Verde Valley’s favorite son, and prolific Arizona writer Roger Naylor returns to Community Library Sedona on Saturday, April 26 at 1PM in the Community Room to talk all things Arizona, and his new book, Arizona National Parks and Monuments! Pepper him with questions about all things AZ National Park related and be ready to plan one heck of an adventure after you’re inspired by this presentation! Roger brings a crowd so you’ll definitely want to get here early.
Naylor has authored several books including Awesome Arizona: 200 Amazing Facts about the Grand Canyon State, Arizona’s Scenic Roads and Hikes, Arizona State Parks, The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon, Arizona Kicks on Route 66, and Crazy for the Heat: Arizona Tales of Ghosts, Gumshoes, and Bigfoot. For more information, visit www.rogernaylor.com. While also being a prolific writer, did you know Roger Naylor is also the narrator of the Verde Canyon Railroad?
Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, is rich in its history, not just stunning views like the Red Rocks of Sedona, or traversing all the cool sights to see along historic Route 66. It takes an adopted son of the state, like Naylor, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio but now resides in the Verde Valley to bring it all to life in vivid, if not humorous, and insightful detail.
There is something here to pique everyone’s interest. Don’t believe us? Naylor himself writes, “I knew this remarkable state was where I belonged as soon as I arrived as a wide-eyed college student. It captivated me with its epic beauty, diverse landscapes and rich history. My path as a writer had been set years before when I first read Mark Twain. Somehow I was able to combine my two great passions and become an Arizona travel writer.
These days you’ll find me rambling around my beloved Arizona and writing about what I find. My specialties include state and national parks, lonely hiking trails, twisting back roads, diners with burgers sizzling on the grill, small towns, ghost towns and pie. My work has appeared in the Arizona Republic, The Guardian, USA Today, Arizona Highways, and dozens more. In 2018, I was truly honored to be inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame.”
An extraordinary array of national park units—34 in all—blanket Arizona from border to border. They range from the volcanic sprawl of stone hoodoos crowning Chiricahua National Monument to the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park colored like blood and peaches to the miles of seductive shoreline at Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the never-ending diversity of the Arizona National Scenic Trail traversing the length of the state. And yes, there’s a certain grand canyon that’s pretty impressive, in its own right. Our community is very lucky to have such well-versed residents as Roger Naylor, who are available to share their insights and love for the state.
And you too can be your own adventurer by coming in and availing of an Act One Culture Pass. Each pass allows free admission for two individuals to many of Arizona’s arts and cultural treasures. It’s a partnership with over 175 libraries statewide to allow library cardholders the opportunity to check out free passes. Over 500,000 passes are offered annually. The bearer has one week from the day of obtaining the culture pass to use them at Arcosanti, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, the ever popular Sedona Heritage Museum, and in Camp Verde the Verde Valley Archaeology Center, just to name a few.
Community Library Sedona is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts and support, just like the Friends’ contributions, allow us to provide a plethora of services and programs for the community, for free, all year long. Visit communitylibrarysedona.org/donate to make an online gift today.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for April 25, 2025, by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Scheduling Coordinator