Sedona, Arizona. The land of rugged landscapes and crystal shops.
Our latest trip took us out west, towards deserts, canyons, and beaches. The first stop on our road trip was Sedona. We tried to hit the high spots, as we were only in town for two days. So if you have limited time to spend in this mystical desert wonderland, we have a few suggestions to help you plan your trip.
Just a note before we begin. We visited in July, which is one of the hottest times of year for Arizona. We do not recommend this, as it limited some of the activities we did. Though Sedona does not get as hot as Phoenix, temperatures stayed in the high 90’s from around 10:00 AM to sundown. Based on talking with others who have visit the area, fall (Sept-Nov) and spring (Mar-May) are your best bet for decent temperatures. Regardless, make sure to drink lots of water!
Other FYIs, Sedona has a lot of traffic circles. And we mean A LOT. We have never seen so many roundabouts in our whole lives. Sometimes traffic can get bogged down in the most popular areas and finding parking can be a bit of a challenge at busy times of day.
Places to See
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of Sedona’s most well-known landmarks. This Roman Catholic chapel, built in the 1950’s, stands high above Sedona in the side of the red rock formation that surrounds it. You park at the bottom of the hill and hike to the top. The climb isn’t terribly difficult, but it is all uphill and the heat can make it seem much harder. (They do offer handicap parking closer to the chapel.) Once up top, you can enjoy gorgeous views of Sedona. Inside the chapel you can see the statue of Jesus Christ on a 90ft cross. The chapel does still hold services, so make sure to check the schedule. They also have a gift shop in the basement where you can purchase several religious items, including a bottle to fill with holy water blessed by the chapel’s priest.
Though there are many hikes in Sedona, we chose to do the Devil’s Bridge trail. You have a couple of options of where to begin this hike. If you have a large truck, Jeep, or other four-wheel drive vehicle, you can park at the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead. For most, you will need to choose one of the other trailheads, Mescal or Dry Creek. We chose the Mescal Trail. The views are much nicer (the other is mainly dirt roads until you reach the DB trailhead) though the trail is slightly more difficult. Mescal trail is approximately 1 mile and fairly easy to navigate. It is mostly a gradual incline and moderate difficulty.
The toughest part of the hike comes when you begin your 1 mile trek on the Devil’s Bridge Trail, with the last bit of the hike being a steep incline. It feels a bit like rock climbing, though there are natural stairs set into the side of the rock. At the top, you can take turns walking out onto the actual bridge for photos.
We recommend starting this hike as early as possible, for heat as well as crowds. This is a very popular hike and, should you want a photo on the bridge, you may end up waiting a long time. We left our hotel around 5:30 AM and started the hike around 6:00. It took us a total of 2 1/2 hours roundtrip, including time to take photos at the top. When we got there, there were already about 15-20 people at the top and we passed a lot more on the way back down. When we started the hike it was 65 degrees (Fahrenheit). When we finished, about 8:30 AM, it was 85 degrees. Again, maybe don’t go in July.
This was the only hike we did (aside from a super short one mentioned below) due to high temperatures. If you have more time, or go when it’s cooler, also consider checking out Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock. Although, if you have to choose, someone told us they’d done all three and the Devil’s Bridge had the best views.
While in town, you have to visit at least one vortex. Sedona is known for these mystical spots where many claim to feel a type of energy. We visited the Airport Mesa Vortex. The hike was short, albeit steep, and the views great. And although we can’t honestly say we felt the energy from the vortex, the views were worth it.
Shopping
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village came highly recommended. It was a cute little village, but we found it to be largely full of high priced antique stores, although some felt more like thrift stores without the low prices. They did have a few restaurants, but we didn’t eat at any. We wandered around for a bit, but ultimately didn’t buy anything.
We actually found shopping more to our speed in Uptown. We visited several stores with beautiful and unique Native made items. We both purchased earrings and several other things we probably didn’t need but bought anyway because it was too good to pass up.
Speaking of things we didn’t need more of, we visited several of the many crystal shops in the area. We first tried out one of the biggest we saw, but found it to be a bit too new age and pricey for us (we were not super interested in spiritual investments). However, we then wandered into Crystal Gratitude and Magnificent Crystals AZ and decided those investments were in our price range. The man working at Magnificent Crystals, Chuck, was super friendly, we were encouraged to touch everything (your left hand is for feminine energy we learned), and we got to stand in singing bowls. If you’ve never heard of singing bowls, you should look them up. They are very cool/weird to stand in. We left with way more crystals than we needed, or maybe exactly the amount we needed.
Where to Eat/Drink
As always when traveling, we like to eat at as many local restaurants as we can (or at least places we’ve never eaten at before). And our first stop for lunch fit the bill. The Hideaway House was a quaint, interestingly decorated, establishment with both indoor and outdoor seating. The views were great and the food was delicious. We split the Italian sub and French dip sandwiches because we had to try both. The service was good (although, funny story… when we asked the waiter what kind of fries they had he replied ‘French fries’… I mean… yeah?… [they have steak fries just FYI]). We had a very enjoyable lunch here and would recommend it. Parking is a bit challenging. Their lot is very small and it doesn’t loop all the way around. You have to get back on the street and re-enter the lot if you need to circle around. It is also close to a main traffic circle, so it can be hard to get in and out.
On our first night in town, we opted for a place nearby our hotel. We decided to stop into the tasting room (mentioned below) and it happened to be in the same parking lot as Rotten Johnny’s Wood-Fired Pizza Pie. We ordered a pizza online to pick up as we left the tasting room. We got pepperoni pizza (w/ ricotta) and a Caesar salad. The pizza was a thinner crust and very good. However, it was quite expensive. We paid almost $44 for one pizza and what was essentially a side salad.
On our second night, we were in the mood for Mexican food. We got a few recommendations but ended up at Tortas de Fuego. It had the vibes of your typical Mexican restaurant, but all of the decor was Sedona scenery. We’re talking the tables, chairs, everything. It was actually quite pretty and still fit with with the colorful decor most Mexican places have. Mal- I had the Carne asada, pollo asada, and chorizo tacos with rice and beans. They were all good, but the chorizo was my favorite.
We had to check out at least one local brewery and decided to stop into Basecamp- Sedona Beer Company. Mal- I had the Haterade sour, which was pretty good (I’m not a beer person so pretty good is high praise from me lol). Court- I had the Prickly Pear cider, which was very refreshing and my first taste of Prickly Pear (which is a very common flavor in the desert). There was also a food truck outside and we shared a butter chicken flatbread and chipotle hummus.
As mentioned above, we visited Decanter Tasting Room to try local wines (trying local wines and beers is kind of our thing now). Mal- I did the red tasting menu, which came with four different local wines. Court- I had the white tasting menu, which came with white wines from local vineyards. We also both had a glass of Sangria, which was very tasty. This was a nice place to relax and get out of the sun, and the prices were reasonable. They did also offer charcuteries boards and paninis, though we didn’t order any food (we had our pizza to pick up). The wines were good and definitely different from North Georgia wines and others we have had.
Along with local alcohols, we also love local coffee shops (or local chains as the case may be sometimes). Whilst out shopping, we stopped by Freeform for a pick-me-up. Mal- I had the pistachio rose iced latte. It tasted very pistachio (which I love) and the rose was a nice touch. It didn’t taste flowery, which is always my concern. It even had a cute little dried rose on the top. Court- I cannot remember what I had, but it was good. It may have been the salted maple latte, but either way it was good.
On our way out of town, we stopped at the famous Black Potion Sedona. Mal- I had the peanut butter mocha iced coffee. It was good but cost over $9 for a 16oz (their large). This was the most expensive coffee I had on the trip, and I’m not sure it was worth it. At least we can say we’ve been there. Court- I agree that the coffee was good, but definitely not worth the price. I added an extra shot to my drink and it was $2, so I think I ended up with an $11 or $12 coffee.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Los Posadas de Sedona. While researching places to stay in Sedona, we came across Los Posadas. It had good reviews, good prices and a nice location. The staff was friendly and helpful (our TV didn’t work when we first arrived and someone came to fix it right away). The room was like a large suite, with a kitchen, large bedroom, and bathroom. Although, one of the highlights of our stay was breakfast. Breakfast was included on each morning of our stay and was made fresh by in-house chefs. The first morning we had huevos con chorizo, tamales, and blueberry breakfast cake. The second morning we had bacon, eggs, tamales, more blueberry cake and fruit. It was honestly some of the best food we had in Sedona.
All in all, we had a great time in Sedona. It may have been a short stay, but it was definitely a memorable one.
Our McTravels 