Sedona
One Day in Sedona, AZ
We woke up in the morning and confirmed our decision to take a day trip to Sedona. Luckily, we had a car reserved with Hertz, which we picked up at the hotel. It is a 93 mi, easy drive from Scottsdale and totally worth it. The scenery is breathtaking.
Our 1 Day Itinerary
One day is hardly enough to scratch the surface, but we are very glad that we did. We had a quick breakfast at Starbucks at the Hotel (JW Marriott Camelback Inn) and were on the road around 9:30 am and started our hike at a little after 11 am.
The best way is to take I-17 to State Highway 179 N. Since we had a limited time and wanted to get back to Scottsdale before it gets dark, we drove straight to Devil's Bridge, the largest natural sandstone arch in Sedona. It is an average difficulty hike, about 4.8 miles.
The hike is very rewarding. The view is spectacular and if you are not afraid of heights, you can take a walk across the bridge.
After the hike, we drove to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts village for lunch and shopping! We had a lovely lunch on the covered outside patio at Secret Garden Cafe, walked around the village and by 4:30, we were on the road back to Sedona.
Depending on your time constraints, other hikes and sites to consider:
Chapel of the Holy Cross - a Roman Catholic Church, built into the red rock landscape. It is right off I -179 and it is hard to miss.
Cathedral Rock - one of the most recognized landmarks of the Sedona landmarks. We drove by, but did't have the time to hike there. Small admission fee.
Bell Rock/Courthouse Butte loop trail
Secret Canyon Trail
Boynton Canyon Trail - 1.5 mi to cliffside ruin
All directions start at the "Y" (the junction of S.R.179 & 89A) so you can even decide on the spot.