Sedona, Ariz.: Far from the ordinary

SEDONA, Ariz -- Arizona is a state that is known for its blistering “dry” (low humidity) heat. With these desert-like conditions, it may seem preferable to stay indoors and have a low-impact day sitting under the air conditioner. However, Sedona, a city located a little over 100 miles from Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, is like a breath of fresh air. Temperature-wise, it can have highs in the eighties and nineties in the summer, but winter and fall temperatures can reach the mid-fifties to sixties, so you can save room in your suitcase for souvenirs from one of the many beautiful shops in the city, rather than for your parka and mittens. Not only are temperatures pleasant year-round, but Sedona experiences very little rainfall, which is a plus, because the beauty of visiting the city is going outdoors.

Sedona boasts beautiful red rock formations that are truly something to behold; they look like a painting. You won’t find any dry, dusty cliffs here. The rocks are not the only unique feature of Sedona. While it has many of the common elements of any other vacation hotspot (hotels, shopping centers, neat restaurants), the rich cultural history of the city turn these events into a truly unique experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Here are some of Sedona’s most extraordinary features:

1. Eat. After a long flight, you might be hungry.  But you don’t want food so heavy that you have to crash in your hotel for the rest of the night. Picazzo’s Organic Italian Kitchen  has great food that won’t leave you feeling over-filled. The restaurant features pizzas, pastas, soups and salads made from local and organic ingredients. For those with Celiac Disease, Picazzo clearly labels its gluten-free menu items, and makes its pizza dough with gluten-free flour.  Even though organic sometimes means that food is much more pricy, Picazzo believes this should not be the case, and keeps its menu at a reasonable price. It’s healthy food on a budget and a very smart choice for Sedona diners.

Before exploring the next morning, you may also want to try one of Sedona’s most unique and probably most famous restaurants, the Coffee Pot Restaurant, for breakfast. A landmark in Sedona since the 1950s, the Coffee Pot offers 101 omelet variations. This means that some have the typical toppings (No. 12 has ham, peppers, tomatoes, and onions) to the “I never thought to try this with eggs” varieties (No. 101 is a peanut butter, jelly and banana omelet) and every ingredient in between. The restaurant’s name is also special: the Coffee Pot may seem like a cute moniker for a breakfast establishment, but it is really named after a rock formation in back of the restaurant that is shaped like a coffee pot!  

2. Sleep.  A trip to the exceptional city of Sedona should not include a stay in a run-of-the-mill chain hotel. Sedona offers accommodations that are as beautiful as its scenery. The Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa fits beautifully into its colorful backdrop. Its design is Mediterranean and features the warm browns, reds, and oranges of the rock formations it surrounds. The spa includes not only physical wellness services (facials and massages), but mental wellness aspects also (counseling, stress management courses, etc.). However, if spa treatments are unaffordable or there is no time to use them, simply staying in a Sedona Rouge room is just as relaxing. The beds are plush and very comfortable, the bathrooms are supplied with lemon aromatherapy soap, and there is a flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Ah, luxury.   

3. Pray. Lift your spirits both figuratively and literally by visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Voted by Arizonans as one of the seven man-made wonders of Arizona, this iconic Catholic chapel is built on a “twin-pinnacled spur” about 250 feet high, and it juts out of a  thousand-foot rock wall. The chapel has been erect in Sedona since 1956 and is maintained by the Diocese of Phoenix. While there are taize prayer services on Monday evenings, the chapel is open most days (except religious holidays) from morning until evening for visiting. Though the chapel sits high on a rock, you needn’t worry about buying spiked shoes to climb up there. A paved (albeit steep) road leads you right up to the entrance.   

4. Drive. Sedona’s plethora of rock formations are certainly beautiful, but the terrain can seem rugged and overwhelming to those who desire a closer look. That is where Pink Jeep Tours come in. These tours are indeed held in a pink Jeep Wrangler and take you into the heart of Sedona’s gulches, canyons, and ruins. The standard pink Jeep holds about nine passengers, and the tour can last about 2-3 hours. The small size is perfect for interacting with the guides, as they enhance the tour with their storytelling of the area’s history. But the most fun part is the off-roading adventure that can only be done by Jeep. The 4 x 4 vehicle climbs the highest rock formations (sometimes climbing at thousands of feet up) and exploring the deepest canyons of some of Sedona’s hotspots, such as the Diamond Back Gulch, Scenic Rim, and Coyote Canyon. The heights are exhilarating and views are picturesque.  

5. Shop. Sedona could definitely be called a cultural mecca; its southwestern flare is represented in many different kinds of shops and art galleries. However, the area with the most beauty and most to offer shoppers all in one place is probably the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. Tlaquepaque is a word from the ancient Aztec language of Nahuatl and means “the best of everything.” The center is modeled after a Mexican village and features bold colors, bubbling courtyard fountains, clay pots, stucco walls, and heavy wrought-iron gates in its design. And you better believe that the 40 artisans that have shops there offer goods as distinctive as the village itself. There are blown-glass creations, pottery pieces, Southwestern fine art, silks, leathers, handmade jewelry, and so on. Often, the artists feature their latest creation right in the shop. The village also houses a few eateries with an eclectic choice of menu items; cafes, breweries and restaurants with American, Mexican, French and continental cuisines. With so much to see and do, Tlaquepaque would be a great day-long excursion on your Sedona vacation.  

6. Have a sweet treat. Seeing all of those cacti in Arizona sure make you feel hungry…right? Exactly. Items made from the prickly pear cactus (the ones that grow low to the ground and have the oval-shaped “leaves”—not the ones with the long arms, those are saguaro) are somewhat of a delicacy in the state. Jellies and candies are the typical items made from the cactus’s pulp. The Cactus Candy Company sells prickly pear candies (and other items) that are shaped into a square and have a jelly-like consistency (almost like Sunkist Fruit Gems). The taste of prickly pear is hard to describe, but in these candies it is a very light fruity taste; definitely not overwhelming (and no needles to get stuck on your tongue!).  

7. Get energized. All of the trekking around Sedona will be tiring, so an energy boost will be needed. Sure you can spend a day at the spa, but for a no-cost alternative, experience one of Sedona’s many vortexes. While typical vortexes are a swirling of elements, such as air or water, around a center, Sedona’s vortexes are a swirling of subtle spiritual energy coming from the surface of the earth and surrounding many of the areas in the town (vortexes have been reported around Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Airport Rd.). Local legend states that juniper trees are an indicator of where energy levels are the strongest. The stronger the energy, the more of an axial twist the trees’ branches have along the length of the branches. Like many elements of spirituality, the energy one gets from a vortex is something that the person must open themselves up to personally; their nature is not easily explained, and the vortexes themselves cannot be visualized easily by everyone. However, when the energy is right, meditation, healing and prayer occur easily. If you’ve done any one of the things on this list, you’ve already opened yourself to the beauty of Sedona. Why not open yourself to the power of the vortexes?

For more information and fun things to do in Sedona, such as coordinating side trips to nearby cities of Phoenix, Grand Canyon and Scottsdale, visit the Sedona Bureau of Tourism .
 

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