Sedona, Arizona Travel Guide

It feels weird to be writing a travel post again, but here we are!

Two weeks ago, Alex, Ovi and I packed up the car and drove 8 hours to Sedona, Arizona to work from a bigger space, get a chance of scenery, and spend some time outside!

We debated whether or not it was safe to go for quite awhile – Alex is extremely careful and we haven’t done any activities with friends aside from socially distanced picnics at the park, but we ultimately decided that staying at an Airbnb would be alright, especially since we made sure to book it a full day after someone else had been in there.

We brought all kinds of cleaners, sanitizers, gloves and our masks, although let me tell you, pretty much no one in Arizona was wearing a mask or social distancing at ALL. They have the highest increase of cases daily, so we also brought a ton of our own food, made sure to sanitize the groceries we brought, and only got takeout. Regardless though, we had an incredible time and enjoyed our trip!

If you remember, I actually went there last November with my mom and if I’m being honest, I would absolutely recommend going that time of year and not going in the summer (it was already 100 degrees in June). But hey, that made it a decent place to work since you really couldn’t be outside adventuring during the day, anyway! We hiked either first thing in the morning or around sunset, bringing a TON of water for ourselves and Ovi.

Here’s a guide to where we stayed, hiked and ate in this beautiful place!!

Lodging

We stayed at this incredible 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom Airbnb in West Sedona with a huge fenced in yard (Ovi was in heaven!), two patios and hot tub! We couldn’t recommend it more, we especially loved the kitchen, but the wifi was definitely not the fastest for some of the work/Zoom calls we needed to do. If you’re looking to go off the beaten path and get some peace and quiet, you have to stay here!

When my mom and I went to Sedona last year, we stayed in Munds Park, which was significantly cheaper than Sedona proper and only 30 minutes away. It’s a great option if you’re on a budget and coming in season 🙂

Hikes

Bell Rock & Courthouse Butte Loop Trail – Definitely the longest hike we did, this was more of a flat trail (a bit crowded on a Saturday morning), but it was hot and challenging when we were there! Part of it is shaded, the rock formations are super cool and there are two paid parking lots.

Fay Canyon Trail – If you’re looking for a good sunset hike, this is it!! It’s almost entirely in the shade, more like a lovely long walk, but at the end you can climb up the rocks for an epic view! Lots of parking, not crowded.

Pyramid to Scorpion Trail Loop – We absolutely loved this one!! It’s definitely moderate (very little elevation climb) but the views are insane the entire time. We went early in the morning and it wasn’t crowded!

Brins Mesa Trail – I’ve actually hiked this trail twice now and love it!! It starts very moderately and then picks up the pace as you go. It’s not too challenging, but you’ll feel it in your glutes! We got about halfway to what looked like the actual “mesa” and the views were stunning. Lots of parking!

Schuerman Mountain Trailhead – We did this one at sunset and it was perfect. Not too hard, but the views at the top are incredible! This trail wasn’t busy at all and there was a ton of parking at the school right there.

Food

Tamaliza – A total standout from our trip, this place was actually the only restaurant that seemed to be taking COVID seriously! But aside from that, the tamales were incredible. It’s not your average heavy Mexican food, they use super fresh, organic and non-GMO ingredients, and you can absolutely taste the difference!

Local Juicery – Ahh my FAVE. Everything here is super fresh, delicious, and while the prices are definitely a bit higher, you know you’re paying for quality. We got açai bowls, an iced almond butter latté, strawberry almond milk and vegan/gf cookies! I also met the owner, Summer, and she’s amazing. Love supporting women-owned businesses!

Tortas de Fuego – Now *this* is old school Mexican food and the chicken taco salad I had hit the spot!! Alex had enchiladas and he said they were fantastic, too. Definitely good for when you need to re-fuel after a long day!

Wildflower – We got sandwiches here after a hike and the place was packed!! It was definitely for good reason too, because the sandwiches were delicious and the portions were big. So perfect for lunch!

I also made a vlog from our trip if that’s something you’re into 🙂

Thanks for stopping by and hope you get to Sedona soon!

xo Jordan