Design of the Times
One thing is apparent when you meet Eric Brandt in his home studio in Thunder Mountain Ranch: He strongly believes in sustainable architecture. From the nonintrusive solar panels to the geothermal heating and cooling to its…
One thing is apparent when you meet Eric Brandt in his home studio in Thunder Mountain Ranch: He strongly believes in sustainable architecture. From the nonintrusive solar panels to the geothermal heating and cooling to its…
Bring your appetite to the Sedona Food Truck Festival at Posse Grounds Park on March 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 20 food trucks, $5 beers and a live band will satiate crowds….
If you think of Georgia O’Keeffe and floral paintings when you hear the term “watercolor,” you might want to attend Northern Arizona Watercolor Society’s Watermedia Exhibition happening at Sedona Arts Center March 1-18. An artists’ reception…
We first wrote about the challenging but rewarding A.B Young Trail in 2017. At that time, we stopped our hike where the switchbacks end at the top of the Mogollon Rim. We hiked it again recently,…
Some of our most memorable Sedona dining experiences have taken place at Che Ah Chi, Enchantment Resort’s signature restaurant. Whether we were oohing and ahhing over the resort’s homemade granola and Egg Fried Wild Rice while…
Ann Metlay has spent most of her life writing and teaching writing, so when she retired to the Verde Valley in 2010, she decided she wanted to pursue something different. An active student and teacher at…
There’s no denying the 3.3-mile trail that loops around Airport Mesa offers views of every major red rock formation in Sedona, but we were equally as enthusiastic about the landscape of the mesa itself. A constant…
When we spoke to author, tech company CEO, Sedona resident and Beatles collector extraordinaire Chris Formant, he was in the middle of hiking his way through Argentina and Chile. That’s just how he rolls. Chris’ second…
For the 25th anniversary of the Sedona International Film Festival, Patrick Schweiss, the festival’s executive director, says movie lovers will find nods to the festival’s past and present. From Feb. 23 through March 3, more than…
Odin is a very friendly 5-month-old, domestic, medium-haired kitten. He has a beautiful coat and gorgeous green eyes. Odin is cuddly and gets along great with other cats, which makes him a good choice if you already have…
Plan a pre-Valentine’s Day afternoon out on Feb. 10 when Verde Valley Sinfonietta presents Sweet Melodies at 2:30 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. The concert features Debussy’s Petite Suite and Brahms’ Serenade No. 1…
Editor’s note: A Taste of Marrakech has closed. Back in March 2015, a tiny eatery by the name of A Taste of Marrakech opened in Bell Rock Plaza in the Village of Oak Creek, and word…
Pianist George Winston will take the stage at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the show are $45 to $65. George, who grew up in Montana and plays a…
SEDONA MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL A little adventure in life can definitely be good for your health. If you’re in the mood to shake things up in 2019, mark your calendar for the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival…
Zelda is a 1-year-old spayed female Chihuahua mix with a heart of gold! She came to the Humane Society of Sedona from Maricopa Animal Care and Control in Phoenix where she was found running the streets…
Chamber Music Sedona’s 6th annual Winterfest concert is mixing things up this year. The festival culminates in a concert on Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m. at Sedona Performing Arts Center. Dubbed Shepherd on the Rock, the…
RUNNERS HIGH When it comes to wellness, who better to ask than the experts at HYPO2, Flagstaff’s internationally renowned high-altitude training center? “Whatever you choose to do for training, consistency is THE most important thing,” says…
In October, longtime Sedona resident and music teacher Deanna Branaman opened the doors to Red Mountain Music Academy at the former Big Park School in the Village of Oak Creek. Deanna and her husband, Jeff, were…
Arizona is world-renowned for its rich Western and Native American artistic heritage, but there’s a hidden gem in northern Arizona that wants to bring your attention to what’s happening in the world of contemporary art. Northern…
NOBU RESTAURANT A GLAMOROUS AND EVOCATIVE NIGHT ON THE TOWN Dining at the Caesars Palace outpost of Nobu Restaurant allows you to suspend reality. The stylish dining room sets the stage for what will be a…
Pardon us while we get nostalgic for a moment. Our first prickly pear margarita – on the rocks, with salt – was had at the wooden bar at the Cowboy Club. So were our first bites…
Named after a family of ranchers who herded cattle in this area, the Girdner Trail connects Yavapai College and the former Sedona Cultural Park with Dry Creek Road via 4.75 miles of interesting and diverse terrain….
DECK THE HALLS Vintage Christmas wreaths, garlands and greenery radiate the warmth of the Riordan family home when you visit Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. ‘Tis the season to be jolly when the turn-of-the-century log manor…
As if Sedona’s red rocks weren’t magical enough, Sedona Northern Lights returns for the second year, Dec. 13-16. At 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m., the 182,000,000-square-foot face of Camelhead Rock will be transformed into the…
Thomasina is a big, beautiful, long-haired female kitty looking for a cat-savvy person to help her with her special needs. The Humane Society of Sedona believes this 4-year-old girl is mostly blind. She will need a…
WALTER PAULSON Tucked inside one of Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village’s smallest courtyards, Rene at Tlaquepaque has been Sedona local’s fine-dining go-to since 1978. But its tucked-away vibe, cozy booths and tiny wine bar still make…
WINE OF THE TIMES Some wines transcend being a beverage and generate iconic imagery and memories, especially when savored with friends who enjoy a good story with a special wine. Place of origin has always been…
Dining at Adobe Grand Villas might be Sedona’s best-kept secret, though chef Michael Merilli, who has been in Sedona for more than 10 years, does have a devoted local following. Need a staycation? Think Adobe Grand…
When we first introduced readers to Chris and Debbie Jones, owners of Great Southwest gallery, the couple had recently relocated their home and business from Colorado Springs. That was back in 2013. At the time, Great…
Nothing announces the start of the holiday season like Sedona Chamber Ballet’s presentation of Phoenix Ballet’s The Nutcracker. The timeless performance takes place Dec. 1 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m….
THE ELEGANT MOUNTAIN LIFE Sophisticated mountain living comes with abundant amenities at Pine Canyon, a private community. Designed to be a place where one can escape the cares of the city to relax and enjoy the…
Before you head to that Thanksgiving feast, burn some calories at the 9th First Annual Sedona Turkey Trot 5K at Posse Grounds Park on Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. The race, presented by Sedona Running Company,…
The trail that leads up Bear Mountain may only be 2.5 miles one way, but it’s easily one of the most difficult hikes in Sedona. There’s little to no shade, so if hiking this trail is…
Escape to Spain this month without packing more than your handbag when Verde Valley Sinfonietta presents Spanish Nights on Nov. 18 at 2:30 p.m. The concert, the first of three in the sinfonietta’s 2018/19 season, takes…
Pumpkin is a 1 1/2-year-old neutered male. This Australian shepherd mixed breed pup is very friendly and genuinely enjoys other dogs and people. He’s 50 pounds of love and affection! Pumpkin enjoys playing and going for…
SOLID GOLD Since trees start changing color at highest elevations first, make sure to check out Aspen Corner early in the month. Located 6.5 miles up Snow Bowl Road off of Highway 180, this road-tripper’s favorite…
The name of Sedona’s largest sandstone arch, Devil’s Bridge, might sound sinister, but there’s no need to start reciting your Hail Marys just yet. The short, 0.9-mile trail that leads to the top of the arch…
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN Don’t get us wrong: We don’t think there’s any landscape on Earth that’s as beautiful as Sedona’s red rocks, but sometimes you just want to spend a little time in a quintessentially desert…
Halloween is here! There is no shortage of haunted happenings in the Verde Valley for the young and the young at heart, starting with Jerome’s 2018 Ghost Walk on Oct. 12 and 13 from 6:30 to…
Perched on top of Airport Mesa, Mesa Grill is your place for a leisurely, scenic lunch or sunset dinner. Grab a table next to the panoramic windows that look out over Sedona Airport and watch the…
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If you are an art collector – or if you just appreciate beauty – October is your favorite month. First up is the Sedona Arts Festival on Oct. 13 and 14. The 28th annual event takes…
The best weekend to shop for art in Prescott is Oct. 5-7 during the 11th annual Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour. Whether you only have an hour and you’re limited to downtown Prescott, or you have…
Chester is a 10-year-old gentle giant! This neutered male has been living at the Humane Society of Sedona since March 2018 when he was surrendered by his owner. He needs a fur-ever home that allows him…
By the time we left Hideaway House, we had met the couple sitting next to us, and the couple behind us. It’s a place where old friends gather at a very lively bar and new friends…
Have you ever wondered about the spindly spires of the Cockscomb formation west of Sedona and on the very edge of Red Rock Country? Then you need to spend an afternoon exploring Cockscomb Butte Trail. The…
Learn about the people who called our area home 1,400 years ago along the new Native American Heritage Park Trail in Camp Verde. The half-mile loop boasts interpretive-exhibit signs that educate hikers on the people native…
RED ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical music fans will want to attend all four performances of Red Rocks Music Festival at Sedona Creative Life Center. On Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., enjoy A Dialogue Through Music. From…
Despite recent whispers of Sedona losing its small-town charm, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with neighbors and celebrate what we love best about Red Rock Country. The Collective Sedona’s Moonlight Madness Concert is…
MARKET FRESH Teeming with Arizona-grown produce, meat and dairy products, the bountiful market also includes vendors that provide ready-to-eat, healthy foods to enjoy on the spot. Shoppers snap up items to accent their homes for fall…
Artists have been inspired by their landscape since man first began scratching images on cave walls, which is why celebrating visual art at a place like Grand Canyon National Park is such a natural fit. This…
Sarah and Sasha need a loving home! These pups are 8 years old and have lived together their entire lives. Sarah loves playing in the water and will jump into a kiddie pool whenever possible. Sasha…
Picture this: It’s a balmy evening right after a monsoon storm has passed. The air is still redolent with wet sage and a subtle whiff of ozone. Where do you want to be? Outside on the…
SEEING STARS View the sun and other stars through a special solar telescope by day, and at night explore the vastness of outer space in the Rotunda Museum at Lowell Observatory. You can also experience out-of-this-world…
Baby is a spayed, female, domestic short-hair calico cat living at the Humane Society of Sedona. She is 14 years old and her favorite pastime is napping on someone’s lap – Baby loves people. She has…
For most people, the first time they witness Michael Kollwitz tap out classic rock and old standards on his instrument, the odd-looking Chapman Stick, they have one response: What is that instrument and are you really…
Celebrate the history of Posse Grounds Park with the City of Sedona’s Parks and Recreation department during the Sedona Family Foot Rodeo. The event takes place at the lower softball field at Posse Grounds Park on…
When the days are hot, and you never know when a monsoon storm is going to pop up, we tend to stick to tried-and-true (read: short) hikes. Crescent Moon Creek Walk, more popularly known as Red…
Listen up car lovers! The 44th Annual Prescott Antique Auto Club Watson Lake Show happens Aug. 4-5 at Watson Lake Park in Prescott. The show takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and admission is…
With all of the distractions of day-to-day life, finding time to focus on an art project can be challenging. That’s why the Sedona Summer Colony has been so successful. For the third summer in a row,…
One of the coolest (literally) spots to be this month is on top of 11,500-foot Mt. Agassiz near Flagstaff. How do you get there? Take Arizona Snowbowl’s Scenic Chairlift to the top. The chairlift takes you…
ELLIE’S CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE: $8 When Ellie Shugrue was a kid, her favorite movie was The Parent Trap. In the flick, the twin girls eat Oreo cookies dipped in peanut butter, so Ellie had to…
Happy 242nd birthday, America! Celebrate Independence Day with the 4th of July Wet Fest at the Sedona community pool from noon to 4 p.m. The free activity features a water slide, games, water toys, swimming, live…
There’s just something about hot summer temperatures and sushi that seem to go hand in hand, isn’t there? When our appetites are light and we’re daydreaming about our next beach vacation, we head for Szechuan Restaurant,…
The Hotel Jerome, built in 1917, is one of the first buildings you see when you pull into the former mining town turned tourist destination. It’s located on the right side of AZ-89A just as the…
Because you are holding a copy of Sedona Monthly in your hands – whether you live here or not – it’s safe to assume that you have a favorite Red Rock Country trail. (No, we won’t…
A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON SOUTHWEST DESIGN What do you do when you want to retain your new home’s Southwest roots but also incorporate your own contemporary style? That was the dilemma presented to Stephanie Larsen, owner…
What happens when you combine great movies with balmy Sedona evenings? The City of Sedona Parks and Recreation Department’s new Sedona Summer Cinema Series, which begins June 6 and happens every Wednesday through the month. The…
BOTTOMS UP Made in the Shade Beer Tasting Festival, one of the largest brew fests in Arizona, happens Saturday, June 9, and features more than 50 breweries and distilleries. Pepsi Amphitheater, situated in a green, forested…
Fourteen years ago, Eric Glomski, owner and director of winegrowing at Page Springs Cellars and co-founder of Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, decided to marry two of his biggest passions, wine and music, with an annual harvest festival….
Most people would agree that dining in 2018 is equal parts ambience and cuisine. At SaltRock Southwest Kitchen and Craft Margaritas at Kimpton Amara Resort and Spa, the dining room has a modern-meets-Mid-Century-meets-Southwest feel, from the…
If you don’t mind the long drive, hiking into the amphitheater of Red Mountain, a 1-million-year-old cinder cone in the San Francisco Peaks Volcanic Field, is a must-have experience. The trail begins at the end of…
If you’re reading this in northern Arizona, a medically progressive part of the world, it won’t surprise you to hear that research done by the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona has indicated that cancer patients who…
TAKE IT TO THE EXTREME A thrill-seeking alternative to dinner and a movie is Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course where partners get in touch with their inner child on tree-to-tree rope courses and zip lines. The course…
For all of you domestic mavens, May is your month. First up is the 2018 Prescott Historic Home Tour, which takes place May 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s tour focuses on the…
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted to do was fly? The Hualapai Tribe, owners of Grand Canyon West, have made that possible – sort of. The destination debuted…
Last summer, an 80-year-old, housebound man named James Bean passed away in Uptown, Sedona. He didn’t have any family, but before quietly passed away, he told his caretakers that his biggest concern was that his partner’s…
Back in 2004, four art experts – Peggy Lanning, Isabelle Cozart, James Ratliff and Karen Ely – founded the Sedona Gallery Association as a way to promote Sedona’s fine art galleries. With the association came the…
Named after the base used to make gelato, Crema Craft Kitchen & Bar is where you want to be the morning after a long night (ahem). It’s where you bring your friends for Sunday brunch or…
Looking for something to do with the kiddies during spring break? Family in town? Sometimes not everyone is up for – or capable of – a 6-mile hike in the red rocks. That’s when Cottonwood’s Jail…
In 1958, a group of Sedona residents came together to establish the town’s first library in a donated space. They brought with them three shelves of books and magazines, which were also donated. The library moved…
It all started with four sold-out movie screenings in April 2016 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. The film was Medicine of the Wolf directed by Julia Huffman, and the organizers were Betsy Klein and Timon…
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SORBET WITH YOUR SYRAH? Low lighting, brick walls and floor-to-ceiling wine racks make FLG Terroir Wine Bar & Bistro Flagstaff’s quintessential wine bar. Patrons of all ages enjoy wines from around the…
Scott Newth pulls out several binders filled with photocopied documents from the 1800s, maps, diagrams, and pages and pages of research on rock art in the Verde Valley. You’d swear he’d been researching the…
In late winter and early spring, Dry Creek is anything but dry. Depending on how much rainfall we’ve received, it’s completely impassable in some locations. The key to hiking this trail is finding that ideal time…
Spend even a short amount of time with woodworker, furniture maker and artist Dan Taylor, and there’s one thing you’ll understand immediately: Dan respects his materials above all else. His material of choice for the past…
Red rock views? Check. A casual yet upscale ambiance worthy of wearing something nice? Check. A consistent menu that’s creative while at the same time cohesive? Check and check. It’s no secret that The Hudson has…
In LosAngeles back in the late 1990s, Blues Dawg was a quartet playing blues standards and originals, and they were receiving plenty of buzz. The band performed at legendary LA venues including B.B. King’s Blues Club,…
You might be familiar with Handel’s Messiah, but we bet you’ve never heard it like this before. On March 17 at 7 p.m., the nonprofit Sedona Conservatory will present the second annual All-Arizona Messiah SingIn at…
HIT THE SLOPES March is typically one of Flagstaff’s biggest snow months, and the mountain town’s local weather expert, Lee Born, assures us that there will be snow this month. Skiers and snowboarders can always count…
TODAY In the black cinder fields northeast of Flagstaff, the fierceness of the wind makes your eyes water and your nose run. Prickly brush grows from coal-colored sand, and gnarled pine trees stand sentinel. Occasionally, you…
You might say Jane Alexander’s acting career is the stuff that dreams are made of. She earned an Oscar nomination for her film debut in The Great White Hope (1970) but only after she starred in…
Norman Petty is the most famous person you’ve probably never heard of. He was a music industry whirlwind: instrumentalist, songwriter, audio engineer, talent manager and, most important, an independent record producer. The 20 Top 40 hits…
Lace up those sneakers! The 13th Annual Sedona Marathon Event takes place Feb. 3 on Navoti Drive behind the Sedona Medical Center. The race begins at 9 a.m. and is expected to draw more than 3,000…
Even though world-renowned ceramicist Don Reitz passed away in 2014 at the age of 84, his spirit can still be felt around the kilns and in the studio at his off-the-beaten-path ranch in Clarkdale. The ranch’s…
The only remnant of any movie set ever built in Sedona is a tall rock chimney and fireplace shrouded in brush and trees on a rocky basalt road at the top of the Mogollon Rim. Reaching…
Admittedly, we don’t get out for breakfast all that often, but when we do, we like to make an event of it. Think brunch à la Sex in the City. Casa Sedona Inn, a secluded, boutique…
Now in the middle of its 35th season, Chamber Music Sedona has a winter lineup that will warm everyone’s ears. First up, the Fifth Sedona Winter Music Festival happens Jan. 10-14 and features clarinetist and festival…
The first six sound movies photographed on location in Sedona were produced by the Fox Film Corp. between 1930 and 1933. Last of the Duanes, El último de los Vargas (a Spanish-language version of Duanes simultaneously…
REDS Restaurant at Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa has a modern vibe that has made it a favorite locals’ hangout for years. If you live here, it’s practically a given that you’ll run into someone you…