The Chill Factor

Wondering where to keep cool in Sedona this summer? At El Portal Sedona Hotel we can help you. There are a myriad of ways to stay cool, and none better than at the flowing waters of Oak Creek in Slide Rock State Park. This natural water slide is recognized by Travel Channel as a top U.S. swimming hole. Mother Nature has patiently carved and smoothed a sandstone “slide” 80 feet long and 2.5 to 4 feet wide in some places, where you can swim, slide, and splash to your heart’s content. The invigorating waters of Oak Creek will not only thrill you but will keep you cool too!

But Slide Rock is not the only swimming hole created by Mother Nature.  A less populated natural swimming hole is The Crack, a section of Wet Beaver Creek. Located 18 miles south of Sedona, you have to hike in 3.5 miles to enjoy a refreshing dip!

 

The thought of a 3.5 mile hike doesn’t thrill you? Well just two miles north of Sedona on SR 89 is Grasshopper Point. This lush oasis has stair-stepped cliffs that take you above deep, blue-green pools. The only way to get cool is to jump right in!

 

So you’re thinking that’s it? Not at all, there’s Midgley Bridge known for its red rock beaches and Red Rock Crossing with amazing views of Cathedral Rock.

Come to Sedona, relax, have fun, enjoy, and “chill” out!
And always stay with us at El Portal Sedona Hotel! Your pet friendly hotel in the heart of Sedona, with four diamonds – AAA’s Four Diamonds that is! 1.800.313.0017

For more on Sedona’s swimming hole, visit:
www.freshoffthegrid.com/a-guide-to-sedona-swimming-holes/

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel ~ Celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead!

For this, the third year of Dia de los Muertos, Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village will  be creating a beautiful public mural in the Calle Independencia – the Marigold Mural Project. Visitors and residents alike are invited to paint on the mural as a way to honor the loss of loved ones in their lives and connect with one another though art. The celebration is meant to be a joyful and vibrant event, where death loses its dark and sad nature and becomes cheerful and friendly.

Festivities begin Tuesday October 30th and carry through to Saturday November 2nd with the final celebration of Day of the Dead. There are activities and entertainment Friday and Saturday from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm, including music, fire dancing, strolling mariachi; with virtuoso flamenco guitarist, Eric Miller to wow audiences with traditional Latin music. Tlaquepaque shops and galleries will also be opened until 8:00 pm for First Friday on the 2nd. Call the Village office at 928-282-4838 for more information.

El Portal Sedona Hotel is having an “October Remnants” sale on now until the end of the month – perfect timing for joining in the Marigold Mural Project. This may be High Season, but our rooms are being offered at Low Season rates, must be booked online!

To stay for the entire festival, we have our “Fall Colors” Sedona hotel special, call 1.800.313.0017 for details.

El Portal is located just steps from Tlaquepaque. Close and convenient for all of the festival’s activities and events. We are also a pet friendly Sedona hotel with no pet fees.

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Tlaquepaque and then return to the serenity of El Portal.  Enjoy a glass of wine by the fireplace in the great room, by the camp fire in the courtyard, or in the whirlpool tub in your room. El Portal Sedona Hotel – for unpretentious luxury. Reserve your Sedona hotel room today – call 1.800.313.0017.

 

El Portal Sedona ~ 8th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival October 19-27, 2012

This Festival is a tribute to the character and innovation of the great French Impressionists whose paintings were based on the idea that ‘you should trust your eyes’ to capture the beauty that surrounds you.

Plein air artists of today paint from life en plein air (in the out-of-doors), revealing the ever-changing colors, light and shadows, temperature and shifting elements of moments in time, as did the old Masters.  Mother Nature is ever changing, therefore these artists requires stamina, focus, and the ability to be completely absorbed in their work.

Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon is truly an artist’s paradise, there is no setting more perfect in late October to find exciting, astonishing, scenic beauty. From among the best of the best, 30 award-winning artists have accepted invitations to share in this unique artistic showcase. They are coming from all over the United States to spend eight days painting en plein air, and to share their extraordinary talent and distinctive experiences with this challenging art form.

Plan to visit Sedona and attend this incredible festival from Friday, October 19 – Saturday, October 27, 2012. Click here for a list of a schedule of free events.

To coincide with the Plein Air Festival El Portal is offering a Sedona hotel package. Stay 3 nights at the luxury boutique hotel and receive a $100 credit for a  Sedona jeep tour. Culture and adventure all in one!

Plus El Portal is a pet friendly Sedona hotel, with never a pet fee/charge. We offer free pet sitting services to our guests and their canine companions. So for your Plein Air Festival experience, reserve your room now at El Portal, call 1.800.313.0017.

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel ~ Fun at the Verde Valley Fall Festival

Second Annual Verde Valley Fall Festival at Jackpot Ranch

The Second Annual Verde Valley Fall Festival at Jackpot Ranch in Camp Verde is October 19 – 21, 2012. Admission is free with free parking as well! You’ll want to bring some cash though for some delicious festival food, shop for jewelry, handmade crafts, and art from 100+ vendors.  This family oriented Verde Valley Fall Festival features live music and dancing, carnival rides and midway games, hayrides, a giant pumpkin patch where you can purchase your own special pumpkin, a silent auction, a live auction Saturday, wine tasting, plus a beer garden … and more!

Hours are:  Friday: 12:00pm-8:00pm, Saturday:  10:00am-8:00pm, Sunday:  10:00am-6:00pm.

For more information on carnival ride passes, schedule of events, directions and parking click here.

Proceeds from the Festival benefit nonprofit youth programs statewide attending camp at Jackpot Ranch. Last years Verde Valley Fall Festival provided hundreds of children and their families the opportunity to attend camp at little or no cost. Many of these children are medically challenged or youth at risk. Some recent recipients have been Camp Soaring Eagle, Rainbow Acres, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Campus Crusade, Teen Challenge, Verde Valley Leadership, CASA Children’s Center, American Heritage Academy, LDS Church, Jewish Community Services, Nature Conservancy, and Young Nonprofit Professionals.

So join in the excitement – hop a hayride, pick a pumpkin, hit the midway and have some fun! At El Portal Sedona Hotel we can help get you plan your Fall Festival activities, or anything else you would like to do in the Verde Valley. There’s hiking and biking, you can take a day trip to the Grand Canyon, or take in the area museums and art galleries. Our guests have personalized concierge services for the Sedona area, and access to a full gym, two swimming pools next door at Los Abrigados, and services and treatments at Sedona Spa. We can make your spa treatment appointments for you or arrange for an in-room massage!

Remember we are a pet friendly Sedona hotel where there are no pet fees and we offer pet sitting services for our guests’ four legged friends!

El Portal Sedona Hotel ~ Sedona & Area Events

So much happening in the Verde Valley this weekend! The 22nd Sedona Arts Festival is Saturday and Sunday October 13-14, from 9:00am-4:00pm at Sedona Red Rock High School.  The Festival has become a premiere, destination arts festival, known for the quality of art and first rate treatment of both its artists and attendees. With over 150 nationally known artists displaying their work surrounded by Sedona’s majestic red rocks, there is no better place to spend the weekend than right here in Sedona. Enjoy a wide variety of artistic creations in ceramics, fiber art, glass, painting, metal, wood, jewelry, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, and photography.

There is a $10 entry fee which supports the Sedona Arts Festival’s Scholarship and Arts Education Programs, (seniors & students $9, children 12 & under free, no pets allowed). This year the Festival will have an extra special program – two screenings of a gripping documentary chronicling the story of how a self-taught Mexican artist and an American adventurer transformed a dying Mexican desert village into a home for world-class ceramics. For more information call 928.204.9456. Click here for directions.

This is the perfect time for holiday gift shopping – finding the perfect gift for the person who has everything! “Whatever you’re into, you’ll find at this year’s Sedona Arts Festival.”

In Jerome there’s the always fun 10th Annual Jerome Ghost Walk October 12 and 13, shows begin every half hour from 6:00pm-9:30pm both nights. Purchase your tickets here. The Ghost Walk gives you a chance to walk the streets of Jerome and witness re-enactments of famous scenes and personalities from Jerome’s past; stroll with the saucy spirits that occupied the historic “Billion Dollar Copper Camp.” Attend this year and check out the miners, madams and mayhem that earned Jerome the nickname, “The Wickedest City in the West.”

As you take in these events stay at El Portal Sedona Hotel. We are centrally located just minutes from Red Rock High School, and 45 minutes from Jerome. Being a pet friendly Sedona hotel we will pet sit for you free of charge while you are on your adventures. All we ask for is a cell phone number and you can play worry-free!

When you are finished at the Art Festival come back to El Portal and relax in our private courtyard, or sit in the great room and enjoy a glass of wine and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

After the Ghost Walk you may just want to unwind in a nice warm whirlpool bath in the privacy and comfort of your suite.

To reserve your room call 1.800.313.0017, or check out our Sedona hotel specials online!

El Portal Sedona Hotel ~ What’s Happening in Sedona, AZ

There is always something exciting happening in the Sedona area. El Portal Sedona Hotel is happy to help our guests and visitors to Sedona make the most out of their time here! We offer personalized concierge services of Sedona to our guests, we help you plan your day, whether that is hiking the majestic red rocks, or taking an informative stroll through our museums and art galleries. We will assist you in any way we can, and that includes free pet sitting for your four legged friend. El Portal is a pet friendly Sedona hotel where there is never a fee for your pet.

On Saturday, October 6th is the first Saturday Art Walk in Jerome. Enjoy a festive evening in the magical mountain town with art, music and refreshments. From one end of town to the other, Jerome is filled with exciting and original art. There is a fresh new energy to the vibrant art scene in Jerome; with 22 participating galleries and studios and many sponsoring businesses and restaurants offering specials. Visit Jerome Art Walk on the first Saturday of every month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  There is a free shuttle to transport visitors throughout the evening. For more information visit www.jeromeartwalk.com or call Donna at (928) 649-2277.

For the history buff visiting or living in Sedona there is the Sedona Heritage Museum’s Cook Cedar Glade Cemetery Walk, Wednesday, October 10th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Join museum volunteer and Cemetery Committee Chair Ron Mason for an informative morning of stories about  the Sedona pioneers buried at the cemetery. This is a free event and open to the public.  It is part of the Sedona Heritage Museum series of Living History presentations.  For more information contact the museum at 928-282-7038.

 

El Portal Sedona ~ National Public Lands Day September 29, 2012

To celebrate National Public Lands Day, the Forest Service is offering a “fee free day” on Saturday, September 29; as well as a volunteer trail restoration event. Day use fees will be waived at all cost sites operated by the Forest Service under the Red Rock Pass, including access to Palatki and Honanki Ruins, V Bar B Cultural Site and sites along State Route 179.

This celebration is to encourage people to be better stewards of the land in partnership with the Forest Service, State Parks and even National Parks services. The volunteer event is from 9:00am-2:00pm and involves the restoration of a recent 1/2 mile of unauthorized trail construction located in Sedona near Brewer Road; construction of erosion control features and “naturalizing” the damaged area.

Tools, drinks and snacks will be provided on site. Please dress accordingly – long pants, boots, gloves, a hat and lots of sunscreen. Volunteers are to meet at the Christ Center Wesleyan Church parking on Brewer Road.

 

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel encourages everyone who uses the trails, roads, parks, everything the Verde Valley and area have to offer, to go out and lend a hand to this event! Remember…many hands make light work.

Don’t forget our Sedona Hotel Special – book 3 nights and receive a $100 Sedona jeep tour credit! El Portal is a pet friendly Sedona hotel and pets are welcome on our jeep adventures! 1.800.313.0017.

 

 

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel Announces….

….the arrival of a new puppy! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Dexter, a basset puppy, in the next two weeks.

As some of you know our Boomer sadly lost his battle with cancer earlier this summer. It has been a sad and lonesome couple of months. As one guest said, “It was so odd not to have Boomer to greet us when we walked through the doors. It just wasn’t the same.”

Dexter will be the little guy greeting you at the door in the next few weeks, and we are very excited for his arrival.

The luxury inn is a pet friendly Sedona hotel that offers guests free pet sitting services, a welcome treat for their pets, and no pet fees. El Portal is the first Sedona hotel welcoming pets at no additional charge.

Come see our newest addition! For reservations call 1.800.313.0017.

 

Sedona’s 8th Annual National Day of the Cowboy

Go back in time to the old west at Sedona’s 8th Annual National Day of the Cowboy Saturday, July 28. This must-see event has live performances by gunslingers, ropers, bullwhip crackers and historical re-enactors. Listen and dance, or just tap your toes to live western music; thrill to deadeye gunfight reenactments, and for lil-uns with a mind for fun, a wild west bouncer that will have them jumping for joy. Watch traditional cowboy tradesmen demonstrations and see western art and artists at work.

Author Joe McNeill will be signing copies of his Award nominated book “Arizona’s Little Hollywood: Sedona and Northern Arizona’s Forgotten Film History 1923-1973.” There will also be a special effects makeup table and for cowpokes with gumption who hanker for hands-on Wild West action a mechanical bull to ride!

The Sedona Heritage Museum will present Michael Peach doing a special performance of his new original show “The Facts Keep Gettin’ in the Way of the Story”, a tribute to the Southwest’s cowboy spirit.”  There will be two performances: 1:30 p.m. and  3:00 p.m. These special shows are free in celebration of National Day of the Cowboy. This is a family friendly show featuring a mix of Peach’s original cowboy poetry together with jokes and historically-based stories illustrating the humor, heroism and hubris of some of the Southwest’s most colorful characters, both factual and fictional. The special show is about an hour long and appropriate for all ages.  At the Wayside Chapel, lower level, 401 N. 89A in Uptown Sedona.

Whoop it up at Tlaquepaque and stay at El Portal Sedona Hotel just a short 2 minute walk from the fun. After the festivities wander on back to the “homestead”  for some good ole fashion relaxin’ and a cold beer. We’ll have the camp fire going, and you have all evening to unwind and visit – share the day’s performances and events.

Call El Portal, Sedona’s pet friendly hotel, at 1-800-313-0017 and reserve your room now. We have rooms with pet patios: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and room 1 with a small puppy gate.  The luxury inn is a AAA Four Diamond hotel, and guests have access to 2 swimming pools, a full gym and Sedona Spa just next door. 1-800-477-7238  for your National Day of the Cowboy celebrations!

 

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel Invites You to the Sedona Dine & Wine Fest

We think you would love the Sedona Wine & Dine Fest! It’s an opportunity to try a number of restaurants in the Sedona area, with excellent pricing. Stay at El Portal Sedona Hotel and dine…at one of the 23 participating restaurants!

Sedona Dine & Wine Fest has 23 amazing restaurants participating in the Wine & Dine Fest! Now through July 31, local foodies and visitors alike, can experience a selection of specially priced meals from a wide variety of Sedona area restaurants. Guests will enjoy three-course, prix-fix dinner menus with the opportunity to select items for each course including an appetizer, entree and dessert. Each participating restaurant selects a pricing tier: Classic for $17, Elegant for $25 or Fine for $35, and creates a three course, prix-fix menu with two options for an appetizer, entree and dessert. Visit www.sedonadineandwine.com to view participating restaurants and their excellent menus!

Sedona has so much to offer, including excellent restaurants serving delicious food with special summer pricing! So call El Portal, Sedona’s luxury boutique hotel, and let us be your home away from home! 1-800-313-0017.  All our spacious rooms are uniquely decorated; each with whirlpool or jetted tub, private patio or balcony, luxurious linens and pillows, entertainment center and DVD player, telephone, free wireless and more. Experience the dramatic views, relax in our romantic courtyard, shop the gift shops and galleries of the renowned Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village or hike the red rocks, as you take in the Wine and Dine Festival! Guests at El Portal have access to uniquely personalized concierge services of Sedona throughout their stay. We will help you plan day trips, make reservations, book tickets to shows or events, even arrange spa treatments just next door at Sedona Spa.

El Portal is a pet friendly Sedona hotel with fenced-in pet patios and free pet sitting services for worry-free day trips, and evening excursions! Check our our Sedona hotel specials online – we have a couple that might just be right for you! 1-800-313-0017.