Sedona, AZ

[Steven_Draker]

On my forthcoming trip to Phoenix I'm thinking of taking a side trip to Sedona.

I've never visited there and I was wondering should I take a day trip (I'll have a rental car) or stay in Sedona overnight?

 

Looking forward for some suggestions and advice.

 

Cheers,

[LurkerSpeaks]

sedona...

 

really depends on what you want to do there. It is a short 2hour or less drive from Phoenix..so it can be a one day trip if you just want to go up and view the beautiful scenery. But if you want to spend some time hiking, etc, then take the time and spend the nite. There are many nice places to stay in the Sedona area if you decide to stay over...

[Guest greatness]

well

 

You'll witness a great view of the red sandstone formations either when sun rises or sets. I guess you can drive early and see sun rise and go back after sun set will be nice or you can do a overnight and do some hiking or if you have mountain bike you can do a bike trail. If you are going to do a day trip and want to do a hike Cathedral rock trail is short less than two miles (up and back) It is steep though. Sedona has good hotels and spas.

 

 

really depends on what you want to do there. It is a short 2hour or less drive from Phoenix..so it can be a one day trip if you just want to go up and view the beautiful scenery. But if you want to spend some time hiking, etc, then take the time and spend the nite. There are many nice places to stay in the Sedona area if you decide to stay over...

[Lankypeters]

well worth it

 

I don't know how much American desert, sandstone, monolith scenery you've seen, but Sedona offer stunning samples. You can experience the palce many ways, as others suggest. If you want to take it easy, the 4-wheel Jeep tours go straight up over those mountains to great views.

 

Again, I don't know if you're a fan of classic American westerns from the '40s and '50s, but many were filmed here. And......the great Ann Miller retired here. In fact, she came and joined some girls at lunch at a table next to me the day I visited. They say her taps now echo at night through the monoliths.

 

There are some great restaurants and inns at all price levels. There's a major spa here out in the mountains at the edge of town. Highly recommended. Is it the Enchantment Spa?

 

I think you'll love the whole experience. Salubrious, refreshing and, for some, spiritual.

[+ sf westcoaster]

I would highly recommend that you stay overnight so as to experience both a sunrise and a sunset! The jeep ride is fun and will take you into some of the higher regions and clearly some hiking is in order.

[+ azdr0710]

looks like you have a tight schedule before and after your Phx visit, but I hope you can find the time to make it an overnight visit to Sedona.....

 

June in Az is the hottest and driest month here....highs in Sedona will be in the 90s and lows are very nicely down to the 60s or upper 50s easily....low humidity, bright sun, cools quickly after sunset....and remember that most of Az, including Phx and Sedona, does not do daylight savings time (we're same time as Calif in the summer)...sunrise will be about 5:15a and it will start getting light by 4:45a....

 

the town will be somewhat crowded with summer tourists....traffic is difficult in some spots....lots of motels/hotels, restaurants, t-shirt shops, the whole touristy bit.....but it's easy to get out of town and explore the pretty backcountry, if that's what you want....lots of public land (National Forest) surrounds town....Slide Rock State Park is a nice spot to go for a swim in Oak Creek...lots of trails all around, but hike early and drink water and eat energy food....

 

gotta be lots of info on the 'net.....

[Guest jaighbos]

OMG - is the Ride over already? Been out of touch, gripped with "Tony Fever", you know.

You must go to Sedona, and definitely stay overnight to experience both sun-set and sun-rise. I stayed at L'Auberge, in the main house, but they have creekside cabins that looked charming. Another place that I ate dinner at and friends have stayed at is "Enchantment Resort". Both are pretty pricey, but the creekside dinner at L'Auberge and the views at sunset from Enchantment were worth every penny. I also did two different jeep rides, one to explore ancient Indian sites, and another to the top of the hills. I was there last August so there didn't seem to be too many tourists (too bloody hot!). But go! And make sure you stop by NY on the way back so we can share stories!

[+ Lucky]

Try to avoid Sedona on the weekend, as the number of tourists is much higher, meaning more traffic and more people at the various rock viewing areas.

[rvwnsd]

Although Sedona is a little too toursity for my taste, the scenery is stunning. I would drive through Sedona and head north to the Coconino National Forest. After some time in the forest, head up to Flagstaff, spend the night, and come back to Phoenix.

[Steven_Draker]

Thank you !

 

Thank you all for the suggestions and advice.

 

Due to prior commitments it looks like I'll be experiencing only the sunset in Sedona with no overnight ...

[Steven_Draker]

Wow !

 

What was supposed to be a short two hour drive to Sedona (one way) turned into 3,5 hour hectic drive due to some heavy congestion leaving the Phoenix belt at a bad time of the day and then some road works along I-17 and in Sedona itself. Believe me, the drive was well worth it. I'm still speechless in front of the scenary. It was just stunning ... I'm ought to come back to Sedona and spend some more time hiking and exploring those rocks. Highly recommended (if you haven't visited yet).

 

http://www.sedonagolfresort.com/images/I-Sedona.jpg

[Guest jaighbos]

I'm so glad you got to see a little of Sedona, and that the hassle getting there was worth it!

[rvwnsd]

I'm glad you were able to get a taste of the scenery. As I mentioned before, I drove through the area myself on the way back from Albuquerque to San Diego. What I had planned on being a drive-through from Flagstaff to Phoenix turned into at least 10 stops along the way. I left Flagstaff before lunch and didn't get to Phoenix until almost 5. It is truely a magical part of the country.

 

PS: if you ever have the time, drive east on I040 from Flagstaff. The scenery is stunning.

[Steven_Draker]

I'm already planning to be back in the fall when the weather cools off a bit and do some hiking in Sedona and Grand Canyon.