Just one of the views along majestic Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona, copyright Sharon Falsetto, all rights reserved

Route 89A winds it way through 23 miles of spectacular scenery not commonly associated with the usual image of Arizona; pine forests are more abundant in Oak Creek Canyon than desert cacti. In addition, route 89A descends from an elevation of 6,900 feet at Flagstaff to 4,500 feet in Sedona. Along the way, it is possible to experience scenic views, camp in one of several campsites, fish, swim, hike and enjoy the attractions of Slide Rock State Park.

Oak Creek Vista Point on Route 89A

On leaving Flagstaff, the first point of interest is Oak Creek Vista Point; this is probably the most popular viewpoint, located approximately 14 miles south of Flagstaff. The Oak Creek Vista Point gives spectacular views over Oak Canyon and a glimpse of the start of the switchbacks below, which descend into Oak Creek Canyon.

Oak Creek Vista Point is a popular venue for local Native Americans to sell jewelry and other local crafts. In winter, when snow begins to fall, it is likely that Oak Creek Vista Point will be closed, so check ahead, if visiting outside of the regular tourist season (approximately May through October).

Hiking Trails in Oak Creek Canyon – West Fork

After descending the switchbacks into Oak Creek Canyon, route 89A winds it way through the Coconino National Forest; there are many hiking trails to enjoy in Oak Creek Canyon but perhaps the most popular hiking trail is that of West Fork. West Fork is one trail which is relatively level (compared to others) and stays close to the creek in places.

There is a parking fee at West Fork (currently $8); West Fork is extremely popular during the summer months. West Fork is also popular with movie goers; it was the setting of the the 1923 movie The Call of the Canyon, which was adapted from Zane Grey’s novel of the same name.

Slide Rock State Park – A Historic Homestead

Further down Oak Creek Canyon is Slide Rock State Park; in summer, Slide Rock State Park is extremely popular and the area, especially on weekends, becomes crowded with cars and people, when the ‘parking lot full’ sign is more often than not displayed. A former homestead (the Pendleys acquired it in 1910 and turned it into a historic apple farm), Slide Rock today is popular for the natural water slide on the creek; Slide Rock is said to be one of the best swimming holes in America.

Other Points of Interest in Oak Creek Canyon

Other points of interest in Oak Creek Canyon include:

• Midgely Bridge – located about one mile north of Sedona and spanning Wilson Creek; it is another popular place for views and for hiking.

• Indian Gardens – located 4 miles north of Sedona, on route 89A, and the location of a general store and restrooms; in addition, Indian Gardens Park hosts weddings and celebrations from March to October.

• Oak Creek – the creek after which Oak Creek Canyon is named, is a constant element of the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona; it is possible to get down to the creek in places to fish (license required), take photos or just relax.

Route 89A Into Sedona Uptown

Route 89A winds out of Oak Creek Canyon and into uptown Sedona. Uptown Sedona was the original heart of old Sedona but is now a collection of tourist stores, hotels and cafes; the commercial and working element of Sedona (such as banks and regular stores) are now located in West Sedona.

Oak Creek Canyon – An Arizona Highlight

Oak Creek Canyon is sure to delight and inspire all visitors. In the height of summer, it is advisable to bring not only a camera but plenty of patience; on holiday weekends in particular, the drive through Oak Creek Canyon can be slow and frustrating, and sometimes nose-to-tail.

Visiting out of season, particularly in the fall when the trees are the colors of red, gold and orange, may be less stressful for those who enjoy solitude. However, whatever the season, a drive from Flagstaff to Sedona on route 89A, is probably going to be remembered for a long time.

You might also like:

Visit Sedona, Arizona in Every Season

The Grand Canyon in Winter (video)

Jennifer Lopez likes to party in Vegas like many other celebrities, AP photo

The ex-Mrs Marc Anthony, aka Jennifer Lopez, 42, was spotted partying over the weekend at Pure nightclub in Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.  Vegas, aka Sin City, attracts many Hollywood stars who go to party and let their hair down.  So, where does the average person go if they are hoping to make a celebrity connection or two when partying in Las Vegas?

According to Vegas.com, The Official Vegas Travel Site, these are a few of the top night spots where you might run into a celeb or two:

• Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace - apparently Pure attracts celebrities nearly every weekend
• LAX at the Luxor
• Tao at the Venetian
• Planet Hollywood – owned by celebs and frequented by celebs, including the filming of many Hollywood movies
• restaurants and shopping malls include Spago at the Forum Shops and Crystals at City Center.

Whether you are hoping to bump into J Lo, Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen or Paris Hilton, frequenting these top end nightclubs and locations will probably reward you with a celeb sighting or two – if you hit the right place at the right time.  However, remember that the celeb lifestyle doesn’t come cheap, so make sure you have plenty of money to cover such an extravagant night out!  After all, this is Vegas…

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Cirque de Soliel in Las Vegas

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

With a country that is as vast and diverse as America, I would think that it is extremely difficult to pinpoint one most beautiful place; however Good Morning America recently asked viewers to vote on which was the most beautiful place in America after narrowing it down to a list of top 10 destinations.  Did your city or state make the vote?

The Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America

This was the top 10 list of Good Morning America‘s Most Beautiful Places in America:

• Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI
• Newport, RI
• Cape Cod, MA
• Point Reyes, CA
• Aspen, CO
• Sedona, AZ
• Destin, FL
• Asheville, NC
• Lanikai Beach, HI
• Grand Teton National Park, WY

Result: The Most Beautiful Place in America

After hundreds of thousands of votes, Good Morning America viewers voted Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan the Most Beautiful Place in America.  However, I personally think that America has many, many beautiful places that could equally share the title from majestic mountains, beautiful beaches, roaming countryside and action packed cities.  How can you choose just one, or two, or three…?

Congratulations to Michigan!

Experience the luxuries of the spa at Mii Amo Spa, Sedona, Arizona, photo credit: istockphoto, used with permission

Ladies, if you are a fan of Victoria’s Secret and destination spas you won’t want to miss this opportunity!  The latest sweepstakes competition offered by Victoria’s Secret offers up the chance to win a trip to one of Arizona’s top destination spas that just happens to be in the beautiful place that I live in – Sedona, Arizona!

Body by Victoria Sweepstakes

All you have to do to enter the Body by Victoria sweepstakes is to obtain a code and register in the sweepstakes.  How do you get a code?  Well, you need to buy a Body by Victoria bra either from a retail store or shop online; if you go to a retail store you have until August 6th 2011 to purchase your bra whereas if you shop online you have until August 1st 2011.  Once you have your code, enter your e-mail address and the code on the website.  The Victoria’s Secret sweepstakes close August 8th 2011.  See the Victoria’s Secret website for full rules and restrictions (and how to enter without making a purchase).  In addition to the grand prize of the destination spa trip, there are other prizes to win too!

Mii Amo Destination Spa, Sedona, Arizona

Mii Amo is a world class destination spa that is nestled amongst the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.  There are a wide variety of treatments available, including acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, ayurvedic, skin care treatments and reiki.  Luxury doesn’t end in the spa; your accommodation features private patios, spa-amenity bathrooms, wood-paneled closets and, if you are lucky, whirlpools, fireplaces (yes, it does get cold on occasion in Sedona!), outdoor showers and private massage areas!  Hmmm, I’m already there myself….

Good luck!

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Victoria’s Secret Promo Codes for July 2011

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Southwest Airlines to fly direct from Phoenix to New York from June 5, wikimedia commons

For those of that live in the southwest of the United States, it is often difficult to get a direct flight to the more distant states; if you are flying to the Eastern United States, you are more than likely going to have to have at least one pit-stop.  However, from June 5, 2011, Southwest Airlines are offering a non-stop flight from Phoenix, Arizona to New York, New York (well, Newark Liberty International airport to be exact).

According to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport website, Southwest Airlines will be offering 2 daily non-stop flights to Newark Liberty International airport from as little as $139 (one way).  Newark Liberty International Airport is located 15 miles southwest of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.  US Airways already offers a similar service but, with competition, customers may hopefully have not only more options, but better deals if they want to spend a weekend in New York City

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Sahara Hotel and Casino Closes the Doors For the Last Time in Las Vegas

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Southern California Beach Towns in Winter

The Sahara Hotel and Casino closes in Las Vegas, copyright Sharon Falsetto, all rights reserved

It was an iconic landmark to many who visited Las Vegas in the 1950′s and 1960′s; Elvis Presley,The Beatles and Frank Sinatra all stayed here.  But the Sahara Hotel and Casino now only plays host to ghosts of those who sang, played and slept here, as it finally closed its doors on Monday May 16, 2011.  The hotel opened in 1952 – but had failed to keep up with its more modern competitors on the Las Vegas Strip in recent years,  and sadly its fate is left in the balance, with no known plans as to the future of the now silent building.

I stayed at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in 2007, and although it might not have enjoyed a prominent position on the Strip (it was situated at the far north end),  it was a piece of history.  Photos of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra, amongst others, lined its corridors and rooms, a tribute to its former heydays.  Only the Tropicana, the Riveria and the Flamingo remain in las Vegas from the same era now.   But apparently, the Sahara didn’t keep up with the neighbors – and became a victim of a tough economy.  It seems like even in Vegas, not everyone is a winner.

The Sahara Hotel and Casino website now refers clients with current or future bookings to the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino where, it is stated, all current bookings will be honored.  I am just glad I got to stay at a piece of history, before it became too late

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Enter Treasure Island’s TIPALOOZA Sweepstakes for a Chance to Win 4 Nights in Las Vegas!

Cirque de Soleil in Las Vegas

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

Win a 4 night stay at Treasure Island, Las Vegas in TIPALOOZA sweepstakes, copyright Sharon Falsetto, all rights reserved

Anyone for Vegas, baby?   If you love the capital of sin(that is Las Vegas, Nevada) Treasure Island is currently giving you the chance to win some free time in Vegas – plus some other major prizes.  All you have to do is enter the TIPALOOZA sweepstakes between March 29, 2011 and June 30, 2011.  So what are the Vegas prizes?  And how do you enter?

The Prizes in the TIPALOOZA Las Vegas Sweepstakes

These are the prizes that you can win in the TIPALOOZA sweepstakes:

Grand Prize Winner (5 winners; one selected every three weeks):

• four nights in a strip view room at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada (having stayed in one of these rooms, I can highly recommend this prize!)
• $50 food and beverage credit at any TI restaurant
• $50 TI pool cabana credit
• two tickets to Mystere by Cirque du Soliel (seen it; loved it)

In addition there are five second place winners (one selected every three weeks) who will win:

• two tickets to Mystere by Cirque du Soliel
• dinner for two at Isla Mexican Kitchen Restaurant

For full rules, regulations, eligibility and how to enter visit Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on Facebook.  And good luck!

The Maldive Islands, wikimedia commons

The idyllic island paradise of the Maldives, a string of nearly 2,000 islands in the Indian ocean approximately 250 miles south-west of India, has been under the microscope for a while now with many asking the question, “Is the future of the Maldives doomed?”  As today is Earth Day, the issue of whether the island nation of the Maldives is really “sinking”, due to global warming and rising sea temperatures, comes up once again.

The Geography of the Maldives

The Maldive island chain actually forms the top of a large underwater mountain chain; although there are nearly 2,000 islands in the official Maldive nation, only about 200 of them are actually inhabited.  Many islands in the Maldives are tourist magnetics, with the allure of pristine sand beaches, azure blue waters – and the chance to really “get away from it all” on remote tourist islands.  However, the average ground level above sea water is only just short of five feet, so a “significant” rise in future sea levels (not to mention the damage a tsunami could deliver, as the 2004 tsunami that swept through here showed) could put this idyllic island tourist paradise literally out of business.

Are the Maldives Under Threat From Rising Sea Levels?

It depends on who you ask, with regard to this question.  The tourist industry is in obvious denial (without tourists many people would be without work) but marine biologists and scientific reports think that the Maldives future is limited; when this will exactly happen, no one is agreement with, but it seems certain that it will happen – one day.  The president of the Maldives, Mohameed Nasheed, is quite blunt in reply to the predictions of the future of the Maldives; quite simply, he states:

“We’ve had it.” 

If you fancy a trip to paradise, and the Maldives is on your horizon, you better do it one day soon – because it appears that the island nation maybe disappearing from everyone’s horizon some time in the future

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Disney’s “Oceans” Movie Opens on Earth Day 2010 (movie trailer)

Earth Day Highlights the Continuing Health Problems Caused by World Pollution and Global Warming (video and photos) 

The Importance of Earth Day

Watch CBS News Videos Online

SoCal Beaches in Winter, copyright Sharon Falsetto, all rights reserved

Going to the beach is something that most of us think about in summer; but the summer months can be crazy, loud and busy because that’s when everyone else decides to go too! So how about visiting the beach in winter? Or, to be more specific, how about visiting the beach towns of southern California in winter?

Southern California’s beach towns are blessed with a balmy year-round climate. It’s tru that there is the chance of a winter storm or two blowing in from the Pacific ocean, which may bring a few cold, rainy days;  but, on the whole, temperatures are pleasant with sunny days. In addition, the summer crowds are gone, which means that you may just have an early morning beach stroll all to yourself

Visiting southern California beach towns in winter has several advantages; to read more about why you should visit the beach towns of southern California in winter read:

Visiting the Beach Towns of Southern California in Winter

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Ocean Villa Inn, San Diego, California

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Visit Sedona, Arizona in Every Season, Sharon Falsetto, copyright, all rights reserved

Sedona is located in Arizona, so consequently a lot of people think that it receives hot, sunny weather year round.  However, unlike Phoenix in the south, Sedona sometimes receives snow fall in the winter months, and spring and fall can be cool, despite hot temperatures in excess of 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer.  So when is the best time to visit Sedona?

That depends partly on what you are looking to do and partly on the weather.  If you like it hot and humid, and don’t intend to do much more than relax by the pool, then summer is the season for you to visit Sedona.  However, if you like it white and cold, winter is probably the best season for a Sedona visit.  But for a balance of the weather patterns, and to venture outdoors, try spring or fall, when weather is often “perfect.”

For more information read:

When is the Best Time to Visit Sedona, Arizona?

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The Grand Canyon in Winter (video)

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Take a Road Trip From Phoenix to Las Vegas!