Travel Guides

A Girl’s Weekend in Sedona

Growing up in Arizona, I never really thought much of it to be honest. Yes, there’s a cool history of Western-Cowboy culture and great Mexican food, but to me, Arizona was just the place my loved ones were and there was a whole world out there to be explored. Ironically it wasn’t until I left for San Francisco seven years ago that everything changed. Pinterest was invented all of a sudden it was like I could discover all the nooks and crannies of my home state that I’d been missing out on all along.

Sedona was one of the many places I’d looked past and after visiting I’m telling you this – “no one puts baby (I mean Sedona) in the corner!” Sedona should be on everyone’s travel bucket list. Luckily for us Arizonans seeing it makes a perfect weekend trip!

Friday

My sisters and I drove up to Sedona on a Friday after work. It’s a quick 2-hour drive from Phoenix so in the summer it’s easy to get there before sunset. We booked our stay at the Sky Ranch Lodge which is a quaint hotel with winding sidewalks and koi ponds. It is atop the Airport Mesa which means amazing views are all around!

You don’t realize how much of an early bird city Sedona is until you try to find a restaurant that’ll seat you past 9pm. On our drive in we spotted this swanky restaurant with a fire lit sign in purple lights called Mariposa – it was so good! Since there were three of us we decided to order family style so we could try a bunch of dishes. A few recommendations: “Elote Loco”, “Lisa’s Favorite Chopped Salad” and the perfect way to end your meal “Tres Leches Torte”!

Saturday

When I only have a couple days on a trip I try to cram as much in as possible – sites, restaurants, happy hours… Saturday was my best chance to make the most of Sedona so my gals and I started out early at Local Juicery to fuel up for a hike up to picturesque *cough*Instagrammable*cough* Devil’s Bridge.

**A couple of notes about the hike up Devil’s Bridge – unless you have a four-wheel drive with a ton of suspension, you’ll end up parking down the road at overflow parking. This alone adds about 2-3 miles to your hike so bring plenty of water. As for the hike itself it’s fairly moderate and once you get to the top you’ll find yourself the finest view of the valley out there!

We spent the afternoon at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village perusing the shops, galleries and sipping on margaritas at El Rincon. Originally we planned on beer tasting at Oak Creek Brewery, but couldn’t resist the wafting scent of fresh homemade tortilla chips! (Note: I was able to taste the ‘Village Brown Nut Ale’ from Oak Creek Brewery at another point on the trip – two thumbs up!)

Sunset is so special to see among the red rocks. Like I mentioned earlier, our hotel was atop the Airport Mesa so we truly had the best seats in the house! Drink in hand and this is what life’s all about 🙂

I’m an avid planner and one of the first places I look to for trip inspiration is Instagram – it’s the best place to figure out where all the cool kids hang. My sister was able to scroll around and find Tii Gavo at the Enchantment Resort for dinner. We sat on the patio under what I imagine was a million stars and enjoyed many cheesy dishes and wine! Also, order the ‘prickly pear margarita’.

Sunday

It would have been a dream to stay at L’Auberge the devastatingly luxurious and resort along Oak Creek, but I mean… $$$. So instead we opted for a lovely breakfast under the trees at Etch Kitchen & Bar before heading home. Tip: Brunch is expensive and starts at 9 but if you go for say breakfast you’ll get the opportunity to order the ‘linguiça scramble’!