!

Hot Tombstones in Tucson, Arizona

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This was what I imagined I’d find when I planned my visit to a cemetery in Tucson, Arizona.

I didn’t expect the many Asian memorials. Made me wonder about the history of the Asian culture in Tucson. Anybody know?

This section of Evergreen Cemetery brought back memories of my trips to Virgina City,  and Genoa, Nevada.  Picturesquely old west.

What a view! This was the Congregation Ashei Israel section of Evergreen.  Beautiful!

My tombstone tourist tips for Tucson: Slather on the sunscreen and, don’t miss breakfast or brunch at Prep & Pastry. Thier slogan is, “Brunch without booze is just a sad late breakfast.” Sooooo yummy!

Virginia City, Nevada – A most magical afternoon

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This is the wild west, cowboy country.

Several years ago, sheer luck led me to the mountains of Nevada on a gorgeous, clear afternoon. Serendipity and a rental car brought me to Virginia City, its fabulous cowboy cemetery, and the most magical hour I’ve ever spent wandering among tombstones. There was a full solar eclipse.

Solar eclipse projected on tomstone

Have you ever seen a solar eclipse? You can only look at them through special lenses or watch their shadows through a pinhole projector. In the cemetery that day, nature’s pinhole projectors, the leaves on the trees above the graves, cast these eclipse shadows.

Eclipse shadows

Even before I realized that this rare cosmic event was happening, the Virginia City cemetery took my breath away. Spring in the mountains was just so gorgeous!

Flowering bush

Best tombstone tourist experience ever!

Virginia City, Nevada

 

Park City, Utah Buried at the Base

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This couple immortalized their love of skiing.

This marker says it all, doesn’t it?  Loved skiing. Loved each other.

Park City, Utah is a ski town and an art town. It shows in their cemetery.

Snowboarder and tile artist

Snowboarder and tile artist

This artist died on his snowboard. Can you feel how much his friends loved him?

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains.

A quiet spot in the middle of town

An easy walk gets you out of the hustle and bustle of downtown Park City. I wonder how many film stars and fans attending the Sundance Festival find their way here for a quiet moment.

Etching on old stone

 

Twilight in Forks, Washington

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Forks, Washington

Forks, Washington

Yes, that Forks, Washington. The town that inspired Stephenie Meyer’s brooding location for her Twilight series.  I was in the neighborhood, touring along the wild coastline and couldn’t resist stopping. There were plenty of Twilight fans in town, but I had the cemetery all to myself. 

Rainy weather in Forks

It’s small and plain, kind of like the town, but it had its charm. Thankfully, there wasn’t a werewolf or vampire reference in sight.

Handmade memorial in Forks, Washing ton

I loved the quirky, homemade memorials.

This rose was about 4 feet tall.

Lovely, handmade marker.

Lovely, handmade marker.

La Push, Washington is just down the road from Forks. I wanted to visit the tribal cemetery there, but it was closed to outsiders. I got to go to the beach though, one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been! 

The beach on the reservation in La Push, Washington.

The locals told us that the author had never visited. She really missed out. The landscape was truly inspiring.