Guest Blogger: Rob

Meet the team! Rob Holeman, the General Manager here at the Real,  has been with the Sedona Real Inn since it opened. He and his father have owned the hotel for more than 14 years and take pride everyday in our hotel. He is an avid mountain biker and recently went on a fun excursion on some biking trails that aren’t too far from our hotel.  The trails here in Sedona are beautiful and are amazing from the seat of bike.  We have a biking package available if you want to check it out. Here’s what Rob had to say:

About four years ago I started to mountain bike here in Sedona and just got addicted to it. I still do not ride enough. For about 8 months of the year I ride before coming into work a couple of days a week, about 6 to 10 miles depending on my pace; and on the weekends I do 10 plus miles.

Last weekend I was talking to some guests who just got off the trails and told me about how much fun they had riding the Mescal Trail which I had not rode in about 2 years, so many trails not enough time.

I went out and rode the Mescal trail this weekend and they were right, when I rode it last time it wasn’t much of a trail but the Forest Service has done a lot of work. This trail is well marked now with signage at intersections and at the trail heads. As you ride south from Dry Creek road you climb maybe 200 feet in elevation along a mesa then traverse along a Red Rock shelf underneath a taller mesa. In this area you can look straight up the rock face in parts.  Where there is not so much of rock face you have caves. It makes you wonder,  with all Indian dwellings in close vicinity, if there are more up there.

Close to the end you can see into Boynton Canyon, and then off to the west you see the Cockscomb, and behind you is Thunder Mountain. The trail ends on Deadman’s pass, which is the first trail I took a tumble over the handle bars on (fun fun). Deadman’s pass allows you to loop back to Long Canyon road or you can take the Aries Trail from Deadman’s pass to create a spectacular loop.

Until today, my favorite ride was the Templeton Trail which takes you from Bell Rock Pathway to the tip of Cathedral Rock Mescal Trail is less traveled by people which allows the rider to enjoy the ride more.

As I have talked with other bikers since my ride they have informed me that the Forest Service is working on lot of area’s condensing trails, installing signage and just making them safer.  If you like to mountain bike or if you want to try, there is no better place to experience it then here in Sedona. The concierge is very knowledgeable on the trails and so is Over The Edge bike shop (has rentals available). If you are in for the weekend and want to ride with a local (not too crazy) just ask me. I have been considering putting together a weekend ride.

Photo of Mescal trail, courtesy of Over the Edge

Free Workshop: Snakes of the Southwest

A seasoned reptile handler, Russell has been studying and educating people on reptiles and insects for over 50 years. He is a participant in the USGS endangered snake species yearly surveys and is a volunteer with AZ Game and Fish. Several live species of rattlesnake will be featured during this lecture.  Saturday May 19th at 11:00am, at The Hike House!

Reminder! Stories and Practical Tips for Hiking the Grand Canyon will be at The Hike House Energy Cafe there will be free hiking clinic about hiking the Grand Canyon on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 1:00pm. That’s tomorrow!

Awesome Hike! Upper Chimney Rock Loop!

Went on an awesome hike the other day. The Upper Chimney Loop Trail. This hike starts at the Thunder Mountain Trailhead and loops around Chimney Rock. It starts off flat with views of the valley heading back down Dry Creek Road. Coxcomb and Boyntan Canyon can both be seen. About half way through you turn towards Lizardhead Rock formation and get great views of Thunder Mountain. Then you start climbing.

My friend said this was an easy trail and she is super fit, so for her it was, but if you are more of an average hiker like me, I found this to be moderate. Especially in the noon-time sun. Now that summer is here, I am going to stick to morning hiking, because the heat can really suck your energy. It’s 2 and a quarter miles long.

Bring plenty of water.  My friend brought her dog, and the poor pooch was super hot. Every time he saw shade he ran under the shady tree and laid down. We had plenty of water for him too. Be safe with your pets and bring enough water for you both. It’s also good to remember the ground can be hot. Their paws may not like walk on the hot dirt, so morning hikes are best. Or creek hikes to they can cool off easily.

The climb around Chimney Rock was well worth it. The views into the canyon were amazing. I forgot all about being tired as my jaw dropped. After you reach the summit, the rest is easy because it is all downhill. The hike took about an hour and a half. That’s with me stopping a lot for pics and rests in the shade with the puppy.

Highly recommended!

Wilson Mountain Hiking Video

Check out the most recent Hiking Video from The Hike House! Wilson Mountain!

Stories and Practical Tips for Hiking the Grand Canyon

At The Hike House Energy Cafe there will be free hiking clinic about hiking the Grand Canyon on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 1:00pm.

The clinic will be led by CJ Malcolm, who is currently the Coordinator of Grand Canyon National Park’s Preventative Search and Rescue Team, known as PSAR. This Team is comprised of 8 Seasonal Rangers and 50 Volunteers. They educate tens of thousands of people a year in safe hiking and respond to hundreds of distress calls throughout the Canyon.

CJ has extensive wilderness experience in nearly every eco-system. He has worked as an Ocean Lifeguard, ski patroller, SAR member, Paramedic, Firefighter and Ranger over the course of 14 years.

On any given day, CJ could be responding in the Park’s Helicopter to a CPR in progress down on the Colorado River or hiking Sedona’s trails with his wife Heather and 5 mo old boy Colter.

Sounds like fun! Everyone should stop by and check it out!

Airport Loop Hike

Debbie and I went on a beautiful hike the other day. The airport loop hike is about 4 miles and took us 3 hours to finish. Luckily we had a nice breeze with us. This is one of the few loop hikes in the area. It circles Airport Mesa and gives you fantastic views of Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Thunder Mountain and Coffee Pot Rock.

The start of this hike is at the Airport Vortex. Which I highly recommend for awesome views at sunset. The Vortex isn’t much of a hike though. It would take you about 7 minutes to get to the top for your 360 views.

The Airport Loop hike veers to the right of the vortex and is on the edge of a cliff. If you are afraid of heights this may not be the hike for you. You walk along a narrow cliff edge for a good portion of the way, which at times doesn’t seem like much of a trail. The views are spectacular though. A bonus was all of the wildflowers are starting to bloom. There were so many pretty flowers everywhere. Just loved it!

This hike is scored as moderate and I would say that is accurate. There is some elevation gain as you climb to the top of the mesa heading south into the sun. This can make picture taking tricky, so I recommend going early in the morning. And as we were pretty hot in the afternoon sun, we were wishing we had come to the trail a little earlier in the day.  The trail is relatively flat, but you kinda go gently up and down little hills. It’s not too difficult.

We did find it odd that this trails does not have trial markers as most of the trails do in Sedona. There was a portion of the trail on the other side of the airport that was confusing and we thought we were lost for a bit. I recommend bringing plenty of water. Debbie and I actually ran out of water! This is a first for me. The recommended amount of water for a decent hike is 4 to 6 liters. If in doubt always bring 4 liters. Debbie has one of the camelbacks and I was kinda jealous.

You can find a video of part of the hike here.

Guest Blogger: Waylon

Studio Live contributed to my most recent addiction when I attended one of their shows.  Studio Live brought Jessica Fichot and her band to town for a  night.  My goodness, what a show!  I bought the CD and have been listening to the unique alluring sounds nonstop for the last week.  Jessica sang in five different languages.  I don’t know what she was saying but it sure sounded pretty.  Jessica has a gypsy sounding band accompanying her lovely voice.  She herself is half Chinese and half French.  She sang in French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and English.

Studio Live is excited to introduce their expanded venue that allows for outdoor performances.  There are a variety of shows scheduled for the upcoming months, so check out their schedule and see who will be playing when you come to town.

Sedona Real Dog Park Video

Caught this guest playing in the dog and family park at the hotel with his dogs. Check it out!  We love pets at our hotel and hope your furry friends get to stay with us soon.

Taste of Sedona in May!

Sedona may be famous for its beautiful Red Rocks, but what may not be known is how many amazing culinary delights await you on your visit. The Sedona Real Inn & Suites is conveniently located to many of the areas best restaurants. If you would like to sample a little bit of everything that Sedona has to offer, you should attend the 16^th Annual Taste of Sedona festival June 24^th.  Sedona’s best eateries and wineries will have their cuisine featured at the event which is a favorite to locals and visitors alike. The event will include a silent auction for jewelry, art, restaurant gift certificates, fitness packages and get-a-ways. All proceeds go to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Arizona.

Have fun and help out a good cause!

Guest Blogger: Julie

Meet the team! Julie is the senior member of the front desk team! She has worked with us for over 2 years! Julie always has a smile on for our guests and is a native of Arizona so knows a lot about the area. Be sure to get the inside scoop from her when you call to make your reservation!

My friends and I often visit The Red Planet Diner when we’re out on the town late at night, as they’re the only restaurant that serves later than 9PM on weekdays! The service is fun and quirky as is the atmosphere! Their food is pretty good too and always served to us quickly. We even received a special thank-you personally from the manager on our last visit for dining there so often! I’d also like to give a special shout out to my favorite servers Jonathan and Lili! Thanks for making my visits to the Red Planet a fun one!