if you go ...sedona

IF YOU GO ...

Getting there: Sedona is a two-hour drive north of Phoenix. From Interstate 17, take Exit 298 onto Arizona 179 and proceed 15 miles to Sedona.

What to do: Hiking, biking, golf, four-wheel drive and Jeep tours, hot-air balloon rides, scenic drives -- Sedona boasts plenty of recreational opportunities among the red rocks. Sedona is an artist's colony with 40 galleries, many featuring Western works that can run well into five figures. Tlaquepaque (pronounced "T-laca-pocky") is an upscale arts and crafts center filled with boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

New age: Many longtime residents have yet to feel the natural energy that some believe emanates from vortexes located deep beneath the red rocks. But others insist they can sense its healing power. Regardless, a flourishing industry has sprung up around the mystical in Sedona, from commercial backcountry tours of the vortexes to shops hawking crystals and psychic consultations. Fact or fiction? Judge for yourself: The chamber of commerce provides free maps of the vortexes.

Weather: Sedona experiences the four seasons in mild to moderate fashion. August is the hottest month, with an average high of 95 degrees; March highs average 63. Nights are often cool, and snow is infrequent.

Dining: Burgers and pizza to gourmet.

Information: Call or write the Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 478, Sedona, Ariz. 86339. Phone (800) 288-7336.

ON THE NET

Sedona Chamber of Commerce: www.experiencesedona.com/

Peter Sanders: http://freesoul.net

Spirit Steps: http://www.spiritsteps.org/

Sedona Excentric: http://sedonaexcentric.com