Sedona’s summer temperatures begin to cool off during September but for those who love sizzling festivals, Arizona’s Red Rocks is the place to be this year with these two hot events, Moonlight Madness Street Festival and Sedona Winefest.

The 24rd Annual Moonlight Madness Street Festival is set for September 4 – 6, 2010. Kiss summer goodbye and say hello to autumn with a good old sidewalk sale. But this ain’t no ordinary sale. Free music, live entertainment, activities and food galore spill onto the streets of the Sedona Main Street District, in addition to bountiful shopping bargains. Festivities take place along State Routes 89A and 179 in the Main Street District and kicks off Saturday, Sept. 4 around noon ’til 9 p.m. and continues through Monday, Sept. 6 of Labor Day Weekend.

All the Moonlight Madness Street Festival entertainment and activities are generously hosted by local merchants and property owners and this free community event is coordinated by the Sedona Main Street Program. Make it a family vacation or girlfriends getaway to Sedona. Whatever you make it, bring along an empty suitcase to carry home all the new shopping finds.

Sedona Winefest returns for the second year September 25 and 26, 2010, during the Sedona Community Fair at the Sedona Airport. We’re told the 2010 fair will be modified but will return to its fabulous state in 2011. But wine connoisseurs shouldn’t worry as Sedona Winefest will build on the success of last year’s inaugural event.

We’re told all of the Verde Valley’s wineries will be participating and in total, 10 Arizona wineries will be featured (Alcantara Winery, Arizona Stronghold Winery, Caduceus Cellars & Merkin Vineyards, Freitas Vineyard, Kokopelli Winery, Javelina Leap Vineyards & Winery, Jerome Winery, Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery, Page Springs Cellars and Pillsbury Wine Company).

Admission is $12 per person which includes a souvenir wine glass and six taste tickets. Additional tickets can be purchased for $1 each.  Wineries will be staged under a tent along with a healthy pairing of food and music and will offer sales of their fabulous wines, many made with Arizona grown grapes.  In addition to wineries, visitors will learn about winery tours, the Verde Valley Wine Consortium, the latest happenings with Arizona wine growers, and about Yavapai College’s latest offering, a viticulture and enology program.

Sipping red wine while surrounded by Sedona’s stunning red rocks is a simply romantic way to share the weekend with the one you love, or at least the one you kinda like.

Check out affordable Sedona vacation rentals Resort Rentals International has available during the Moonlight Madness Street Festival (Sept. 4 – 6) and Sedona Winefest (Sept. 25 & 26).

Image Source: Courtesy of Sedona Chamber of Commerce

Last summer, President Obama and the First Lady visited Grand Canyon National Park and one of the places they stopped was Hermits Rest, a National Historic Landmark built in 1914 to provide comfort and convenience to Grand Canyon travelers. It offers a wonderful view of the Canyon and is an ideal recharging station with its snack bar and gift shop. Between March 1 and Nov. 30, Hermits Rest is only accessible by shuttle or year-round by hiking, bicycling or bus provided by the Grand Canyon concession company, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

When planning a vacation to the Grand Canyon this summer, here are five things to do, compiled with assistance by our Xanterra friends who manage many of the park’s services.

1.  Leave the driving to someone else. One of the most popular ways to view and learn about the canyon is on a motorcoach tour. The drivers are well-trained and entertaining. While traveling to some of the Grand Canyon’s best viewpoints, riders learn about the park’s geology, history and wildlife. For most tours there is no charge for motorcoach passengers under the age of 16 when accompanied by a paying adult.

2. Search for one of the rarest birds in the world. The California condor was reintroduced to Northern Arizona in 1996. There are currently around 74 free-flying condors in Arizona, including eight that were hatched in the wild. The condor is the largest land-based bird in North America with a wingspan of up to 9-1/2 feet and weighing up to 22 pounds.

3. Hike the Rim Trail. Easily accessed anywhere in Grand Canyon Village, the flat Rim Trail stretches from Pipe Creek Vista west to Hermits Rest, a distance of approximately 12 miles. Most of the trail is paved and there are various points where you can pick up the shuttle.

4. Become a shutterbug. The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most photographed destinations, and every season has something different to offer both the amateur and professional photographer. During the late summer Northern Arizona experiences its “monsoon season” with thunderstorms creating dramatic shadows over the Grand Canyon. Free shuttles and the Sunset Tour are available for photographing sunsets along Hermits Road. Sunrise is often best captured from the Desert View Drive.

5. Hitch a ride with a long-eared taxi to the Abyss. Xanterra offers three-hour mule train rides that follow a trail heading west through a forest of ponderosa pine, piñon pine and junipers to the Abyss Overlook at the rim of the Grand Canyon. There are also two-day rides that proceed all the way to the bottom of the canyon and include an overnight stay in a cabin at Phantom Ranch – the lodging facility on the floor of the canyon – breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Check out the Grand Canyon National Park website for additional park information and let Resort Rentals Intl. find affordable accommodations allowing you to stretch your travel budget to try something new, such as hitching a ride with a long-eared taxi (i.e. a mule).

Image Source: Xanterra Parks & Resorts

Can you hear it? That banjo twang is calling you to Sedona, Arizona. Sedona is the place to be next month during the Sedona Bluegrass Festival, May 4 – 9. Visitors will enjoy five days of Bluegrass performances in Sedona Schools, a free community concert at the Sedona Library, performances at select galleries and instrumental workshops.

Thursday, May 6 is the Bluegrass Barbeque Benefit satisfying both foodies and music-lovers. Attendees will enjoy down home bluegrass music performed by Tony Trischka Territory while enjoying western fare. The Thompson Ranch is the location for this bluegrass shindig and getting there for this special event requires a jeep ride from Garland’s Indian Gardens to the “Magical Music in the Red Rocks.” Better hurry and reserve your spot for the Bluegrass BBQ Benefit. At $50, it’s a great value.

The Sedona Bluegrass Festival concludes with a bang on Sunday, May 9, with what’s guaranteed to be a spectacular concert day in the red rocks. The Los Abrigados Resort & Spa will be the location where award-winning talent will play between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Scheduled to perform are Tony Trischka, Bearfoot Bluegrass, Burnett Family Bluegrass, and Crystal Ridge Bluegrass Band. Reserved seat tickets are $40 and general admission costs $25 per person.

Check out the affordable accommodations in Sedona offered by Resort Rentals International during the Sedona Bluegrass Festival.

Photo Source: Sedona Chamber of Commerce