Sedona, Arizona recs

I put this together as a way to document the trip for the next time we go….which I’m pretty sure we’ll do again.

What a geat trip. I'll break down by categories..hiking/trails, restaurants, grand canyon, hotel

Hiking

Day one arrived into Sedona around 11 (direct flight from NO at 6 a.m. and about a 2 hour drive from Phoenix)

Fay Canyon - easy out and back 2.2 mile trail. End of trail has a climb up to arch that is not listed on the trail.
Airport Mesa - 4 mile loop trail (wasn't overly impressed)

Day two

Devil's Bridge - early morning hike starting at Mescal/Chuckwagon trailhead (this alternate route was highly recommended). 4.2 mile round trip and easily our favorite hike.

Cathedral Rock - midday hike, approximately 1.2 miles with challenging portions that were somewhat difficult. Got lucky and found a parking spot at the trailhead (which is very limited).

Chapel of the Holy Cross - not really a hike, but sort of. Parking was an issue so it was a pretty long uphill walk but certainty worth the effort....beautiful chapel surrounded by great views

Courthouse View Loop - Afternoon hike, long loop (4 miles) around Courthouse and Bell Rock. Relatively easy hike with good views

Day three

Bell Rock - Early morning short hike (1.2 miles) but mostly vertical. The first half was challenging and the top half was difficult as the face is relatively smooth in many areas and it wasn't apparent if there was an easier route (since there were few people out at 6 a.m. in the morning).

Baby Bell - half mile hike from Bell to Baby Bell. Easy climb and great views from the top on a beautiful morning.

Baldwin/Templeton - A 2.4 mile hike mostly along a beautiful creek (the only water we encountered during the trip) and then some vertical. This is also an alternative route to Cathedral Rock that I'd recommend if the CR trailhead is full. Makes it a longer hike but very scenic.

Fay Canyon (yes again) - We did this 2.2 mile hike again to end our hiking for the trip...actually went a bit further around the arch then we did the first time.

Restaurants

Elote - couldn't get a reservation...I tried online exactly 30 days prior to arrival with no luck. Called the restaurant 30 days prior and they placed me on a waiting list for our first night. Strangely enough I received a call during our airport mesa hike saying they could take us at 8:15. I read some review that this place was overrated, however it was easily the best meal we had in Sedona...hands down.

Butterfly Burger (Chef Lisa Dahl) - located in the village of Oak Creek, it was an exceptional burger in a very swanky restaurant. No views, as it is in a strip mall but the build out for the place was first class and the food was great.

Mariposa (Lisa Dahl) - Was fortunate to get reservations online 1 month prior. The restaurant, patio, scenery are unmatched. We had an 8:15 reservation and sat outside. The views were great. The food....not as good as the views. Wife (no pics) had the filet (tasty but average), I tried the Pollo Rustico (as it was listed as an award winner). I was somewhat disappointed. The side dish of Elote was very good. Overall it wasn't bad, but not as good as I anticipated or as good as the other places we dined…but the setting was spectacular.

The Hudson - Located within walking distance from the Arabella hotel, food was very good with a diverse menu. Didn't have reservations, place was packed to the rafters but there were 2 spots available at the bar, which we jumped on.

Grand Canyon

Day trip to the Canyon. Easy drive (1 hr 50 minutes) and easy to navigate within the park area. We actually parked and hopped on the Hermit's Rest bus trail that brings you to various viewpoints along the south rim. The Canyon is certainly grand...almost overwhelming. A must do, if you've never seen it and are within a couple of hours of it.

Hotel

Arabella…Nothing fancy, but certainly met our needs. Located near Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Bell Rock, Baldwin/Templeton etc...was in close proximity to many of the hikes

Overall it was a great trip. We logged 20+ miles of hiking in 3 days and fit in a day trip to the GC. Exhausting 4 days but well worth it and will definitely do it again. There were areas of Oak Creek Canyon that we drove through that I'd like to explore on another trip as it seems like totally different terrain.

Definitely hike in the canyon...the red rocks are great but the canyon hikes are really underrated IMO

Doing Sedona with the wife and 7 month old this week and wanted to pop in and just say thanks for the recs! Have dinner reservations at elote and Mariposa. Currently plan on doing Devils Bridge, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Courthouse View Loop and Baldwin/Templeton.