Being my first time in Arizona, I wanted to experience it all in the seven days I had.
I wanted to see the big landmarks that the state is best known for (aka the Grand Canynon), and the other lesser known beautiful places it had to offer.
When we first arrived, we flew into Phoenix since it was the cheapest due to the size of the airport. That night, we drove to Flagstaff to spend the night before heading to the Grand Canyon the next day. For us, renting a car was very crucial to our vacation, as we were traveling through most of the state.
Flagstaff was filled with gorgeous views of mountains surrounding the city. The drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon National Park is only an hour and change, and very scenic.
We made a few pit stops along the way, as their were smaller canyons along the road that you could get out and view (when I say ‘smaller’ I do not mean they were small by any means.
– Just small in comparison to the Grand Canyon of course!). At some of these canyons, their were local Native American woman selling gorgeous hand-made jewelry. The jewelry was beautiful and one-of-a-kind.
I’ve always heard so many wonderful things about the Grand Canyon and how large and vast it is, and I have seen many photos. However, you never truly know what they mean until you see it in person.
We took a ride through the national park, stopping at the viewpoints along the way.
We stayed at the Thunderbird Lodge at the south rim of the canyon. It’s walking distance to restaurants, gift-shops, visitor centers, and Bright Angel Trail Head.
We ate at the El Tovar Dining room, it is located in the hotel right next door to the Thunderbird Lodge.
Dinner there was absolutely wonderful. The dining Room is constructed of native stone and Oregon pine. The murals on the walls reflect the customs of four Native American Tribes – the Hopi, the Apache, the Mojave and the Navajo. The menu is traditional, integrating both international and local Southwest influences.
It is a little more on the dressy side, as flip-flops and t-shirts are discouraged.
One thing you have to do while you are there is wake up and view the sunrise over the canyon!
If you go to pretty much any overlook you will be able to see it.
I’m not a super early morning person, but let me tell you, it was worth the early morning wake-up call.
Antelope Canyon
I love to research a destination before I go, to make sure I am getting the utmost out of my vacation. When I was researching things to do in Arizona, I came across a beautiful photo. The photo was of Antelope Canyon. I had never heard of it, but when I saw the photo, I knew I had to go, and see it in person.
It is located in Page, Arizona, on Navajo land. From their building in downtown Page (22 South Lake Powell Boulevard), they take tours in 4-wheel trucks to the canyon, which is located only a few miles away.
When I got there, I literally felt like I was on another planet. I have never seen anything like it. The minute you step out of the truck, all you see is red sand around you. They take you to the entrance, which is this cave-like structure made of sandstone that has been carved for many years by wind and water.
They take you all the way through, telling you the history and showing you the best place for photos throughout.
It truly felt angelic, with the sun peeking in at certain spots right through onto the rock.
It was an amazing experience unlike any other.
-A fun fact is that the most expensive photo ever sold, was of Antelope Canyon!
Horseshoe Bend
In Page, we also found out that there is a place called Horseshoe Bend that is very popular for its scenic views.
Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River.
If you are scared of heights, this place may not be the best place for you (It’s a 1,000 foot drop)… I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Visitors have to pay $10 a vehicle for the parking lot. Once at the parking lot, it’s a little bit of a walk to the bend. Once you make your trek there, there is plenty of space for many people at a time to view it.
Some people were dare-devils (crazy could be another word) when I was there. They were hanging their feet off and going onto a ledge that you had to jump to… Let’s just say I didn’t have to do that to see it perfectly.
Sedona
Our next stop on the list was Sedona.
Sedona is about 2 and a half hours away from Page, Arizona. As the drive may seem a little long for some, it is incredibly scenic the whole way there.
Along the drive, there are huge mountains such as Humphreys Peak. We just stopped to look at it, but you could climb it if you’re up for the challenge. It’s 12,633 ft high, and is accessible year round.
Sedona was hands down one of the best places I have ever been.
There is something truly amazing about the atmosphere there. The air felt so clean and fresh (of course I went when it wasn’t 100 degrees out!).
Downtown there were many different shops, boutiques, spa’s, art galleries, and restaurants. It’s very clean, and the people were friendly.
Everywhere you are downtown, you have a view of the gorgeous red rocks surrounding the town, so picturesque!
We stayed at Sedona Summit Resort by Diamond Resorts. It was clean, spacious, and very accommodating. They also had many pools all around the resort to cool down in.
A bonus is that it is only a ten minute drive from downtown!
Hiking in Sedona
One of the best things in my opinion to do in Sedona, is hiking. There are so many different trails and rocks to climb.
We decided to climb one of Sedona’s more famous locations, Red Rock. It’s in the Village of Oak Creek, which is only about 5 minutes from the center of Sedona.
The hike was so much fun! You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to climb, however, my only advice is to wear hiking shoes or shoes with good grip. I had worn sneakers on and it felt like it slid against the rock at times.
The best part about the hike is the amazing view. If you want more information on all of the different trails in Sedona, check out this website here.
Near bell rock is a beautiful church called The Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is a church that was built into the red-rocks! It is open from 9AM-5PM everyday. There are no regularly scheduled masses at the church, however, Taize Prayer is celebrated every Monday evening at 5:00 p.m.
World Renowned Stargazing
Another great thing we did in Sedona was stargaze. There are just 22 communities in the world to be named an International Dark Sky Community.
An IDA International Dark Sky Community is a town, city, municipality or other legally organized community that has shown exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education and citizen support of dark skies (DarkSky.org).
So Sedona essentially took many necessary steps to not have unnecessary lights on at night that block from the gorgeous view of the nighttime sky. This lack of human-produced light makes it possible to see the stars so well.
A few more things in Sedona,
One of the more popular places to to see the sunset, while viewing the town, is called the Airport Mesa Vortex. You can drive up, park your car (free parking) and walk out to see the view.
I also found my new favorite drink while in Sedona. It is called prickly pear lemonade, and it will change your life. 10 out of 10 recommend trying while you are there!
We ended our travels back in Phoenix, where we made a quick pit-stop before we boarded our plane…
We went horseback riding in the desert. This place was surprisingly close to the airport (a little under 20 minutes) so if you have a wait before your plane I highly recommend it.
While we were riding we asked what our horses names were, and the guy in charge said they actually didn’t have any names.
So we quite literally rode through the desert on a horse with no name… (anyone get the reference???)
I had an amazing time in Arizona, it is a wonderful state, filled with so much to do!
I would go back again in a heartbeat, and hope you all get the chance to experience the wonders it has to offer as well.
