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Interesting Facts
- Abandoned pueblos, evocative petroglyphs, and ancient irrigation ditches are the most visible remnants of tribes who once roamed present-day Sedona's canyons and deserts. First populated by an unnamed culture, the area became home to the Anasazi, Hohokam, Hopi, and Sinagua through the centuries. With the advent of Spanish explorers in the late 16th century, these groups, particularly the Sinagua, disappeared from Sedona for uncertain reasons.
- By the early 20th century, only a few dozen families inhabited the Sedona area, including T.C. Schnebly and his clan. In an effort to get mail to the settlement, Schnebly requested a post office. After the names he suggested proved too cumbersome for the stamp, he resorted to his wife's name – Sedona. And thus, the town as we know it was born.
- In Sedona's early days, Red Rock scenery was simply a backdrop to agricultural pursuits. However, as Hollywood grew, filmmakers sought dramatic landscapes and sweeping vistas for their pictures. As a result, the town grew in prominence, aided by such films as John Wayne's "The Angel and the Badman" and "Blood on the Moon" (with Robert Mitchum and Barbara Bel Geddes), both of which helped sell Sedona's beauty.
- Once tourism took off, it was bolstered by interest in Sedona's wild natural beauty, resort experiences, fine art, and energy vortexes. Since the 1980s, especially, the community has grown by leaps; evidence of its prosperity can be seen in Sedona Cultural Park, a spectacular amphitheater that hosts big-name concerts and the town's signature Jazz on the Rocks festival in late September.
- A mild climate and easygoing lifestyle easily recommend Sedona, whose awe-inspiring beauty and natural calm have led to its being called one of America's ten most beautiful places by "USA Weekend." Still, as any visitor or local can tell you, it's not a destination that needs added applause or commendation. Sedona's allure is transcendent.
- Part of Sedona's recent popularity derives from its perceived status as a place of spiritual, metaphysical, and magnetic energy. In fact, the New Age populace has identified four main locales in the area where energy is concentrated. Known as vortexes, the sites are believed to impart a feeling of well-being and connectedness. They're located at Boynton Canyon, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Table Top Mountain (on which the airport sits).
- Although its desert setting would lead folks to believe that Sedona is a sweltering oven, its 4500-foot elevation proves otherwise. Unlike Phoenix and other low-lying cities, Sedona boasts more temperate climes. Nighttime temperatures can be quite cool, and snow is not unheard of. In fact, the average daily temperature year-round is a comfortable 74º.
- If you're hoping to explore much of central Arizona, Sedona makes a terrific home base. Not only does it have charms of its own, but it's close to many of the state's scenic and metropolitan sites. The Grand Canyon lies 100 miles north, Phoenix is 90 miles south, and Flagstaff is only 40 miles north of the resort town. Day trip, anyone?
- As far back as 1946, Sedona had an encounter with the Surreal – in the form of Max Ernst. The German artist had helped found the artistic movement (which relied on the subconscious for inspiration and promoted curious, imagistic combinations) before fleeing war-torn Europe. Ernst and wife Dorothea Tanning lived in town for seven years, mesmerized by the desert's juxtapositions of shape, color, and texture. "Capricorn," one of Ernst's most well-known sculptures, dates from his time in Sedona.
- Given the Sedona community's emphasis on enlightenment and whole-body integration, it should come as little surprise that spa experiences are so popular. Many resorts offer a range of luxurious services that frequently incorporate cross-cultural or Native American approaches. Treatments include standards like yoga and tai chi, along with more unusual offerings like meditation grottoes, blue-corn scrubs, and crystal classes.
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