Location:
United States

adventure, entertainment, shopping,

By Marie Mabin

Sedona, the Beautiful

If I were to ask for three words to describe Sedona, Arizona, these words would be magnificent, colorful, and spiritual.

Sedona is about an hour and a half drive North of Phoenix. It’s one of the most popular weekend getaways for Arizonans. I call it the mini Grand Canyon for it’s magnificent and colorful rock formations. To fully experience Sedona, I recommend staying there for at least 3 to 4 days. On your drive to Sedona, a stop at Out of Africa Wildlife Park is a must. It is located at Camp Verde, AZ, about 30 minutes South of Sedona. You will experience Serengeti Safari and Wildlife Preserve. They feature wild predators such as lions, tigers, zebras, panthers, giraffes, and other animals. It’s very educational for both the young and old. To see and experience Out of Africa Wildlife Park, you need to spend at least 3-4 hours at the park. The park is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm, and they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Word of advise, be mindful of the crazy and obnoxious Ostrich. If you have a small hand held camera in your hand, they will reach out and grab your camera. You may not see your camera until after the end of the tour.

Continue on to Sedona for a nice lunch. There is indeed an array of restaurants that offers different cuisines from Indian, to Chinese, to Italian, Vegetarian, Mexican, etc. If you prefer a nice healthy lunch, I recommend lunch at the Wildflower Bread Company located in the shopping mall of the Hyatt Pinon Point. They serve hot and cold gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts to die for that won’t break your pocket. If those of you that are light eaters, you can order their Wildflower Two. You can order half a sandwich and a cup of soup or half a sandwich and a small salad, or soup and salad. I highly recommend the Mediterranean salad. This is my absolute favorite.

To burn-off the calories consumed at lunch, especially if you devoured a cupcake from Wildflower Bread Company, I highly recommend a visit to the Slide Rock State Park off of Highway 89, about a 10 minutes drive from the main town of Sedona. What is Slide Rock you ask? It’s a slippery natural water chute or wade and sun along Oak Creek Canyon. It is a fun place where you can be a kid again sliding down the rocks. The water is cool and refreshing. There is a $10 per car park entrance fee and the park is open until 6:00 pm. Wear an old pair of jeans or a pair of pants that you absolutely don’t care if it get scratched or ripped, and a pair of aqua shoes. Some areas of the rocks are rough.

The best way to end the day is a sunset jeep tour. There are several jeep tour companies specializing in different destinations, and they all offer sunset tours. No matter which jeep tour you take, you will get your money’s worth. All tour guides from every jeep tour company are all very knowledgeable, fun, and courteous.

There are also helicopter and hiking tours available. If you prefer to hike on your own, you can pick-up a hiking map at the Visitor Information Center for beginners to advance hikers. It is highly advisable to bring lots of water to keep you hydrated during your hike especially in the summer time. Remember to wear layers of clothing that you can peel off as you hike and bring lots of water. After all, Arizona has the dry heat and you need to keep hydrated before, during, and after your hike.

While visiting Sedona, a trip to the Grand Canyon is only another 2 hours away. Your concierge at your hotel can arrange for your tour to the Grand Canyon. For spectacular view, the best tour of the canyon is the sunset tour, weather permitting. This tour includes one bottled water per person, and dinner at the Yavapai Lodge. Dinner is cafeteria style. Your typical stand in line, get your dinner tray and plates, go through the line and select your entrees. So don’t expect anything fancy. Also make sure your camera has lots of available memory and the battery is fully charge. Now, if you still have one of those non-digital cameras, you definitely need a few rolls of film to capture the beauty of the Grand Canyon. If you are traveling during the summer season, you need to bring a light jacket or sweater. It could get cold and breezy up in the canyon. Wear comfortable tennis or hiking shoes. There will be some hiking involved while sight seeing at the Grand Canyon. The food may or may not disappoint you, but the views of the Grand Canyon will make-up for everything.

The next day can be spent touring around Sedona. There are several rock formations that are worth taking pictures of. There’s Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Elephant Rock, Snoopy Rock, Steamboat Rock, Chimney Rock, and Coffee Pot Rock. Your best bet is to take another jeep tour to take you to these rock formations. Most of them are only accessible by a 4-wheel drive vehicle and some areas need a special permit to enter the premises. If you want to take the more relaxed route, there are plenty of art galleries to see and rows of shops to visit. Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village is a must for first time visitors to Sedona. This village setting will remind you of Old Mexico. There are art galleries, jewelry stores, restaurants, and other arts and crafts stores you can visit inside the village.

Further Information

Travel tips: Make sure you keep hydrated and drink lots of water. Also bring a sweater or a light jacket. It gets cold at night and early morning. An umbrella might come handy.

Must see/do at this place: Sliding at Slide Rock Park, Pink Jeep tour to cave dwellings of the ancient, sunset tour to the Grand Canyon, shopping at Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village.

You should avoid here: Off the beaten path hiking trails and watch out for snakes.