Looking for a little vacation from big-city living? If so, it might be worth checking out Smithsonian Magazine's recently released list of "The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2014," which features our very own Sedona, Arizona, alongside nationwide notables like Chautauqua, New York, and Williamsburg, Virginia.
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The third annual list of "cultural gems worth mining" debuted in Smithsonian Magazine's April 2014 issue. Making the top 10 list was Sedona with a must-see ranking of eight, no thanks to its spiritual shenanigans (although the magazine did note the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Church of the Red Rocks). The main focus of Sedona's feature in the article centered around the "hauntingly beautiful" Southwestern backdrop and the rich historic and cultural arts scene.
In detailing Sedona's creative community, special shoutouts were given to galleries including Garland's and The Goldenstein Gallery as well as the First Friday art tours exploring what the magazine accurately surmised to be the majority of Sedona-based artwork: "Western painting, Navajo-inspired jewelry, contemporary pointillism, hyperrealism, abstracts and New Age-inspired works, what with their angels, Buddhas, golden koi fish, tarot imagery and Native American motifs."
In short, cowboy art meets alien art. For a look at the full list of small towns to visit, check out Smithsonian Magazine online.