I could write a book on everything Arizona has to offer, but for now, this blog post on Sedona will suffice. Sedona is a hikers paradise, which is initially why I added it to our road trip route, but the town is also so much more. A lot of the locals are into crystal healing, yoga, meditation, and just health & wellness in general! Sedona is apparently located in one of the strongest vortex's in the USA, and you can pay to hike to them with a spiritual guide if you wish!
Hikes
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned hiker, they've got it all. The list below will include each hike's difficulty and mileage according to alltrails.com. If I disagree with the rating, I'll include that as well!
*Fay Canyon - easy - 2.6 miles
*Birthing Cave - moderate - 2 miles
Devil's Bridge - moderate - 4.2 miles
*Soldier Pass - moderate - 4.7 miles
Fay Canyon was the first hike we did in Sedona, and the hike itself wasn't anything special - it was the view at the end. We climbed up some boulders to see a beautiful unobstructed view of Sedona and it was just breathtaking. We saw a bunch of hikers doing this as well and continuing on, so it may be apart of a longer trail, but either way please be careful when climbing up! It's not easy and is very slippery, so it's best to be wearing shoes with good traction and attempting it at your own risk.
Birthing Cave is tricky, I agree with it's rating of moderate but be prepared to ask your fellow hikers for directions. It's not marked on any trailhead maps for some reason, but it's a pretty highly trafficked trail. The picture above is from this hike, it was my favorite of the trip and we did it twice!
For Solider Pass, be prepared to wait a bit to park or get to the trailhead early! There's only 10-ish parking spots. We waited in the car for a party to return from their hike, and snagged a spot! It's a beautiful hike with gorgeous views of the red rock right off the bat.
Hotels
During our time in Sedona, we stayed at two very different hotels. For the budget traveller, I recommend Baby Quail Inn. The prices and location are spot on, the rooms are large, and they have a great hot tub! If you don't care about sunbathing poolside and spa services, this place will be perfect for you.
For families, the brand new Courtyard Inn has spacious rooms, a large pool and hot tub, balcony rooms with mountain views and a large patio with plenty of seating and fire places. Another great option is Amara. With a beautiful pool, spa and great reviews from customers, this hotel is another great option. I haven't personally stayed at the property but they loved it.
And last but not least, for couples looking for a more relaxing and romantic, Sedona has so many beautiful bed and breakfasts! I have only ate here, but Casa Sedona Inn came highly recommended and the property is darling!
Good Eats
I always put my food recommendations at the end because...best for last, duh. Sedona has great mexican food, my top picks are Molé at The Arabella, and Tortas de Fuego. Molé only had a few reviews on google (cause they're new I'm pretty sure) but we took a chance and we were blown away. If margs are your thing, they've got great ones! A standout dish at Molé in my opinion was the enchiladas...any of them. I got the shrimp ones, my boyfriend got the chicken one and they were amazing, and obiviously, smothered in molé sauce.
On the complete other end of the spectrum, but just as delicious, Tortas de Fuego is a mom and pop fast casual mexican restaurant that serves up tacos that seriously are the same as the one's I've had in Mexico!It's also extremely affordable, so if you're on a budget, don't fret! Standouts here were the carne asada tacos and burrito.
If you're not feeling like mexican, another unique restaurant is Cowboy Club. A long-standing steakhouse with a rich Hollywood history, this place is super cool. My first time in Sedona, it didn't even pop up on my restaurant searches, but when I came again with my parents my dad suggested it since they loved it last time and I'm so glad he did. Don't let the name fool you though, they have a lot more than steak. Standouts here were the cactus fries! For my main I got a vegan grain bowl and it was a solid 10/10. The portions were so large it was also my lunch the following day on our hike.
photos from molé at the arabella
If I haven't sold you yet on visiting this place, I don't know what else will!
Till next time,
xoxo Tori
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