We will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this October and would love to go on a romantic desert getaway (without our lovely children). We live on an island in the Seattle area and this would be our first desert trip. We would love to find a place in Arizona (Tucson / Sedona maybe) where we could enjoy some quiet / beautiful hiking / romantic atmosphere. Would prefer to stay outside of a city and would be absolutely thrilled if we might be able to hear the coyotes at night. Budget is open as this is a special trip. Thanks so much in advance for your help and consideration!

If you choose Sedona, I would recommend the Penrose Bed & Breakfast. It is in such a wonderful setting - we had a direct view of Red Butte (or was it Bell Rock?) from our room. We saw a coyote, but didn't hear him howl. He was just ambling down the road next to the inn. The inn is small and quaint, only 5 rooms, but the scenery is amazing and the rooms are beautiful.

www.thepenrose.com

As for Tucson, the advantage is that the weather will be much warmer. There are several large resorts that are on the outskirts of the city - the Westin La Paloma, Loews Ventana Canyon, Hilton El Conquistador etc. I have never seen a coyote in Tucson but I have always stayed in the "downtown" area.

I think the scenery in Sedona is prettier in Sedona, but there is more to do in Tucson (Saguaro Nat'l Park, AZ Desert Museum, Sabino Canyon, Old Tucson).

Oops, I meant to say that the scenery in Sedona is prettier than in Tucson...

Thank you very much for your insight! We are thinking that Sedona is the way to go and will check out the inn that you loved. Thanks again!

ok you would think I am employed by the Enchanment Resort--I am not--but love the place

Check out La Zarzuela B&B on the outskirts of Tucson, in the desert. My husband and I just stayed there this past March and thought it was wonderful.

We absolutely loved the Adobe Graham Inn in sedona. Book a private casita. we stayed in the Lizard room. Huge willow bed jacuzzi tub that was next to a 2 way adobe style fireplace great view of the mountains. Awesome gourmet breakfast bikes to use and within walking distance of great hiking.In a quiet residental neighbourhood. Go to the Heartline cafe in Sedona for an awesome dinner Enjoy!

You can't go wrong either place. I think Sedona is the ugliest town in the most beautiful setting. The town is a strip of shopping/tourist spots and the traffic is horrendous, as there is only one major road through. That said, we just had a lovely stay at a small Inn called El Portal. It is right next to Tlaquepaque so you can walk to dinner/shopping. There are some beautiful hikes in Sedona.
I live far East in Tucson, on a dirt road, and it is spectacular and we hear and see coyotes all the time! And javelina, snakes (only this time of year), rabbits, deer, roadrunners and lots of other birds. There is a B&B right near us called The Adobe, I think. But I have no idea what it is like. Saguaro National Monument is right nearby and we are surrounded by mountains. Lots of great hiking.

Hi you already live in a beautiful place if you want different but beautiful scenery go to Tucson. Stay at either Westin La Paloma or Ventana Canyon Resort. I live in Tucson and its a beautiful place, with lots of great restaurants and many many things to do and see.

Both Sedona and Tucson are wonderful destinations. I love the uniqueness of each area. The Sedona area has the beautiful expanses of the red rocks, but I agree the town is unattractive. It does have Oak Creek Canyon (I like the view coming from Flagstaff toward Sedona.) and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. I thought most of the shops in Tlaquepaque Village were overpriced and preferred buying articles from the native Americans along Oak Creek.

Tucson is a city, but you can be in the foothills quickly. It offers large natural expanses where you can hike and encounter nature, too. The foothills offer a different kind of desert scenery - no red rocks - but lots of giant saguaro cacti (Saguaro National Park East and West) and Sabino Canyon in Coronado National Forest - a beautiful place to hike. Inspiring views. We were there in February. Tucson offers lots of other attractions, too, like Mission San Xavier del Bac and Kitt Peak National Observatory (actually not in Tucson, but within easy travel distance). I wanted to do the night program and see the stars, but we didn't have enough time.

We stayed in a junior suite at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona. Our suite had a fireplace, small refrigerator, huge bathroom with shower and whirlpool tub, and a fantasic view of Boynton Canyon - http://www.enchantmentresort.com This is a gated property with its own entrance to the hiking trails of the canyon. You can climb easily to indian ruins in the wall of the canyon. In Tucson, we stayed at the Arizona Inn for a wedding - http://www.arizonainn.com. It's an old historic property within the city near University of Arizona. (The city actually grew up around the Inn.) I would probably choose the Ventana Canyon Resort for my next trip, though the Arizona Inn is very romantic - private garden setting with birds singing throughout the morning. Incredibly attentive service. My husband went for a morning swim and found fresh towels on his lounge chair and a glass of lemon ice water. Each destination would be romantic and give you time to hike and be with each other. It depends on what you want to do.

L'Auberge de Sedona is a fabulous resort. You can get individual "cabins", but they are all French Country -- very elaborate and elegant. I'm sure if you do a search on the web you can find this. Very memorable & romantic.

Lois

In Sedona, the Adobe Graham has a new sister property that is even more plush. We just returned from a 3-day stay at the Adobe Grand Villas and I have never had such an amazing experience. We even had the chef cook us a private meal which he served poolside. There is no restaurant, the chef is just there the prepare breakfast, afternoon snacks and desserts and special private dinners! They have a web site www.adobegrandvillas.com
So although I'm from Tucson, I would say that a special occasion like yours might be better spentin Sedona, where they have SEVEN AAA 4-diamond accomodations. As for me, I'm heading to Seattle for a change of scenery!

Sedona is lovely but it isn't the desert if that is what you are looking for. Go to weatherchannel.com and check out average Oct. temps before dediding.

I just got back from Scottsdale and Sedona (first week of June) and while the Phoenix area was a lovely 97 degrees it was cool enough in Sedona that I wore a light jacket in the afternoons and evenings so Oct. weather may be cooler than you are looking for.

I agree withothers that the cheesy shops in uptown Sedona take away from the area for me. My husband said it reminded him of the tacky shops in Gatlinburg, TN. Lots of t-shirt shops and artsy craftsy stuff not really made by local artists for the most part. However the natural beauty is awesome.

When our kids aren't with us we like late night fine dining which doesn't exist in Sedona. The town goes to sleep by 8:30pm. I've never seen anything like it.

Just north of Scottdsdale and Phoenix but with less hassle and more wildlife you might check out the little western town of Cave Creek (stay at The Boulders and hike nearby Pinnacle Peak) or Fountain Hills to the east of north Scottsdale (stay at Copperwynd for a beautiful view south to Red Mtn and the whole valley).

In Fountain Hills we saw about 15 javelinas (hairy little wild pigs)munching on the landscaping of a million dollar home. While eating dinner at a friend's home in FHs we watched three hawks perched all evening on the nieghbors' tv antenna. Our frends said a bobcat sometimes stretches out for an afternoon nap on their privacy fence. Between Fountain Hills and Pinnacle Peak on Rio Verde Drive we saw a huge coyote loping across the road.

Do you know if the Adobe Graham Villas are related to the Adobe Village in Sedona?

Yes the Adobe Village Graham Inn and Adobe Grand Villas are owned by the same people and their web sites are linked. See www.adobevillas.com

Can't thank you enough for all of the great input above. If you ever need ideas on where to go in the Pacific Northwest, I'm your girl. We finally decided upon the Enchantments - got a pretty competitive rate and feel good about it. Was really torn between the Adobe / Graham Inns - and in fact, keep going back and forth. We are planning to do several day trips / hikes and hope to get into Tucson and the surrounding area. Again, thank you.