Tag: organic food

Traveler: Your Guide to Sedona

Posted on by Editor

Whether you’re finding spiritual healing at the “vortexes,” hiking Coffee Pot Rock, or practicing morning meditation at a wellness spa, Sedona, Arizona, is brimming with opportunities for introspection. Touted as the “red rock playground,” the town is informed by the landscape and is home to many sacred structures, including labyrinths, stupas, and medicine wheels.

Stemming from Native American influences, Sedona’s immense metaphysical community offers healers, intuitives, and spiritual guides. Deep, red canyons and clear, star-studded skies make every turn look like a movie backdrop, which is why John Wayne has visited more than once.

Getting There

Sedona is centrally located two hours north of Phoenix, two hours south of the Grand Canyon, and 30 miles south of Flagstaff, so the opportunities for day trips are numerous. The closest major airport is the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). While in Sedona, trolleys are an admittedly touristy, but albeit worth it way to see the area. Try the Sedona Trolley or the Red Rock Magic Trolley.

Where to Stay

You can go as high-brow or as bare-bones as you like with style ranging from wellness spas to camping in a canyon. Sumptuous retreats like Enchantment Resort and Red Agave Resort offer wellness packages and all-inclusive experiences. If you’re looking for a more humble abode (read: cheaper), La Petite Sedona fits the bill and has expansive views of the red rocks. Accommodations in Sedona are one of the most enchanting parts of the trip, so go all out — you’re on vacation.

Eats & Drinks

Photo: Heartline Café via Heartline Café’s Facebook

First settled because of the year-round water and fertile soil, Sedona was well-positioned to become the culinary hotspot it is now. Trout from Oak Creek and wine from grapes grown on Arizona’s lush hillsides are menu staples. Check out Heartline Café for fresh and healthy food with a view of the red rocks and a dog-friendly patio. Coffee Pot Restaurant is your go-to for a diner-style restaurant and aptly named after Coffee Pot Rock, of which you’ll have spectacular views while eating omelettes.

As you might expect, you can find some crunchy restaurants like ChocolaTree Organic Oasis, whick only uses “local artesian well water” to create their menu of entirely organic and gluten-free goods. Sound Bites Grill has a robust live music calendar, ranging from jazz to rock and serves a full menu including “Fleetwood Mac & Cheese.” For Arizona brews, head to Oak Creek Brewery and Grill for multi-award-winning beer and a full menu.

The Arts

Photo: Gallery Sculptures by Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

A definably artful town, Sedona’s hand-woven rugs, Western bronzes, and turquoise adorn every gallery along Gallery Row. Native American influences are dominant in local art. German Dada artist Max Ernst’s most famous work, Capricorn, was inspired by the rugged landscape in Sedona, where he lived for years. The Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village (pronounced T-la-keh-pah-keh) is fashioned after a traditional Mexican village and was originally conceived as an artists’ haven — this spot is the go-to for seeing and buying handmade local art.

The Outdoors

Photo: Cathedral Rock by Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

Not only are the surrounding red rocks and canyons astonishing, they are also easily accessible, presenting a world of hiking and biking trails. The red rock formations were named after their shapes and offer some pretty humorous titles from Coffee Pot Rock to Snoopy and Woodstock. Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock are two popular hikes. Bell Rock is also one of the most prominent vortex sites in Sedona, if you buy into the notion of Earth’s energy converging in a swirling concentration. A popular tourist destination, local healers and intuitives categorize the vortexes as female, male, or balanced and tout their positive effect on the body and human consciousness, although there’s no electricity involved.

Photo: Chapel of the Holy Cross by Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is an old Catholic church built into the rock formations — an architectural feat free for the public to explore.

Festivals

Yep, they deserve their very own category in this bumpin’ festival destination town. There’s a festival for every hobby. Bird watcher? The Sedona Hummingbird Festival brings bird onlookers to town in July. Music fan? You’ll love the Red Rocks Music Festival. Film fiend? The Sedona International Film Festival in February brings worldwide talent to town. Wino? Taste local spirits at the Sedona Winefest. Bike lover’s rejoice! The Sedona Mountain Bike Festival highlights the bike culture and expansive trail network in town yearly.

Lede photo by Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

Sowing the Seeds with Love

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Every year in the garden, the see-saw tips from "I have no idea what I’m doing" to "I think I’m beginning to understand." And then, just as quickly, tips back to "I have no idea what I’m doing" as the next predicament arises. In any field of learning, it’s a cycle that takes you from being completely baffled to feeling like Einstein, and then back to being baffled all over again. So, I’m starting 2016 having learned so much in the two years since I started the garden, but knowing there is still so much to learn. The first lesson will start with seeds.

You know you are a gardener when you have more seed catalogs delivered than home and clothing put together! It’s that time of year when all the 2016 orders have been placed and some have started to be delivered. I’m growing almost everything I grew last year, along with a few additions to expand the garden. Baker Creek is my go-to again this year for seeds. Now that I’ve got the hang of growing most of the vegetables, I’ve added a few more varieties to some types so I can compare tastes. 

Last year, the parsnips, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts didn’t grow, but it will take a few years of failure for me to completely give up on anything, so we’ll see what 2016 will bring. I’ve cut back on lettuces, since their season here in Tennessee wasn’t that long. The arugula did really well, though, as did the spinach and kale, so they will be my main leafs this season. Another failure last year was my rhubarb. I love rhubarb, but it’s not that easy to grow in warmer climates. Still, I ordered some more to try again, along with some potatoes, from Grow Organic.

My biggest disappointment, by far, in 2015 — partly because it was the first thing I planted — was the death of the apple tree. It budded in the Spring and then died. Who knows why, for sure, but the city was working on a sewer line not too far from it and it ended up leaking. I’ve order the same multi-variety tree, along with another one, from Bay Laurel Nursery. Lastly, I ordered another gooseberry bush and some more early-season strawberries (since I managed to kill many of mine while transplanting them!) along with a variety of everbearers which will produce berries over a longer period of time. They came from Nourse Farms.

Here’s the complete list:

Baker Creek
Beets: Chioggia, Golden, Detroit
Broccoli: Waltham
Brussel Sprouts: Catskill
Cabbage: Perfection Drumhead Savoy
Carrots: Pusa Asita, Pusa Rudhira Red, Kuroda 8″ Long, Cosmic Purple, Amarillo, Danvers
Cauliflower: Erfurter
Chard: Five Colour Silver Beet RainbowKale: Blue Curled Scotch
Leek: Autumn Giant
Lettuce: Arugula, Aurura Mixed Orach, Butter King, Red Wing Mix
Onion: Bronze d’Amposta, Australian Brown, Zebrune (Shallot)
Parsnip: Hollow Crown
Pea: Oregon Sugar pod II (Snow Pea) , Wando,Lincoln, Kelvedon Wonder
Peppers: Corno Di Toro, Red Mini Bell, Red Belguim
Radish: Saxa 2, Purple Plum, Pusa Galabi
Spinach: Bloomsdale Long Standing
Tomatoes: Tappy, Principle Borghese, Sungold Select II
Herbs: Basil Genovese, Dark Purple Basil.

Grow Organic
Potatoes: Viking Purple, Desiree, Burbank Russett
Rhubarb: Victoria Cherry

Bay Laurel
Fruit Trees: Multi-Variety Apple, Fruit Salad (on Nemeguard)

Nourse Farm
Strawberries: Earlyglow, Seascape
Gooseberries: Hinnomaki Red

For the past two years, I’ve sown my seeds outdoors when the weather starts to warm a little. But this year, after discovering the wonderful Gary Pilarchik from the Rusted Garden on YouTube — and his video demonstrating how to make a simple indoor grow box — I wanted to try with some starts inside. (The follow up is also useful.) 

Another first for this year is seed soaking. For a seed to sprout, it needs to take in moisture, which it does from the soil. Soaking it first is like giving it a huge glass of water in one go, instead of the sips it takes from the earth, so germination is much faster. The general rule is, "Don’t soak anything for longer than 24 hours," but I discovered some seeds need much less and started to swell after 12. You want to avoid sprouting before planting as the seeds are very delicate once that starts to happen and are likely to be damaged if you pick them up. 

So I didn’t have to stick labels on my glasses, I lay them on a labeled paper towel. (See photo above.) The seed packets will tell you when is the best time to sow your seeds indoors. I could have been earlier with some of them, but next year I’ll do better, tipping that see-saw once again from "I have no idea what I’m doing" to "I think I’m beginning to understand."

For now though, it’s time to hurry up and wait.

Singer/songwriter Susan Enan spends any time not on the road or in the studio working in her East Nashville garden.