Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel Celebrates Spring!

Spring Fling in Sedona!
Hiking through the Wildflowers!
Celebrate Mother's Day!
Special Discount!

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Sedona has had an unusually rainy season this winter, but the sun is shinning again and that means, Wonderful Wildflower Hikes!  When was the last time you were truly awed by anything?  Come to Sedona and stay at the Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel so you can step out the door and hike into the glorious Coconino Forest. Within a short walk from the Kings Ransom, you will be treated to a brilliant display of desert wildflowers that you only see after a glorious rain-filled winter.  You will be delighted at the abundance and diversity of the blooms you will observe on your hike…you may even want to bring a local wildflower book with you, if you want to identify what you behold! Have a Spring Fling this year in Sedona and experience the Red Rocks on foot…the best views are close… you couldn’t pick a better time of the year! Don’t forget to bring your camera!  Visit also: www.bestsedonahiking.com.

While you are here, be sure to treat yourself to a delicious gourmet Mexican dinner prepared by Elote Café’s chef, Jeff Smedstad.  We recommend you come early, as reservations are only taken for a group of five or more.  Start with a wonderful Margarita while you are relaxing at the end of a perfect day!  

Special Sedona Lodging Discount!

Whether you come for wildflower viewing, hiking,  or to dine at one of Arizona’s best restaurants (Elote Café), Sedona is the perfect destination for a Spring Fling!  Just to entice you to spend some week days (Sunday through Thursday night) with us, when you book your reservation, Say: “I’m coming to Sedona for a Spring Fling”  and we will give you $10 off per night on any weekday reservation using our internet rates. Call for a reservation at (800) 846-6164!

Here are some other noteworthy events you may enjoy this Spring in Sedona:

Sedona Bluegrass Festival

Sunday, May 3rd

Tim O’Brien, the Grammy award winning mandolinist and singer/songwriter has recorded multiple records and first exploded on to the bluegrass scene as a founder of Hot Rize. Phillips and Grier have each received numerous Grammy awards and adding in Flinner to form the trio creates bluegrass music of the highest pedigree.

The Burnett Family Bluegrass, winners of the 2004 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, has been praised by critics as a "Genuine talent…with the ability and confidence to solo, improvise and add tasteful musical color to whatever they play." Finally, Crystal Ridge Bluegrass Band, finalists in the 2008 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, is an exciting acoustic group with great depth and experience that tests the parameters of acoustic music.

All concerts are preceded by informal pre-concert talks from 1:15 to 2 p.m., and ‘Concert Conversations’ take place from 2:15-2:25.p.m., with the artists. Concerts are presented at 2:30 p.m., at St. John Vianney Church, 180 Soldiers Pass Road, Sedona unless noted. 

For detailed information call 928-204-2415 or visit www.chambermusicsedona.org

To book your Sedona Hotel Room, please call 800-846-6164

Jerome Art Walk

Saturday, May 2nd

Another great spring evening is in store for locals and visitors in this mile high mountain town. First Saturday Jerome Art Walk features a Kentucky Derby after party filled with art, music, refreshments and great conversation at the 30 galleries and studios. A free shuttle will whisk you from The Old Jerome High School to The New State Motor Company and everywhere in between. Walking the inviting streets is another easy option for art lovers.

Caption: Kim Hoshal’s iconic image of Cathedral Rock will be previewed at the Spirit Art Gallery.

Jerome First Saturday Art Walk has become the best Saturday activity in the Verde Valley… at least according to many art lovers who are slowly savoring each section of this thriving art community. There is so much to see that it is impossible to see everything in one walk.  Make a night of it.  Have dinner at one of the great restaurants or spend the night at a Bed and Breakfast. With gallery openings, open studios, live music all through the town and delicious treats at most stops, this is one spring night that will delight.
 
Just in time for Mothers Day, Jerome's Jewelry has a fabulous selection of custom jewelry.  Rick Hernandez has been busy in his studio creating a dazzling line of springtime jewelry.  Using Arizona Peridot, Amethyst, Garnet and Blue Topaz, his creations look bright and colorful in sterling silver and 14k gold settings.  Rick also has a wide variety of Australian Opal jewelry with a spectrum of brilliant colors. His son, 17 year old Ricky Hernandez, has a beautiful line of druzy jewelry that looks awesome with a great assortment of rainbow colors. Many of Ricky's pieces are set off with Mystic Topaz, which also has a rainbow effect. Come see the unique work of these two amazing jewelry artists.

For more information on the Jerome Art Walk visit www.jeromeartwalk.com

To book your Sedona Hotel Room, please call 800-846-6164

Throw Mama or Papa ON the Train for their Special Day

Sunday, May 10th

Tip the scales from ordinary to extraordinary in celebrating Mom and Dad on their respective special days. Riding the rails with loving sons and daughters in the relaxing climate-controlled cars of Verde Canyon Railroad will weigh in as a golden memory. The train gently slaloms through the pristine wilderness of Verde Canyon with breathtaking views around each bend. Cottonwoods and mesquites display their fullest bloom alongside the winding Verde River; wildflowers in flashy ruby, cobalt and gold blaze the hillsides, and crimson sandstone cliffs jut into the azure sky.

Throw Mama on the Train for Mother’s Day on May 10.  Mom will feel like royalty, bestowed with a special gift and surrounded by pampering rail staff. She’ll ponder how moms from the past made their “house a home” as the train’s narrator points out the ancient Sinagua Indian cliff dwellings and old homesteader ranch house on the valley floor.  Stroll with Mom to the open-air cars for a superb view of the huge nest of Black and Decker, the resident bald eagle couple. Catching sight of their fledglings testing their wings in flight will warrant giving Mom an extra hug as sons and daughters remember her encouragement to chance new horizons.

Keeping in mind the old saying, “the way to a man’s heart….,” come early and treat Dad to the Copper Spike Café BBQ on the outdoor patio to commence Father’s Day festivities on June 21.  Then with his special gift in hand, Throw Papa on the Train for a fun-filled afternoon. Dad will delight in the historical narration of the once-flourishing copper mines and the rugged men who completed this rail line in 1912.  He’ll sport a boyish grin as the train passes through the 680-foot manmade tunnel and over the lofty S.O.B. trestle-style bridge.

Leaving the bustling city behind to drink in the soothing elixir of nature’s beauty, spiced with tales of the Old West, is a way to show your love and gratitude to Mom and Dad for their years of nurturing that will long be remembered. The round trip to Perkinsville and back departs the depot at 1 p.m., and returns at 5 p.m., just in time to treat Ma and Pa to toe-tapping entertainment and a feast of cowboy vittles at the nearby Blazin’M Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner Show.

The Verde Canyon Railroad depot is located in Clarkdale, 25 minutes from Sedona, two hours north of Phoenix, and one and one-half hours south of Flagstaff. Passengers are encouraged to arrive approximately one and one-half hours prior to departure.

For train reservations call 1-800-293-7245 or book on-line at www.verdecanyonrr.com. The cowpoke dinner show can be conveniently booked at the same time.

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey!

Where: Verde Canyon Rail Road, 300 North Broadway, Clarkdale
Phone: 1-800-293-7245
Contact: www.verdecanyonrr.com

To book your Sedona Hotel Room, please call 800-846-6164

44th Annual Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour

Plans are under way for the 44th Annual Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour. This longest running tour in the state of Arizona promises a look at both the historic gems of this charming town and a few new Victorian and contemporary delights.

Caption: The Honeymoon Cottage, built in 1921 by mine owner Jimmie ’Rawhide’ Douglas as a wedding gift for his son, will be on the 2009 Historic Home Tour in Jerome. Photo by Ron Chilston.

This is a guided tour with transportation provided from home to home. The all-volunteer docents will explain the history and the fascinating stories behind each venue. There are plenty of steps and winding paths so the tour will not be handicapped accessible.

The 2009 Line-up:

The Reber House now The Emma Rose
Mary Williams House
The Honeymoon Cottage
The Story Teller Inn
Western Heritage Cabinet Shop and Showroom
Robinson Victorian Mansion
Heavenly View Bed and Breakfast
Carberry House - Jerome Contemporary
Jerome Volunteer Fire Department
Spook Hall – Lawrence Memorial Hall
 
This year promises to be an exciting and interesting tour of nine Jerome originals. The 44th Annual Tour will begin with a visit to two residential homes on the vertical back streets of Jerome, lovingly restored and lived in – much as the original residents did 100 years ago. The Reber House built in the 1910's by the mine geologist and now named The Emma Rose, is a vision in blue, filled with antiques and charm.

The Mary Williams house, built in 1906, has had the honor of being photographed by Arizona Highway’s Magazine photographer Ansel Adams in the 1950's. Today, the lovely interior rooms sit in harmony with perfect outdoor spaces complimented by million dollar views of the Verde Valley.

On another side of town, the tour includes The Story Teller Inn, a perfect Arts and Crafts house, The Old Jerome High School Gymnasium, now the wood-working studio and showroom of furniture maker, Western Heritage and two modern day Victorian Dream Homes.

The tour continues out Douglas Road to another section of this charming mountain artist colony for a visit to The Honeymoon Cottage, which was built in 1925 by mine owner Jimmie Rawhide Douglas as a wedding gift to his son and daughter-in law.

From there the tour continues on to a Beale Street contemporary home built with design concepts drawn from Jerome’s past. The final stops include The Jerome Volunteer Fire House with a close-up look at equipment, old and new, and discussion with the Jerome firefighters about the special challenges of the job in this unique town. End the tour with refreshments at Jerome's famous 'Spook Hall'.

The proceeds from this event will benefit The Jerome Chamber of Commerce and its projects for the coming year. Tours begin at 9 a.m., with the last one each day starting at 3 p.m. Tickets for adults are $12 and children 3-12 are $6 with 2 and under free. For more information, contact Coleen at (928) 649-3847.

To book your Sedona Hotel Room, please call 800-846-6164