We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Schnebly Heidinger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa Schnebly, how does your business help the community?
While podcasts are glutting the market, there hasn’t been one to Celebrate Arizona through the voices of people who love Arizona, and it’s a joy to bring in guests from so many different backgrounds, with different areas of interest, perspectives, and a shared love of the state.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a lifelong storyteller and author of 13 books, sharing stories is my passion and Arizona stories are my favorites. Because I keep switching methodology, from newspaper to radio to television to magazine to book to podcast, I am always learning. Podcasts last forever unlike television and I love that. I’m still learning and also want to publish a very different sort of book about healing from grief and finding joy. Brand new at searching for a publisher I would welcome any suggestions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If we are limited to the Valley, I will focus on Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn for cocktails or any meal. Also for breakfast Brunch Snob, Toasted Owl, and for lunch Hula Modern Tiki Central, The Henry (either location.
If we get to leave the Valley, north would include Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, along with Riordan Mansion state park because it’s a fascinating tour of the home of early families, and a meal at Lumberyard so you can see the Peaks, trains, and who you’re with. Early the next morning to the South Rim for breakfast at El Tovar before a look into the Kolb Studio and Bright Angel’s Fred Harvey museum, with a walk down the trail as far as they want. Lunch on the El Rovar bar patio before going out the east Rim to see Cameron and Sunset Crater hopefully near sunset. Back to Flagstaff and the next morning into Sedona for breakfast at Pump House or Creekside then a morning of shopping if not a hike of West Fork before lunch at The Short Bird. Then back to the Valley. If south, the priorities would be the Arizona Inn in Tucson, Sabino Canyon, if time Madera Canyon to the south, Tubac for lunch, and Tumacacori.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Tom Heidinger, is what makes this more than a conversation between me and someone I like. He built the podcast studio at Arizona’s Family Channels 3 and 5, and is the engineer, the producer, the editor, and my support sytem.

Website: https://celebratingAZ.com

Instagram: Lisa Schnebly Heidinger

Linkedin: Lisa Schnebly Heidinger

Facebook: Lisa Schnebly Heidinger

Other: Where you get podcasts, Celebrating Arizona

Image Credits
First photo by Steven Toya and second by self

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.