All the Trimmings

Cactus Christmas trees and cowboy boots filled with poinsettias. Red silk flowers in a cow skull and ornaments hanging off the branches of a dried agave plant. Rope and bandanas, luminarias, and spurs, deer heads and…

Sedona Hotels Go For the Gourmet

Hotel dining is quietly experiencing a renaissance in Sedona. “The food aspect of resort restaurants has changed from a caterpillar to butterfly,” says Elizabeth McIntire, food and beverage director for Sedona Center in Uptown. “Resorts are…

What Your Real Estate $$ Buys Today

The real estate market in Sedona went through the roof in 2004. It has come a little bit back to earth over the past six months, much like the rest of the United States, creating new…

3 Days in Havasu Canyon

At the far west end of the Grand Canyon, a turquoise-blue creek cuts through 14 miles of sheer red rock cliffs, meandering along travertine dams and tall cottonwoods. Waterfalls crash down as much as 200 feet…

From the Ground Up

What does it take to build a custom home with as few bumps in the road as possible? Just ask Joe and Judy Ruthven, who purchased land in the Casa Contenta development in West Sedona in…

Gown Town

  Even in a field as fickle as fashion, some things are timeless. For our fourth annual summer fashion special, Sedona Monthly celebrates the resurgence of glamour in 2006 styles. On the following pages, you’ll see…

Residential Arias – Opera House Sedona

For the seventh consecutive year, eight Sedona property owners are scheduled to open their stylish doors to the public as hosts of the annual Art and Architecture Tour, with proceeds benefiting the educational and performance programs…

Love on the (Red) Rocks

It was the Super Saturday of Sedona weddings. On May 21, 2005, more than 50 couples said “I do” in town – pledging their love in small groups along Oak Creek and in big bashes at…

Nature Calls!

Ask Sedona residents why they settled in Red Rock Country and you’ll hear some variation of this response again and again: It was just too pretty to leave. Visitors get the message too, flocking in huge…

What They See Is What We Get

When audiences file into the Harkins Sedona 6 for the official opening of the Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop on Feb. 23, it kicks off four days of happy discovery for fans of independent films….

A Visit to 7 Sedona Spas

One of the many things that made me excited about my recent decision to move to Sedona was the chance to be near the area spas. I love spa treatments – the way tension melts away…

Happy Holidays, Sedona Style!

How do you impress holiday guests with lusciously lumpless mashed potatoes? Want the secret to wrapping all of your gifts economically, yet so beautifully your loved ones may actually feel bad about ripping it to see…

Elegant Curves

Life throws all kinds of curves at you. Some curves take you out of your comfort zone – like a series of jolts that sent architect Aldo Andreoli packing from New York for a breath of…

All That Jazz!

Sedona’s Jazz on the Rocks festival, ­celebrating its 24th year with performances around town from Sept. 22-25, improvises around twin themes: Music and education. Proceeds from the weekend of music, revolving around the daylong outdoor festival…

The New Kids on the Block

So, what’s new? In Sedona this summer, the answer is: neighbors. “Open for Business” banners are unfurling all around us, and an eclectic group of newcomers are putting out Welcome mats and taking their places in…

Looking Good!

  Romance. Sophistication. Soft, flowing fabrics. Light and airy clothes that add volume without bulk. Soothing shades, floral prints, and classic whites. These are some of the trends Sedona’s clothing and style experts predict will be…

Opera Houses

“I would argue that perhaps what’s going on in opera are some of the most real and deep experiences out there,” singer-songwriter of the moment Rufus Wainwright recently told the British rock-music magazine Mojo, “especially now,…

Wine! A Tour of Five Stylish Cellars

What makes a great Sedona wine cellar? We’ll raise a glass in praise of passion and personality – two traits common to the five very different rooms profiled here. Cellars (we’ll use the term even though…

Night of the Western Stars

Actors Clint Walker, Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, Robert Horton, and Morgan Wood­ward were the guests of honor on Feb. 3 when Los Abrigados Resort and Spa hosted the second of the four planned “Hands Through History” evenings…

Declaration of Independents

Last year, the Sedona In­ternational Film Festival & Workshop wasn’t just showcasing drama: It was participating in one. Right before Festival weekend, the organization experienced a sudden change in leadership. Remarkably, the festival went on without…

Luminarias: Making Spirits Bright

“Thirty-one years ago, Christmas in Sedona was not commercially a big deal,” recalls Geoffrey Roth, whose jewelry store and gallery was one of the first to occupy the then-fledgling Tlaquepaque in the early 1970s. “For the…

Northward Ho!

There’s an undeniable appeal to finding oases in the desert. About 170 miles  to the north of Sedona sits Lake Powell, a fascinating area where you can find gorgeous rocks, the Colorado River, amazing sunsets, and…

To Life in The Small Corners

Carol Scribner, the author of To Life in the Small Corners is not a photographer by training, but one look at her eclectic resume lets you know she’s not shy about trying different things. She has…

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks 2004

Over its 23-year history, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks weekend has grown from a little improvisation by a small circle of inspired fans into a multifaceted suite that has a particularly sweet coda: A windfall for…

Sedona’s Televisionaries

Is Sedona ready for its close-up? Starting in May, a national TV network, the Wisdom Channel, began airing the first 30-minute episodes of Sedona Now, produced and hosted by Glenn Scarpelli and Jude Belanger. The series…

Wow! Summer Style!

Going swimming? When temperatures hit the 90s, Sedona seeks ­maximum cool by the water, whether it’s at Oak Creek, the community pool, or  the local resorts. But by the looks of the women’s swimsuits being featured…

Partners in Mime

Don’t tell Robert Shields there’s no business like show business. After starring on a network TV show, headlining in Las Vegas, befriending legends – and making America confront its love/hate relationship with mimes – he built…

Take Me Into the Ballgame

It rained on the third day we were in Tucson to visit the Arizona Diamondbacks at their spring training facility, which also happened to be the day the team was to take the field for the…

How We See Us

  It starts at sunrise. From the folks who make deliveries, to those getting ready for the day’s first customers, to those who just lean back and take it all in before revving their engines, a…

Coming Attractions

One year ago, the Sedona Film Festival & Workshop re­ceived 150 to 200 submissions of films for consideration, says new CEO/Artistic Director Douglas Tanton. For 2004, he and the local selection committee expect to review 600…

Time Travelers

A gas station is probably the last thing you think of when you look at El Portal Sedona, the remarkably detailed 1900-1930-era bed and breakfast inn that Steve and Connie Segner created near Oak Creek –…

Sedona Golf Courses

Mark Twain once quipped that “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” He obviously never walked a Sedona golf course, where the view is ideal, and the competition only enhances the joy of being outdoors. Sedona’s signature…

Johnny Guitar in Sedona

Fifty years ago this month, a production crew from Hollywood set up in Sedona to begin shooting Johnny Guitar; 44 days later, they carried away the raw footage of a cowboy movie that eventually would be…

Spas… Ah-h-h-h-h!

Stressed out in Sedona? Relief is at hand. So lie back. And let go. It’s “me time.” It’s your day at the spa. Our local spas attract visitors from all over the world, for massage and…

Into the Sunset

The Bradshaw Ranch is padlocked now. In May 2003, it became another parcel of federal land, soon to blend into the rest of the Forest Service holdings surrounding it. But while the future of the land…

You Wear It Well

Summer in Sedona has a style all its own. Whether you’re spending days by the pool, on the hiking trails, relaxing with friends or vacationing at a local resort, our fashion scene specializes in delivering a…

Taking Your Vows? Sedona Wows!

Sedona is the sixth most popular spot for weddings in the United States, and one look around tells you why. The views are beautiful, the weather’s great, and all the ingredients are here to make it…

Ssssh! It’s Secret Sedona!

We love Sedona! We love the climate! The people! The scenery! And we love it all the more whenever we stumble upon quirky tales from its past. As much as how the rocks were named or…