We left Sedona more than a month ago, but I wanted to make sure to post a wrap up that includes all the reasons our time in Sedona (well, technically we stayed in the Village of Oak Creek) was so special to us. Here they are:
My Family Came
Not long after my “We’re Home” post, my mom, dad, and sister made their planned visit to us. They had a wonderful Airbnb just up the road with a nice backyard to hang out in. We had a great time sharing our love of Sedona with them. Here are some photos to commemorate their visit.
Visiting Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park
Jenn walking the medicine wheel 
The Stupa and Jenn 
Picnic at Centennial Trail 
Admiring the views on the Centennial Trail 
Evening barbecue time 
Evening barbecue time 
Evening barbecue time
On their second full day in Sedona, we took a trip up to the Grand Canyon. It was very grand. We made sure to arrive bright and early to avoid the crowds. Good thing my family was all still operating on central time!
Grand Canyon 
Grand Canyon 
Grand Canyon 
Grand Canyon 
Picnic in Grand Canyon National Park 
Elk on the road in the park 
Elk by the road 
Looonnngg line of cars to get in as we were leaving; that’s why we made sure to arrive at 8 a.m.!
We managed to show them most of the main Sedona attractions including the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the vortex on Airport Mesa.
Dinner out at the Corner Table 
View of Cathedral Rock from Chapel of the Holy Cross 
Inside Chapel of the Holy Cross 
Below Chapel of the Holy Cross 
Sisters at the Airport Vortex 
Or is this bush the vortex? 
Jenn and Chad went looking for tarantulas one night; no luck but they got this cool photo 
Hike to Bell Rock 
Jenn and Bell Rock 
Mom and Dad at Courthouse Butte 
Family in front of Courthouse Butte
It was a really fun trip with lots of great memories. I’m so glad they came out to see us. We really love receiving visitors when we’re traveling.
We Hiked More and Hit Up All Four Vortexes
One of the top things to do in Sedona while hiking is to encounter a vortex. We managed to make it to all four of the main ones while we were there. They’re located at Bell Rock, the Airport Mesa, Boynton Canyon, and Cathedral Rock. And I was able to take my sister and my dad to the one at Airport Mesa since it is fairly close to the parking there.
After my family departed, Chad and I continued to hike every day and maintain our 4 miles a day average. We had several nice picnics and really enjoyed all the trails we hiked. There were a few we didn’t make it too (including Devil’s Bridge and Hiline), but we know we’ll be back.
Beers on our porch after a hike 
Jaime on the picnic perch 
Our favorite picnic perch with a view of Bell Rock 
Hog Trails, I think 
Up on the hog trails 
Hiking the hog trails from Broken Arrow 
An early hike on Broken Arrow Trail 
West Fork Trail 
West Fork Trail 
West Fork Trail with many stream crossings 
West Fork Trail 
West Fork Trail 
End of the West Fork Trail 
West Fork Trail? 
Terminus of Boynton Canyon Trail; we found a shady spot to chill before heading back down 
View at end of Boynton trail 
Boynton Canyon viewpoint and vortex 
Boynton Canyon viewpoint and vortex 
Lunch at Secret Garden Cafe 
Beers followinging a hike 
Typical hike view 
Typical hike view 
Picnic by the creek 
Coffee Pot Rock from the teacup trail to Soldier Pass 
Devil’s Kitchen at Soldier Pass 
Seven Sacred Pools at Soldier Pass 
Viewpoint on the Soldier Pass trail where we turned around
I Would Totally Live Here When I’m Old
We already knew Sedona was special from our past visits, but after spending a month there, I am more convinced than ever that Sedona is one of the best places in the United States. We plan to come back again for another long stay in five or ten years and honestly, when it is time to hang up our suitcases on full-time travel, I could see Sedona being our home.
Yes, there are issues in Sedona. It is quite over-touristed and the afternoon traffic in Sedona itself is awful. But down in Oak Creek we were able to find peace and quiet every day, and the hiking and views are unbeatable.
I will always love and appreciate Sedona and hope we’ll return regularly for the rest of our lives. I’m so grateful we had this opportunity to spend a full month there.
Sedona Airbnb
The view and location are unbelievable. You can walk out your front door and across the street to Bell Rock Pathway (to not have to find a parking spot there is a huge advantage). All the trails nearby are fantastic. We were lucky enough to stay for a full month and never tired of seeing Bell Rock from our living room window and Courthouse Butte from the bed each morning. The apartment is surprisingly quiet for sitting right on Hwy 179. The kitchen was very well equipped for our long stay and there were dining out options within easy walking distance and also a mile down the road at The Collective. We were extremely happy we chose to stay in Oak Creek rather than Sedona proper because of the fewer crowds and far less traffic. Being on the north end was a nice bonus for the times when we did make the short trip to Sedona. The wifi was very consistent, but is pretty slow, which is true everywhere in Sedona/Oak Creek (especially upload speed). It was fast enough for streaming but Zoom was sometimes a challenge. We really hope to be able to stay in Craig’s apartment again in the future.
