This trip was inspired by one thought and one thought alone: “I need to go to Vegas, but I don’t want to go to Vegas”.

Being from the East coast, I figured if I was going to spend my dollars on a flight to sin city, I had to see something new. And maybe a little real. Dear Arizona, thank you for being within driving distance.

It took a total of 30 seconds to convince my sister to join me so we hopped on a flight to Phoenix and my mom started saying her prayers (because sisters, not murderers).

STOP 1: PHOENIX

Our time in Phoenix was short lived as we were tight on time, but 10/10 would recommend to myself to go back. Here’s what I know:

Food: A little pancake action at Snooze. Table pancakes required.
Activity: Desert Botanical Garden was a great stroll thru cacti gardens. ~$20 per ticket, but consider yourself a cacti expert at the end of this. Aka, worth it.

STOP 2: SEDONA

The land of MAGIC, baby.

You will be in jaw-dropping awe of Mother Nature from the moment your tires hit Sedona pavement. The Red Rocks landscape is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’ve been back another time since this trip and can confirm: still magical.

We spent 2 nights here and were so excited that we went on, I kid you not, 4 separate hikes in a single day. Had to throw my sneakers away at a gas station in Vegas status, but totally worth it. Here’s what I know:

AirBnB

We stayed at this little apartment by Thunder Mountain. Great price, adorable space for 2 people, the kindest hosts AND you have to walk a total of 10 feet to find a trail head.

Food

The most beautiful thing about consuming food in Sedona is that they have nailed the floor to ceiling windows thing so you just eat every meal staring into the soul of stunning red rocks. Oh also, great food.

Creekside Coffee: Classic cool coffee shop vibes. But cooler because the views, man.
Thai Spices Natural Restaurant: Pretty standard Thai. It hit the spot after hiking.
Wildflower Bread Company: Panera-esque. Good spot for a quick sandwich.
Oaxaca Restaurant: I have high margarita standards and this place passed with flying colors. They nailed the guac too.
Mariposa: If you go to a single restaurant in Sedona, make it this one. Delicious Latin American cuisine. You could stand to class it up a bit OR you could show up in your hiking gear like we did. Options.

Hikes

Hot tip: Map out your plan of attack as there are so many options and none are right next to each other. Also my knees want me to tell you to ‘chill’. Here’s what we did:

Thunder Mountain: Our backyard trail, what up. A nice little stroll for our first excursion in Sedona. Easy terrain.
Cathedral Rock: This was our favorite! Your eyeballs will be so happy, I promise. We saw more jean-wearers sliding down rock faces here than anywhere else so it must be a tougher hike than advertised. Shoes with some grip to them are important.
Devil’s Bridge: Going to be honest guys, I didn’t think this was worth the hype. If you have ample time, can afford a jeep tour and don’t mind crowds, then do it for Insta. Otherwise it’s a 3.6 mile walk primarily along a dirt road and it’s one of those wait-your-turn-photo-op situations. Also I’m scared of heights soooo a bridge like cliff ain’t it.
Airport Vortex/Mesa: My sister wanted a vortex so we went looking for a vortex. Not sure if we ever found it because our souls were dead and gone along with our knees by this hike. Gorgeous views, easy terrain and a nice loop. Reserve a good 2.5 hours for it.

Other Activities

Lots of shopping, art galleries and spas. We were poor and tired though so I don’t have many recs. Here are some things I can speak to:

Chapel of the Holy Cross: This place is worth a visit regardless of your beliefs. It’s built right into red rocks and again, windows. Really cool architecture.
Winery 1912: Friendly staff who shared fun facts while we sipped on a wine flight. There’s limited seating inside but there is a long bar to lean against. If you’re in a duo, try to get a window seat.
Son Silver West Gallery: There’s so much going on here, but we had a blast exploring the many rooms of this roadside attraction store. Lost my sister a total of 3 times.

STOP 2.5: SR-89

Get out of here, SR-89. Get right on out of here. This evoked emotions on par to the Pacific Coast Highway for me and that’s saying something.

It’s like this: you start at a Starbucks drive-thru in Sedona and think ‘ugh car lyfe’. But then all of a sudden you’ve died and gone to heaven. Which feels really weird, because you’re still driving in a mediocre rental car. Maybe that’s where the aliens come in.

This is how I remember it:

Part 1: Starbucks (important).
Part 2: Unworldly Sedona Red Rocks.
Part 3: A canopy of luscious trees along a roaring river passing campgrounds.
Part 4: Miles of windy roads as you ascend and then descend a canyon that boggles all concepts of depth perception.
Part 5: Flat land for a long while. I listened to a Dermot Kennedy song approximately 15 times in a row so it had me feeling some type of way.

STOP 3: GRAND CANYON

I mean, it’s the Grand Canyon.

We committed to the South Rim. You really can’t go wrong with views just strolling around, but we opted to take a shuttle to the South Kaibab Trail. The hike is 3 miles round trip and I could not recommend it more. Terrain-wise it involved a whole lot of stairs, but there were humans and donkeys of all ages and activity levels out there so super accessible.

Things to note:

Each vehicle needs a parking permit. $30 paid in-person at entrance.
Free shuttle service which was easy to locate/navigate. There’s approximately 1 million other humans doing what you’re there to do so you’re by no means alone in this venture.
Pack a lunch. Cedar Ridge is where you’ll land post 1.5 miles down into the earth and there’s plenty of space to spread out and chow down while taking in some unreal views.
Once you’re at the Grand Canyon, you’re at the Grand Canyon. There’s a little town right outside the entrance so we opted to throw some cash at a hotel there.
- Grand Canyon Plaza: Comfy bed and solid continental buffet breakfast. It was about a mile from the South Rim entrance so super easy.
- Big E Steakhouse: Modern wild west saloon. They served my pilsner real cold and for that, I appreciate them. Also it’s across the street from our hotel.