Arizona
Best of Sedona: Natural & Cultural Landscapes in Red Rock Country
Program No. 1062RJ
Immerse yourself in the story of Sedona as you join local experts to learn about and explore ancient cliff dwellings, iconic Red Rocks, a heritage railway and the majestic Grand Canyon.
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Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 22 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
2,1696 days
5 nights
13 meals
5B 3L 5D
3
Montezuma Castle & Verde Canyon Railroad
Sedona, AZ
4
Geology, Western Ballads & Tales
Sedona, AZ
6
Program Concludes
Departures
At a Glance
Discover why Sedona and the Grand Canyon are the two most awe-inspiring sites in Arizona. Go beyond the geology to uncover the natural and human histories of these color-splashed landscapes. Enjoy an exploration of Sedona’s best-loved sights and red-rock vistas via an open trolley excursion. Ride the rails along the wild and scenic Verde River and beside its verdant canyon as you scan for wildlife. Explore Grand Canyon National Park on a full day journey to this iconic and quintessential American treasure with time to walk along the rim while soaking in its grandeur.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 1/2 mile with longer optional hikes. Elevations up to 7,000 feet.
What You'll Learn
- See ancient cliff dwellings while uncovering the past of the Sinagua people at Montezuma Castle National Monument.
- Visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Airport Mesa with its magnificent 360-degree views of Sedona.
- Spend a full day at Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim, complete with interpretive walks accompanied by a local expert.
General Notes
Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Matt Turner
Since he decided to attend high school in Southwest Colorado, Matt Turner has been in love with the natural wonders of the Four Corners region prompting him to obtain a degree in Natural History from Prescott College. In addition to working as a field biologist and ecological consultant, he is an avid photographer, leads trips throughout the Southwest, across rivers and in the backcountry. As a naturalist, he hopes to impart a unique perspective of the region's natural environment in all of its visitors.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Matt Turner
View biography
Since he decided to attend high school in Southwest Colorado, Matt Turner has been in love with the natural wonders of the Four Corners region prompting him to obtain a degree in Natural History from Prescott College. In addition to working as a field biologist and ecological consultant, he is an avid photographer, leads trips throughout the Southwest, across rivers and in the backcountry. As a naturalist, he hopes to impart a unique perspective of the region's natural environment in all of its visitors.
Lisa Kearsley
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Lisa Kearsley moved to Arizona in the 1980s to earn a master’s degree in biology at Northern Arizona University and, like many who have come to Arizona, she never left. She has worked for the National Park Service at Grand Canyon as an interpretive park ranger and as a researcher, studying the effects of Glen Canyon Dam on the river. She also is a natural science illustrator, working with pen and ink, as well as watercolor.
Margaret (Maggie) Mitchell
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Maggie Mitchell has spent years leading educational excursions throughout the Sedona area. Her passion lies with the study of Arizona's wild creatures, and she loves sharing her love of reptiles and spiders with students of all ages.
Bill Krieger
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Bill Krieger is a Road Scholar educator who directed some of the earliest learning adventures during the 1970s. He has degrees from Northern Michigan University and the University of Pennsylvania. During his retirement, learning and sharing about the people and the geology of the Southwest have become his focus and his passion. Bill’s passions include biking, hiking, camping, writing, sketching, singing, and having conversations over a cup of coffee.
Carl Bowman
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With a bachelor’s degree in biology and having spent 25 years of his life on the South Rim, Carl Bowman knows the Grand Canyon well and specializes in relating the Canyon’s varied and constantly evolving geologic stories. He worked for the National Park Service from 1974-2013, and during his career served as a janitor, wildland fire fighter, archaeologist, ranger, and scientist. A long-time student of the Grand Canyon, Carl has shared its stories with park visitors, staff, university classes and lifelong learners.
Tracy P. Kee
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Tracy Kee, a native of the Deep South, grew up primarily in Tennessee. During her time working for a study abroad program in Italy, she met her full-blood Navajo husband, Eric, while he was teaching English to Italians. In 2007, after marrying, Tracy moved to the Navajo reservation. Tracy taught part-time business and computer classes at Diné College in Tuba City, AZ for many years. They have three children and enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational activities in northern Arizona.
Ken Zoll
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Ken Zoll is the executive director emeritus of the Verde Valley Archaeology Center, and a board member of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society. He is also a volunteer docent at cultural heritage sites in the Coconino National Forest. He has conducted fieldwork in cultural (ancient) astronomy of the Southwest and is a certified instructor with the Arizona Archaeological Society. Ken is the author of several books and articles on cultural astronomy, rock art, and the local history of Sedona and the Verde Valley.
Kennard Bork
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Kennard Bork is a former university geology professor who has found his bliss in retirement where Sedona’s red rocks and natural beauty provide the setting for great exploration and discovery. Ken is active in OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) and INHIGEO (International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences), both as a speaker and as a participant.
Rocky Sullivan
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Rocky Sullivan, a Kansas native, has been living in the southwest working on ranches among other things for the better part of three decades. During the last few years, he has brought his poetry into the limelight, gaining respect and praise from peers and audiences. Rocky won in his division of the 2015 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo in Abilene, Kansas, and again in 2017. He has been asked to perform at numerous venues since.
Kyle Storey
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Kyle Storey is an urban planner with a passion for creating sustainable and livable communities. He possesses a love for nature and agriculture and is committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. Kyle works towards implementing cutting-edge technologies to reduce our carbon footprint and transition towards a more sustainable future. Kyle is also a seasoned outdoor group leader who is deeply in touch with the natural world. He has led numerous outdoor adventures, from hiking and camping trips to wildlife expeditions and nature exploration.
Suggested Reading List
(7 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Best of Sedona: Natural & Cultural Landscapes in Red Rock Country
Program Number: 1062
Half Broke Horses
Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, wrote this true life novel which unfolds across Northern Arizona from the 1920s to the 1960s. Its heroine, Lily Casey Smith, (Ms. Wall's grandmother) battled the elements, prejudices, economic conditions and politics of remote frontier Arizona. Many of the locations described - Peach Springs, Seligman, Flagstaff, the Navajo Reservation, the Arizona Strip - are sites visited by NAU Road Scholar programs. Readers of this selection will feel the sense of heritage from this tale of life in our distant corner of America.
Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest
The American Southwest is home to some of the most remarkable monuments of America's prehistoric past, such as Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Stephen Plog, who has spent decades working in the region, provides the most readable and up-to-date account of the predecessors of the modern Hopi and Pueblo Indian cultures in this well-received account. Chaco Canyon became the center of a thriving Anasazi cultural tradition. It was the hub of a trading network extending over hundreds of miles, whose arteries were a series of extraordinary roads that are still being discovered and mapped. Interweaving the latest archaeological evidence with early first-person accounts, Professor Plog explains the rise and mysterious fall of Southwestern cultures. 224pp.
Arizona: A Cavalcade of History
During America's first 100 years as a nation, pioneers moved ever-westward to new frontiers. When it became too crowded or the soil was mined out, they moved on to virgin land. Those days are gone forever. We have to learn to live with the problems we create. The knowledge gained from studying the mistakes of the past can help provide a better future. Will Rogers said it best: "The Indians never got lost because they were always looking back to see where they'd been." 368pp
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West
Here Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, gives us a thrilling account of Powell's struggle against western geography and Washington politics. We witness the successes and frustrations of Powell's distinguished career, and appreciate his unparalleled understanding of the West. "Stegner's most exciting work." (San Francisco Chronicle) 496pp
Grand Canyon Geology
This second edition of the leading book on Grand Canyon geology contains the most recent discoveries and interpretations of the origin and history of the canyon. It includes two entirely new chapters: one on debris flow in the Canyon and one on the impact of water flow releases from the Glen Canyon Dam. All chapters have been updated where necessary and all photographs have been replaced or re-screened for better resolution. Written by acknowledged experts in stratigraphy, paleontology, structural geology, geomorphology, volcanism and seismology, this book offers a wealth of information for geologists and general readers interested in acquiring an understanding of the geological history of this great natural wonder. 423pp
The Archaeology of Ancient Arizona
General overview of the archaeology of Arizona written by archaeologists with combined experience of over half a century of a combination of laboratory and fieldwork.
Sedona (Images of America Series)
Little more than a century ago, when only a handful of families lived in what is now Sedona, in Oak Creek Canyon, none would have dreamed it would become such a popular destination. The matchless combination of bright blue skies and red rocks has inspired artists of every medium to attempt to capture the mystic formations. Fortunately some began almost before the town was named after the wife of early settler T. C. Schnebly, who organized the first post office, at the beginning of the 20th century. From early apple growers to artists, what has united the diverse residents of Sedona over time is the conviction that they have found one of the earth's great treasures. 128pp.