Oh, Sedona! Spring vacation travel report and free printable!

Oh, Sedona! Spring vacation travel report

Oh, Sedona! How I love your red rock buttes and scenic vistas! Your sunsets are the stuff of legend, and your vortexes and new age ambience speak to my gypsy soul. I love Sedona, as much for the resort feel and bohemian shops as for the ruins and quiet peace to be found in this region. Words fail to adequately convey how beautiful this country is to me, but I still try to describe the magic of the rugged landscape to everyone who asks.

In the first post of my spring vacation travel report, I talked about the journey to Sedona via Highway 89. This post covers our stay in Sedona and Village of Oak Creek, a neighboring town just south of Sedona.

Spring Vacation Day 2 – Interstate 17 into the Village of Oak Creek

Traveling south from Kanab, we hopped on Interstate 17 at Flagstaff and drove south through the Coconino forest, then came back north on Highway 179 to the Village of Oak Creek, a town just south of Sedona where we’d booked our room for the first leg of our trip. Flagstaff’s elevation is high and Interstate 17 travels through pines. As we exited, the terrain became desert again, and Courthouse Butte welcomed us as we approached the Village of Oak Creek. We chose to stay in the Village of Oak Creek because it provides easy access to many of the buttes and trails we wanted to explore.

We checked in at a local motel, dropped off our luggage and headed right back out. Heading north towards Sedona on Highway 179 is a stunning ride. The local road system (excellent by the way) travels amongst the red rock buttes and allows easy access to trails and scenic sights. And you may not believe in vortexes, but as we pulled into the parking lot of Bell Rock we were greeted by a brilliant sunset that suffused the already vivid red rock butte with vibrant color. I have to say, it was a mystical experience for me.

Day 3 – Hiking the Buttes

This was our first full day in the area and our big hiking day. I was so excited to get onto the trails. I love this area because you don’t have to be an expert hiker to really get out and enjoy the terrain. There is something for everyone.

We went first thing out to Bell Rock and hiked around the butte. The hiking trails lead directly from the perpetually crammed parking lot, so it made for easy access right into the environment. Once on the trail there was a lot of foot traffic, but not so much that it felt overcrowded (go early!). The terrain is sandy and rocky with small inclines and the butte is your constant companion. We tromped around for a couple of hours, then headed back for lunch and to rest up a bit (I did mention we aren’t expert hikers, right?)

After lunch we drove north to the trailhead of Cathedral Rock, which is just south of Sedona. Cathedral Rock is a favorite of hikers and another vortex is located at the top of the trail. This trail is more advanced, but the views are worth every step. There are a couple of different routes and I’d recommend the shorter, steeper route if the vortex is your goal. We took a side route and it’s gorgeous but much windier and hooks back up to the main trail anyway.

There is something so special about hiking in this scenic red rock landscape. The geology of the area is interesting and there are little hidden vistas around every corner.

After we climbed all over Cathedral Rock, we were pooped and headed back. Dinner was at a small restaurant in town. Afterwards we drove around in the foothills, and the sunset was simply awe inspiring. Again, I won’t do justice to the scenery with my description, but the sunsets light up the buttes as if with a spotlight. Afterwards we called it a day. I’ll be honest; I slept like a rock.

Day 4 – Montezuma’s Castle, Cottonwood, and Tuzigoot

A fun side trip is always the right thing to do on vacation and I was curious about all the ruins, so we headed south to Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. Montezuma’s Castle are ruins of the cliff dwelling Sinagua people and date from approximately 1200 AD. The walk from the Visitor’s Center is quite short, and the ‘castle’ is impressive. The guides explained how the Sinagua lived and how they accessed their cliffside home.

Afterwards, we headed to Cottonwood. We’ve heard that real estate in the area is more affordable than Sedona, so we went for lunch and to explore the area. Old Town Cottonwood has a fun, local vibe with lots of restaurants, specialty and gift shops. After doing a little souvenir shopping we had a great lunch at Old Town Red Rooster Cafe, then headed north on Highway 89A to see what there was to see. There are a couple of 55+ communities that we drove through (because that’s what we do 🙂 ) and came across Tuzigoot just outside of Clarkdale. Even looking through maps and guidebooks I’d somehow missed this spot, so it was a happy surprise. We climbed all over the ruins before we headed north on Highway 89A back into Sedona, looping back down to the Village of Oak Creek before we called it a day.

Never-ending Wanderlust

In my next post, I’ll share our ATV ride into the back country where we explored even more ruins, as well as our drive to Monument Valley and the road home. And to celebrate my never-ending wanderlust, I made this fun printable. Honor your wanderlust. Get out and explore!

Download your free Wanderlust printable by clicking the button below

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