Tag Archives: hiking

to the magic that is sedona

I plan to name one of my future children Sedona. (Now that I’ve told you that, you better not steal it!) Sedona was named after a woman named Sedona Miller Schnebly, who was named that by her mother because the name “had a pretty sound.” I must say I quite agree.

We were in Sedona last month, and even though we were only there for one day, I would live there. It is already a breathtaking place no matter where you’re coming from, but when you’re coming from hundreds of miles of absolutely desolate desert that is basically the equivalent of microwaved dirt, it is extra special.


Dobby hates it when we stop for pictures.

The ponderosa pines are the softest shade of sage green and the mountainside is rose gold, which is basically my favorite color because my wedding ring, which I will wear for a thousand years, is rose gold.

Massive red towers and sandstone mountains stand around the city like guardians. Homes and shops are scattered around the feet of them like barnacles. The ponderosa pines are everywhere, creating an evergreen vegetation that laces the red rock like jewels. Basically what I’m getting at is entering Sedona felt like we’d found a hidden ancient kingdom that also happened to have Chipotle.

Before we’d even parked the car, we both knew we needed to spend more time here. Actually, probably live here and definitely retire here. And the retirement communities filled with old men careening minivans through the street like drunk bumblebees told us we wouldn’t be the first with that idea.

For those of you who enjoy lists, here are seven reasons why Sedona is practically perfect in every way:

  1. They allow dogs in the shops, which is a basic human right.
  2. They sell the cutest t-shirts. And some of them are dyed with actual dirt. If you buy this shirt, it will get dirt stains on everything you own, which is kind of awesome and also slightly terrible.
  3. They make beautiful candles right before your very eyes.
  4. There are a bazillion crystal shops, so you can heal basically anything that’s wrong with you.
  5. Thousands of hiking trails—thousands.
  6. It’s not quite as much of a baking Satan’s oven as the rest of Arizona.
  7. It has a very awesome rock that you slide on called Slide Rock. Did I mention you slide on the rock? You do. It’s a sliding rock that you slide on by getting on the rock and sliding.


This tiny cactus friend lives in Sedona and is trying to make a life for himself in the rock crack.

Have I been looking up Airbnb rentals in Sedona? Yes. Do I wear my Sedona t-shirt multiple times a week? I do. Will I slap a Sedona sticker upon my vehicle? It is highly likely.

Anyway, basically Sedona is as awesome as I always knew it would be. It’s nice when dreams come true instead of getting dashed, and that definitely happened with Sedona.

Does anyone out there in the big wide internet world have a town they were in love with before they even went there? I’d love to hear.