Tourin' Tuesdays with Househangout in the Land of all Lands - Sedona!!!!
Welcome to Tourin' Tuesdays! As much as I would love to discuss some of the great things to see in Phoenix and Scottsdale, today I just had to focus on an incredible place to visit...not too far away...that is like no other place you'll see (other than maybe the Grand Canyon). And where is that place...Sedona, AZ.. 
Now granted I know that there is a ton of information out there about Sedona. Actually I just did a quick check and found that in searching for "Sedona" on Google there are 7,930,000 sites you can visit, and on Yahoo, there are even more at 10,600,000. Wow...pretty popular place, huh? But when you see something this great...you just have to talk about it. Sedona is about 2 1/4 hours from Scottsdale and actually the entire drive is quite beautiful. You definitely can't miss it as you are entering the city...the gorgeous red rocks are all around you. (I know, some of you may not be that fascinated with "gorgeous red rocks", but for those of us who love the outdoors, this is as good as gets...especially this time of year).
As far as what to do in Sedona, well it's really all at your fingertips and your imagination. If you're determined to see the mountains...they'll make sure you get there. Here's just a few of the ways: Jeep Tours (especially watch out for those little "pink jeeps"), Helicopter Tours, Hummer Tours, Balloon Rides, The Trolley, Van Tours, and Mountain Bikes. You can also rent these really cool "Tomcars". For those of you who do not know what those are...they look like a cross between a small car and a four-wheeler. They looked like a lot of fun and we'll probably take one out the next time we go. (As a side note...my husband loves to go off-roading. I assure you this is something I never thought I would be doing or would even slightly enjoy...but now I love it. Yes...we love an adventure!) Anyway...you can see that they pull out all the stops to make sure you get a full day of site-seeing while you're there.
And by the way...if you like a little excitement, be sure to take one of those jeep tours...espeically on "Broken Arrow Trail". (Another side note...we have our own jeep, so it was just the two of us on this one, but on the jeep tours that the companies offer, you may be with several other people). Anyway...towards the end you'll get to the "the Devil's Staircase." Though I'm not big on the name...I quickly saw how it got it's name...a bit of thrills and frills for sure!!! Just something to keep in mind when you visit! 
After you've had your fill of taking in the sites, they have a wonderful little downtown area for shopping. There are lots of little "mom and pop" type shops and they sell about anything you could want. And there's some great restaurants there, as well, that you definitely don't want to miss....oh...and don't forget the homemade ice cream. It's totally delicious!
If you visit before April 2008, you'll also be able to see the "Javelinas on Parade". Now I admit this was a little different, but because we hail from Kansas City and had had the illustrious "Cows on Parade" at the Plaza a couple of years ago, we kind of knew what we were dealing with. I'm sorry that I am not more of a connoisseur of art (though I definitely admire artists, since my artistic skills leave something to be desired - even my "stick people" don't look like people). Anyway...
Sedona is also host to numerous bed and breakfasts that are built right within the rocks or close to the rocks and offer some outstanding views and incredible sunsets! And at night...they even offer an "astronomy tour". We didn't get to stay for that one...but definitely next time.
Besides the tour of the mountains, you can also visit these places:
No need to explain all of these...remember...you've got those 10 million plus sites to visit and learn all you ever wanted to know.
For a quick bit of history, Sedona was technically founded by TC Schnebly (though about 15 families were already living there by the time he arrived). Reports say he was a very "enterprising young man who owned a general store and a hotel in his home on 80 acres where the Tlaquepaque and Los Abrigados Resorts are now located."
And how did Sedona get its name? Mr. Schnebly also organized the first post office by submitting his wife's name: Sedona! It was approved on June 26, 1902.
Well...for those of you who are like us and just like to have fun and enjoy some great sites...this is the place to be. Just another great reason to live in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area...so many things to do...and they're not too far away.
Thanks again for "hanging out" with us.
See you soon!