Sedona Honeymoon- please help plan!
 

Hi! We will be staying in Sedona from July 14th-21st. A week in a timeshare was given to us by my uncle so we will be staying at that place for the whole week. We will probably be flying out there a few days earlier to meet up with some friends who live an hour from there and do some camping(not sure where though, we'll leave it up to their expertise :)
Otherwise, I've got a list of things to see and do but not sure if we could fit it all in a week, meaning I'm not sure of the driving distances or how much time is needed for each place.
Of course since this is our honeymoon, we are looking forward to a day maybe two of just relaxing by the pool or maybe getting treated to a massage somewhere, but the rest of the days are unknown.
We are planning on flying into Phoenix and renting a car to get to Sedona. A little about us, we love to go hiking and seeing the sights, less people there are the better. I want to maybe go on some tours-- like the Pink Jeep, an ATV, plane/helicopter ride, or water activity(white water)--just something adventurous, fun and worthwhile, but not tacky. One day will be reserved for going out to the Grand Canyon. FI will be happy hiking around--that's all he wants out of the honeymoon trip.
Any suggestions on itineraries where we can fit a couple sights in one day? Or any recommendations for a reputable and affordable tour company-- or even nice restaurants for a honeymoon dinner?
I know I'm asking alot but any help would help narrow down some things. THANKS!!!

There was a lot of recent discussion about Sedona in response to questions from junebride04. Do a search under that name and you should get lots of information.

Day trips:
Jerome and Prescott
Walnut Canyon, painted desert, petrified forest.
For Grand Canyon you really should do overnight.

Lots of great hiking easy to very challenging right around Sedona.

Agree with Mike.
On the way up stop at Montezumas Castle (a remarkable cliffside Indian ruin), you go right by it.
Lots of hikes in and around Sedona. There is a great guide book you should get before you go (search on amazon.com).
The Canyon is a must do. You can do it as a (long) daytrip either driving yourself or taking a tour. There are a number of tour cos that do this everyday. We do this every time we go. Fun not to have to drive, the trip is scening up thru Oak Creek Canyon. If you can overnight lets you see different colors, etc. There is a tour that goes in the afternoon and stays thru sunset and dinner and gets back into Sedona late night.
For day trip itineraries, take one day for the Canyon, one day for Walnut Canyon (another incredible Indian ruin site) and other sights in the Flagstaff area or East of there (Meteor crater, painted desert, etc. Are you too young to know about "Winslow Arizona" as in "...standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona...). Another day for Jerome, Tuzigoot ruins and maybe Verde Canyon RR).
Plenty to do.

I will top our trip report for you.

MY

Belles,

Re: Standin' on a corner. See this site. Not sure if they have it back up after the fire, though.

http://www.standinonthecorner.com/
and
http://ci.winslow.az.us/

But it is on the way to petrified forest and painted desert, and right off I-40, so it would be worth a stop

Thanks everyone for their replies-- I've been reading other posts from junebride and then I would go off on another post and the info, is just endless ! I enjoyed reading your trip report MY and sorry that you and your DH felt sick for a couple of days but I'm glad you still had a good time. I thought I was too young for that song, but once I read a bit on that website I realized I did know the "Take it Easy" song and can sing that line in my head, ok...and out loud! There a couple of books on Amazon, I think I might go with eiter "Sedona Hikes", "Sedona's Top 10 Hikes", or even "Sedona:130 day hikes". I'll also have to check out and research the Indian Ruins. I hope we can fit all in a week! One more question, if we overnight it in the GC, can we hike out in the backcountry and camp there without a permit? FI doesn't really like campgrounds, but I told him you need a permit that goes quickly, but he thinks otherwise. What do you think?

Get the Sedona HIkes book by the MAngums. It's the best one.

I believe the West Fork hike at the top of Oak Creek Canyon is a great one. With water sandals on your feet you hike through oak creek itself as you are engulfed by the red canyon walls. Not all of the hike is in the water of course , just enough to keep you splashing along!

Belles76,

Here are some ideas for your Sedona stay. The Pink Jeep Tour is a classic - take the "Broken Arrow" tour. You'll need to book this in advance, as summer is prime time in Sedona (www.pinkjeep.com). A few days out usually suffices, but can be made further out if you want a certain day and time. Also, July is monsoon season so I'd book a morning tour since the rains usually arrive in the afternoon.

Restaurants: we like the Heartline Cafe (American-$$$), Dahl and Diluca (Italian-can also be $$$), and Pizza Picazzo (great gourmet pizza reasonably priced). The Wild Flour Bread Company in the Hyatt shops is great for lunch or dinner - casual sandiwches, soups, desserts, and reasonably priced, too.

If you take a car to visit the South Rim of the GC, plan on 2.5+ hours one way. Definitely worth doing. Parking will likely be an issue so if you can leave early, do so. We usually have good luck parking near the train depot by the El Tovar Lodge. Pack a lunch and eat along the rim trail, or hike down the Bright Angel trail (caveat: popular and usually has mule droppings along the way but still decent). You can also catch the free shuttle to drive along the west rim trail and get off along the way. No cars allowed there. Bring water and good day hiking shoes - we've seen tourists in street shoes trying to hike. Not pretty. The Pink Jeep has recently starting offering small shuttle bus tours to the Canyon so maybe that would work for you as well.

If you are interested in Indian jewelry for a souvenir, visit Garland's up in Oak Creek Canyon. They have a good selection of top quality items.

As for hiking, ditto the Mangum's book. "Sedona Hikes" is the name, and it's written by Flagstaff Judge Richard Mangum and his wife, Sherry. They also have a Flagstaff hike book that's excellent. They list personal favorites that would be a good starting point in making your choice.

If you want to drive up Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff for a day, the Walnut Canyon indian ruins are terrific, and Sunset Crater and Wupatki indian ruins are not far from there (all are east of town). If you have a national park pass, admission is free. By the way, for parking anywhere in Sedona to hike, you'll need a Red Rock Pass. Your national park pass also works, though.

Hope this helps - you'll have a great time!