Best things to do in Sedona, AZ

Our first stop on our trip from Las Vegas, NV to Santa Fe, NM was Sedona, AZ. As you drive through the Coconino National Forest you’ll notice the landscape changing to the glorious red rocks that Sedona is known for. There are many things to do in Sedona from hiking to taking tours of the Red Rocks, visiting the vortex sites, going to the wineries, or shopping. If you get a chance to visit Sedona, don’t pass it up. Just the scenery of the Red Rocks is something to behold.

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Where to Stay

There are many hotels and campsites in Sedona so there is no shortage of places to stay. If you are thinking about camping make sure you check out the site you are looking into because some are tents only, not campers. To name a few of the many hotels nearby are Sky Lodge Ranch, Hilton Sedona at Bell Rock, and Sedona Rouge Resort and Spa. There is a wide variety of room prices, so be sure to check them all out to fit your budget. We chose to stay at a casino in Flagstaff, so be sure to check out the information below about Twin Arrows Casino. For us it was more convenient on our road trip.

Shopping

 We’re not into hiking much anymore, but I still love to shop and that we did! There are two shopping areas in Sedona for you to check out. The first is TLAQUEPAQUE, pronounced T-LA-KEH-PAH-KEH. Not only are there over 50 arts & crafts shops and restaurants, they also have venues for weddings. The other place to shop is the Uptown Mall. This is where we went this time. There are also many stores and restaurants here to keep you busy. One of our favorite restaurants is 89 Agave. For a sweet treat try the gelato at Love Gelato. Even if you shopping isn’t something you are looking to do, I suggest walking down the main street just to see all of the artwork around.

Tours

If you want to get a good sense of Sedona, then taking one or more of the tours is a good choice. The Jeep tours are the most popular. They are 4WD tours that go off-road into the wonderful scenery. There are many choices of jeep tours from not too extreme or expensive to more extreme ones. Pink Jeep tours is the more well known but be sure to do your research. Most will take you to the more popular spots such as Cathedral Rock, Bear Mountain and Thunder Mountain.

The other choice is to take the Sedona Trolley and tour the city and/or the canyon. Tour “A” takes you through town and up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Tour “B” takes you through the west side of Sedona and into Boynton Canyon where you will see Thunder Mountain and Chimney Rock. Both tours take about 55 minutes. You can combine the tours, which is about 2 hours, but there are no breaks between. Even if you don’t do one of the tours, you should go see the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is nestled in the red rocks and fits perfectly in the landscape. There is a beautiful huge crucifix when you walk inside. Just beware that parking is limited and the walkway to the church is steep. They do have transportation by means of golf carts to take you to the church. Be sure to tip the drivers!

Make sure you book tours and get tickets in advance. They do tend to book fast. Also be sure to take protective hats and sunscreen. Make sure you have plenty of water to drink, the desert can get hot any time of year and you don’t want to get overheated.

Vortex sites, Hiking and more

Sedona is well known for its vortex sites. These are places that are supposed to have healing properties. Even if you don’t believe this, I think you may notice a difference in the atmosphere around you. But no matter, they all have beautiful landscapes you don’t want to miss. There are many places to hike in Sedona that will bring you to the main vortex sites: Cathedra Rock, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon and Airport Mesa. You can also see the vortex on an organized tour. There are many places to hike, but the more popular spots can get really crowded, so if you like the quiet, find the ones off the beaten path. Along the lines of vortexes and healing, you can find quite a few spas in Sedona that you can get detox and other healing treatments.

So many photo opportunities

If photography is something you love, Sedona has so many opportunities for pictures from the scenery to the statues all around town, you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t like to hike you can drive the whole area and stop at some of the stop overs and get great pictures of the beautiful scenery. And of course, just walking around town there are many opportunities for pictures. Click the link below for more information on Sedona.

Conclusion

Although Sedona is known for its vortexes and great hiking, as you can see there are many other things you can do here and still see all of the spectacular red rock that makes Sedona special. My favorite thing to do is walk around town and visit all of the stores and grab some food. Yours may be riding the trolley. No matter what you enjoy, Sedona is definitely worth putting on your bucket list. Hopefully, this helps when you are looking for a place to visit. If you would like to read more about our adventures, please check our other blogs. Keep reading to learn about our stay at Twin Arrows casino. We love inspiring people to travel whether near your home or far away, you will always find something new! Enjoy! Click below to see our video of Sedona.

Twin Arrows Hotel & Casino

We decided to spend the night at Twin Arrows Hotel & Casino outside of Flagstaff the first night of our road trip. Twin Arrows is one of four casinos owned and operated by the Navajo.

Hotel

 The hotel room was very spacious with a nice bathroom and great rain shower head!! It felt great after a day of travel and shopping. The hotel’s amenities include a fitness center, gaming room, indoor pool and gift shop. There are several hotel packages available so check their website to find one for you.

Casino

 The casino is a decent size with both slots and poker tables. Make sure you get your players card if you live in AZ or NM so you can play at all four casinos and get free offers. If you are into sportsbook, they have it available through Hard Rock Sportsbook.

Hungry?

 If you are hungry, there is the Zenith Steakhouse, Four Elements Café (casual dining) and the Grand Falls Buffet. We ate at the buffet and they have a great selection of Navajo specialties along with a wide variety of other food choices. There is Arrows Sports Bar to quench your thirst and if you are craving coffee, Indulgence coffee bar is the place to go. This is also a great place for breakfast with breakfast sandwich offerings or made to order donuts. These are made right there as you wait! This is a place that will stay on our list of places to visit again.

Conclusion

This hotel is a nice stop if you are planning to spend time around Flagstaff or if you a need a place to stop for a road trip. For us it was a perfect stop on our way to Sante Fe. Since we love to gamble, the casino was an added bonus. Our next stop is Canyon de Chelley so if interested check out our blog about it. We hope to inspire you to seek your adventure and have fun! To see more information about the room and casino check out the links below: