Sedona Marathon Partners with Crowdrise

This year the ING NY City Marathon raised over 35 million dollars with Crowdrise!  To give  our Sedona Marathon Charities  a boost, Crowdrise is holding a special promotion between now and January 15^th.  Visit  crowdrise.com/TheSedonaMarathon2012  to check out our fundraiser on CrowdRise, then:Press the orange “Donate” button and donate $29 to any of our Sedona Marathon Charities and when you do so, you’ll be signed up to win aniPad 2 or click the “Fundraise for this Event” button and create a project for a cause you care about, donate $29 and then email all of your friends to donate to your project for a chance to win an iPad2.  The contest ends January 15, 2012. Visit crowdrise.com for more information.

 

Sedona Marathon partners with Team Arizona USA for Running Clinic!

Sedona Marathon Running Clinic   

The Sedona Marathon is pleased to announce that they will be partnering with Team USA Arizona for a “Running Clinic” as part of the 7th Annual Sedona Marathon on February 2at 3:30 pm at Sedona Red Rock High School. There are twelve members of the current Team USA Arizona and seven have qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials! The clinic activities will include stretches, drills and working with individuals on their gait. After the clinic there will also be a VIP Cocktail Reception at the marathon host property Amara Resort and Spa from 5:30-7:00 pm, to give participants the opportunity to personally mingle and have photos taken with potential Olympians.

The cost of the Sedona Marathon Team USA Running Clinic is $25 for adults, $15 for kids 16 and under. The VIP Reception at Amara Resort and Spa is also $25. Proceeds Benefit Team USA Arizona. Email info@sedonachamber.com or call 800-288-7336.

 

Forbes Top 12 Best Neighborhoods List

Forbes has placed Sedona on the Top 12 Most Beautiful Neighborhoods in America list!

“Though it’s actually a small city, Sedona, Arizona, merits inclusion because its homes are located within one of the most stunningly beautiful stretches of red sandstone formations in the world. Residents wake in the morning to a glowingly cinematic-looking backdrop that is both awe-inspiring and familiar, having been featured in more than 60 Hollywood productions, many of them timeless westerns from the 30s, 40s, and 50s.” Visit forbes.com to see the Top 12 List of the most beautiful neighborhoods in America.

 

Sedona celebrates the New Year with esteemed accreditation

In the January edition of Arizona Highways magazine, they listed the top 25 events in Arizona.  Sedona had three wonderful events included: The Sedona International Film Festival (Feb. 18-26, 2012) ; Chamber Music: Sedona’s Red Rock Music Festival (Aug. 24- Sept. 2, 2012)  and Tlaquepaque’s Festival of Lights (Dec. 8, 2012).  Congratulations!

Check out these events plus many more by going to http://visitsedona.com/

 

Annual Membership Meeting- January 20, 2012!

Mark your calendar for January 20, 2012!

Sedona Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Member Meeting on Friday morning, January 20, 2012 from 8:30 – 10:00 am at Los Abrigados Resort & Spa. The meeting will include a continental style breakfast with beverages, to be followed by presentations by the Chamber’s staff, reports from our Affinity groups, and Mr. Jim Rounds of Elliot Pollack & Company as keynote speaker who will provide an economic update and forecast for 2012. Time to network before, during and after is a key feature of the meeting. Free for members, please RSVP by calling Donna at (928) 204-1123.

 

Travel to Eastern Europe with the Chamber in April!

Sedona Chamber of Commerce is offering a remarkable opportunity to travel to Eastern Europe, departing April 12, 2012! The eight day trip, priced at an affordable $2,449 (less if booked by Dec. 30!), includes Budapest, Vienna, Cesky Krumlov and Prague. This trip includes airfare, lodging and much more. For detailed information click here. Don’t miss this chance to see the splendors of these fabled cities. Travel with friends and make this a truly memorable excursion!

 

Volunteer for the 2012 Sedona Marathon!

Are you looking to be involved in the 2012 Sedona Marathon, without running or walking in one of the 4 races? Join our amazing team of volunteers and invest your time in the event of the year. Your time and efforts are deeply needed and valued among your community, friends and thousands of runners. Marvel as Olympic hopefuls, part of Team USA- Arizona, compete to beat the course record and strive to be the top runners in the world. In 2011, volunteers had a superb viewing location on the course to witness, encourage and help, the youngest athlete at the tender age of 3, the eldest at age of 84, as well as the brilliant Olympic hopefuls. Please visit sedonamarathon.com/volunteer to volunteer.

 

New Sweepstakes

Since our Family Friendly Fun Sweepstakes was so popular we decided to add a new one- Escape the Heat Summer Sweepstakes. You can enter to win on our Facebook page with a few easy steps. We know Arizona is hot- but Sedona is not as hot as you think. Why not enter today?

To get you even more excited about the possibilities of cooling off in Sedona, we thought we would share some refreshing images from our favorite places. Enjoy!

Swimming in Oak Creek

Oak Creek Canyon

 

Dining in Sedona

There are dozens of wonderful Sedona dining choices, and several Sedona restaurants have earned national acclaim for their exceptional food and atmosphere. For visitors on-the-go there are also fast-food franchises and other Sedona eateries, such as sandwich shops, pizza parlors, delis, cafeteria-style buffets, and coffee shops. One thing’s for sure: You won’t go hungry in Sedona, whatever your taste! Casual attire is welcome – even in fine dining establishments

Top Arizona Restaurants in Sedona

Many of the best Arizona restaurants are in Sedona. For a town its size, Sedona has a surprising variety of food options. Sedona Arizona restaurants cover the food gamut – from bakeries and bistros to many styles of fine dining, southwestern cuisine and catering.  Sedona restaurants offer an exceptional variety of menu choices. You’ll find American food (including steakhouses); South-of-the Border Mexican food and international fine-dining specialties, including Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese food. Many Sedona Arizona restaurants change their menus seasonally.

Where to Eat in Sedona

Every part of the area features a Sedona restaurant. When it comes to deciding where to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, Sedona restaurant choices abound. Multiple Sedona restaurants can be found in Hillside, Tlaquepaque, Oak Creek Canyon, Uptown, the Village of Oak Creek and West Sedona. Sedona restaurants are renowned for their outstanding lunch and dinner menus and wine lists. Often a Sedona restaurant will feature locally produce, wines and beers to enhance a special lunch or dinner. To find where to eat in Sedona, browse Sedona restaurants in the official Experience Sedona Guide.

Beautiful Red Rock Views

Thanks to Sedona’s mild climate, many Sedona restaurants offer outdoor dining three seasons a year, and some restaurants feature red rock views from their dining rooms all year long. Even a casual coffee shop can have a spectacular red rock view! So don’t be shy. When you go out to eat, it’s perfectly fine to gawk at the astonishing red rock views and to linger over dessert and coffee.

A Venerable Tradition of Winemaking

Since the turn of the millennium, bucolic Verde Valley has been home to several vineyards and wineries. These wineries are producing handcrafted, limited production wines in both white and red varietals as well as library wines and multi-grape bottlings. Several have been applauded by wine critics and have won national wine awards. The public can give the wines a try in the vineyards’ tasting rooms during visiting hours, during occasional winemaker dinners and by picking up a bottle in area restaurants and in Sedona’s fine food emporiums and liquor stores.

 

Things to Do in Sedona

Here are some options for activities in Sedona:

Sedona Recreation: Hiking

Each of the amazing hikes in Sedona has its own individual character. Special attractions on Sedona’s extensive network of trails are as varied as their degree of difficulty, unique location and historical significance. Some hikes lead to high elevations, some hug winding creeks, some afford awesome views of distant vistas, some offer intimate beauty. It’s hard to pick a favorite hike, but you can’t go wrong no matter what choice you make. Just remember hiking safety rules and that litter defaces. Please take out everything you bring in to the national forest.

Sedona Recreation: Mountain Biking

Sedona has an extensive network of bike trails, some of which do double duty as Sedona’s hiking trails. New bike paths are being added all the time; the latest additions border the very scenic Red Rock Scenic Byway (State Route 179). However, bikes are off limits in specially designated wilderness areas. Biking enthusiasts in Sedona enjoy the annual Sedona Century bicycle event.  Click here for bicycle information in the area.

Sedona Recreation: Camping, Fishing & Picnicking

Popular day-use sites provided by the U.S. Forest Service are located at Call of the Canyon, near the trailhead at West Fork; Crescent Moon Ranch, with its world-famous view of Cathedral Rock; and Grasshopper Point, a creekside location near Midgley Bridge. Fishing the waters of Oak Creek Canyon is another popular pastime. The AZ Fish and Game Department can provide more information. Designated picnic areas Encinoso, Banjo Bill and Halfway are creekside getaways in Oak Creek Canyon, as are Bootlegger, Cave Springs, Manzanita and Pine Flat campgrounds. Call (877) 444-6777 for further details.

For more information visit our website at www.visitsedona.com.