The Economic Niche of Sedona

By: Frank Yunker

Date: 2016-03-31

Sedona Arizona is a small city nestled within a ring of stone mountains. From Flagstaff the route south to Sedona is steep and full of switchbacks, so if Sedona appears insulated from reality, the city can be forgiven. Once arrived, you will find it is like any other poorly designed city. Only Route 89A – Main Street – runs through town, so a need to go anywhere requires a drive through Main Street. And that means congested traffic. I commented to the hotel owner that Sedona was probably once “a quiet and quaint little village.” He replied it was once “a quiet and quaint little planet.”

That’s what you get in Sedona. People who think beyond the planet. People who think beyond this dimension. In fact, you can buy books written by inter-dimensional consultants. Last I knew, they were called psychics, but I guess résumé-building is an art practiced everywhere.

The psychics come with a smorgasbord full of options. Psychic readings, spiritual mediums who converse with dead relatives who have passed over, palm-readers and tarot card readers. It’s all there and more. You can go up near the airport and sit on an “Energy Vortex” rock.

Sedona has made famous the concept of “energy vortex.” A vortex, according to Wikipedia is “…a place where the earth energy swirls and draws to it's center everything that surrounds it like a tornado. At these magical sites, trees often exhibit this swirling or twisting of their trunks due the powerful vortex energy at the core…”

So, the energy is swirling and twisting, but also subtle. Imagine that. Like the Emperor Who wore no Clothes, the vortex can only be appreciated by the gifted. We cannot judge who gets it and who does not, so the Sedona Vortex is real if you say it is real. And those who say it is not real are simply misguided fools without a high-enough energy sensor.

So, how does this affect the economy of Sedona? Sedona has things you cannot experience anywhere else in the world. Like a turquoise blue McDonald's arch. Sandstone colored traffic lights. They were required by law to keep the look and feel of Sedona unique. The cactus fries are made from local cactus, but the rattlesnakes on the menu are imported from Texas. That's not a Sedona law, but an Arizona law that allows for the hunting of rattlesnakes, but not the selling of them. The logic of economic soundness is missing, but no one appears to question it's logic or existence.

But why not? Because to question the logic of one thing would require the questioning of everything. And Sedona is not a place for questions. It is a place for answers.

And good memories. Great hikes. Great vistas. Great shopping. Among the favorite souvenirs would be energy rocks. A black one might help with balance. A green one might bring you wealth and a yellow rock some happiness. When the yellow rock is sold, there is a feeling of happiness oozing from the cash register area. So, perhaps it does work after all.