Northern Arizona – Heart-Stopping Beauty

“What new can possibly be said about a place as old as time? After all, Arizona’s Grand Canyon has been the object of hundreds of books, thousands of photos and millions of awe-inspired gasps. Historical accounts report visitors dropping to their knees in wonder upon eyeing the monolithic chasm. It is at once an icon, a metaphor and a cliché, capable of warping perspective and sharpening imagination.” – USA Today

Few experiences in meeting planning can rival that of bringing a group to Northern Arizona. The opportunity to introduce your clients to the Grand Canyon is indeed a special privilege for any professional. But those planning meetings in this part of Arizona have a multitude of scenes and sites which change during the distinct four seasons enjoyed in this area. From magnificent snow-capped peaks to red rock formations of indescribable beauty and the relaxed charm of welcoming small towns, this region is a meeting planner’s utopia. Best of all, these destinations are an easy driving distance apart, allowing day trip components from a hub location.

Sedona and the Verde Valley

Sedona
“In a drive around Sedona's red rock region you'll pass looming mesas, soaring spires, deep canyons, and a record of time that stretches back millions of years.” – Travel + Leisure Magazine
The city sits on the high desert under the southwestern rim of the Colorado Plateau which forms the towering vistas – named Coffeepot, Cathedral, Bell and Snoopy for the resemblance to their namesakes – surrounding this unique community 110 miles north of Phoenix. Protected by the Plateau, the area enjoys four mild, sunshine-filled seasons and clean air, with average high temperatures in the mid-70s and lows in the mid-40s.

The city grew at the mouth of spectacular Oak Creek Canyon, a magical tree-lined channel carved through massive red rock formations which opens with riparian areas along the Creek bank. The natural beauty of the drive from Sedona to Flagstaff includes several roadside lookout points, and is simply a breathtaking and never-to-be-forgotten experience.

The city of Sedona spans some 19 square miles with only half of that under private ownership by its 15,000 residents. The remainder is part of the 1.8-million-acre Coconino National Forest. While the town’s elevation is considered 4,500 feet, the surrounding red rock formations shoot skyward for over a mile. The airport is situated on a mesa at 4,800 feet and a flight from here is an amazing visual experience.

Sedona was incorporated in 1988, and although today it reigns as a premier tourist destination and artistic community, its roots trace to an isolated rural ranching community. Discovered by the motion picture industry, the natural beauty of the area gained worldwide acclaim and is visited by some four million tourists annually. Undeveloped areas near the city are still favorite locations for film, television and commercial photography.

Meeting planners have more than 40,000 square feet of meeting space, and some 3,000 hotel rooms available to choose from. Sedona offers a range of choices, from moderately priced national brand hotels to luxurious world-renowned spa resorts, some of which rest on the scenic banks of Oak Creek and others located nearby in secluded canyons.

Leisure time here can be spent hiking, golfing, taking a Jeep tour or horseback ride, and even floating in a hot air balloon’s basket. When the sun goes down, set out for a gallery tour, fine dining or a luxury spa treatment.

The red rock scenery and Oak Creek take center stage and the most popular way to see Sedona is an open air Jeep tour, courtesy of Pink Jeep Tours or Sedona Red Rock Jeep Tours. Each day armadas of colorful Jeeps fan out from the center of town, carrying passengers into the outback. Entertaining and informative guides captain tours for all levels of adventure including rugged terrain, stone pinnacles, sandstone arches, famous movie locations and the archaeological ruins. Both companies offer customized special events to meet the needs of your group.

Meeting planners can select from other popular off-site activities including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, and hot air balloon rides. Oak Creek meanders through Red Rock State Park which provides visitors the opportunity to experience a lush riparian habitat and many forms of wildlife along a five-mile network of trails.

Sedona has a thriving arts and cultural community with over 40 galleries, many of which represent local artists, and several special events of national prominence. The city annually hosts the nationally acclaimed Jazz on the Rocks Festival. The three-day Sedona International Film Festival screens foreign and domestic films before their commercial release, and includes dramatic, documentary and animation features. The Sedona Chamber Music Society and Sedona Arts Center entertain visitors with musical and theater productions.

A more modern day interpretation of Sinaguan design is reflected in Chapel of the Holy Cross. Finished in 1956, this non-denominational chapel sprouts from sandstone outcroppings with vistas overlooking Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and the Village of Oak Creek. A visit to this very special chapel is as close to perfect as this area is to an unforgettable meeting experience.  

Tlaquepaque, with its 40 stores, galleries and restaurants, is named after and designed to resemble a Mexican village just outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. Its maze of alleys and courtyards enchant first-timers for hours.

A trip to Sedona wouldn’t be complete without a vortex tour. Sedona’s New Age population claims that a vortex is an invisible source of electromagnetic energy which psychics and spiritual healers can tap into.

Verde Valley
Just moments from Sedona, limitless adventures await meeting attendees in the Verde Valley. Pre-Columbian Sinagua sites, officers’ quarters at a cavalry fort, a train excursion along the Verde River, a cowboy dinner show and a night at a casino may all be experienced in a single day. In addition, a variety of festivals and special events occur throughout the year.

Meeting planners may want to consider group outings on the historical Verde Canyon Railroad located in Clarkdale. This diesel-powered excursion train snakes 38 miles through remote regions inaccessible by car in the Sycamore Canyon and Verde Canyon wilderness areas. Passengers enjoy ancient Sinaguan Indian ruins, historic mining structures and an abundance of local wildlife, including bald eagles and mule deer.

Another interesting outing is a visit to the protected ruins at Palatki and Honanki where prehistoric Sinaguan Native Americans left many signs of their passage. The Sinaguans built homes out of the red rock, using cliffs as walls, making the dwellings one with the land.

The pioneering wineries in the Verde Valley are producing a wide variety of wines, in many different styles. Meeting attendees can visit tasting rooms and sample the wines, see the vineyards and maybe pick up a bottle or two to bring home. One may find this hard to believe, but the similarities to some of the great wine producing regions in the world; the Rhône, Spain, Portugal and Chile, are remarkable.  The Verde Valley has the sunshine and heat to develop great fruit and the rocky, poor soils that create intense flavors and concentration.

Flagstaff
“Roll down the windows and breathe deeply as you pass pungent piñon pine and juniper.” – Travel + Leisure Magazine

Flagstaff is nestled at the base of the majestic San Francisco Peaks and surrounded by one of the largest ponderosa pine forests on earth. This energetic community is rich with cultural diversity, scenic beauty and history. The city is the home of Northern Arizona University, along with other scientific and research industries.

Interstates 40 and 17 converge at Flagstaff and transportation has long played a role in making Flagstaff the
largest city in Northern Arizona. The community is situated at the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of around 7,000 feet, making it one of the highest elevation cities in the country. One of the Peaks, Mount Humphreys, located about ten miles north of Flagstaff, is the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet.

Flagstaff was founded in 1894 and incorporated as a city in 1928. The city now encompasses just over 64 square miles with a 2006 city population of over 61,000, and an expanded area population of some 122,000. A popular year-round tourist destination, the city sees some five million visitors annually and is a pivotal location for visiting the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, numerous Native American communities, and many other incredible natural wonders of the region.

Meeting planners enjoy orchestrating meetings in this picturesque mountain community where the smell of pine trees lingers in the air. The city is a scenic two-hour drive from Phoenix and is served by US Airways with frequent daily flights to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The historic downtown train station in the heart of Flagstaff is an active Amtrak facility with twice-daily arrivals.

This university town offers meeting planners a full range of options with all the amenities typical of more metropolitan settings. The city’s lodging facilities include approximately 5,000 guest rooms and many of the hotels offer a variety of meeting and conference space. Unique natural environment options include settings at the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Arizona Snowbowl. Additional options include Northern Arizona University and meeting spaces at local attractions and restaurants. Some 160 area restaurants offer a full range of cuisine choices and there are several microbreweries.

Flagstaff’s new High Country Conference Center and Hotel Complex at NAU is scheduled for completion in early 2008. The center will be 42,000 square feet with a ballroom large enough to accommodate a banquet for 800 people, as well as additional conference rooms for break out sessions, a board room, and five additional meeting rooms at the Drury Hotel that will be located on the campus. Drury Hotels is building the 160-room hotel – one-third of the rooms will be suites – and the hotel will feature an indoor/outdoor swimming pool and an exercise facility.

Two hotels in the area are currently meeting planner favorites. Little America Hotel of Flagstaff is nestled in the pines on 500 acres and features 248 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of well equipped meeting space. Three restaurants are on property as well as full amenities. The Radisson Woodlands Hotel features 183 rooms including 15 two-room suites and more than 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a great location for outdoor teambuilding events. Two restaurants including a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar are on property.

Flagstaff is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with nearby lakes offering all kinds of water recreation. Buffalo Park and Mount Elden provide dozens of miles of challenging hiking and mountain biking trails, accessible from within the city limits. Rock climbers can choose from a variety of locations, including world-class basalt cliffs and limestone sport climbing. In winter, Arizona Snowbowl Ski Lift Lodge is a mere 14 miles from downtown. Originally opened in 1938, it is one of the ten oldest ski areas in the U.S. The facility offers lodging, meeting space and banquet facilities year-round with summer activities including the Scenic Skyride, horseback riding, hayrides and cookouts.

Meeting planners will also enjoy knowing that attendees can enjoy free time in the vibrant historical downtown area which was revitalized as part of the Main Street USA program. The streets in this historic railroad district are lined with coffeehouses, tea rooms, microbreweries, sidewalk cafes, boutiques and antiques shops, outdoor outfitters, galleries, bookstores and more. 

Some of Flagstaff’s galleries evolved from trading post origins, and browsers are often surprised by the variety of jewelry, rugs, baskets and pottery available in Flagstaff. Hopi potters and Navajo weavers, carvers and silversmiths have been trading their fine arts here for many generations.

Planners will appreciate the option of including educational outings in their programs and the world-renowned Museum of Northern Arizona offers a glimpse into the diverse culture of the area and the Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon. The 100-year-old Riordan Mansion State Historic Park displays pioneer life in a lumber baron’s home. Elden Pueblo, a Sinaguan Indian dwelling, is in town, and guided tours are available. A visit to Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered, offers astronomical viewing programs to the public.

A myriad of additional outings include, to the north of Flagstaff, Wupatki National Monument, with one of the Southwest’s only excavated Native American ball courts, and Sunset Crater National Monument, the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. To the east, there is an informative museum at Meteor Crater which was formed 50,000 years ago by huge meteorite and Walnut Canyon National Monument, with well-preserved cliff dwellings.

Flagstaff offers a meeting planner a prefect blend of culture, history, and scenic beauty combined with ease, convenience and experienced service.  

Grand Canyon
In 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon he said, “Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American should see.” 

Over 100 years later, Grand Canyon National Park remains magnificent and mystical, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a designated World Heritage Site, and one of the “Crown Jewels” of the National Park System. Few can visit Arizona and resist a trip to the Canyon, as attested by nearly five million annual park visitors.

Under Federal protection since 1893, Grand Canyon became a National Park in 1919. The Canyon itself is 277 miles long and nearly one mile deep – a gigantic chasm cut by the Colorado River. The 1.2-million-acre park is a wildlife haven and home to over 1,500 species of plants and five of earth’s seven life zones. Over 4,800 archaeological sites dating back thousands of years have been discovered in one of the most complete geologic cross sections visible anywhere on earth. 

A trip to the new Grand Canyon Skywalk on the Hualapai Indian Reservation cannot be missed by your group. The glass bridge suspended over the Canyon’s edge first began construction in 2004 and was opened to visitors in 2007. The bridge is able to sustain winds in excess of 100 miles per hour as well as an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. In early 2008 a Skywalk Lookout Building will be open to visitors that will house several restaurants and shops. Advance reservations are not required but it may reduce wait times for your group by calling in advance.

If planning a summer meeting, mid-May through October, the North Rim – which lies just 10 air miles across the Canyon from the South Rim – is open. The 220-mile drive is closed due to snow in the winter. Crossing the canyon on foot requires an adventurous 21-mile hike as well as crossing a narrow foot bridge 70 feet above the river. Automobile crossings are limited to one location at Navajo Bridge, a few miles downstream from Lees Ferry.

The Canyon can be explored on foot, or mule, by raft or air. Hikes range from flat, easy rim hikes to rigorous multi-day backpack trips. For a narrated airborne journey, helicopter and airplane tours operate out of Grand Canyon Airport.

For white-knuckle fun in the Canyon, book a rafting trip; the rapids are some of the most exhilarating in the country. Outfitters use rubber inflatable rafts or wooden dories, feed passengers massive amounts of food, and offer hiking trips up beautiful side canyons. Raft trips last from one day to three weeks, depending on whether motors or oars are used. All but the Grand Canyon West trips on the Hualapai Reservation start from Lees Ferry near Page, although some trips offer the option of hiking in and joining midway at Phantom Ranch. One-day trips travel down Marble Canyon Gorge and back. Motorized trips typically take six to eight days, while oar-powered trips last two to three weeks.

Mules carry riders into the depths of the Canyon to Plateau Point on 12-mile day trips or down to Phantom Ranch – the only non-camping lodging at the bottom of the canyon – for overnight stays. Mule wranglers recount historical and geological tidbits during the descent.

A favorite scenic option for groups to see the Canyon is aboard the Grand Canyon Railway. The group boards the train in Williams for the ride which parallels the 65-mile historic stagecoach trail. After three hours of sightseeing at the South Rim, the train returns to Williams in the afternoon.

For overnight stays, meeting planners may choose from several hotels within the park, or opt to stay in Tusayan, just a few miles south of the Canyon. Tusayan offers a wide variety of guest rooms and meeting venues, including the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn which also offers meeting space.

Just north of the Grand Canyon is Lake Powell. Experienced professional meeting planners are occasionally faced with the challenge of creating unusual small corporate retreats or private executive meetings that demand a completely unique setting. In these situations and for other more conventional meetings for smaller groups, Lake Powell is a premier destination.

The second-largest man-made lake in the world, holding 8.5 trillion gallons of water, the lake offers 186 miles of shimmering blue water flowing through 96 magnificent red rock canyons. With a coastline longer than that of the United States’ west coast, opportunities to relax on sandy beaches and explore tranquil coves abound. Houseboats and a full complement of watercraft can be rented at Wahweap, the lake’s largest marina. Luxury houseboat rentals make ideal private meeting venues.

On the Navajo Reservation east of Lake Powell, spectacular Monument Valley rises up from the high desert floor. Often featured in western movies and commercials, the area is part of the largest reservation in the U.S. and one of the most beautiful. Throughout the area, scenic attractions, national monuments and museums abound. Activities available include horseback riding, Jeep tours and Native American guided hikes. Beautiful hand-crafted jewelry and arts are also available on the reservation. There are hotels in several communities. 

Prescott
“Prescott is a thriving community that celebrates the Wild West in several nationally recognized museums.” - National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2006
Prescott is located in the mountains of north central Arizona and borders the Prescott National Forest. In the charming downtown square, large elm trees line the Courthouse Plaza block which is the focal point for the town’s events. Across the street, a row of historic saloons, bars and hotels claim the title Whiskey Row. 

The community is nearly equidistant from Phoenix, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon at approximately 90 miles to any. At an elevation of 5,300 feet, the climate is temperate with summer temperatures averaging 85 degrees and winter temperatures around 50 degrees. Prescott has received numerous “Best Place to Retire” accolades from national publications.

Originally a mining town founded in 1864, Arizona’s territorial capital was located here. Incorporated in 1881, Prescott now encompasses some 39 square miles with a population of approximately 45,000. The city boasts 636 buildings and more than 60 objects listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including many beautifully restored Victorian-era homes and bungalows.

Prescott’s wide range of accommodations includes some 50 hotels with over 1,300 rooms and over 27,000 square feet of meeting space. Numerous dining options offer off-property variety here, including the historic spots on Whiskey Row such as The Palace, which film buffs will enjoy.

For those seeking outdoor activities, the 1.25-million-acre Prescott National Forest offers some 20 recreational facilities just a few minutes from the Courthouse Square. The Forest has 450 miles of maintained trails in the tall ponderosa pines for hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. Area lakes offer fishing and boating with canoe and boat rentals available at Lynx Lake south of town and Granite Basin Lake, to the northwest, offers camping and fishing. Watson Lake and Willow Springs Reservoir, both inside the city limits, are surrounded by beautiful rock formations, referred to as Granite Dells.

Meeting attendees interested in history find a wealth of Arizona’s territorial past preserved in Prescott. The Smoki Museum exhibits Native American artifacts, and the Phippen Museum of Western Art showcases cowboy art. Meeting planners find that not only does history live in Prescott; it makes for more interesting meetings and events.