Need Help from the Arizona Experts
 

Flying into Phoenix early in the morning, grabbing the mountain bikes from our condo, driving to Flagstaff so we can drive south through Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona for a few days of mountain biking.

Do we stay all night in Flagstaff then do the canyon drive the next morning. What is there to do in Flagstaff for a day?

After a few days in Sedona we want to visit Jerome, Prescott, and Wickenburg before heading back to Phoenix. Which is the most interesting of the three to stay overnight? Any specific hotels, b&bs you suggest?

You are coming from Indiana to Phoenix, right? What time do you anticipate arriving in Flagstaff? That time (and how tired I anticipated being at that point) would determine what I would do that night.

If you were to have some time in Flag, Lowell observatory is a good place to visit - and if you stay in Flag that night check and see if Lowell happens to be opening their scopes that night. They do that twice a month at night.
See: http://www.lowell.edu/

ALso, on this last trip we went to Flag to go to the Museum of Northern AZ. Very nice little museum with good exhibits on the history of the Indians of the area, a good special exhibit on Indian rock art communications, and a really nice exhibit of large-scale AZ landscape paintings by J. Mahoney. Well worth a visit.
See: http://www.musnaz.org/

The San Fransisco peaks surrounding Flag are very different from what you see in Sedona, and they provide their own hiking and biking opportunities.

Meteor Crater, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon Natl. Monument and Wupatki are all right around Flagstaff also. Those are all still on our list to get to on one of the future trips.

See: http://www.flagguide.com/

We really liked the local coffee roasting shops, Late For The Train, in Flag. We went to two of those shops and bought coffee to bring back - it was that good.

http://www.lateforthetrain.com/index.htm

We weren't crazy about Jerome when we wet, so I won't comment any further on that, and haven't been to Prescott or Wickenburg.

I am still sick, but am still planning on doing the trip report when I recover.

Thanks for the quick reply. We'll get into Phoenix early and have the bikes & be on the road by 10am. Its about 2 1/2 hours to Flagstaff from Fountain Hills so we'll have all day there if we want to see the area before dark.

Coffee? Did you say tasty coffee?

I would also say stay in Flagstaff for the day & overnight. Go see Walnut Canyon. You could skip meteor crater, but if you care to drive further east, you could stop at Winslow (standin' on the corner park). Or go on to the petrified forest & painted desert (maybe 100 miles or so from Flag, which is nothing at 75-80 mph).

Certainly a few days staying in Sedona is worth it.

IMO, Jerome is a great place for a visit, even if only because of how/where it is built. The back road from Jerome to Prescott would be nice. I haven't stayed overnight in Prescott, other than staying with a friend who lives there, so I cant say about hotels.

Personally, I wouldn't even bother with Wickenburg.

Have fun on your trip,amwosu.
We enjoyed Jerome, but felt one could see and do all in one day. It's fascination, to us,came from the ability to see it perched up there on the cliff, as we were driving!
Had family in Prescott, and did enjoy the town. It had a New England feel to it, somehow,prehaps the snow in December.
I've not been to Wickenburg, but do have ex-neighbors who have settled there, and they tell us it is the "dude ranch capitol of Arizona!!

Oh, you will be in Flag by about 1 p.m. then, if you don't have flight delay (we had a 4 hr mechanical flight delay leaving DCA for Phoenix- made for a long long day). If it was me, I'd want to spend the night in Sedona then, and just be there already to go hiking/biking the next day.

You could go to one of those places in Flag (and stop at Last Stop for coffee and buy lbs. to go) and then be on 89A by 4 p.m. going towards Sedona. It takes about 45 min. to get to Sedona going through Oak Creek Canyon without stopping. Just get the timing right so that you are coming into Sedona a bit before sunset. You do not want to be driving through Oak Creek canyon or even part of it at night - because as you realize it is wonderful to come into Sedona while there is still light, and also, it is just a nerve wracking and dark, dangerous trip on 89A through the canyon and those hairpin turns at night.

If you get an earlier start from Flag (just have lunch there and get some coffee), you could stop at the scenic overlook which is on your left half-way down the canyon. Not only is it beautiful there, but there are Native Americans selling jewelry there. Some is on the cheap side, but very fun for kids, and some is of good quality. I got a very nice Zuni necklace there once with 8 different inlaid stones, and a very nice Navajo money clip for my husband w/overlay silver. But those stands close down at about 3:30. Ditto for the stands in the lot next to the Dairy Queen on your right side as you are just about to enter Sedona from the canyon on 89A - although those stands do not carry the highest quality items like the scenic overlook stands do (but they still have some nice things).

Have you been biking in Sedona? Be careful what info you use to guide you on the trails. My husband and son (who have biked there several times before)got in some trouble as they were sent out at noon on a trail that is not marked at at least one point, and they took the wrong spur when confronted by a fork in the trail. THey didn't realize it was the wornf way for quite awhile. They ended up being out after dark trying to find their way back. Luckily they were well-equipped and had flashlights, headlamps, warm clothes to put on, thermal blankets, whistles, extra water, etc. Cell phones didn't work well, and the shop closed earlier than their posted hrs., although my husband had been in touch with them (w/poor reception) telling them they were lost and trying to get help. I think the shop should have given them advice about that fork before they set out (from conversations the next day, they clearly knew about the fork), since the shop recommended the trail, and they sure could have stayed open thier normal posted hrs. knowing my husband was lost and trying to get direction and help. Just be careful, and take precautions in case something like that happens, as it is really wilderness out there and anything can happen.

Hopefully others will address your questions about Jerome, Prescott and Wickenburg.

Okay, I'm rethinking this trip. DH has mountain biking on the brain, especially after being sick the whole time we were "out there" in December.

Maybe we should stick to the Flagstaff area for a couple days of biking then drive to Sedona for a couple days of biking then head back to Fountain Hills for...well you get the picture.

I'll save the cute little towns south of Sedona for a trip with my girlfriend.

Hey emd- I think we've driven up the prices at Desert Quail Inn with our recs. I just checked the prices for my dates and the lowest priced room is $100/nt. We were there the same week last year and paid $59/night! I'm gonna shop around a little before jumping into the $100 rooms there.

You might try Sky Ranch Lodge, up by the airport. I think you can get a garden view King for like $75 - $80 there. The house we rented was in the neighborhood right below it, as you turn off of 89A onto Airport road. We loved that area; the views are just incredible. Sky Ranch is recommended often on here; more rustic than some other places but the prices are on par w/what you are saying for Desert Quail. The sunset point right by the hotel gets crowded at sunset, but everyone pretty much leaves after that unless they are staying in the hotel. There is a 4 mile loop trail right there just before you get to the lodge (about 1/4 mile before it), and a big rock to climb for another sunset view. And the Airport has a good restaurant for breakfast w/views of the rumway and a cool biplane that is housed there. We had breakfast up there one day.

I got in at Desert Quail in Feb. last year for $69 (they had stopped the internet coupon by then). They have a new website. I hope the rate increase isn't permanent. That hotel has been recommended for years on this forum and tripadvisor.com, so I can't imagine why they've decided to increase the rates so much so quickly, unless the market will bear it. But they are now pricing themselves into a bracket w/many other hotels closer to Sedona proper, and I woould certainly look at those other places just as you are.

Thanks emd for the info on Sky Ranch Lodge. I think Desert Quail's management needs to be careful about overpricing. The main reason it is so popular is that is a good deal (clean, well located AND inexpensive). It will get far fewer word of mouth recs and repeats if the price goes up so much.