We planned our cross country road trip so we’d have the most time in Arizona. Pat grew up in Scottsdale and we heard so many great things about the state as a whole so we really wanted to soak it up. And let me tell you, the hype is real!
Canyon de Chelly
was our first stop and it’s close to the border of New Mexico so it was super convenient. The Canyon is on Navajo tribal lands which was really interesting to experience. You can do one “rim” of the Canyon in a half day which is what we did. We chose the South Rim because it had more viewpoints and Native American ruins. There are a few hikes you can do but for the most part you’re just driving up, looking, moving on so if you’re on a time crunch you can quickly see each viewpoint.
*Travel tip: Bring binoculars! You won’t be able to see the ruins without them.
The Grand Canyon
We headed for the Grand Canyon around 4pm (3 hour drive from Canyon de Chelly to the Grand Canyon) and got to Tuba City (halfway point) around 6pm. I do not, do not, do not recommend staying in Tuba City. I did not feel welcome and the hotels are barely maintained but charge an arm and a leg, like, our bedsheets were see through because of how old and worn they were and they charged $270 a night. As I was checking the bed for bedbugs I found several black hairs and a DIRTY Q-TIP. No joke, I was mortified. Needless to say I demanded a discount on the room and clean sheets.
On a more positive note, once we got to the Grand Canyon it was smooth sailing around the South Rim. We hiked a portion of Bright Angel Trail which is an extremely intense and exhausting hike. We did 3.5 miles round trip and I felt like I was going to die. Going down is a breeze, it’s the elevation coming back up that gets you. Bring water, shade, and hiking boots or sneakers with grip if you’re going to attempt it. Also, it takes 2 days (8-9 hours a day) to hike the entire thing so you’ll need to plan way in advance for sleeping arrangements, supplies, etc.
Sedona
Our next stop in Arizona was Sedona which is only 2 hours away from the Grand Canyon so we were able to get there at a decent hour. We spent 2 days in Sedona and covered a LOT of ground, I don’t think you need more than 2 days there but you’ll want it because it is B E A U T I F U L. Everywhere you look is a picture out of a travel magazine. You won’t find a bad view in Sedona.
Sedona is known for it’s spirituality and strong energy so of course I wanted to experience it all. Here’s the deal there are 4 vortexes in Sedona, all of which are hikes we did, or at least attempted, so…
Cathedral Rock (vortex) is SKETCHY, scary, and intense. You can easily fall and die so I don’t recommend pushing yourself too hard for this one. I actually had a full blown panic attack, started to cry, and stopped where I felt comfortable while Pat climbed the rest. When he got down he even said it was sketchy and he’s not afraid of anything so for him to say it was sketchy means it’s freaking sketchy.
The Boyton Trail (vortex) was the easiest hike of them all and anyone at any level can do it. We met a couple in their 70’s actually who had no hiking experience so that should tell you something. This is the only hike where you can literally touch the vortex. There’s no sign or anything but the signs of a vortex are twisted trees.
I didn’t feel much at any of the vortexes but Pat did. Maybe I was trying to hard or maybe I didn’t let go enough but I felt pretty normal the whole time and didn’t have any major spiritual revelations.
Bell Rock (vortex) was another relatively easy hike. You can’t really climb up the rock like you can at Cathedral or Boyton which was a relief to me but you can hike along a dirt path that stretches for a few miles.
The first night we got to Sedona we went to the Airport Viewpoint to watch the sunset. Unbeknownst to me this location is also a vortex. It’s a beautiful location, during the day or during sunset but if you choose to go during the latter, get there early as spots do fill up rather quickly and everyone busts out their phone to take pics so your view is kind of blocked.
If Sedona wasn’t a dream already, what makes it even dreamier are the shops. I die for South Western home decor. Tlaquepaque Shops have all of that and more. It is the CUTEST little place to go for coffee, lunch, and to shop. I recommend spending at least 1-2 hours there. You don’t even have to buy anything, just walk around and take it all in.
The Center for the New Age is right across the street from Tlaquepaque Shops which is super convenient. This store and Chapel of the Holy Cross were the only places where I felt “spiritually awakened”. The energy in the back room at the Center for the New Age is the SPOT. It’s a glass greenhouse almost and you’re surrounded by crystals, Buddhas, and incense with a peaceful river flowing behind you. I’ll take one of these rooms for Christmas, thanks Pat!
One of the most memorable experiences of Sedona was visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross. First of all, as you walk up you’re overlooking a $25M mansion owned by the guy who invented Lazik surgery. It’s wild. Anyway, when you get to the Chapel you’re met with 360 degree views of gorgeous red rock mountains. When you walk into the Chapel, you’re overwhelmed with gratitude, abundance, peace, and a bit of sadness. I actually got teary eyed sitting there. There’s an unexplainable energy that just takes over your body and you’re filled with so many emotions and I’m not a religious person in the least so for me to feel this way in a Chapel was pretty amazing.
Where we ate: Because I just couldn’t get enough of the vortexes, we ate at the Mesa Grille which happens to be right at the airport vortex. I got the eggplant parm and to be completely honest, it was just meh so not sure I’d go back again. The thing with Sedona is it’s SO touristy so you have a hard time finding anything “authentic” in terms of food, which is kind of a bummer.
Camp Verde
Montezuma Castle is right outside of Sedona in Camp Verde. It was definitely the most visible and well preserved Native American dwellings we saw. It’s also the most mysterious. It’s situated 90 ft. up the side of a mountain, which raises the question how and why? Well one theory is building that far protected the structure from frequent flooding from the Beaver Creek. Another theory is because the castle housed “treasures”, building so high up made it difficult for looters to reach. Either way it is very, very cool and you should 100% check it out if you visit Sedona.
P.s. It’s $10 (per person) to get in which goes toward park preservation.
While we were in Sedona Pat decided to surprise me with a sunset horseback ride which, if you follow me on IG you already know what happened from my IG story. It was a super sweet gesture but it actually ended up making me feel pretty sad. I’m not going to call out the ranch because maybe there’s something I don’t know but the horses seemed tired and this was in May when it wasn’t even that hot.
Apparently there are 3 rides every day using the same horses. The rides are about 1 1/2 hours and on VERY rough terrain – across massive rocks/stones and through cacti, some of the horses actually had cacti stuck in them and we saw a rattlesnake, just to give you an idea. That’s about 6 hours of labor in 80-100 degree heat. When the horses get a “break” between rides they’re tied up in one spot fully saddled out in the sun. There’s no shade. Even the pastures don’t have any shade. If you think about it, even wild horses are able to get shade from trees, boulders, etc. so it’s not like this is what they’re used to. The “pastures” don’t actually have grass, they’re more like sand/mud and in close proximity to one another so the horses can’t run even if they wanted to.
The best part? The horses are “rented” from Wyoming. So if you’re already bummed about the living conditions you’re seeing, you get to wonder how much worse they are in Wyoming. Each season the ranch gets new horses so not only do they not have enough time to get to know the horses’ personalities to see what rider would be best for what horse, they carelessly toss them back to the owner for him to do God knows what with them and rent them out to God knows who next time.
In defense of the Arizona ranch, the staff is very nice (run by kids under 23, but very nice) and you can tell they care a lot about the horses. The horses are also well fed and watered. Yes they were sweaty and exhausted but they did have water and you couldn’t see their ribs (meaning they definitely eat). I don’t even know what stance to take from here because if we boycott ranches like this what happens to the horses when the ranches can no longer afford to keep them? Are they auctioned to slaughterhouses or do they just get to retire and graze all day? Probably a little bit of both which makes me sick. I haven’t decided which is the lesser evil – ride exhausted horses in extreme heat or boycott the ranches and potentially have the horses slaughtered… Ideally I’d love for the ranches to provide better circumstances but I have a feeling that’s asking a lot.
Donate to The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary here.
Oak Creek Canyon
On our way out of Sedona we hit up Slide Rock, (7 miles south), which is this natural made rock waterfall slide. It’s super cool and to be honest I think it would be a lot cooler if it wasn’t so commercialized. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of preservation there because it’s a protected state park but there are little campsites and convenience stores around so it doesn’t give you the complete natural wonder vibe.
Slide Rock isn’t the only attraction in Oak Creek, the drive in and out is AMAZING. If you only have a day in Sedona, just drive around. Get lost. You can’t go wrong because it’s beautiful everywhere you turn.
Phoenix
Our last stop in Arizona was Phoenix. We literally stayed for 1 hour, if that. We found the highest peak in the city, Dobbins Lookout at South Mountain, drove up the mountain, took some pictures, and drove back down. We didn’t have a whole lot of time so we thought that was the best way to get the most out of the time we did have. Not having a lot of time seemed to be a theme during the whole trip…
Anyway, the other reason we didn’t stay in Phoenix for too long was because it was 110 degrees… in the beginning of June! I’ve never experienced heat like that before. It sucks the life right out of you. I mean, you can barely breathe let alone sightsee. So would I go back to Phoenix again? Absolutely. Would it be in the summer? Absolutely not.
From Phoenix we drove straight through to California which is only about 5 hours away so compared to the rest of the trip, the 5-hour drive was a breeze!
If you want to know what to do in California check out my Newport Beach travel guide and LA travel itinerary.
xx
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