I called up my one of my besties and said I need a break. I knew she would be on board. We decided to head west – 4 days at the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Jerome, AZ.
Day 1: Travel day – arrive in Phoenix around lunchtime
- Before you leave Phoenix and head north grab a bite at Cheese N Stuff Deli. A family owned restaurant owned and operated since the 1940’s.
- Head north to the Grand Canyon ~4 hour drive just in time to watch the sunset.
- About halfway into the trip there is a Starbucks off I-17 in Camp Verde for a pit stop and caffeine fix. (Be sure to say Hi! to Kokopelli.)
- Use the lodging guide to choose somewhere to stay inside or outside Grand Canyon National Park.
- Highly recommend Sunset at Yavapai Point (then catch the sunrise the next morning in the same spot)
- Dinner at one of the lodges at the South Rim
- After sunset we drove over to Bright Angel Lodge and had dinner at the Arizona Room.
Day 2: THE HIKE
- Sunrise at Yavapai Point –
The next morning we were up early to see the sunrise from the same spot we viewed sunset the evening before (highly recommend). We checked out of our hotel so we would not have any time constraints if we decided to spend extra time hiking and site seeing (highly recommend).
- Breakfast at Bright Angel Lodge
- Hike Bright Angel Trail – 3 miles round trip
- At the trailhead fill your water bottles with the spring water piped in from the canyon.
- 1.5 miles down you will come across bathrooms and a rest area. This will be your turnaround point for a 3 mile hike.
- Head out to the East of the National Park and take Desert View Drive to Sedona.
- Stop at the numerous pullouts and experience the changing moods of the Canyon.
- Conclude your day at the Grand Canyon at The Watchtower where you will enjoy a 360 degree view of Grand Canyon National Park.
- Head to Sedona (~2 hours south).
- Lunch stop at the Desert View Deli in Cameron. (They close at 3p)
- Drive one of the top 5 most scenic drives in America – Oak Creek Canyon. It is about a 14 mile drive along Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona. You will experience a 4500 ft descent into the canyon along the way.
We arrived at the Arroyo Pinion Hotel in Sedona. It was nice, much nicer than the place we stayed at the Grand Canyon. I was so looking forward to a hot tub soak after our day at the Canyon. However, I was disappointed to find its location was right by the road. That would be a no, we opted for naps instead.
We Yelped restaurants in the area and settled on Elote Café and it did not disappoint.
There was a 45 minute wait when we arrived. Nic and I looked at each other and the thought of leaving crossed our minds. We were hangry! As if sensing our deliberation the hostess (who I believe was the owner) promptly told us it was a slow night, normally there would be a 2 hour wait on a Friday night. So we stayed. Of course we had no way of know if that was true but we took her word and it turns out we made the right choice.
Elote has a very nice outside waiting area with complimentary popcorn, a fire pit, heaters, and blankets to keep you warm on the outside and potent drinks to keep you warm on the inside.
The food was spectacular, the best on the trip. We shared the Elote appetizer, Elote means corn in Spanish. It was a corn dip, for lack of a better description, eaten with tortilla chips. I ordered mahi fish tacos off of the appetizer menu and it was the perfect amount of food.
On our way back to the hotel we decided to pull off on the side of the road in a little inlet I’m sure used to take pictures of the Sedona mountains during the day…at night it is the perfect spot to lay on the hood of the car, chat, and stargaze using the one of the constellation apps.
EXPLORERS
The next morning we woke up without any time constraints. Sleeping in at least one day is a must for any vacation. We went out in search of breakfast and Yelp lead us to Wildflower Bread Company.
It was very Panera-like but I liked the fact that they use local ingredients in their food. If you go…order the rosemary roasted potatoes. Just do it..
After breakfast we headed out to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village for a bit of shopping. (Apparently I didn’t take any pictures…but these people did).
The morning was cool, sunny, and breezy. Perfect for a stroll through the shops.
We headed back to the hotel to change and make ourselves ready for an afternoon of sightseeing.
Our first stop was Slide Rock Park.
The sky was the bluest I’ve ever seen and the red of the rock was so vibrant. We planned to slide down the rock but ended up only briefly sticking our feet in the water…it was freezing…but worth it.
Next stop was Chapel of the Holy Cross.
We drove on to Montezuma’s Well.
I was not at all prepared for this one and was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was going to be a small hole in the ground…you know…a well.
After hiking around the Well we traveled to Montezuma’s Castle, with 9 minutes to spare before the park closed (we may have gotten lost…do not rely on GPS…you will never find it. Thankfully I had directions in my itinerary).
We literally ran in, took pictures, and ran out just as they were closing the gate. It was close but we were able to get these gems.
It was 5p and we were a couple of hours from dinner and once again we were hungry. What do you know…on the side of the road we happened on a fry bread stand. It hit the spot and held us over until dinner.
As we sat in the car with our fry bread marveling at what we accomplished this trip we spotted a casino at the top of the hill.
What a perfect opportunity to change our clothes and freshen up for din. On our way out and we each threw a 20 in the slots..
$20 lighter for each of us we continued with our journey into the mountains of Jerome, Az.
We had dinner at The Haunted Hamburger.
The views were spectacular, the service was subpar, the burger was good, and I got a t-shirt.
As we were walking to our car we saw a group on a ghost tour touring the nearby asylum. I would definitely add that to the itinerary next time.
It was cold as we headed to our hotel on a darkened two lane mountain road…(isn’t that how all horror movies begin…).
We were officially pooped and needed quality sleep ahead of our morning two hour drive back to Phoenix to catch our flight.
Can I just tell you how spectacular, amazing, uplifting, (insert all the adjectives here) this trip was! It was everything I could have asked for and more I didn’t even know existed.
I will add if you had the time to add a 5th day I definitely would have scheduled a SPA day…after all of the “GO” a SPA day would have been divine. But if you only have the four days…save the day for an adventure. We originally discussed a spa day but decided to forgo in order to see all the things.
As for the time of year…PERFECT. It was chilly in the morning and at night (layers) but the day was comfortably warm. I could not imagine this trip in the heat of the summer. It would be a completely different experience.
And our route…colors indicate a different day of travel.
Call up a friend and book this trip now! You will be transformed by the experience. Make sure to let me know how it went.
Nic, I can’t thank you enough for coming along on the adventure. We have many more in our future.