For the past six or seven years, Sedona has been part of our annual winter wanderings in Arizona. I must say that at first I was definitely not smitten with this area, but over the years I have really become taken with the beauty and history of central Arizona.
Despite some cool and rainy weather, my husband Ron and I had a wonderful week in the Sedona area in late March. As I love to do, we discovered some new sights to see, hidden gems and outstanding restaurants. We camped in the town or Cornville, which is perfect for avoiding the crowds in Sedona, and central to the wineries, hiking trails and historic sites nearby.
In its not-so-ancient past, Arizona’s dusty desert expanses were home to Indigenous tribes, raucous cowboys, and hopeful miners looking to strike gold. But despite its Old Western roots and relatively recent statehood, Arizona has become one of the country’s fastest-growing states, with its capital of Phoenix firmly planted as the United States’ fifth largest city, attracting nearly 50 million tourists each year to trek the Grand Canyon, see a Spring Training game, or party at the country’s most disorderly and well-attended golf tournament, the Phoenix Open.
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Arizona’s small towns are wildly different, yet it’s within their limits that Arizona’s legendary past meets its bright future. Here, ancient civilizations and experimental communities coexist beautifully. From ghost towns and gunfight reenactment sites to vortex-laden spiritual centers, there are layers of unconventionality to explore in the state’s least-populated cities. Arizona has always been prime