When a friend and I were talking about this trip, she said that she is a descendent of the Schneblys from Sedona. I had heard of Schnebly Hill Road, so I figured the name was pretty significant in the area. While doing a little research, I found out that is was very significant indeed!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Return to the Red Rocks 2024.

^ The header photo was taken from Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, which is just as beautiful inside.

A Woman by the Name of Sedona by Lisa Schnebly Heidinger, great-granddaughter

From the archives of Arizona Highways:

“When Amanda Miller Schnebly looked down at her newborn daughter in 1877 and pronounced her to be named Sedona, she had no idea she had just coined an iconic word that would make marketers swoon, even into the 21st century.

Asked how this unusual name joined the names of siblings Minnie, Edward, Noah, Edna, John and Goldie, Amanda allegedly said, “There’s a first time for any name or word.”

In any case, instead of being known only to people in that small Missouri town, Sedona married Theodore Carlton, or T.C., Schnebly on her 20th birthday, moved west to Oak Creek because the Methodists in Gorin didn’t take to T.C. being Presbyterian, and established a farm with the only home big enough to host visitors. Ever the entrepreneur, T.C. led the building of Schnebly Hill Road up to Flagstaff and began bringing visitors back with him.

The next logical step was a post office. His first name choices, Schnebly Station and Oak Creek Crossing, were rejected with a terse “too long” scrawled in the application margin by the postmaster general in Washington, D.C. So, T.C.’s brother suggested naming the town after Dona, as T.C. called his wife. And so, Sedona it was in June of 1902, and Sedona it remains today.” ~ READ MORE

A Rose by Any Other Name

If you READ MORE of the article above, Lisa goes on to say that people like pretty names, and if they had named the town Schnebly instead of the beautiful name Sedona, “the area probably would have remained relatively unspoiled.” But with that I disagree.

They could have named the town Doofus and its three-million tourists a year would still come because it’s just that amazing. Unfortunately many Sedona residents believe tourists are “loving their town to death”, because many act like Doofuses.

“So with an initiative they’re calling the Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan, the chamber aims to educate visitors about how to be “sensitive guests.” They’re pointing travelers to the Sedona Cares Pledge (which includes declarations such as “I’ll make my own memories, but not my own trails” and “If I can’t find a parking spot, I will not invent my own”), along with Sedona’s seven principles of Leave No Trace, reminding people to respect wildlife, leave what they find and pack out their trash, among other things…

“We also seek a new bond with travelers who share our love and respect for this Most Beautiful Place on Earth.” ~ from How to visit Sedona without being a jerk

Magnificent views of prominent red rock formations Capitol Butte (just left of center) and Coffee Pot Rock (to the far right).

Two Weeks of Stunning Views

When we were able to secure two-bedroom units for two consecutive weeks at The Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort and then Sedona Pines, we invited friends to join us.

We arrived ahead of our friends and a little too early to check in, so we stopped by PJ’s Village Pub (for the first time, but not the last). Happy Hour has great deals on beers (Church Music again!), a nice selection of appetizers (which worked as meals a few times), and it was about three minutes from our condo. PJ’s was a great find!

When our friends arrived, we all got moved-in and had dinner out at Dellepiane at The Collective Sedona for great empanadas. It was pretty spendy but delicious, which is usually the case in Sedona. The Collective offers a great selection of bars, several more restaurants, and a little shopping,

Watching the Weather

Since Phoenix is at 1,000-ft elevation and Sedona is a little higher at 4,500, temps are slightly cooler but still pretty moderate to us Wisconsinites. With those cooler temperatures comes a chance of snow, especially this time of year. I never thought I’d say this, but we were blessed to experience the snowfall pictured below in March several years ago. Good news is, it was short-lived as this day warmed up nicely. When we head to Grand Canyon in a few days, its 7,000-ft elevation will probably cool things off even more, but can you imagine a blanket of snow on those beautiful red rocks?