jserpente

Hi fellow fodorites!

I'm thinking of snuffing Valentines day this year planning a solo vacation to the Southwest bet. Tuesday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 19. I'd like to spend a couple of days in the Grand Canyon area, and see all the sights of Sedona.

-What are the landscape and historic highlights I can't miss?

-I'd like to stay in low budget (but safe and clean) hotels so I can spend a little fun funds on something like a spa visit and/or nice meal one evening.

-Guessing I'll be flying into Phoenix. I remember driving to the Canyon with the family long ago and our economy rental had problems in the mountains. Is it worth the extra $100 or so for an SUV rental?

Advice, please!

amwosu

It will be quite chilly in Sedona and at the GC that time of year. You might want to check monthly average temps on www.weather.com just to be sure you know what to expect.

Thanks to emd on this board I stayed at the Desert Quail Inn at the Village of Oak Creek just a couple miles south of Sedona for less than $60 per night. Very clean room and friendly innkeepers. They have a website where you can make reservations. There are a couple of the cool rock formations within 1/4-1/2 mile of the inn.

Prescott is near Sedona and was once the capitol of AZ (I think before it was a state but I don't really know AZ history). It is an old Victorian town.

I personally would stay in the Phoenix area that time of year where it will likely be mid 60s during the day and lots of stuff to do- Heard Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West, Scottsdale Fashion Mall, Desert Botanical Garden, a day in Cave Creek, a spa day at one of many incredible spas- Sactuary on Camelback comes to mind...

jserpente

Thanks for the advice on Desert Quail Inn.

I've been to Phoenix before and may stay with family for a day or so, but really want to explore the other areas. Coming from Chicago where it's already been -10 degrees this winter, I don't think I'll mind a chill.

Any input on the order to take in the sights? Sedona first? GC first? Restaurant recommendations?

Thanks!!

amwosu

I haven't done it yet but have been advised, and have read in tour books that you should go to Flagstaff and to the GC and then drive south to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. It is apparently more scenic driving north to south than south to north in Oak Creek Canyon.

Keep topping this thread if you don't get info. There are several folks who can offer sage advise on the area.

amwosu

I just topped a thread about a recent solo trip that might help you make some decisions. If you can't find it type sedona solo into the search function to locate it. Or click on my screen name above this message to see the threads I've posted to lately and look for it that way.

emd

jserpente: For info on how to schedule the trip re driving/order, type in "utahtea sedona" into the search box. Utahtea is a poster here who had given much good advice on driving route options for the Phoenix/Sedona/GC routes.

Amwosu has already given you my recommendation for clean, safe, inexpensive, and pretty nice Sedona lodging. At GC, if you plan to try to hike at all I would stay inside the park. Feb. rates are fairly low. I would stay in the park even if I was just going to look. It is nice to be able to just walk over to the rim at sunrise, sunset, or be in the park to walk to El Tovar dining room to eat (for your one nice meal right on the rim at sunset?). There are cheaper places to stay in Tusayan a few miles outside the park, but then you have to drive in every time you want to be close to the canyon. And you are goign there to see and experience the canyon, not some hotel room miles outside the park. Also it will be cold, and El Tovar and Brigth Angel lodges at GC both have great stone fireplaces in the lobby where you can warm up, read, write cards, etc. I would stay there in Feb. if you can get in.

As for sights, maybe do a little reading online here or other places and come back w/more pointed questions.

Do you hike/bike or not? That will help determine what you will want to do/see in Sedona. The sights are all around you outdoors there. You don't really have to go looking for them too much, unless you want to see the organized sites like the Chapel in the Rocks (and that is marked w/a sign on the road coming in from Phoenix) or the Palatki/Honanki Sinagua Indian ruins in west Sedona. But there are even better sets of more well-preserved ruins on some of the hikes.

As for the GC, same thing- you can just walk the rim trail and you are there, or you can hike down a ways if it is not too icy/snowy at the start of the trails.

There are some sights between Sedona and GC that are worth taking in. You'll see info on those if you do the search I mentioned and check out some of those past postings.

LindainOhio

We visited the area in Feb. 2004--planned a Sedona/Grand Canyon/Las Vegas.

We did some great hikes in Sedona and were pretty awed with the red rocks--our first visit to Sedona.

You will get off season rates at all the hotel/resorts in Feb.

We never got to the Grand Canyon--the roads all closed because of a snowstorm. Sedona hadn't had snow for 2 years--they were all very excited.

Car rentals are very expensive at the Phoenix airport---a boatload of taxes. We rented offsite--Budget, because they didn't charge extra for a one way rental--we flew out of Las Vegas. I believe that I have seen Fox Car Rental mentioned on this site. We had a regular car and didn't have a problem. We couldn't have gotten to the Grand Canyon with an SUV either.

If you are going to hike, I would suggest you purchase some crampons that stretch over your hiking boots and provide traction on icy trails.

Look at www.hikearizona.com for hiking suggestions.

In Sedona, the hotel/cottages at Airport Mesa are very affordable--great views. I can't remember what they are called.

emd

That is Sky Ranch Lodge up by the Sedona airport.

MikePinTucson

I think going up to the GC first fromPhoenix, then hitting Sedona on the way back would be best. A liesurely drive to GC from Phoenix, do some soghtseeing, then spend the night. Watch sunrise do a bit more sightseeing, then head to Sedona. Here is a good web site:

http://www.gatewaytosedona.com/

Spend the day and overnight and part of next day sightseeing. then, if time allows, drive to Jerome

http://www.azjerome.com/

then over to Prescott

http://www.visit-prescott.com/

before heading back to Phoenix.

I really don't think you will need an SUV. A nice full size car that is not underpowered would be fine. I own an Intrepid, small negine, and it takes all of the mountains like nothing

Maple

ttt

TheWeasel

jserpente-Not sure if you've finalized plans or not. As some others have said, the drive from GC to Sedona is better north to south rather than the other way, so I'd head up to GC first and go to Sedona, etc. from there.

If you're interested in downhill skiing, you could check out the AZ Snowbowl outside Flagstaff. There are also several national monuments in the area (Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and Wupatki) that you might be interested in. Look for them on nps.gov. Montezuma's Castle is on the way from PHX to GC.

I don't think an SUV will be necessary, as the elevation isn't that serious. I'd worry more about the road conditions if it's been snowing, but since you're from Chicago, you at least have some experience in the snow. I'd definitely make sure the road is dry for the drive into Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon from the north - the switchbacks would be pretty scary if it's snowing/icy.

I was at GC several years ago in February, and even though we got a fair amount of snow overnight, the Bright Angel trail was quite passable. It was snowing at the top, and about 30 minutes down the trail was sunny and warm with no snow or ice on the trail. Of course, things could be vastly different when you're there, but as long as you use common sense you should be fine doing some hiking.

MichelleY

Dear jserpente:

Here is the thread for our trip report to Sedona & the GC. I hope this helps:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...200&dirtyBit=1

Good luck,
my