The road that leads to Chapel of the Holy Cross meets Hwy 179 about four miles south of the busy town of Sedona. Chapel Road goes east from Hwy 179 for less than a mile on flat land, and then begins to wind around and climb the hill... at which point one can see this view of the chapel.
Sedona area's red rocks are strictly protected to preserve their natural state... now. The chapel wasn't built "now", though. Construction began in 1955 and was completed in 1956. Special permission was sought and granted, allowing the chapel to be built into the red rocks and on government land.
View as the road continues up the hill.
Nearing the top, the road ends. The rest of the trip to the chapel is via a walking path that follows the curve of the rocks and gives the illusion of being slightly suspended above terra firma. (I think it was only an illusion!) I continued onward and upward, and when I got to the top I took some pictures. These photos are snippets and approximations of what my eyes took in; they fall far short of accurately portraying the vast 360 degree landscape I saw in person.
The very large building with four garages is located next to Chapel Road, so I was able to get a closer look at it. It appeared to be a new home, still under construction but nearing completion. I'd like to take a tour of that place!