The town of Sedona sits just outside of Flagstaff in a region of Arizona known as the Verde Valley, appropriately named with its lush pine forests that contrast the state’s predominantly dry and sandy desert biomes. Sedona is considered to be an energy vortex, making it a mecca for healing and meditation. The town is full of spas, New Age stores, and art galleries, and is surrounded by a plethora of hiking trails through its scenic red rock sandstone formations.
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If you know me or have read this blog for a while, you’ll know that I am a lone wolf and normally travel solo, but I was thrilled to take a trip to Arizona this January with my sister Lauren and brother-in-law Dakota to attend a music festival in Mesa just east of Phoenix. It was the first time the three of us have traveled together, and Lauren doesn’t get as much joy out of planning as I do, so they mostly let me take the reins on the travel planning. We traveled pretty well together and had a great time (and I’m not just saying that because she sometimes reads my blog)!
I had done a trip last year through southern Arizona with stops in Phoenix, Tucson, and Tombstone, which I would have gladly revisited with them, but with the time frame we had before our festival started we decided going north and spending a day and night in Sedona made more sense.
We landed in Phoenix late on a Wednesday night, rented a car from the airport, and stayed overnight at a hotel near the Phoenix airport. The SureStay by Best Western Phoenix Airport was a budget-friendly option a short drive from the airport and perfect for a quick no-frills stay. In the morning after breakfast, we got on the road for the 3-hour drive to Sedona. It’s a scenic drive but does get very remote in places so make sure to use a bathroom and grab some snacks if you’ll need them!
Montezuma Castle
We didn’t drive straight through to Sedona – on the way, we decided to hit Montezuma Castle National Monument which sits a little under 30 miles outside of Sedona. Montezuma Castle is a Native American dwelling built into the side of a cliff, inhabited by the Sinagua people around 1050 CE. The dwelling was comprised of about 20 rooms, each occupied by a single family – not far from your modern apartment building. There is a small visitor center and shop at the monument, and a short accessible trail loop that takes you past the dwelling.
Montezuma Well
While at Montezuma Castle, we learned of the Montezuma Well a short drive away and decided to check that out too. The well is a natural sinkhole, filled with water from an underground spring. The sinkhole sits in the middle of a hill, making it look like a water-filled crater. The waters are highly saturated with carbon dioxide and arsenic, making them uninhabitable for most species except for a specific type of leech, microshrimp, water scorpion, springsnail, and diatom that have adapted. There are Sinagua dwellings here also, built into the cliffs overlooking the well. We walked around and took in the views from the top of the well, debating for a while if our legs were up for the trek down the staircase to the water’s edge, but we did eventually make it down there (and back up)!
Red Rock Scenic Byway
After our exploration of Montezuma Castle and Well, it was time to head into Sedona, as our stomachs were telling us it was time for lunch. We drove into Sedona via the Red Rock Scenic Byway, AZ-179, which is a must for taking in incredible views of the jaw-dropping red rock formations. The beauty is just beyond words.
Lunch at Oak Creek Brewery & Grill
Lauren and Dakota love craft beer just as much as me, so we decided to hit a brewery for lunch. Oak Creek Brewery is located in the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village and had a great menu of pizzas, sandwiches, and burgers. Lauren’s IPA was extremely bitter, but my hefeweizen really hit the spot.
Our Hotel: Aiden by Best Western Sedona
After lunch, we headed to the hotel to check in. We (I) had decided to stay in West Sedona because it had great rates, was a short distance to shops and restaurants, and accessibility to easy trails if we decided we wanted to do some hiking. I had never heard of Best Western’s Aiden brand, but they are a boutique lifestyle version of a Best Western, and the Aiden by Best Western Sedona definitely catered to the outdoorsy/wellness type with #hikemore pillows on the beds, rock formation-shaped headboards, a pool and a meditation room with massage chairs. Our balcony had gorgeous red rock views and it was unreal having my morning coffee out there the next day.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
After checking in, we headed back to the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village to check out the shops, an array of art galleries depicting local scenery and desert aesthetic, clothing and accessory stores, trinkets, and New Age materials.
Sunset at Cultural Park Trailhead
We wiled away enough hours wandering the shops that the sun started its descent, so we hopped in the car and drove out past West Sedona to the Cultural Park Trailhead to catch the sunset. It was a little cloudy, but a stunning backdrop nonetheless. We could have stood there all night!
Shops along Rte 89A
After a quick freshen up back at the hotel, we headed back towards the section of Route 89A that acts as Sedona’s “main street,” a pedestrian-friendly strip lined with shops and restaurants. We hit a store of Native American goods and kachina dolls, and a mineral gallery that had dinosaur fossils. That was about as far as we got before realizing that the shops and restaurants close fairly early on a Thursday night in January and figured we should get dinner before our options were limited.
Dinner at Open Range Grill & Tavern
On recommendation by the shop owner at the mineral gallery, we headed nearby to Open Range Grill & Tavern since we couldn’t quite figure out what we were in the mood for. The restaurant had a variety of steaks, sandwiches, BBQ, burgers, and Mexican entrees – something for everyone. I enjoyed my chimichanga!
Since everything closed fairly early that night, we decided to grab some local craft beers from a bottle shop near our hotel and enjoy back at the hotel for the evening.
Stops along the Red Rock Scenic Byway
On our drive back to the Phoenix/Mesa area the next morning, we again traveled the Red Rock Scenic Byway, but this time since we weren’t hangry for lunch we took it slower and made some stops off to take pictures. There are several trailheads and places to pull off where you can get great pictures of some of Sedona’s notable red rock formations without venturing too far off the road. One of my favorites was the Courthouse Rock Vista. We also stopped off at the Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center – in addition to having some cool exhibits that explain the geology of the region and the formation of the red rocks, it was a good spot for one last bathroom break before we fully departed for Mesa.
We all agreed that one day in Sedona was probably not enough. I would definitely like to go back and do some light hiking on the trails, but it was also such a lowkey, relaxing town that I could easily spend more time there just taking in more of the New Age and spa amenities. The scenery alone could draw me back time and again – I’ve traveled a lot and have a lot of places I love, but Sedona is one that I say truly stole a piece of my heart.
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