Girls Weekend in Sedona, AZ
We decided to fly into Phoenix on Thursday morning and rent a car to drive up to Sedona. We, unfortunately, had a long delay with picking up our rental car from Hertz as there was a car shortage. The drive from Phoenix to Sedona was very easy though and was just under 2 hours (119 miles).
WHERE WE STAYED
We opted to stay in an Airbnb this year and our host Katie ensured a great experience. This 1 bedroom, 1-bathroom guesthouse was based on a quiet street in Uptown Sedona and was walkable to a brewery, restaurants, a few shops, and more. The king bed was super comfortable as well which is always a plus!
WHAT WE ATE
BREAKFAST
We wanted a grab-and-go breakfast so we could head right to the trailheads early as parking was very hard to come by. We didn't realize it at first but these cafes had great views of Sedona and were somewhat affiliated with Starbucks.
LUNCH
We wanted to pick up a sandwich to bring with us on a hike and stumbled upon Sedona Memories Cafe. The owner/chef was so kind and suggested a few of his favorites. The sandwich was HUGE - we could've split one but it was a good snack for later.
We loved going to the Sedona Beer Company. Their patio was the perfect place to lounge on a sunny afternoon but they had blankets draped over every chair just in case you got a little chilly. We each had a few beers suggested to us by our waiter, and split shoestring fries and Chorizo Mac & Cheese. And best of all, it was within walking distance from our Airbnb.
DINNER
We came to grab a drink at The Hudson right after we got into Sedona but it was packed full of people enjoying dinner on a Thursday. The bartenders were very nice but neglected to tell us that all restaurants and bars in Sedona close by 9:00 pm!
The only place we could get food after 9:00 pm was the Sedona Food Truck or snacks at CVS. We got a pizza and chicken tenders to split but picked up some pizza rolls for old times sake.
Mariposa was listed on all of the travel guides but I can honestly say with absolute certainty its so worth it! This was hands down the best meal we had in Sedona. We were able to snag a last minute reservation on Open Table which was so lucky because our plan to grab a seat at the bar failed with their strict no walk-in system.
We felt like we were in desperate need of some vegetables by the last night of our trip and decided to give Picazzo's Healthy Italian Kitchen a try. We were able to grab a seat at the bar and had a surprisingly great dinner!
WHAT WE DID
Our plans to hike the various vortexes were a little thrown off by 8 inches of snow that Sedona received but we still attempted all of them nonetheless! Parking at ALL of the trailheads was very few and far between so I highly encourage you to get there early. We lapped the parking lots a few times and got lucky with the timing of a few people leaving.
This was a must-visit on all the guides I read ahead of our trip but it wasn't anything too special IMO. There were a few shops that had cool local art, jewelry, and crafts but we didn't end up buying anything. The architecture of the shopping village was very cool to see though!
OVERVIEW
Climate: We totally thought we'd be okay to visit Sedona in March but we caught an unseasonably cold weekend. The climate is semi-arid with hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures in March are supposed to be between 40°F to 69°F (4°C to 20°C).
Best Time to Visit: They say the best time to visit Sedona is October and November when it's still warm but less crowded.
Travel Tips: Sedona is early to rise, early-to-bed kind of town. All the bars and restaurants close around 9:00 pm! We learned this the hard way and not even Dominos was open.
Hiking Tips: Parking at the trailheads was very sparse. We had to slowly circle the lots hoping to catch someone leaving. I'd head out as early as you can or use the Sedona shuttle service.
Packing Tips: You'll want to pack lots of layers as the mornings and evenings are cold but it gets quite warm during the day. Wear a shoe with good tread if you're going hiking! Also, know that your shoes will be covered in red clay so bring a plastic bag to pack your shoes in to protect the rest of your belongings!
If you have any other questions about visiting Sedona, please feel free to reach out! I love working with individuals directly to plan a custom itinerary that matches their expectations for their trip.
Just reach out to me directly (:
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