Sweet Sedona

"The colorful collection of buttes, pinnacles, mesas and canyons surrounding Sedona is famous the world around for its red rock vistas.

Over the years, this area has served as the setting of many western novels and movies and has been the subject of uncounted paintings, photographs and other works of art. The remains of ancient wetlands, these crimson cliffs have been carved by the forces of the desert into one of nature's most magnificent masterpieces."

-- The Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest.

Also see www.bestsedonahiking.com for more info on Sedona's BEST hkes.

Laura Vandegrift's Sedona Tours & Guide Services offers walking tours through historic Sedona, tours through the Verde Valley's growing wine country, and romantic tours for couples.

Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando and Joan Crawford all shot films in Sedona and the Verde Valley. Hear all the details from your guide, Laura Vandegrift.

Whether you're a professional sommelier, an amateur oenophile, or just a run-of-the-mill wine lover, Laura Vandegrift offers a wine country tour featuring several wineries including Alcantara Vineyard.

For over 18 years, Laura Vandegrift has worked as a tour operator, tour director, president of the Arizona Guides Association, operations manager of a tour company, former park ranger at Montezuma Castle National Monument, founding member of a national tourism organization, and trainer for an international tour directing school.

For young lovers or couples who've been married for decades, Sedona is the perfect destination. Sedona resorts offer romantic getaway packages and local spas pamper the clients like no other.

Celebrate your wedding among the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, along the green riparian splendor of Oak Creek or at some of Sedona's amazing vistas.

If your wedding was years ago, consider renewing your vows or just getting away from it all with the one person you love more than anything on Earth in the most beautiful place on Earth.

If you and your spouse-to-be want the perfect wedding in a location as beautiful as Sedona, visit Dream Weddings of Sedona.

One of the popular destinations for Sedona weddings is Cathedral Rock. Reputed to be one of Sedona's energetic "vortexes," Cathedral Rock features breathtaking views and shady streams. In the late-afternoon, bright shafts of light called "God beams" seem to originate from the peaks of Cathedral Rock. This is certainly a dramatic and meditative choice for your wedding ceremony.

From hot air balloon rides, to Jeep tours, to rock climbing, Sedona offers a host of outdoor adventure from weekend warriors looking to escape the daily grind or hardcore extreme athletes looking to test their limits.

At an average of 4,500 feet above sea level, Sedona presents a challenge for runners, bicyclists, and long-distance hikers. Candidates for the U.S. Olympic Team often visit Sedona to train in our harsh environment while also enjoying the great views.

Jeep tours are also a must for Sedona visitors. The drivers are colorful characters - including some dressed as cowboys and armed with six-shooters - who are wellsprings of information about the history of Sedona and the Old West, our unique geologic formations, and the culture of the Sinagua people who inhabited the Verde Valley centuries before the arrival of the first European pioneers in the late 1800s.

At the end of your stay, be sure to enjoy a lazy hot air balloon ride high above the landscape. The silence and the views from air are a heart-stopping combination.

As the late afternoon sun pours into Sedona, residents seek ways to revitalize their souls and enliven their spirits. Sedona offers yoga classes and training, retreats, spas and spiritual guidance.
Sedona's world-famous vortexes draw thousands of visitors every month. Some claim they're spiritual centers of healing energy while others claim they're powerful magnetic fields that heal the mind and also affect magnets, compasses and even analog watches. Still other claim they're just a great place for a photo op of the landscape. Will you feel the Earth move or just the camera shutter? The only way to know for sure is to visit.

Stillpoint... Living in Balance is committed to providing a sacred space that allows healing, growth, wholeness and well-being to occur effortlessly through bodywork and energetics.

The unique combination of services offered by Stillpoint... Living in Balance provides a satisfying experience for your body, mind, and soul. In an environment that is nurturing, private and safe, you have the opportunity to rebalance, rejuvenate, and refocus. Cynthia and Joy bring respectfulness and individualized attention to provide you with an uplifting experience.

See why Stillpoint was voted Best Sedona Massage and continues to be the premier place in Sedona for profound physical, emotional, and spiritual healing using a variety of thoughtful modalities. Their Signature Sedona Massage Sessions are always copied, never duplicated. Sedona Massage by Stillpoint.

For many years now, Sedona has been one of the world's centers for the New Age movement, and large numbers of people make the pilgrimage here to experience the "power vortexes" of the surrounding red-rock country. Around town, you'll see bulletin boards and publications advertising such diverse services as past-life regressions, crystal healing, angelic healing, tarot readings, reiki, axiatonal therapy, electromagnetic field balancing, soul recovery, channeling, aromatherapy, myofacial release, and aura photos and videos.

According to believers, a vortex is a site where the earth's unseen lines of power intersect to form a particularly powerful energy field. Page Bryant, an adherent of New Age beliefs, determined through channeling that there were four vortexes around Sedona. Scientists may scoff, but Sedona's vortexes have become so well-known that the visitor centers have several handouts to explain them and a map to guide you to them. (Many of the most spectacular geological features of the Sedona landscape also happen to be vortexes.)

The four main vortexes include Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Airport Mesa, and Boynton Canyon. Bell Rock and Airport Mesa are both said to contain masculine or electric energy that boosts emotional, spiritual, and physical energy. Cathedral Rock is said to contain feminine or magnetic energy, good for facilitating relaxation. The Boynton Canyon vortex is considered an electromagnetic energy site, which means it has a balance of both masculine and feminine energy.

Photo from The New York Times

The affordable and luxurious Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of this Red Rock magnificence. From the charming boutique hotel, guests may stroll to Sedona's best art galleries, boutique shops and the acclaimed Spanish-style Tlaquepaque arts & crafts village. Or you can walk out the resort's back door to hike the amazingly scenic lands of the Coconino National Forest.

Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel packages offer the Best Hotel Deals in Sedona combined with fun Sedona activities.

Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel offers specials for some of Sedona's top festivals and events.

Sedona chef Jeff Smedstad's upscale twist on traditional Mexican food includes fall-off-the-bone tender meats, hand-rolled tamales, and slow-simmered molé sauces

Tucked inside the historic Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel, Elote Café offers a seasonal menu of fine Mexican favorites served in a handsome atmosphere.

Elote Café features local wines from Page Springs Winery, Black Mesa Goat cheese and Sedona area produce.

Elote Café is located at 771 Hwy. 179, Sedona, AZ 86339.

Moestly Wood Sedona Bed & Breakfast is located in the scenic Red Rock Loop Road area southwest of downtown Sedona.

Moestly Wood Sedona Bed & Breakfast has spectacular views of the world-famous Cathedral Rock, Sedona's most popular natural landmark. Guests are surrounded by hiking trails and desert wildlife.

Crescent Moon Recreational Area at Oak Creek and Red Rock Crossing and Red Rock State Park are just a few minutes away.

The scenery of Sedona brings artists of all stripes to the region to create and share, Painters, sculptors, poets, writers and musicians call the city home. Sedona also hosts amazing;y diverse arts festivals such as Sedona Jazz on the Rocks, the Sedona International Film Festival & Workship, the GumptionFest underground arts festival, Chamber Music Sedona performances all-year long.
The galleries of the Sedona Gallery Association, Sedona Arts Center, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, Hillside Sedona and Hozho Plaza offer thousands of works of art for both passersby and professional arts collectors.

The annual Sedona International Film Festival promises a week of Oscar-winning movies, directors and nominees, more opportunities to see the most popular films, Turner Classic Movie's Robert Osborne hosting three classic films and a litany of events.

The increasingly popular festival, which has been attracting sell-out crowds of movie fans and a growing list of producers, directors, screenwriters and actors from both independent production companies and big-name movie companies with burgeoning independent divisions, runs from late February to early March every year.

Annual events include:

More than films in a range of categories on six screens at the Harkins Sedona 6 Theatres and at Sedona Red Rock High School, where, in addition to a regular schedule of films.

Additional screenings of the most popular films will be scheduled later in the week;

A sneak preview of a new films.
Oscar-winning documentary films.
New films by Oscar winners and nominees.
Workshops covering documentary filmmaking workshop and an animation.
Robert Osborne-hosted screenings of classic films.
An indoor pavilion directly adjacent to the Harkins Theatre offering food, drinks, music, panel discussions, collectibles and more.

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks is dedicated to preserving and promoting "Jazz for the Next generation."

SJOR's purpose is to provide year-round education programs in music and jazz.

More than 1,500 youth participate each year in SJOR music education programs.

Founded in 1981, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks celebrates jazz as a living art form through education and performance programs.

A 501-C 3 non profit organization dedicated to preserving jazz for future generations through education and performance programs all focused on children 6-18 years of age.

Sedona is known for its "vortices," which are reportedly located atop some of Sedona's most famous natural landmarks including Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Schnebly Hill.
in 1987, José Argüelles organized the "harmonic convergence" in Sedona. A leader in the New Age community, Argüelles is the founder of Planet Art Network and the Foundation for the Law of Time and author of "The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology."
Since 1987, Sedona has been the heart of one of the largest New Age tourist industries in the United States, bringing enlightened beings and spiritual seekers to the city.
Two of Sedona's major New Age sites are the Sedona Creative Life Center and the Center for the New Age.

Voice of Astrology is a family owned and operated business, with a philosophy that is not one sided or just about making money. We have a staff of experienced, gifted, expert readers that are interested in using their gifts wisely and for your highest and best interest.

Many of our clients have been loyal customers for 10 or more years. They rely on our psychic's insights to see them through personal, business, romantic and life altering experiences.

What we see can save you struggles, as well as money, time, and heartbreak. We are all in this journey together, and when we open ourselves to sharing our gifts with each other, the universe becomes a supportive place.

Visit the Voice of Astrology Web Site or call 1-800-824-7107 for accurate psychic readings and astrology advice.

Nestled beneath the shade of the sycamores on the banks of beautiful Oak Creek in Sedona, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village is the most distinctive shopping experience to be found in the Southwest.

Authentically fashioned after a traditional Mexican village, Tlaquepaque, meaning the "best of everything," has been a Sedona landmark since the 1970s.

Its vine-covered stucco walls, cobble-stoned walkways and magnificent arched entryways give you the feeling that Tlaquepaque has been here for centuries. Galleries and shops live in harmony with its lush natural environment where giant sycamore trees stand in testimony to the care taken in preserving the timeless beauty of the Tlaquepaque grounds. It would be hard to find more beautiful surroundings anywhere to create a shopping experience like no other.

Take a virtual tour of Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village.

The Sedona Main Street Program is the commercial cooperative comprising nearly all of the restaurants, art galleries and retailers along Hwy. 89A through the city's primary tourist corridor.

The ghost town of Jerome, Jerome State Historical Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Well, Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Slide Rock State Park, Red Rock State Park, Flagstaff, Arizona Snowbowl ski area, the Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument are all only a short drive or a few hours away from Sedona - you can leave your hotel, explore for hours and be back by dinner.

As the highest public building in the entire Verde Valley, the views from the Jerome Grand Hotel are breathtaking. The restoration of the five-story Spanish Mission structure started in 1994 and continues today. Jerome was a mining town and ghost town before being reinhabited. It is now a thriving arts community on the steep slopes of Mingus Mountain, overlooking Sedona and the Verde Valley.

Jerome State Historical Park showcases the early history of Jerome and its mining legacy.

While for many, Sedona is a vacation destination, others see the city as the perfect place to live.
Some of Sedona's new arrivals are retirees who cash in their life's work for a beautiful home in a dynamic city. Others are young artists who seek the liberating atmosphere of a city-wide arts collective. Still others move to Sedona to find and develop their higher selves in the supportive New Age community

D&R Precision Builders
D&R Precision Builders is a story where East Coast meets West Coast 23 years in the making. D&R Precision Builders is a small, family business which enables the employees to spend more time on details and specifics. Superior homes are built by people of principle and integrity where both attribute to the building process and personal relations with clients.

Sun Ray Homes
Since 1976, Sedona home builder Ray Scott and Sun Ray Homes have been constructing custom homes in Sedona and Verde Valley.
Ray Scott's father was a builder and he became a contractor when he was 18 years old. Eventually Ray Scott took over his father's business and he has been building ever since. In 1976, he moved to Sedona and has built more than 200 distinct homes in the area -- from contemporary southwestern to Tudor Revival.

Magna Homes
If you're looking for that perfect builder to upgrade your Sedona home or build you a fabulous new home, consider Magna Homes.

The Phil W. Morris Company
With over forty years of experience, The Phil W. Morris Company's primary focus is creating finely crafted residences for discriminating clients from all over the world. Many of those clients return over and over again for subsequent homes. With four decades of building and our four generations of experience, our work can be seen in some of the most prestigious custom homes in Sedona, Arizona.

Kamas Architecture
Since 1985, Kamas Architeture has designed unique Southwest living and environments.

In 2004 a group of Sedona parents and educators began networking and researching to develop a vision for an innovative new Waldorf inspired charter school in Sedona.

Desert Star's 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization was approved Sept. 18, 2006.

Desert Star has included "community" in its name to honor the community involvement in the creation and maintenance of a healthy, thriving school.
Whole child education focuses on educating children intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically.

Desert Star believes that a fulfilled, creative and productive life involves more than just mental development or earning a living. Although important, every child also needs balance provided by healthy emotional, social and physical growth. Waldorf education and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences approach are used at Desert Star to understand and meet the needs of the whole child.

"Whole Child Education" applies to different learning styles. Research has given educators direction for making changes in their schools and classrooms. Activities and lessons blend cognitive, auditory and kinesthetic approaches to address students' various dominant learning styles. Desert Star places a high priority on students "learning how to learn."

Storytelling, language arts, arithmetic, the sciences, singing, art, music, drama and movement will be integrated to provide the students with opportunities to receive information through many modes of learning. The primary guiding principle will be to engage the whole child with the subject matter by incorporating multiple learning modalities into every learning experience.