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We just returned from 2 glorious weeks in Sedona, staying first at Hyatt Pinion Point (a disappointment) & then at Sunterra Sedona Summitt (very nice.) I will save more comments on the resorts for the review forum.
We love the southwest & native American culture. Our only paid tour was a guided tour with an anthropologist to the Hopi reservation. It is offered once a week on Wednesdays by Redstone Tours at a cost of $159 each with tax. (Booked at Hyatt) They pick you up at your resort. The van only holds 14 people so the tours book fast. It was an all day excursion leaving at 7:30am & arriving back about 6:30pm and included lunch on the reservation. We would heartily recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning first hand about the Hopi and general geological & historical info on the entire region. Not great for young children but probably would be ok for older kids. This tour company also offers a trip with a geologist which we may do next time.
We visited the nearby Indian Ruins at Tuzagoot & Montezuma's Castle & Well. All easily accessable & free with our Golden Age NP pass. Jerome, an old mining town on the hill above Cottonwood, is about 20 miles from Sedona. There is a really great museum that is worth a visit ($3 ea). The views from the town are fantastic and we spent a fun couple of hours there strolling around & browsing in the many shops & galleries. Cottonwood itself has an old town district that we took a drive through. We'll go back another time for a closer look. We drove the Redrock loop road across hwy89 from Sedona Summit and took lots of pictures. Another great view spot is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Lots of tour groups there but worth the short, easy drive. There is a particularly ostentatious house under construction within view that got almost as much attention from the Japanese tourists as the towering rock formations. Our favorite photo spot is on the road to the airport. You need a Redrock pass ($15 for the week) or a NP pass to park and take the short easy hikes. Also at the top of the road just before the airport is a large viewing area that is accessable to anyone including those in wheelchairs. This is the best easy access sunset view in Sedona. Even if you are a sceptic, you will be affected by the vortex energy at this location if you visit at sundown. A visit to Enchantment Resort is well worth the drive. Ask the gate guard nicely & he'll allow you to visit. Otherwise you need a meal reservation to get in. If I ever win the lottery, I'll blow some winnings on a week at this place!
Although we aren't big shoppers, we always enjoy browsing the shops at Tlaquepaque & spent one morning wandering through the art galleries & specialty shops there. All the spring flowers were in bloom & we wandered around the grounds at Los Abrigados, too. The uptown shopping area is also worth a stroll and offers more for the souvenir hunter. The Visitor Center is located there where you can get Redrock passes, maps & advice on hikes. There are lots of places to eat or get a snack as well. The Pinion Point shops are mostly expensive art galleries. Hillside also is mostly art & sculpture type places. The outlet mall in Oak Creek is a typical outlet mall. We went there to check out the book store. Don't bother. There is a really good one on west hwy89 near the library called The Well Red Coyote. Friendly owner, great selection. Books are our souvenir of choice wherever we travel. Better than those dust catcher tchotchkes we waste our money on like refridgerator magnets or yet another T-shirt.
Although we hauled our golf clubs all the way from northern Calif. & back, we never did play golf. All the courses are located in Oak Creek or Cottonwood. Prices range from $15 for the 9 hole Canyon Mesa Country Club to $125 at Oak Creek CC. Paul spent an hour hitting a bucket of balls on the driving range at Sedona Golf Resort while I checked out the Sunterra Ridge Resort next door. We never found any discounts for golf from the resorts.
Next visit we plan to get out of our car & do more hiking. We may have to go for 3 weeks next time!
We love the southwest & native American culture. Our only paid tour was a guided tour with an anthropologist to the Hopi reservation. It is offered once a week on Wednesdays by Redstone Tours at a cost of $159 each with tax. (Booked at Hyatt) They pick you up at your resort. The van only holds 14 people so the tours book fast. It was an all day excursion leaving at 7:30am & arriving back about 6:30pm and included lunch on the reservation. We would heartily recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning first hand about the Hopi and general geological & historical info on the entire region. Not great for young children but probably would be ok for older kids. This tour company also offers a trip with a geologist which we may do next time.
We visited the nearby Indian Ruins at Tuzagoot & Montezuma's Castle & Well. All easily accessable & free with our Golden Age NP pass. Jerome, an old mining town on the hill above Cottonwood, is about 20 miles from Sedona. There is a really great museum that is worth a visit ($3 ea). The views from the town are fantastic and we spent a fun couple of hours there strolling around & browsing in the many shops & galleries. Cottonwood itself has an old town district that we took a drive through. We'll go back another time for a closer look. We drove the Redrock loop road across hwy89 from Sedona Summit and took lots of pictures. Another great view spot is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Lots of tour groups there but worth the short, easy drive. There is a particularly ostentatious house under construction within view that got almost as much attention from the Japanese tourists as the towering rock formations. Our favorite photo spot is on the road to the airport. You need a Redrock pass ($15 for the week) or a NP pass to park and take the short easy hikes. Also at the top of the road just before the airport is a large viewing area that is accessable to anyone including those in wheelchairs. This is the best easy access sunset view in Sedona. Even if you are a sceptic, you will be affected by the vortex energy at this location if you visit at sundown. A visit to Enchantment Resort is well worth the drive. Ask the gate guard nicely & he'll allow you to visit. Otherwise you need a meal reservation to get in. If I ever win the lottery, I'll blow some winnings on a week at this place!
Although we aren't big shoppers, we always enjoy browsing the shops at Tlaquepaque & spent one morning wandering through the art galleries & specialty shops there. All the spring flowers were in bloom & we wandered around the grounds at Los Abrigados, too. The uptown shopping area is also worth a stroll and offers more for the souvenir hunter. The Visitor Center is located there where you can get Redrock passes, maps & advice on hikes. There are lots of places to eat or get a snack as well. The Pinion Point shops are mostly expensive art galleries. Hillside also is mostly art & sculpture type places. The outlet mall in Oak Creek is a typical outlet mall. We went there to check out the book store. Don't bother. There is a really good one on west hwy89 near the library called The Well Red Coyote. Friendly owner, great selection. Books are our souvenir of choice wherever we travel. Better than those dust catcher tchotchkes we waste our money on like refridgerator magnets or yet another T-shirt.
Although we hauled our golf clubs all the way from northern Calif. & back, we never did play golf. All the courses are located in Oak Creek or Cottonwood. Prices range from $15 for the 9 hole Canyon Mesa Country Club to $125 at Oak Creek CC. Paul spent an hour hitting a bucket of balls on the driving range at Sedona Golf Resort while I checked out the Sunterra Ridge Resort next door. We never found any discounts for golf from the resorts.
Next visit we plan to get out of our car & do more hiking. We may have to go for 3 weeks next time!
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