Tucked away 2½ hours north of Phoenix, Sedona’s terrain overwhelms the visual senses with a striking contrast in color and form. Colossal cliffs, spires and cathedral-like buttes catch fire in the late afternoon sun, burning a deep crimson against a flawless blue sky. The central point of Sedona is the “Y” junction of Highway 179 and Highway 89A. Turn left, and you come to the sprawling residential area of West Sedona, populated by many retirees and aspiring artists. Turn right, and you drive along Main Street past the Sedona Arts Center before entering the splendor of Oak Creek Canyon, where cottonwoods and wildflowers follow the twisting path of a stream between towering palisades of more than 2,500 feet. Most of the stores, galleries and restaurants of note can be found along Highway 179 or in Tlaquepaque, a thoroughly charming Spanish Colonial arts and crafts village with a number of relaxing, sycamore-shaded plazas.