Flagstaff or Jerome or Prescott or Sedona? Help!!!
 

My husband and I are flying into Phoenix, renting a car, and heading to the Grand Canyon for five nights. We wanted to spend three nights before our stay in one of the above and we'd like a town that's charming with plenty of art galleries, scenic day trips, etc. We'll be finishing our trip in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area for our final three nights. Thanks for your help!!!

Can't help you much as I've only been to Sedona. The Sedona area is full of nature worth exploration but the town is ticky tacky touristy junk and can mostly be side stepped.

Be sure to spend a day in Cave Creek north of Phoenix to enjoy a quirky old town with galleries, shops, and dive restaurants.

I would say Sedona and/or Jerome. Sedona has more art galleries and shopping, yet Jerome is smaller; more charming and unique. I would split my time between the two if it were me...two nights Sedona, one night Jerome. But, that's just my opinion.

Good luck with your plans! :)

My husband & I did a similar trip last year and visited each one of those 4 towns you listed.

I think you should stay in Sedona, Even though the "main street" is a joke Sedona is so amazingly beautful and has enought to do for a few days.

Jerome is an easy day trip from Sedona but is so small (and not that impressive) that you wouldnt want to stay there.

Sedona and Jerome are great. It's true that Sedona is often covered with tourists, but that doesn't take away from its natural beauty. Be sure to take in the view up by the airport!

another vote for sedona. jerome is very close and you can drive there to see it for a day.

Mapquest shows a distance of 28 miles (40 minutes) between Sedona and Jerome so it is definitely a doable day trip.

Just be careful where you stay in Sedona. Any hotel that is in "uptown" puts you right in the middle of the busy tourist trap area around the junction of Hwys. 89A and 179. Hotels that are in the Village of Oak Creek will be about 5 miles outside of Sedona (but still in the Red Rock area) on Hwy 179 (putting you a bit closer to Phoenix as you are setting out to drive back). Hotels that are in west Sedona on Hwy 89A are a bit closer to Jerome (and I believe PRescott also) and are in the area that IMO has the most prime hiking opportunites; also close to Red Rcok State Park. I used to stay up in Oak Creek Canyon (a few miles up 89A in the canyon there are cabins and A frame hotels, and a nice resort called Junipine) but got tired of driving down to Sedona to hike every day and having to go through uptown to get there. Now I either stay in the Village of Oak creek or in west Sedona.

Personally, I would stay in Sedona area and do day trip to Jerome. Have done that, and this is just me, but I would not stay in Jerome.

Not all of Sedona shopping is tacky and a joke. Sedona is known for it's very high quality art galleries. I have done the rounds of many of them. All kinds of good quality - glassware, sculpture (wire, rock, all kinds), painting, photography, pottery, all types of media (and an excellent very high quality one of a kind hand woven good store in Tlquepaque, called Isadora). Most of my favorite galleries are in Hillside center and in Tlaquepaque, close to each other on 179A. If possible, get your hands on a copy of Sedona Monthly magazine before you go (my local large Barnes and Noble carries it). It has a listing of all the galleries in the back, and ads for them. If you are interested, you can also purchase authentic Native American jewelry at Garlands, Wheeler's Trading Post, and other reputable places, as well as directly from the Native Americans at the scenic overlook half way up Oak Creek Canyon. Not all the jewelry is high quality and authentic, but it definitely there if you go to the right source.

There are so many day trips available from Sedona. I've been there a dozen times and stil haven't done half of them.

That should read "179", not 179A

I have to agree that it would probably be much easier to just stay in Sedona and do Jerome as a day trip, rather than having to pick up and move for only one night. When we stayed there for one night, it made more sense because we were enroute to somewhere else and had planned to stay in a lovely bed and breakfast in Jerome.

You could definitely see all there is to see there in a day. Don't miss the sliding jail. ;)

Definitely Sedona. Jerome is fun to visit, a quirky little town. But it isn't near anything else. From Sedona it is only about 45 minutes to Flagstaff, where there are additional things to do.

I would also stay either in west Sedona or the town of Oak Creek. But there are also several hoels/lodges/cabins in Oak Creek Canyon, north of Sedona that would probably also be worthwhile to examine.

You didn't mention when you are coming out here.

SEDONA!

It is not even a question. No doubts that Sedona is the best choice. We've been there, gosh, at least 4 times now and it is magnificent!

Sedona and Jerome are both very charming (I prefer Jerome) but I wouldn't spend 3 nights in either place (or both). Maybe just a night or 2 & add a night or 2 to PHX/Scottsdale.

We based ourselves in Flagstaff to see the GC, Sedona, Jerome, the Petrified Forest, etc. It was a good choice. Make sure you look at the terrain and not just the number of miles when planning day trips. To get to Jerome, you wind back and forth around mountains. Same between Flagstaff and Sedona...beautiful during daylight hours...frightening at night.

Flagstaff also has the Lowell Observatory if you like to look at stars.

Haven't been to Prescott, so I can't comment on that. As to the other three, here's my $.02 worth:

Sedona - emd in the post above gave you great insight; if you really want to go all out, stay at Enchantment a little west of town off 89A. You could stay all three nights there and do easy day trips to Jerome and perhaps Prescott.

Jerome: is a wonderful, quirky little town, set high up on the side of a very steep mountain--the views are awesome back toward Sedona and the Mogollon Rim. But I think you would get enough of it in one day.

Flagstaff: You'll drive through it on the way to the GC, so don't stay there.

Thanks, everyone, for all your help! After reading these posts, we've decided to spend 2 nights in Sedona, 5 nights in the Grand Canyon (Bright Angel Cabins), and 3 nights in Phoenix (Royal Palms Resort). In answer to "Mike," we'll be there in mid-June. We've booked our reservations at the Grand Canyon and in Phoenix, but we're open to lodging suggestions in Sedona (moderately priced, please!).

Between Sedona and Jerome there is an Indian ruins site worth visiting. Gives a sense of what the area is all about. Jerome IS worth the time for a day trip. Eat at the old hospital on top of the hill--funky place--but be sure to drive up there -not walk. There is a store downtown that sells cheap "antique" copper pots/bowls.
If you made a circle daytrip you could add Montezumas dwellings too.

Personally, if I only had two days in Sedona, I would not do a day trip to Jerome. Based on your original post, I'd do some early morning walks and see some ruins (it will be very hot for hiking by mid-morning through rest of the day), and make the round of the art galleries when it heats up (which you could easily split up into two days, or do in one day and then have time for a jeep tour or whatever else you decide to do).

Fairhope, are you speaking of the Tuzigoot Sinagua ruins, or the much smaller ruins in west Sedona, Palataki and Honaki?

Traveler22, what does "moderately priced" mean to you?

Hi there,

I've driven from Phoenix to Flagstaff and back twice now in the last two years and hit all the towns you've asked about. It's a great drive - whatever you do don't take the interstate b/c otherwise you'll miss some beautiful scenery at its best. Anyway, here's my two cents: unless you have a lot of money to spend (and i'm not exaggerating here) the galleries in sedona will be pretty to look through only so long. Frankly, the geology around the city is spectacular and should not be missed, but the city itself is bizarre - a hummer-infested, crowded, tacky, v. commercial city which is ironically and seemingly obliviously at odds with its new age, native american spiritual history and beautiful surroundings. so good to drive through and see, get out for a few minutes and say uh-huh, but otherwise i'd spend my time in sedona hiking.

Jerome is cool but if you get there in the morning, i personally think you could see the whole town in a day, no problem. Unless you are up for whittling away a few hours drinking in the bars with the bikers, really you can walk the whole town in a few hours.

Flagstaff is a cool city, best seen from within one of the many forests around the town or from above, at the observatory or high in the mountains. I think this town is really fun for people who want to hike around and do outdoorsy things, otherwise i wouldn't say it's real spectacular, just your typical (albeit more laid-back and hippied-out) smallish college town. A nice town, but the downtown is pretty small and basic.

And now we get to one of my most favorite cities in the world - Prescott. It is really understated in comparison to the other towns and I think it's a gem. The vibe is very small-town friendly and the day i was there there was a free pops concert on the front lawn of the county courthouse, right in the middle of downtown and all these folks were eating free ice cream on the steps and listening while the sun set....so charming! the town is cool, too, because it's hilly, so you really get the sense you are up in the mountains. I think this is the best town of the 4 you mentioned for just hanging out and strolling and taking in the scene. The food was fantastic everywhere I ate, too, and I could actually afford the art in the galleries and jewelry stores. And if you go there, make sure you are open to chatting with the locals, they all were very cheery and helpful while I was there.

I think you could head NW from Phoenix on 60, hang a right at Congress and hit prescott first, spend a night there, see prescott and jerome the next day and end the night in sedona. next day do a sedona hike, drive through oak creek (so beautiful!) on your way to flagstaff, and crash there your last night and just walk around downtown in the p.m. and a.m. and be good to go. :) All very doable in three days I think and that route is gorgeous.

Hope this helps!