My husband and I are going to visit relatives in Phoenix for the first. We were thinking about taking several day and making a sidetrip, but we are not sure to where. Looking through travel guides, it seems there is so much we could do. We are looking at the Canyon de Chelley, Monument Valley, Lake Powell/Glen Canyon, the Petrified Forrest, Sedona/Jerome/Prescott, and Tucson. We have already made plans to see the Grand Canyon with our relatives. Any opinions on which would be the best? Maybe take a couple of shorter (2 night) trips?

Skip Tucson. Not enough there to justify a trip in the 'opposite direction'.
Definitely see Sedona and Jerome.
Also, of course, the GC.
The Powell, MV, CDC trip is longer and more out of the way. Definitely go up that way if you can, but that may require a second trip to AZ. Depends on how much driving you're comfortable doing in a few days.

I am utterly shocked that Jay would suggest that there is nothing to see in Tucson. He has obviously never been there. I have travelled the United States extensively for years (I am not an American) and have not found a city anywhere with so many "one-of-a-kind" places to visit (Pima Air & Space Museum, Kitt Peak, Nogales, Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson, Saguero National Monument, Tombstone, Biosphere, etc. etc. etc.). Not only this, but the layout of the city suggests a relaxed, slower pace, with lots of vacant spaces and lush vegetation, even on the road medians. There are many stunning resorts here, also. If you do go to Sedona, travel to Flagstaff and visit the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered. It is in town and conducts tours.

Given those choices, I'd definitely choose Jerome or Sedona for a side trip. Jerome is an old mining town up in the hills (don't choose this trip if you have difficulty with windy mountain roads). The town now is inhabited as an artist colony.

Sedona is an enchanting town. Beautiful scenery and well worth a visit while in Arizona.

A day drive you might want to consider is the Apache Trail, alongside three desert lakes and a dam...our friends seem to enjoy this drive almost more than anything else we do with them. It is a little bumpy and windy, but definitely gets you out in the desert areas and if you are here during winter or spring, it is very pretty and interesting...now it is a little barren and dry. This is an easy drive out of Phoenix, lunch at Payson or Tortilla Flats and back to Phoenix later afternoon.

ummmm.....you'd be very wrong if your assumption was that I've never visited Tucson, George.
I've more than visited. I used to live there, so I do know just a little bit about the area, OK?
It's not that Tucson has no redeeming qualities or unique sites. But Doris gave a list of possible destinations, all of which are well worth visiting.
But Tucson is the only one of the bunch that's south of Phoenix, which would require a LOT of extra driving since she wants to see at least two of the areas on her list.
Does that make sense, George?
Everything else is north, so the smartest and most efficient itinerary would be a northward trek.

And as for the relative merits of the places she mentioned regardless of location, Tucson would STILL be lowest on the list in my book.
As a tourist who had never visited the desert southwest, maybe Tucson seems pretty unique. But given YOUR comments I would ask the question of whether YOU'VE visited any of the OTHER sites on her list and can offer a valid comparison, or if you've got no comparative experience.