About Our Trip

Living so close to the boarder of New Hampshire in Massachusetts we are only a short drive away from Manchester Airport. This airport has become our favorite due to the problems getting in and out of Boston. And Southwest is starting non-stop flights to Phoenix. You will need a car to travel the 2 hours up to Sedona. We rented from a company called Rent4Less. Which is away from the newly constructed car rental center at the airport and of course less expensive. Our advice is to go with a Rav4 or other small SUV as when traveling in the backcountry around Sedona the vehicle is worth the extra money.

We stayed at a vacation ownership complex called the Fairmont.  It had nice views of the red rocks and a very comfortable open plan for comfortable relaxing. Our bathroom was actually 2 rooms, one with a large whirlpool tub. Very nice to relax in after a day of hiking. A large kitchen which we used for making simple meals.

Our first day we used to get ourselves comfortable with the area. I strongly suggest a stop at the chamber of commerce in downtown Sedona. Pick up your Red Rock pass which must be displayed at the parking areas when you hike. Go early in the morning, as downtown gets very crowded especially on the weekends. We stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross which is a vortex site. It was build in 1956 and conceived by Margaret Staude.  She consulted with Frank Lloyd Wright who had an architectural studio outside of Tucson. The chapel is simple but awe inspiring as the design fits so comfortably into the rock. Not like the over egoized mish mash of a building that is being constructed down the street. When David walked into the chapel he was over come by a strong emotion as he reflected on the design.

Our first trip was to Jerome an old mining town that in the mid 90’s was a ghost town. Now it is a super hip town with galleries and cool eateries. We had lunch at the Haunted Hamburger. Amazing food on a deck with huge sweeping views of the plains. Then a walk around town to look at all the galleries. Jerome is very high up on a mountain and the town hangs off the side. They are slowly restoring old buildings and it seems that every building is hanging on for its life. Might say a little about the economy of such a boom bust town in the high desert. Of course you can go even farther up the mountain, back into a notch and visit a ghost town with a working lumber mill. There is also a state park with a mining history museum.

We spent some time hiking in the red rocks. First some advice. Get a map (available when you purchase your Red Rock pass), load up on water, ware comfortable hiking shoes with ventilation, light wool socks, stay on trails do not bushwhack as the top soil is very fragile, ware a wide brim hat and sun screen, and bring plenty of high carb snacks. Plan short trips until you know the land and gauge your time carefully, you can always turn around and walk back the way you came. We explored an ancient civilization at Honanki Ruin and recommend you check out this rock dweller community. We also recommend a small book called Sedona’s Top 10 Hikes by Denis Angres. The book gives nice information and route planning. I also like the side parts filled with interesting facts about the location.

The Grand Canyon
It is only 2-3 hours north of Sedona and you need a full day to do this trip. Travel up the Oak Creek pass and on to Flagstaff. Make sure you stop at the vista at the top of Oak Creek pass and walk around. Flagstaff is the half waypoint. You will travel around the west side of Flagstaff and have excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks. When you are close to the South Rim Park, stop off at the visitor’s center and view the National Geographic IMAX film of the Grand Canyon. What an experience. You will learn a lot about this amazing place. We walked the rim trail. We did not have enough time to go to the bottom. You need a full day to do that hike. Which means you have to stay at one of the hotels out of the park or in Flagstaff, which is an hours drive away. Or make an extremely long day. The one thing that is obvious is it is a really amazing place, and the view is not that bad either. We stopped at many of the view sites on our way out of the park. The last site is very interesting as the canyon gives way to the Painted Desert, which can be seen off in the distance. Speaking as a photographer, we visited in May and I would recommend visiting in Fall or Winter. The sun was too high over head. It needs to be lower in the sky so you get more contrast to pull the rock formations out in the photo. Also the color washes out when the sun is so high. We will see this place again and plan a trip to the bottom.

Restaurants
Sedona has so many nice restaurants. We are not fond of chain restaurants and there are many in Sedona. Just a fun fact: in Sedona McDonalds has a turquoise blue color arch, it is the only non yellow in their chain. We ate at a few great local restaurants but the one that we loved was Walt’s. It is run of course by Walt, and another man that handles the waiting and seating. It is extremely small but very good. The menu is south western cooking. http://www.walts-sw-sedona.com/ We also ate at the local brew pub. Oak Creek Brewery is located in the Tlaquepaque Village just south of downtown. This beer is amazing and it seems that every cool resort community has a great local beer. This is it, very refreshing after a big hike. David enjoyed the nut brown while Cheryl liked the pale ale. http://www.oakcreekbrew.com

Shopping
So many places to shop so little time. Please visit the Tlaquepaque Village shops, we did after our lunch at Oack Creek Brewing. You will not be disappointed. Beautiful merchandise in an old Mexican village setting. Up town you will find all the t-shirt shops and western ware along with all the outfitter stores like the Pink Jeep tours. Seems the outfitters know how to merchandise themselves too, each has its own retail operations. Make sure you wonder up to the Sedona Arts Center here you will find beautiful local artisans in a co-op establishment. It is also an art school. Just beautiful work.