Sedona!
- Taylor Solorzano
- Aug 26, 2022
- 4 min read
You've come to the right place to help you plan your upcoming visit to Sedona Arizona! This was a family trip, so you will mostly find kid friendly recommendations in this itinerary. Sedona has the most magical feel to it, I can't quite explain it. You'll have to go experience it in person I guess :)
Overview:
Earth Wisdom Jeep Tour
Uptown Sedona
Sunrise hike to Cathedral Rock
Red Rock Scenic Byway
Bellrock Pathway
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Slide Rock State Park
We drove about 7 hours from sunny San Diego to beautiful Sedona. The most exciting part is when you start seeing the red rocks all around you. You feel like you have transported into a different world.
Day 1: As we arrived into town we knew we immediately wanted to do a jeep tour. My kids were so excited about this part because what little boys don't love offroading, am I right? We heard so much about Pink Jeep tours, but they were sold out and a little more pricy than what we were hoping for. Given the chance i'd love to check them out one day. I hopped on Groupon and booked a tour with Earth Wisdom Jeep tours. Here's the link:
I honestly cannot say enough great things about them. They drive you all the way into the rocks and it gives you a view you cannot get on foot. They are so knowledgeable and friendly, they even had a carseat for my little guy. When you go to Sedona, you will hear a lot about "vortexes". I asked my guide on the tour to explain them to me and his words made us a get a little emotional. They definitely go by "Earth Wisdom" for a reason. It can be VERY bumpy, so please keep this in mind. Our guide even took this photo for us, and i'm a sucker for cheesy things so I was very stoked about it.
After our jeep tour was over, we walked around Uptown Sedona (main street). The jeep tour leaves from here so it was perfect. There are lots of cafes, shops, souvenirs, so many crystals, and everything in between. You feel like you are in a movie set because the background of the red rocks is just so beautiful. We opted for some root beer floats and a few magnets to take home.
Day 2: Alright. We got super adventurous this day and decided to do a sunrise hike to Cathedral rock. Now, I would say this hike is moderate. It's only about 1.5 miles, but it can be steep. There was definitely a little rock climbing involved that we weren't expecting, but we made it! We had a 4 year old and a 58 year old with us, and we did just fine. It's also a story we laugh about now because we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We arrived by 5:45 AM to get our hike started. Why so early you ask? The rocks are glowing and illuminating from the sun with shades of pink, red, yellow, and purple. It's breathtaking. I am NOT a morning person. I would do this again and again for the view at the top. They also say Cathedral Rock is the site of an Upflow Vortex, great for feeling serenity or at peace. I could always use some of that. You do have to purchase a parking pass, so make sure to bring a credit card with you.
After we rested, we decided to do the famous Red Rock Scenic Byway, a self guided driving tour of the rocks. It's about 8 miles long of just gorgeousness (that's a word I promise). It also felt great to sit on our butts after hiking. You can stop to take pictures or explore off the byway, or you can just drive and enjoy the scenery. This can be a 30 minute trip, or multiple hours depending how often you stop. We stopped at Bellrock Pathway and enjoyed a nice easy walk. There is not much incline so it's great for littles or grandparents. This is definitely an outdoors trip so make sure to pack your walking shoes and workout clothes.
Day 3: Our last day, gotta make it count! We started off the day by visiting Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is a Roman Catholic chapel built in the 1950's, and it was built quite literally into the mountain. The chapel is open 7 days a week, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. This was a quick stop for us, but worth it. The outside scenery is a bonus as well. Plan about an hour here.
The outside view from Chapel of the Holy Cross. Seriously every view in Sedona is just so pretty. Even at Burger King.
Next we grabbed our swimsuits and our picnic lunch, and headed over to Slide Rock State Park. Algae on the rocks creates a natural "slippery slide", which is pretty cool. You can literally slide all down the riverbed. However, we saw people eat crap. I mean totally wipeout in the worst way. It is SO slippery. I recommend bringing water shoes for sure. The kids LOVED it there. Bring some lawn chairs and get ready to campout here for the rest of the day. The hours and prices vary during different days and seasons, here's a link with all the information you need:
Eats: When traveling with kids we always try to find a hotel or Airbnb with a kitchen. It's so hard to eat out at every meal with picky eaters. Luckily our hotel in Sedona had free breakfast, always take advantage of that! Since we were outdoors all day, many days we packed food instead of eating out. One restaurant I do remember though is Wildflower. Think of Panera but more gourmet. I had the most delicious sweet potato and goat cheese sandwich on focaccia (yum). Definitely go there and sit outside for the view!
That ends our trip to amazing Sedona. I think everyone needs to visit here at least once in their lifetime. There is so much beauty in Arizona and we are lucky we can roadtrip here from California.
Until our next adventure,
Taylor
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