Sedona...a place to avoid (low income, city hall, contractors)

[SedonaShadow]

I don't really know which type of street light they will install but sodium, rather than mercury vapor, are REALLY bright orange. Sedona can then advertise "Follow the orange glow to the beautiful red rocks". A rather tacky color combo but by now it's a moot point. And don't get me going on the "art". Most of it is the stuff they sell in the gas stations and vacant lots on the weekends, elsewhere. But those pesky ants just keep on coming. They have to have that Sedona sugar. OK, I'll stop now before someone thinks I have a negative outlook on Sedona. Out in the wilderness, I won't see you and you won't see me and that's why "I LOVE SEDONA".

[_Charles_]

Sedona has never impressed me. I grew up here in the southwest and there has always been something about red rocks (I don't even like red buildings) that repels me. Yes Sedona is scenic but I never saw it as special. The scenery up around Prescott and down around Tucson is far more spectacular. There is also the Mogollon Rim and of course the Grand Canyon. If you have time drive around to the north rim and experience the canyon from the vantage point of the Kaibab Plateau. All of these places are better than overrated Sedona. And the Chiricahua Mountains are unique. There is nothing else that resembles them on the globe.

[Ria Rhodes]

Originally Posted by motuorg

With Sedona it has grown into love/hate. I first went there in the mid-80's when nobody had even heard of it. I absolutely loved it, and loved hiking there, it was a piece of heaven. I have gone back about 10-12 times since and each time it has degenerated.

I agree with about three-quarters of you comments. Guess which ones!

Originally Posted by motuorg

I saw Circle K's perched on the Red Rocks. There's a good one. 250 million years of geologic history brought to its knees by a convenience store.

I can think of plenty of places around the globe I've visited where similar ironic conflicts of place are visible. It's sad, but almost universally people equate development with progress (no matter how egregious).

Originally Posted by motuorg

Sedona has become a glorified theme park, a caricature of what it was and it saddens me greatly.

I find this an exaggeration, but you're entitled to your opinion. Sedona's primal sense of solitude is greatly diminished, as is it's down-to-earth character, and the low-impact commercialism of the 80's that is only known through the lens of hindsight. I tell first time visitors to the Sedona area to do the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona down, down, down the hill to Oak Creek Canyon. The sight of those Sedona red rocks when exiting Oak Creek Canyon for the first time is glorious to people visiting from somewhere in back east land. Once in the town of Sedona I recommend avoiding the tourist strip - instead, chill out over the soup and sandwich special at the Wildflower Cafe (Hyatt Complex), then head down to a Page Springs winery for some local wine and discuss fun things to do, things such as: go for walk through Jerome (good exercise after all the driving), hook up with a cowboy adventure/show/BBQ/horse ride at a ranch in Camp Verde area (people from back east land love this stuff), visit the Grand Canyon (book the mule ride), and catch the cowboy show in Williams on the way back to Vortex land - that's a nice initiation. Other southwest CDF people will no doubt have great suggestions too.

[SedonaShadow]

Yes, the trip down Oak Creek Canyon is beautiful and a quick meal at a restaurant in Sedona and then get out of town fast! Couldn't have put it better myself!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by SedonaShadow

I don't really know which type of street light they will install but sodium, rather than mercury vapor, are REALLY bright orange. Sedona can then advertise "Follow the orange glow to the beautiful red rocks". A rather tacky color combo but by now it's a moot point. And don't get me going on the "art". Most of it is the stuff they sell in the gas stations and vacant lots on the weekends, elsewhere. But those pesky ants just keep on coming. They have to have that Sedona sugar. OK, I'll stop now before someone thinks I have a negative outlook on Sedona. Out in the wilderness, I won't see you and you won't see me and that's why "I LOVE SEDONA".

I would like to see some powerful lights set up to illuminate some of the rocks near town - like at Mt. Rushmore. Filters could be used to vary the colors of the formation, too. It would be great to be in the pool or sipping a drink at the patio bar of one of the resorts with illuminated cliffs as the back drop.

[SedonaShadow]

I like your style Ponderosa! Only because I believe Sedona is a lost cause. Also, I can't see any part of 89a Sedona from where I live. But I do believe all the people in their multi-million dollar homes, that are a part of the red rocks you plan to illuminate, might take exception to your most excellent vision. But then the majority of them are never in Sedona. Gee, I wonder why they spend most of the year somewhere else. Maybe the beauty of Sedona has just become so overwhelming!

[poolgirl51]

Ok Folks Sedona is not a lost cause. Yes it has changed just like every other town in an appealing area. Nothing stays the same. And yes some of that change is not very attractive. That said the area is still amazing and remains surrounded by National Forest. The Forest is a natural barrier to out of control growth. I do beleive that we lost a key battle with the lights on 89A but I don't believe the issue is dead yet. If you don't like it here you don't have to visit or continue to live here but remember there are many of us who have made Sedona our home. There is still much to appreciate here.

[SedonaShadow]

Sedona is my home! Well, actually it's VOC. I can just follow the pink concrete sidewalk to Sedona. Wasn't it a wonderful concept to destroy more of the National Forest for all those people that are going to spend a day to WALK from VOC to Sedona. Not to mention negotiating the seven "roundybouts" filled with tourists without a clue. I'm so excited! How is the National Forest a natural barrier to out of control growth? It just means the "ugly" is packed tighter and uglier. It just means that some day it will stretch out to I17. How about those lights all the way up Oak Creek Canyon to the north and Cottonwood to the south. I'll bet the people in the Chapel area have a lot to appreciate. You could really tell when thay had to bring in law enforcement to hold down their "appreciation" of Sedona bulldozing a MINIMUM of $10,000. sewers on them. Maybe the people that moved here from other areas of the country have forgotten why they left. Look around you Sedona residents. As Yogi Berra said: "This is like deja vu all over again"

[poolgirl51]

Originally Posted by SedonaShadow

Sedona is my home! Well, actually it's VOC. I can just follow the pink concrete sidewalk to Sedona. Wasn't it a wonderful concept to destroy more of the National Forest for all those people that are going to spend a day to WALK from VOC to Sedona. Not to mention negotiating the seven "roundybouts" filled with tourists without a clue. I'm so excited! How is the National Forest a natural barrier to out of control growth? It just means the "ugly" is packed tighter and uglier. It just means that some day it will stretch out to I17. How about those lights all the way up Oak Creek Canyon to the north and Cottonwood to the south. I'll bet the people in the Chapel area have a lot to appreciate. You could really tell when thay had to bring in law enforcement to hold down their "appreciation" of Sedona bulldozing a MINIMUM of $10,000. sewers on them. Maybe the people that moved here from other areas of the country have forgotten why they left. Look around you Sedona residents. As Yogi Berra said: "This is like deja vu all over again"

Wow, you sound pretty angry! Perhaps you should look for a place that is more appealing to you. Sedona IS my home and I do love it here. I am so sorry that you do not. I still believe that there is much to appreciate here.

[motuorg]

Originally Posted by poolgirl51

Wow, you sound pretty angry! Perhaps you should look for a place that is more appealing to you. Sedona IS my home and I do love it here. I am so sorry that you do not. I still believe that there is much to appreciate here.

Nothing wrong with feeling anger.. Anger is sometimes expressed out of frustration over things we love, If it not for that sentiment amongst people (like Sedona Shadow) who peceive overdevelopment and shortsightedness as a problem, you could (I'm sure) in a few years, kiss your Sedona good-Bye. I get angry at my children too...no need to look elsewhere.