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The Draw
• Nature's awesome red-rock canvas
• New Age psychic powers and counterculture lifestyles
• Arizona outdoor adventure at its best
The Scene
Named the most beautiful spot in America by USA Today, Sedona is the epitome of the Western red-rock wilderness -- oak-shaded creeks meandering through box canyons and around mesas framed by bright blue Arizona sky. The paradox, of course, is that there isn't a lot of wilderness left. At least not in Sedona itself, which sports an ever-growing population of around 11,000 (and thrice that many visitors on some weekends), with everyone seemingly determined to construct their own Santa Fe-style homes with cactus gardens and outdoor hot tubs. People are drawn to Sedona for various reasons. The area is a vast outdoor playground, where you can golf and hike, rock climb and mountain bike year round. It's also a hub for artists, writers and fine-arts performers, as well as a popular place to retire (although home and property prices have skyrocketed in recent years). Last but not least, Sedona is a psychic portal of no small significance. Scattered around town are four different vortexes -- invisible energy spirals (emanating from the Earth) that are said to interact with the human psyche and emotions. Whether or not you believe is beside the point -- tapping vortex power has become the town's major industry. Get your fortune told or your aura photographed. Attend yoga classes or meditation sessions. Chill out at a wellness retreat or pamper yourself with a Native American hot-stone massage. Discover your inner self and your former lives. Nonbelievers can always sink their teeth into a vortex pizza. One way or another, Sedona captures the soul and tingles the imagination.
To Be Seen
• Tlaquepaque. This Southwest-style village near the heart of Sedona showcases Western and Native American clothing, jewelry, art and crafts. Special events include outdoor concerts, ethnic festivals, book signings and art walks.
• Sedona Arts Center. In addition to shows and exhibitions, each year the center offers more than 50 public workshops in a variety of different disciplines, from watercolor and photography to ceramics and mixed media.
• Pueblo Ruins. In prehistoric times, cliff-dwelling people lived throughout the Sedona region. Their high-rise "apartment" homes are preserved at several places in the nearby Verde Valley, including the Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle national monuments.
• Jerome. This gritty Old West town started life in the 1880s as a "camp" for the nearby copper mines. Today it's a thriving alternative-lifestyle outpost, where gays and lesbians own many of the antique shops, art galleries, corner cafes and boutique hotels.
For The VIP
• Book a romantic champagne flight for two with one of a half dozen outfitters that offer hot-air balloon trips over Sedona and the Verde Valley. Try www.sedonahotairballoons.com.
• Sign up for the "Total Golf" experience at the gorgeous Sedona Golf Resort with one of the club pros. You get five hours of instruction in the physical, mental and emotional approach to the game during nine holes of golf. For more info: www.sedonagolfresort.com.
• Sink into "Spiritual Exploration" at Mii Amo Spa at Sedona's Enchantment Resort. The package includes crystal bath, interpretive reading, psychic massage, body feng shui, local vortex visit and daily meditation class. For more info: www.miiamo.com.
Overrated
Slide Rock. Crowds, noise and trash spoil the experience of this celebrated swimming hole along Oak Creek, especially during the summer and holiday weekends. And high E. coli counts have closed the park several times in recent years.
Underrated
Red Rock Crossing. Why does everyone flock to Slide Rock when the tranquil Red Rock Crossing (aka Crescent Moon) on the other side of town has all the same things and more? Expect water-slide rocks, Tarzan vines, tadpole holes, hiking trails, cool picnic groves and even its own little rocky vortex field.
Don't Miss
Red Rock Fantasy is an extravagant holiday light show that unfolds between Thanksgiving and Christmas on the grounds of Los Abrigados Resort. Hundreds of individuals and families from all around Arizona design and construct the elaborate displays, many of them automated. In addition to live yule tunes, roasted chestnuts and hot apple cider are offered along the route. (www.redrockfantasy.com)
When To Go
Unless you adore temperatures in the triple digits, avoid Sedona in summer. But September through May is absolutely divine, with some of the best weather in North America.
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