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Grounding in Sedona

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Mariel Hemingway walked barefoot through the forest, Mackenzie Philips comforted those recovering from addiction and Ed Asner reflected on a life of standing up for what he believes. The actors joined filmmakers, production crew members, film buffs, locals and visitors for the 25th annual Sedona International Film Festival.

Organizers rolled out the red carpet for the silver anniversary as more than 900 hotel rooms, 2,000 meals and seven after parties were made available and local businesses welcomed the influx of movie patrons. More than 177 films were highlighted, from Oscar-nominated documentaries to narrative features, narrative short films, documentary short films and animated shorts from Feb. 23 to March 3.

Hemingway joined directors, producers and writers to promote their documentary “Down to Earth: The Remarkable Science of Grounding.” Grounding or “earthing” means connecting one’s body to the earth to restore electromagnetic balance. Scientists, doctors and researchers in the film say this act restores and maintains optimal health.

Grounding pioneer and author Clint Ober, a retired cable TV executive who grounded electrical charges for a living, has researched the healing power of the earth’s negative-charged ions for more than a decade. “The human body is primarily electrical,” he says in a YouTube video on earthing. “Our brain, our muscles, our heartbeat, our thought. Everything in our body is electrical first, chemical second. And so, when we’re standing on the earth, we feel better because our body is electrically stable.”

On Saturday, March 1, in Sedona, he stated in a news conference, “When you stand barefoot on the earth, your whole body becomes slightly negatively charged. You can’t have inflammation in a negatively-charged object.”

Ober says he started wondering about the power of the earth’s electrical charges 22 years ago when lived in Sedona and was working with art galleries on lighting. He had chronic pain from his life as a cowboy, skier and tennis player, so he decided to experiment on himself. Using a strip of electrical tape in his bed and a wire – one end attached to his big toe, the other buried in the soil – he made a powerful discovery. He slept for the first time in years without the use of Advil.

Since that time, Ober has financed a dozen studies on grounding, research that has been peer viewed and documented in science and medical journals. He says, when connected to human skin, the earth’s negative charge reduces inflammation, thins the blood, regulates sleep, balances hormones and decreases the recovery time for injuries. He notes that the prevalence of rubber-soled shoes and wall-to-wall carpet in homes contribute to a human disconnection from the ground’s electrical charge.

Ober’s science states that when humans are in direct contact with the earth, we absorb negative electrons that help neutralize free radicals in the body that damage cells. Earthing proponents, including doctors and scientists, say grounding increases circulation, which carries away more waste and results in more energy.

Hemingway says she and stuntman Bobby Williams removed their shoes and followed a deer trail into the red rocks of Sedona that morning. “I truly believe nature is our best teacher,” she said, noting that her childhood home life was tumultuous and riddled with mental illness, including seven suicides, addiction, depression, cancer and other diseases in her famous family. “Getting outside was my saving grace. It was how I stayed sane.”

For Hemingway, grounding was instinctive. Growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho, she recalls a constant connection with the earth. She ran barefoot through meadows, rode horses bareback, sat in silence on the ground. She described a time in her acting career when she was very busy with a television series and spent hours inside a Los Angeles studio. “I had swollen ankles for weeks. I was never outside.” When she returned to her outdoors lifestyle, the condition went away.

Stuntman Bobby Williams says he and Mariel walk every day. “We walk barefoot. We do about 90 minutes in the mountains every day.”

Williams described a fall from a 30-feet climbing wall onto concrete, which happened five months ago. “I made a mistake. I thought I was tied in. I was not tied in. This foot really got pounded,” he said pointing.

In the accident, Williams tore ligaments and suffered a hairline fracture on the calcaneus bone. Doctors recommended rest and estimated an 18-month recovery period. However, Williams is walking and has been. “I attribute quite a bit of it to barefoot walking.”

Director/producers Josh and Rebecca Tickell shared their personal story, which led to their interest in making the documentary. Rebecca became sick while working on a film about the BP oil spill. She said exposure to the oil made her physically ill. “I had strange symptoms. I had rashes, I had blood in my urine and some other things, but the most disturbing things was the doctors told me I shouldn’t or possibly couldn’t have children.”

Soon after, she had a miscarriage, was pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter with a birth defect. “She was getting unusually sick, a lot. For a couple of years, I would say every other month or so, she would get so sick she would end up in the hospital.”

During that time, the couple started looking at alternative options. A friend introduced them to Ober. She said it sounded too good to be true, that by putting their feet on the ground and connecting to the earth, they could heal their bodies and it would reverse inflammation. “Skeptically, we tried it and we started ‘grounding’ our daughter. She started sleeping through the night. It’s been over a year since we started this practice and we have taken her to the hospital exactly zero times. And that, for us, was totally miraculous.”

Rebecca says her daughter, now four-and-a-half, says, “Mama Earth healed me.” Rebecca believes grounding healed her too. She had suffered from depression and weight gain since she was a teenager. In the last year, she says she stopped getting sick and lost 100 pounds.

Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Clint Ober, Bobby Williams and Mariel Hemingway appeared at the news conference barefoot, to emphasize their message. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

For more information about the film, “Down to Earth: The Remarkable Science of Grounding,” visit EarthingMovie.com.

Local Chef On Stage at Smithsonian Food History Weekend  

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Chef Jason Flores lets his regional roots influence his menu at Shadowrock Tap + Table in Sedona. Perhaps that is why The Smithsonian National Museum of American History chose him to appear at the recent Smithsonian Food History Weekend. One of only six chefs asked to participate in the event’s live cooking demonstrations, Chef Flores discussed his family food traditions and of the importance of wild game in regional American cookery. The theme of the three-day weekend, “Regions Reimagined,” explored the history and changing dynamics of regional food culture in the United States.  

The Executive Chef at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock joined other notables such as Celebrity Chef Aarón Sánchez of Food Network’s hit series “Chopped” and Chef Sean Sherman whose book, “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen,” was awarded the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. In addition to the chefs, others, including scholars, farmers, food entrepreneurs and writers, gathered at the Smithsonian conference to look at how regional food has redefined and reimagined communities across the nation. 

Although Chef Flores now embraces his Oklahoma regional influences, that was not always the case. “I wanted to do just fine dining,” explained the chef, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale. His decade of professional experience in the hospitality industry is marked by notable roles at iconic resorts such as Hotel Del Coronado, La Quinta Resort and Club, Waldorf Astoria and Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.  

“But as I go further along in my career, the way that we cooked [at home] means more to me,” the accomplished chef revealed.  

Flores was asked to participate in the previous year’s annual foodie event, but it coincided with his 2017 move to Sedona, so he side-stepped the opportunity. He was contacted again in 2018.  

“The Smithsonian National Museum of American History was interested in the way I grew up and what my dad, mom and grandma taught me. I submitted about 15 recipes, some family, some my own or variations of recipes that I’ve seen. They were supposed to choose one recipe, but they chose two: Buttermilk Fried Squirrel and Pimento and Smoked Cheddar Biscuits. I added a third, Wild Boar Chorizo, that I made in-house here [at Shadowrock Tap + Table],” he said. 

“I had things coming from all over the country to join me in Washington, D.C.,” said a smiling Chef Flores, who sent the house-made chorizo to himself via an overnight shipping service the day before he left Sedona. Fresh squirrel came from Louisiana. 

“The squirrel was wild, harvested by a hunter named Swallow in the bayous of Louisiana. It took him awhile, but he got some,” said the chef, whose dad taught him how to hunt, fish and trap. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eaten squirrel. In Granny’s day, squirrel was common,” said the culinary expert. 

“The trick is to soak the squirrel in buttermilk overnight. That pulls out the wild game flavors. Then I drench it in flour and pan fry it. I know that this is cliché-ish, but it tastes like chicken. A little like the taste of the dark meat.” 

“We had a big Sunday dinner after we all went to church. Granny called it ‘supper’ and it was ready around noon or one o’clock. In the winter, we ate what Granny had put up in jars. In the summer, I helped Granny pick and hoe the garden. I got paid in pickled beets. I still love pickled beets.”  

Today, Flores makes pickled vegetables in the kitchen of Hilton Sedona Resort. “I just put up vodka pickles for the bar’s bloody marys, made with 50 percent pickle juice and 50 percent vodka.”  

 

Changing Dynamics of Regional Food Cultures  

“[At the Smithsonian,] we had people from the South, North and both coasts that represented pockets of cuisine around the country. We talked a lot about the blurring of lines – about how the food is changing. 

“Food transcends everything. Can you take Southern ingredients and make it Latino? Sure, you can. How do you take things and twist them? There are things on my menu here that are blended. Smoking is a big deal where I’m from, and my smoked salmon is done very Southern. In the Northwest where we think of salmon originating, they smoke it slowly over alder wood that has a subtle flavor. Mine is smoked over mesquite or hickory, fairly hot and fairly quickly,” he said.  

Flores says he loves the flavors of the Southwest and the way that they are done with mesquite. “It mingles well with the Southern style.” The brisket hash on the Hilton’s breakfast menu is a good example of his Southwest-Southern fusion. The brisket is smoked in hickory wood, a Southern favorite and made with ancho chiles, topped with chipotle hollandaise and served with corn tortillas. Flores’s pimento and cheddar biscuits also appear on the breakfast menu. “I’ve been making the biscuit dough since I was a kid. It lends itself to whatever you want to put in it.”  

“I’m an Okie, but I live in the desert. [At the conference,] we were talking about the Depression era when the Okies and Arkies went to the West Coast. My great-grandparents were part of that – they went to Bakersfield, California, to pick fruit. After World War II, my grandparents moved back to Oklahoma and started a concrete company.” Flores was born in the Sooner State and it was there that he learned to cook in his Granny’s kitchen. 

Flores was clearly honored to be part of the Smithsonian. “I’m just a kid from Oklahoma. You strive for things like this in your career.” QCBN 

By Stacey Wittig, QCBN 

Shadowrock Tap + Table 

Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock 

90 Ridge Trail Drive, Sedona, Arizona 86351 

928-284-4040 

hiltonsedonaresort.com  

 

Photo caption: 

Chef Jason Flores says he loves the flavors of the Southwest, the way food is cooked with mesquite and how it blends with Southern cooking. The brisket hash on the Sedona Hilton’s breakfast menu is a good example of his Southwest-Southern fusion. 

Photo by Stacey Wittig 

Native-Inspired Therapies Drawing National Attention to Sedona Spa  

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Located in the picturesque and sacred Boynton Canyon just south of Sedona, Enchantment Resort’s Mii amo spa draws direct inspiration from the Native American peoples that once inhabited this land and still consider it hallowed ground. Recently, Travel + Leisure Magazine readers named Mii amo the top destination spa in the United States as part of its 2018 World’s Best Awards. The spa has been named No. 1 three times before and has been in the Top 10 for the last 16 years. 

“We’re in their hall of fame now,” said Jim Root, Mii amo’s general manager. “The spa is designed to create synergy between people and place; it’s meant to imbue guests with a visceral sense of place. “ 

Because Boynton Canyon is a regarded as special place for all the region’s Native peoples, Root adheres to a philosophy of respect, care and inclusion. He is in regular contact with leaders from the Navajo, Hopi, Yavapai Apache and Apache tribes.  

“We don’t own the canyon, we are the docents of the canyon,” added Root, noting that many private Native ceremonies take place here throughout the year. “We have a deep sense of respect and responsibility to the area’s Native American culture and heritage. Honoring that link is an important piece of what we do.”  

Mii amo means “path or journey forward” in the Yavapai-Apache language and Che Ah Chi – Enchantment Resort’s modern American restaurant – is the Apache name for Boynton Canyon, Root explains. 

Aside from traditional spa offerings, more New Age options like meditation and aura readings, and therapeutic outdoor activities, Mii amo’s holistic treatment options also include “transformative” Native American-inspired therapies. Held on days around the New Moon, “Spirit of the New Moon: Manifesting” begins with participants writing down their intentions for the coming months, then enjoying a foot bath and full body massage.  

Equally phase dependent, “Spirit of the Full Moon: Releasing” also starts with proactive journaling, followed by warm oil scalp massage and a full body massage. “Inner Quest” is a treatment inspired by Native ceremony and ritual during which “the four directions are honored, sweet grass is burned and The Circle of Life Blanket is used to create the warmth of a sweat lodge and to honor tribal elders.”  

With assistance from a master therapist, the “Soul Seeker” treatment includes techniques such as guided imagery and breath work to help participants achieve “heightened awareness, a new perspective or reconnection with your inner self.” 

In addition, Mii amo regularly hosts Native musicians and artists to create a sensory, immersive experience for guests that Root says is “not canned, not by prescription.” Key to the spa’s appeal is the respect and buy-in from employees. “Some of the most engaged people are workers here. I get that sense every day I arrive,” he explained. “They are driven to authenticity, never cosmetically or lightly. Many places with gold-plated fixtures have no heart and soul. Our people are the heart and soul. It is a place about relationships, not transactions.” QCBN 

 

By Tom Vitron, QCBN 

Mii amo is featured in the August 2018 World’s Best Awards issue of Travel + Leisure, on sale now, and online at travelandleisure.com/worlds-best. 

 

Softened, Sobered, Shaped by Red Rocks

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As time and erosion have shaped and smoothed sandstone slabs and towering monuments of Sedona, the Red Rocks are also proving to be a human rock tumbler of sorts, wearing away rough, abrasive exteriors and revealing hidden beauty beneath.

Such is the case of David, a smart, likeable 20-year-old blond from Louisville, Kentucky. “I started selling cocaine and Xanax when I was 16 and I actually really started selling it before I used it. I always had cocaine in front of me, so I would test it out and eventually just got addicted. That led me to a group of people that are really into drugs. And then I met my favorite drug, Xanax, or any kind of Benzo [benzodiazepines are a group of hypnotic muscle relaxants]. I couldn’t even really go to school without taking Xanax. If I didn’t have it, I would just be an anxious mess.”

David had been kicked out of college and lost jobs because of his inability to function without being high. That was until he landed a job at a fast-food restaurant. “My general manager and my manager would buy drugs from me and let me sell drugs out of the place. They really liked what I had and didn’t care what I did.”

The drugs made David feel good about himself – fitting in with people he had looked up to like the cool kids in high school – until they didn’t. “A big thing I would do was sit in my misery and smoke a bunch of weed. I was living in my grandma’s basement and everything was going downhill, but for some reason my mind kept telling me that this was normal.”

However, his parents did not. Five months ago, they sent David to Back2Basics Outdoor Adventure Therapy, a six-month recovery program for young men that combines group living and a traditional 12-step program with activities like hiking, rock climbing and kayaking in locations such as the Grand Canyon and Sedona.

“What I’ve noticed being at Back2Basics and going on outdoor trips once a week is that nature is really a spiritual thing for me. What I’ve come to find out is that nature is my higher power and it’s beautiful out here. I can really connect with the Earth. Back home, drugs were my higher power.”

On a cool winter day, David is hiking on the Huckaby Trail, side by side on a path to recovery with his new friends, young men he calls “brothers.” One of them is Michael.

 

Into the Pits

“I was headed to either jail, institutions or prison and I was pretty apathetic to life,” says the six-foot-tall, athletic 27-year-old from Albuquerque. “I was living a dangerous life – violence, crime, having to deal with police, figuring out how to make money on a daily basis, which became an ordeal sometimes. And I was stuck.”

In his young life, Michael had watched seven, eight, maybe nine of his friends die from overdoses or violence. “It took me a long time to actually pull the trigger and get out of it, but withdrawals were hell. Like when you’re dope sick, the only thing I can really relate it to is being just starving and you don’t have any food. What are you willing to do to get that food?”

Michael’s addiction started in high school with drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana on the weekends. By age 19 he was using cocaine, ecstasy and other party drugs. “Heroin was the one that took me to the pits. It’s super addictive and can change anyone’s life.”

He entered Back2Basics eight months ago. “When I’m out here, I do reflect on how it used to be and what I used to be like. Being outdoors helps me connect to a peaceful place. You get away from it all and there’s nothing but you and nature. I feel like it’s important for me to center myself. And I realize that there’s more to life.”

At his lowest low, Michael did not care if he lived or died. Today, he says he will be sober the rest of his life. “Back2Basics helped me change my outlook on life. The outdoors, physical fitness, eating healthy, living healthy, making healthy lifestyle choices and being honest, loving those people around me and caring about people – compassion – is all part of my new lifestyle choices. I try to live for my friends, those who I’ve loved and I’ve lost. I owe my life to Back2Basics.”

 

Connecting with Nature

Also on the journey is Zack, a 28-year-old surfer from Monterey, California, who holds a degree in Chinese culture and a minor in economics. Like many, he came to Back2Basics to get rid of an addiction. His was heroin. What he found was so much more, including self-love, confidence and a connection to something greater than himself.

“I’ve always been into the outdoors. But now, I really appreciate it a lot more,” he said. “Seeing the inland and the desert kind of beauty, it’s quite amazing. Nature means the trees, the ground, the Earth, everything that revolves around the universe and we are all part of that in a way. It’s finding that spiritual being within me and staying heart-centered and grounded, and knowing that I am a part of everyone and everything.”

Mike, a 25-year-old from Queenstown, Maryland, had been addicted for nine years, through multiple detoxes and in and out of 30-day treatment centers. “I decided to give myself one last chance and finally try sobriety for myself.” He sent himself to Back2Basics and has been sober for three months.

“What’s different here is that it’s six months. The length of stay is huge. After a 30-day treatment center you still feel sick and withdrawn from the drugs. Another important part this program is the outdoors aspect of it. We spend about half the time indoors and the other half outdoors in the wilderness – all over Arizona, Utah and Nevada, New Mexico, wherever it may be that we go. This is like a symbol of something that’s greater than myself. Nature is a fantastic thing. It’s astonishing to me in the Red Rocks and all these mountains and rocks surrounding us on a daily basis. It’s something that I’ve never experienced or seen before in my life. It’s astonishing to wake up and see this every day.”

 

Life at Rock Bottom

B2B Lead Guide Nick Huth understands the demons these men face and is surprised by nothing. The confident, outgoing, encouraging counselor is a no-nonsense kind of guy whose intense brown eyes are on the sharp lookout for excuses and justifications. Despite his authoritative presence and got-it-together demeanor, Huth is lucky to be alive. In fact, he has been considered medically dead three times from drug overdoses. He has experienced homelessness in a previous part of his life that had him sleeping on the ground in North Carolina and washing his clothes in a creek.

Huth’s addiction began with alcohol at age 13. His 20s were a blur and his choice of drug was indiscriminate.

“I would get to the bottom and roll around in it. For me those kinds of physical consequences didn’t scare me. Death didn’t scare me. I’ve been in and out of jail many times. And all that stuff didn’t scare me. What eventually got to me was an emotional bottom. For me it was every day waking up, upset that I woke up and wishing that I would die, and kind of fantasizing about death, but not following through with suicide ever. I essentially had nothing left to live for. So, for me, getting to B2B was a reprieve because I finally had something to work toward. And after several months, I no longer wanted to die.”

Huth, along with the men he is now leading, attribute much of their sobriety to their new community. “Drug addiction is a pretty lonely endeavor. When you get to the point that I was at, I did most of that alone. So, I always felt very lonely. Having a community that I found at B2B was incredible. Being around people that actually genuinely care about you is incredible.”

The B2B alum cites a reconnection with nature as part of the sustainable sobriety solution. “I’ve always loved the outdoors, but it’s pretty tough to get outside when you’ve got a crippling heroin addiction, so I didn’t do much of that when I was doing drugs. So, to reconnect with that was incredible. And I love working in it now.”

Sober for five years, Huth explains that drug addiction is a much-misunderstood chronic disease that, left untreated, leads to death. “A lot of people hear ‘drug addict,’ or ‘alcoholic’ and think about the bearded guy under the bridge that’s dressed in rags and has nothing. And that just isn’t the case. I’m a drug addict and came from a nice family. I had no wants or needs as a kid. My parents don’t drink or use drugs and they love me. So, I don’t have anything like that to blame my addiction on. I think I would have been an addict had I come out of some multi-million-dollar mansion or had grown up in the ghetto. Addiction is just a thing that I have and in order to address the problem, we’ve got to learn more about the problem and how best to fix it.”

 

A Path to Recovery

Huth currently is studying psychology. He plans to transfer to Northern Arizona University, work toward a doctorate degree and have a career helping people recover from addictions. In the meantime, he is working with B2B Outdoor Director Kelly McGrath, an empathic picture of strength and competence packed into a small frame.

“Being in the wilderness or even just wild places, like Sedona, is an amazing way to connect with people and to connect with ourselves,” said the seasoned Grand Canyon river runner. “I think it breaks us down. We come in with our experiences. We all have traumas and pasts that are part of our story, but being in the outdoors has allowed us, myself included, to change the narrative, change what that story is and build confidence and friendships and a connection to the Earth.”

With opioid addiction at an all-time high in the United States, McGrath says people who would never be suspected of drug use are facing severe addition issues. B2B addresses the epidemic first by eliminating distractions. “When the residents come onboard, they are stripped of their cell phones, email, Instagram – all of those things. We keep a tight ship when it comes to outside influences and part of that is because so many of their influences were really negative and we’re retraining the brain. We’re doing work to start a new path and get away from the habits that really have brought a lot of negativity and unhealthy lifestyles.”

On this day, that new path has led David, Michael, Zach and Mike to a breathtaking overlook high above the city of Sedona with majestic Cathedral Rock in the backdrop rising from the high desert floor. Huth and McGrath believe today’s miles underfoot are part of an essential stretch on the road to recovery with the Red Rocks providing a powerful foundation for a drug-free life. QCBN

 

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Back2Basics Outdoor Adventure Therapy has been operating in Flagstaff for seven years with a success rate of _____. Roy DuPrez M.Ed., founded the company after recognizing the power of wild places. “The outdoors offer a way to find an adrenaline rush that’s healthy and natural,” says the surfer/snowboarder. For more information, visit www.back2basicsoutdooradventures.com or call 928-814-2220.

 

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Photo caption: Participants in Back2Basics say being immersed in Northern Arizona’s wildlands is a calming experience that gives them a chance to reflect on their lives and commune with nature.

Photo by Bonnie Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOC Outlet Mall Becomes Sedona Vista Village

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The Village of Oak Creek’s Sedona Village Factory Outlets is being redeveloped by a new owner, with plans to revive the vacant former IMAX theater, to attract new retail and dining options and to turn approximately a third of the nine-acre property into a 117-room “Element by Westin” hotel.

Rebranded as Sedona Vista Village, the 90,000-square-foot property has historically struggled to retain both franchise and independent retail tenants; the occupancy rate has remained near 50 percent since 2008. Though the property was not officially on the market, Phoenix-based real estate attorney and investor Marty Aronson approached the previous owners through real estate agent Jack McMahon of John D. Miller Real Estate Services. Aronson, a part-time Sedona resident and head of Sedona Pine Tree Ventures, LLC, purchased the property in February from Oak Creek Development, LLC.

Striking the all-important balance between catering to locals and visitors is top-of-mind for Aronson. “We have to [please] both to be successful,” he said. “It’s a unique and beautiful place and we have to serve local folks, but if you want to have a vibrant community for retail, you must attract tourist trade for it to work in terms of offerings.”

Current tenants Famous Footwear, Tuesday Morning, L’eggs·Hanes·Bali·Playtex and Kitchen Collective will remain, with Tuesday Morning reopening in a remodeled space by the end of October. Verizon Wireless/Russell Cellular joined the property earlier this year and will also remain. Ideally, Aronson is looking for two more restaurants of different types and retail tenants that make sense for the place and project.

The relationship with Starwood Hotel & Resorts/Marriott International and the keystone Westin commitment originated from Aronson’s existing link to Scottsdale-based hotel developer Glacier House Hotels, which opened an Element in Chandler recently and was keen on the idea of opening one in Sedona, said Aronson.

Featuring mostly suites with kitchenettes and other on-site amenities targeted to travelers staying several nights, the “boutique” hotel includes rooms “designed as free-flowing space” and is intended to be LEED certified, maximizing sustainability throughout from building materials to a recycling program.

“It’s a very nice hotel product that does not exist in the VOC,” said Aronson, noting that conference rooms are part of the plan. “It will add a positive choice for travelers.” The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2018.

The first new tenant to open will be the Majestic Theatre & Speakeasy Supper Club. Taking over the property’s 6,500-square-foot theater, its lobby and patio, this concept is the brainchild of Jeff Schutt, who closed his Speakeasy establishment in Carefree to open this one after he was approached by Aronson.

“The hotel going up next door was a huge reason why I said yes,” said Schutt. The remodeled theater will seat 170 guests in traditional seats, dining tables and plush seating. Planned entertainment includes monthly comedy nights on the first Thursday, weekly classic movie nights on Sundays, live music on Saturdays and a “Vegas-quality” burlesque/variety show on Fridays, according to Schutt.

Adorned with a 1920s Prohibition-era style décor, the restaurant will seat 100 (inside and outside) and serve a wide range of appetizers starting at $10, as well as steaks, seafood, burgers, flatbread dishes and a diverse wine selection. The Speakeasy plans to be open Wednesdays through Sundays.

“Jeff is the right guy to make it work,” said Aronson. “This space has been underutilized for many years and we want to make it a special part of the Sedona area.”

Though it has several moving parts, Aronson said the project is “right on schedule.” Refurbishment of the legacy buildings that will remain has begun with a month of roof work, and demolition of the northern end to make way for the hotel is planned for early November. Aronson is talking to several potential retail and restaurant tenants, though he is facing some skepticism. “We are having discussions with a lot of people,” he said. “Most people would like the hotel construction to begin.”

Job creation is estimated to be in the hundreds when all redevelopment phases are complete. Plans for the hotel have been submitted to the county; zoning is flexible in the area along State Highway 179. Aronson is not looking for investors as he and his current partners “have a long-term outlook to make it a special place.” One indication that Aronson is doing things differently: his marketing consultant, Patty Johnson, crowdsourced the rebranded property’s logo online.

“I’m very excited to be involved with the transformation of this property,” said leasing agent McMahon. “It takes a visionary like Marty to see the potential that this property has. I look forward to working with him and his team to bring new life to the VOC.” QCBN

By Tom, Vitron QCBN

Photo caption:

Plans for the new Majestic Theatre & Speakeasy Supper Club in the Village of Oak Creek include comedy nights, live music, variety shows and dining.

Photo by Tom Vitron

 

 

Bell Rock Hilton Customers Driving Restaurant Renovation

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One of Northern Arizona’s premier resort properties is undertaking a major overhaul of their flagship dining space. The Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock recently announced and began a $2 million renovation of its restaurant, the Grille at Shadow Rock. The project is expected to be completed early this month.

General Manager Jay Kriske said the consumer is driving the project. “Everything we do, whether it’s a lobby renovation [in 2014], a guest-room renovation [in 2015], it’s the consumer telling you to do it,” Kriske explained. “The consumer is getting more affluent and they expect the full experience. This consumer expects us to have a nicer facility for food and beverage.”

Like with the revamped lobby, the restaurant will utilize natural elements such as copper, wood and earth tones. The windows are being replaced by doors so the space can open up and merge with the outdoors when weather permits. In addition, the ceiling is being raised by 18 inches to add depth and light. “We wanted to bring the outside in, to bring light into that space,” said Kriske. “The allure of being in Sedona is being outside.”

With modularity to host a few dozen dinner guests or much larger parties, the new design will also include 16 TVs featuring a variety of sports, indoor games such as shuffle board and foosball, and table tennis and “cornhole” bag toss outside. The porch area will include shade seating for diners, four fire pits in a cocktail area, a small stage, and will host an occasional telescope garden in conjunction with the Verde Valley Astronomers.

“People don’t talk about our dark skies much but we were pleased with guest interest and interaction when we first tested out the telescope evening,” added Kriske. “It’s about taking advantage of every natural asset we have. Our style will be casual yet refined, trying to stay fun and whimsical as appropriate. I want a space with a certain level of sophistication so that you can have multiple things happening in there at once.”

Kriske explained that the resort is repositioning itself as a hub for discovery and recovery. The restaurant renovation and the numerous on-site health and fitness options are key to each guest’s recovery options. “Resorts typically try to get people to come and stay at the resort, but that’s not Sedona,” said Kriske. “The red rocks are what bring people here. They check into the hotel, go discover Sedona, then come back and recover here, in the spa, by the pool and in the restaurant. That was part of the continuum where we continue the experience with recovery in the food and beverage realm. It’s really about a great breakfast experience that gets you started for the day, gets you excited. And instead of stopping in Uptown Sedona or elsewhere for dinner, we hope guests say they want to go back to that restaurant and hang out there. We saw the need – that some customers just really want to get back to the hotel and eat instead of having to eat in Sedona.”

While resort guests are the main impetus for these changes, Kriske knows that the long-term success of the restaurant depends on the local community. “We want and need locals to really use it because that’s what our customers are looking for. They want a flavor of Sedona,” Kriske said. “I see guests interacting with locals, learning from one another and becoming friends. I see it as a human Facebook page. We want to create a fun, social environment that people will talk about. It’s always a challenge to get locals to come to a resort. The food and feel are key and pricing will play a role in it, too. Our pricing will be very fair.” Kriske added that the eclectic Americana menu will be largely the same for lunch and dinner, with six extra offerings in the evening. (The resort offers other lunch options at its poolside snack bar.) As for the renovation’s price tag, Kriske pointed to the complicated nature of the project. “When you take something down to the studs, remove pools and such, it gets expensive really fast.”

Part of Kriske’s motivation comes from the successful and still-nascent food and beverage scene in Cottonwood. “Old Town has become an attraction,” he said. “I love the vibe in the Village but it felt like it had to be awakened. If we did something spectacular, then it would create more competition in the Village. People will see it and believe in it, I hope.”

One natural partner for the Hilton is the commercial plaza below, now known as The Collective. Kriske works closely with two important stakeholders there, Lisa Dahl, executive chef and owner of the Dahl Restaurant Group, and The Collective’s managing partner, Thomas McPherson, whom Kriske meets with monthly.

As the vanguard of fine dining in Sedona, Dahl’s establishments are a fit with many resort goers looking for an upscale evening out. In no way is the renovated Grille at Shadow Rock meant to rival Dahl’s Cucina Rustica, Kriske explained. “They are fine dining at its best and do a great job so this is where we can create a symbiotic relationship. When people want that upscale experience, we refer guests to her.”

In fact, Dahl opened Cucina Rustica more than 14 years ago because of the Hilton’s extreme proximity. She sees the renovations as a win-win. “My commitment to excellence with serving guests staying at the beautiful, newly renovated property grows stronger every day,” said Dahl. “My vision for this area is one of many spontaneous dining and guest experience opportunities.”

McPherson is fully on board, working with Kriske to create a “food and beverage mecca.” Despite some disappointments since managing the property, including the short-lived Producers area meant to showcase local craft wine and beer brands, McPherson is excited about the adjacent Hilton’s renovations.

“The Village of Oak Creek now offers a full spectrum of experiences for travelers looking to visit and experience the true red rock culture,” said McPherson. “The Collective Sedona values every Hilton guest and we look forward to exceeding all of their expectations.” And Kriske keeps one vision in mind as he and McPherson talk about taking the VOC to another level. “If my dream comes true, we’ll have a traffic jam from Sedona to the Village!”

The Hilton’s meeting spaces will be renovated next, starting later this year. The restaurant space is also for corporate and social events, as well as weddings and reunions. Part of the behemoth conglomerate Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock is located on the southern edge of the Village of Oak Creek and has 219 guest rooms, including 171 suites. The resort has 20,000 square feet of meeting space, direct access to an 18-hole golf course and a spa. QCBN

By Tom Vitron, QCBN

 

Sedona’s New Crystal Magic: Salt

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saltcrystalsThe only time a health professional usually mentions salt is to warn the public not to eat too much of the most basic food additive, as it raises blood pressure, affects kidney function and more. However, people have known for thousands of years that the right kind of exposure to salt appears to have surprising health benefits, and many swear by the healing effects of an Epsom salts bath. While therapies involving salt are not new to Northern Arizona, two new Sedona businesses are now offering a cutting edge “saline solution” that is one of the top health and wellness trends worldwide: salt rooms.

Nothing can fully mimic a salt mine’s environment but that is the objective of halotherapy, or salt therapies. “The health benefits were discovered by salt cave workers, and in the Middle East and Asia where people hid in caves and seemed to come out very healthy,” said Heidi Kenney, director of the new Sedona Health Spa at The Collective Sedona (VOC), which now offers the holistic treatment.

First, salt in the form of 99.99 percent pure sodium chloride is heated then pulverized to red-blood-cell sized particles. Then, these particles are sent into a room where clients receive the therapy, breathing and absorbing the salt. According to Kenney, salt therapy benefits include weight loss, detoxification, improved brain function, stress relief, balanced hormones, allergy therapy and help with acne or sensitive skin irritations. She recommends no more than two sessions a week for no longer than eight weeks. Halotherapy in general is not yet a federally recognized medical treatment.

Said to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial qualities, this form of halotherapy is used as to treat respiratory ailments, like emphysema and seasonal allergy symptoms. “It’s like a Neti Pot for your body,” she said. “Instead of just your sinuses, you’re flushing your whole system! People will get addicted to it.”

She says this treatment should be avoided by those with high blood pressure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, serious breathing disorders and certain immune systems concerns, Side effects appear to be signs the therapy is working: sinus draining, slight cough, fatigue from toxin drainage and minor skin irritation.

At the Sedona Health Spa, halotherapy is administered in its purpose-built Salt Room that blends function and form. Hand-mined Himalayan salt covers three of the four walls for an added therapeutic effect that also makes for a visually stunning and relaxing environment. The room is kept at 74 degrees by a LED and natural light.

“It’s warm, but nothing like a sauna,” said Kenney, who loves the fine layer of salt the treatment leaves in the room as evidence. Up to six people can be treated at once and prices start at $45 per person (sedonahealthspa.com/services/the-salt-room/).

Similar halotherapy is also being offered in West Sedona by Healing Salts Spa, which opened last month and offers open and private room sessions starting at $60 per person (healingsaltspa.com).

Other salt therapies available in the region include sea salt scrubs, saltwater float therapy and mineral sea salt soaks that are much like high-end Epsom salt baths. Purported therapeutic effects and counter indications mirror those of salt-room halotherapy, with a greater emphasis on circulatory and skin benefits and less on respiration and detoxification, according to treatment descriptions. QCBN

By Tom Vitron

Photo caption:

Soaking in salt rooms, like this one at Sedona Health Spa, is said to help people lose weight, increase their brain activity and provide relief from stress and allergies.

Photo by Tom Vitron