Hi,
We're visiting Arizona for the first time over Easter week in April, '06 (3 nights in Phoenix, 3 nights in Sedona). I had a few questions that I was hoping to get some opinions on. My husband and I will be traveling with our 3 children, ages 14, 12, and 9.

1. Can anyone recommend a family-friendly (and clean!) hotel in Sedona with nice views? I would LOVE to stay at Enchantment, but I can't justify or afford the $425 per night. Right now we're booked at the Hilton in Sedona, but I understand the location isn't the greatest. Thoughts?

2. Where is the best place to see Indian ruins? Wupatki? Tuzigoot? Some other place?

3. Is a visit to Jerome worth it? (not an over night stay - just a visit)

4. We're planning on taking the Grand Canyon Railway daytrip. Any tips/suggestions?

5. Finally, in your opinion, besides the GC, what do you consider a NOT-TO-BE-MISSED experience, tour, or park in Arizona for a family traveling there for the first time?

Whew! That's a lot. Sorry!
Thanks for any info you can share!
kelly
michigan

I would say skip the Railroad trip. You don't see the canyon until you get off by El Tovar. We traveled from Sedona up through Sunset Crater and Wupatki. You then enter the Grand Canyon through Desert View. We stayed 2 nights at the rim but even overnight would be wonderful. The real problem at this late date would be getting reservations.

SuzieTrue from Michigan

Jerome is worth a visit. Be sure to visit the State Park there.

Wupatki/Sunset Crater is nice in that you can go into some of the ruins. There are 3-4 different sites spread out over the park that you can visit. Visit all of them. Be sure to go all the way down to the ball court and blow hole at the largest ruins (Wupatki).

Tuzigoot is ok - if you have a nat parks pass it won't cost you anything extra. Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well are also interesting.

The Grand Canyon Railway is quite a bit out of the way - I would recommend the Verde Canyon Railway - much more scenic. You can do Jerome, VC Railway, and Tuzigoot all in one day - we did last summer.

I agree with Bigtyke - do the Verde Canyon Railway. Very scenic! There's an open air car for picture taking and the kids won't get bored, unlike the trip to the GC.

Jerome is an easy 1/2 day adventure from Sedona. Same with Montezuma's well/ catsle. I really liked Jerome. I've never stayed in Sedona, although friends stayed at the Sunterra Sedona resort in a condo. I see them and a lot of options in Sedona on Hotels.com.

I've never done the train ride, but I know you do NOT see the canyon from the train. You will spend a lot of hours going back and forth and that time really would be better spent at the canyon rim since you have so few days. If you drive up from Williams, then exit at the east entrance you can stop at some of the really scenic overlooks, then as you travel to Cameron, AZ you will be treated to views of painted desert. Then as you travel south on Hwy 89, take the Hwy 395 loop road to Wupatki National Monument.

Have you considered staying at the S. Rim for one or two night. You can ride the free shuttle buses or even walk to the rim. You would be able to sunrises and sunsets.

My order of ruins I like the best - others might have their favorites:

Montezuma's Castle near Camp Verde
Wapatki National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument (just east of Flagstaff
Tuzigoot (would be last on my list).

Utahtea

Thanks for the great info so far!

Besides the scenery & route, what is the difference between the CG Railway and the Verde? Does the Verde train take you all the way to the rim of the GC?

We're reluctant to drive to the GC because we'll be there during a holiday week and I read that the traffic can be a real issue. I'd also like my husband to be able to relax and enjoy the ride/views.

I did consider an overnight at the canyon, but I really don't want to spend our vacation hotel hopping. With 3 kids in tow, that can be a lot of work.

thanks for your opinions on the ruins!

Should we consider taking one of the Sedona jeep tours?

I really appreciate all of your help. There is so much to do in AZ, it's hard to know where to begin.

kelly

I assume you are driving from phx to sedona. Stop at montezuma's castle on the way so you don't back track. It is moments off the highway.
The Verde railroad (which I have never been on) doe not go to the GC. It goes fom Cottonwood east ward and loops back (i believe). Personally, I would do that insetead of going to Jerome.
The drive from sedona up oak creek canyon is beautiful. I don't know if it will be open in the spring, and the water will be cold (assuming there's much of any with the present drought) but slide rock is fun and your children will like it. I also think a little hike along the creek on the west fork near the top of aok creek canyon is beautiful. There will be Native American vendors selling jewelry at the top of the canyon. enjoy

The GC Railway is a relazing way to get to the South Rim if you don't want to drive and worry about parking. It takes about 3 hours one way, and there are no canyon views along the way. I brought a book to read. They do have a strolling cowboy singer who visits your car, and there's a train robbery, too, with horseback-riding armed bandits. You get to the GC train station around noon, and have until 3:00 pm before before the train to ride 3 hours back to Williams.

The Hilton in Sedona is actually in the Village of Oak Creek, a short distance south of Sedona. You can't really walk into Sedona from there but the drive is only about 15 minutes. The views are still gorgeous from there.

As for Indian ruins, I am partial to Wupatki/Wukoki, Walnut Canyon, and Montezuma's Castle. All are impressive.

Jerome is fun to visit but I always go for the art galleries. Have never taken kids. It's an easy drive out of Sedona to get there - I think about 30 minutes.

One thing no one has yet mentioned that your family might enjoy in Sedona is doing a Pink Jeep tour. Visit www.pinkjeep.com for more info. The tour for first-timers is the Broken Arrow tour. We always take visitors on it, and they love it.

I hope this helps! Have a great trip!

When our family visited Sedona we stayed at the Radisson Poco Diablo, the room was very large, King bed plus pull-out sofa, fireplace, refrigerator, had a little terrace. It even had a pool with pool toys and a little game room for the kids.

It's not Enchantment but it was about one third the price.

The Hilton is WAAAAYYYY out of the way, we drove by it when we were leaving town and I remember thinking how glad I was that we hadn't stayed there.

We did a similar trip, 2 nights in Phoenix, 2 in Sedona and 2 at the Grand Canyon. We stayed at El Tovar at the Canyon and Pointe Hilton Tapatio in Phoenix, I wouldn't stay at the Hilton Tapatio again, too far out of the way, I had no idea Phoenix had such urban sprawl and the Hilton was on the fringes. Traffic was a real drag.

We went to Wupatki and it was VERY cool, I would definitely go there, and of course, I would see the GC, but I think you have to stay overnight, get up early and hike into the canyon to get the full effect. Stopping by and peering over the side takes about 10 minutes then the kids will be bored senseless.

We hiked with our 10 and 13 year olds for 8 hours, down and back and we loved it, just bring food and water and you'll be fine, we went the week of Easter break.

We didn't go to Jerome.

The road thru Oak Creek Canyon is always open (with the exception of right after a big snowstorm - even then I have never heard of it closed, just chains required).

Thanks again for sharing your opinions and experiences. You've been very helpful.

I decided to switch my reservation from the Hilton Sedona to the Best Western Arroyo Roble. From what I understand, the location is great (walking distance to many restaurants/shops), they offer a free continental breakfast, and it's $70 cheaper per night. I figure with the money we save, we can do one of those pink jeep tours around Sedona. Thanks for the Broken Arrow recommendation!

We'll also make sure to check out Montezuma's castle on our way from Phoenix to Sedona.

thank you, all!
kelly

I see that you've decided to change your reservation but we, for one, really enjoyed the Hilton. It's all suites and was perfect for us with teens (separate living room with sofabed and then a separate bedroom, lots of space), great pool and we had a deal with breakfast included. It was at most a 10 minute drive to downtown Sedona and we enjoyed being in Oak Creek, actually closer to some hiking and there are restaurants and shops there as well. I highly recommend the Broken Arrow Pink Jeep tour. I honestly would give up a night or two in Phoenix to spend a night at the south rim. As mentioned the drive up thorugh Williams is absolutely gorgeous and easy, and despite fears about traffic we had absolutley no problems in August, which is supposed to be a very crowded month. We were a bit last minute and so had to stay at Yavapai East, which is not right on the rim, but we enjoyed it a lot, quiet, clean and the shuttle bus stops often.

By changing your reservations from Hilton to Best Western Arroyo you have gone from a nice quiet location w/a spa and close to golfing, etc. on the way into Sedona (not one that I consider "way out there") to a hotel in the center of the tourist trap area of Sedona in uptown, with crowds, tourist shops, and tour buses all around when you walk out of the hotel. Very different location and vibe in the two places, so be aware of that. It depends on what you prefer. And maybe with kids those ages you want more action in walking distance which you'll get in Uptown.

There are other hotels with great views that do not put you in the heart of the touristy uptown area and which do not cost as much as Enchantment. But since you have 2 adults and 3 kids, Best Western AR does offer the one "cottage; (best deal for a family who needs some space at a value) and those really great two bedrm. villas with the creek right out the door (fun for your kids). They are nice- lots of space and views for the price, and might be perfect for what you need.

Oh, now I'm really confused!

I didn't cancel my ressies at the Hilton yet, and now I'm wondering if I should just keep them. ??

The rooms at the Hilton do look much nicer, and the grounds look peaceful. I was just trying to avoid any more unneccessary confinement in the car for the kids. We plan on staying pretty busy when we're in Sedona (one full day will be spent at the GC) so I'm not sure how much we'll actually be relaxing and enjoying the resort atmosphere. (We plan on doing that at the Hilton in Phoenix for 3 nights).

The cottages and villas at the Best Western Arroyo were sold out. We just have a standard Red Rocks view room.

kelly

Another vote for the Hilton. Although I can't give you a comparison since I've never stayed at the Best Western, I enjoyed the suite set up at the Hilton.

Here's a suggestion--if you're going to do a Pink Jeep tour and want to limit your driving, you can book it thru the Hilton concierge and they'll arrange for a shuttle bus to pick you up and bring you into town for the jeep tour at no cost (we tipped the driver). When we did this, the driver was almost like a tour guide and gave us some good tips about the area. Again, you're only talking about a 10 min. drive, so it's not a big deal.

I think your kids would enjoy Jerome for a few hours. There's an old abandoned mine they can tour, and then have lunch at the Haunted Hamburger.

Here my list of national monuments in order of favorites:
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wapatki National Monument
Montezuma's Castle near Camp Verde

Walnut Canyon was amazing - the cliffs are very protected so the cliff dwellings have been well preserved as compared to some of the sites we have visited which were just out on the open mesa. It is a reasonable hike to the bottom of the canyon, but very worthwhile.

Tuzigoot was very small - it's a much smaller version of Wapatki. I'd only do it if you have extra time. It is fairly easy to reach, though, on the way to Sedona, having said that.

We found Jerome interesting. The town is slowing, elegantly decaying. The museum in the state park had alot of mining history. We had a great lunch at the Red Rooster Cafe on Main Street. Caprese panini, delicious tomato basil soup, vegetarian choices, home made pie. A big tour group of retirees had just stopped at the Haunted burger and there was a line out the door, so we were motivated to look elsewhere and happily, stumbled upon the Red Rooster. Prices were reasonable and food was more appealing as we were pretty burgered out by this stage. But the kids might prefer burgers. 4 doors down the hill from the Red Rooster is a fudge shop.

And - the Heard museum in Phoenix is not to be missed. It is one of the largest, most comprehensive collections of Native American art in the Southwest. There is even a large section of the museum which is targeted towards children and their interests (left side as you walk in).

Have a great time, we just got back 2 days ago!

Hi. Our family (2 teens) stayed at Arroyo Roble last June and were quite satisfied. The view of the red rock was beautiful and the pool area was wonderful. We had a room with two queens and patio door overlooking the pool. The location is great because of the proximity to shops and restaurants.

The Best Western is situated right on the edge of the canyon so you do have a nice location for views of the red rocks. The hotel is on the edge of town as you go into Oak Creek Canyon. Since one day is at the GC my sense is you want to be near or in Sedona for your remaining time. The Hilton might be a nicer property, but I think you might like being in the town and enjoy the proximity to everything. You also have excellent views of various red rock sites from town.

Just to be clear about location, I think that giro is confused. The Hilton is nowhere near Oak Creek Canyon. The Hilton is just before you enter the Village of Oak Creek, which is on the very flat road coming into Sedona, Hwy 179. To reach Oak Creek Canyon from the Hilton you continue driving on Hwy 179 through the Village of Oak Creek, into Sedona, take a right at the "Y" junction a the intersection of Hwy 179 and Hwy 89A, go east on Hwy 89A and that takes you up the very winding road into Oak Creek Canyon.

The Hilton is just before the Village Of Oak Creek (and Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock) on 179, before you get into Sedona. It is approximately 7 miles from the main "Y" junction intersection of Hwy 179 and 89A in Sedona.

shoppegirl, do you have a map of Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek to refer to? If not, look here, so you can see the areas being discussed:

http://www.gatewaytosedona.com/Visit...rGuide2006.php

See the map of Sedona area on lower left of the page- click on it and it open in Adobe Acrobat. There you can see the Village of Oak Creek on Hwy 179 (the Hilton), the Y intersection 7 miles beyond it, and Uptown Sedona to the right of the Y (Best Western).