You know you’ve been living in the West a while when Phoenix is a regular weekend getaway. Have four or five days? Then it’s possible to head up to Sedona and Flagstaff, maybe nip on up to the Grand Canyon for the night, or even just dinner and a pastel-explosion sunset.
Come up with a plan and keep an eye on those airfares, and it can be downright economical – especially considering the price of gas – to fly into Phoenix, rent a car, drive to Sedona, spend a few days hiking or biking, shop for some New Age love beads and then hang out with the vortexes – we know, they’re
really called vortices, but in Sedona, they call them vortexes – before making your way to Flagstaff for more of the same. Minus the vortexes, of course.
Here’s some help with that plan. We did it as a Tuesday-Sunday trip to have an extra day in Phoenix.
Day 1: Fly into Phoenix as early as possible, drive to Sedona
Grab a bite on the way: Rock Springs Cafe, 35769 S. Old Black Canyon Highway, Rock Springs, 623-374-5794. There aren’t many options for dining between the two places, but this one is a doozy, homemade comfort food complete with pie. Take Rock Springs Exit 242 and make a left. Depending on the time of day, you can have breakfast (they’re open daily at 7 a.m., until 9 p.m. most days and 10 Friday and Saturday) or chicken-fried steak, ribs and a fish fry, followed by quite the fresh-baked pie selection (try the chocolate).
Buy a piece from a staggering array of turquoise jewelry: Garland’s Indian Jewelry, 3953 N. Arizona 89A, 928-282-6632, garlandsjewelry.com. The people are so nice at this shop – which sells new and estate jewelry as well as pottery and art – that they will spend as much time lovingly packing up your $24 earrings as they would one of the $4,500 Maria Martinez plates you wish you were taking instead.
Eat dinner with the locals: Maria’s Restaurant & Cantina, 6446 Arizona 179, Village of Oak Creek, 928-284-3739, marias-restaurant.com. Maria’s is tucked away in the back of a parking lot and dimly lit. But walk through the bar to the back of the building into a cheery, mural-filled little eatery with friendly service and some of the best red snapper tacos east of Baja. Big portions, fresh pico de gallo and meat-
packed green chile.
Get re-energized and watch the sunset: Hike the Boynton Canyon Trail in Coconino National Forest. It holds one of Sedona’s famous vortexes, swirling fields of energy that seems to cause nearby juniper trees to twist their branches as they grow. The 2.5-mile trail starts out annoyingly close to a resort and mind-numbing noise before finally segueing – after about a half-hour – into a stunning alpine area surrounded by red rock, culminating in the box canyon. USGS maps: Wilson Mountain, Loy Butte or visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/rec_redrock.shtml.
Relax in a Jacuzzi tub before you put your head on a Southwestern pillow: Kokopelli Inn, 6465 Arizona 179, 928-734-2401, kokopelliinn.com. Operated by the Hopi Cultural Center, this comfy spot offers rooms with tubs for two right next to the king-size bed and homemade waffles for breakfast, with a view of the red rocks. Rates start at $89 weekdays and $99 weekends.
Day 2: Stay in Sedona
101 omelettes to choose from: Coffee Pot Restaurant, 2050 W. Arizona 89A, 928-282-6626. If you can’t find something for breakfast here, you aren’t trying. The Coffee Pot has been a Sedona institution since it opened in the 1950s and was named for Coffee Pot Rock, the formation you see pulling into the always-packed parking lot. Order the omelette by number, or get creamed ground beef on toast, eggs with Polish sausage or one of the other stick-to-your-ribs day-starters. The gift shop in the front is a hoot.
Work it off with a bike ride: Cathedral Rock Loop, a sweet singletrack trip requiring moderate effort and moderate to advanced skills. First stop by Absolute Bikes (6101 Arizona 179, 928-284-1242, absolutebikes.com) or Bike & Bean (6020 Arizona 179, 928-284-0210, bike-bean .com) and pick up a fat-tire ride, $30 for less than four hours. You can leave for the ride right out the front door of the bike shop, riding up Arizona 179 about quarter-mile to the trailhead. Great formations around the 11-mile loop, including Bell Rock, Castle Rock and Cathedral Rock. The beginning section also makes a nice out-and-back hike.
Refuel with enormous portions: El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano, Tlaquepaque Village, Arizona 179 at The Bridge, 928-282-4648,
elrinconrestaurant.com. A mix of Mexican and American Indian foods, El Rincon’s menu makes it tough to choose. The combinations help; you can’t go wrong with a sampler that includes mini cheese and green enchiladas, mini tostada, taco and flauta. Great chimichangas too. Festive, inviting decor, with lots of piñatas.
Learn more about where you are and check out the Village: The Storyteller Bookstore, Tlaquepaque Village, Arizona 179 at The Bridge, 877-234-6753. Wander around Tlaquepaque, one of the most beautiful shopping districts ever created (check out the chapel) before supporting independent booksellers by stopping by the Storyteller, a small but well-stocked supplier of Sedona-oriented guides and best sellers.
Many choices, most of them healthy: Wildflower Bread Co., The Shops at Piñon Pointe, intersection of Arizona highways 179 & 89A, 928-204-2223. At the edge of the Hyatt Sedona fractionals property sits a cool shopping complex filled with upscale retail opportunities. Near the end is Wildflower, part of a small Arizona chain that bakes beautiful artisan breads and uses them to make overflowing sandwiches filled with turkey and brie or roast beef and gorgonzola. They also send out tasty pasta dishes, including butternut squash ravioli in a roasted walnut cream sauce. Great place to stock up on picnic items or breakfast for the next day.
Day 3: Most of the day in Sedona, then off to Flagstaff
Quick, casual, inexpensive: Blue Moon Cafe, 6101 Arizona 179, 928- 284-1831. It doesn’t matter what time you get out of bed, because breakfast is served all day at the Blue Moon, which does a great malted waffle and chicken-fried steak smothered in peppery country gravy.
Cliff dwelling and rock art: Palatki Heritage Site, reservations required, call 928-282-3854. Open 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, weather permitting (fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/ recreation/red_rock/palatki-ruins.shtml). The Palatki Ruins offer two ways to connect with area history, one a Sinagua cliff dwelling at the end of an easily negotiated trail, the other a display of several periods of rock art. Note that the roads in are rough when it rains, and you need a Red Rock Pass ($5 per day, or $15 for seven days), available at the site and area visitor centers.
Just to say you have been there: Red Planet Diner, 1655 W. Arizona 89A, 928-282-6070. It’s goofy or it’s groovy, depending on your perspective, but the food is good, and kids love it, especially if they can sit in one of the booths near the giant alien. Excellent burgers and milkshakes, typical diner food, and fresh salads too.
Room after room of stunning furniture and art: Mexidona, 1670 W. Arizona 89A, 928-282-0858, mexidona
.com. One more stop before the half-hour drive to Flagstaff. Mexidona’s building doesn’t look big enough to house it all, but the place is crammed from floor to ceiling with imported Mexican furnishings, crafts, artwork and housewares, each room more impressive than the next – and the prices are right.
A fancy dinner to celebrate your arrival, and then down the hall to bed: Western Gold Dining Room at Little America, 2515 E. Butler Ave., 800-865-1401, littleamerica.com/flagstaff. With its typical Little America charm, the hotel itself is welcoming and features cozy rooms (starting at $129, but the splurge is the $300-a-night fireplace suite, with enough room to waltz around in). But regardless of whether you stay there, definitely treat yourself to a prix fixe meal, an extravaganza of a six-course meal for $35.95 per person, with top-notch food and service.
Day 4: Flagstaff is fun
Walk down the hall again for breakfast: In the Pines Café, Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave., 800- 865-1401, littleamerica.com/ flagstaff. Best eggs Benedict in town served all day in a cheerful setting, although service can get bogged down when it gets busy.
Great selection of cheap, plastic stuff: Black Hound Gallerie, 120 N. Leroux St., 800-96-HOUND. Inside the Old Town shops at the corner of Birch and Leroux streets, Black Hound might be what you’re looking for if you have yet to find a souvenir for someone impossible to buy for. They have a lot of weird dish towels, politically incorrect magnets, trashy clothing and things that are just intriguing to ponder.
A nice, easy hike: Sunset Trail in Coconino National Forest, about 7 miles north of Flagstaff, offers gradual climbing and great views along the ridge – Sunset Crater and the San Francisco Peaks included – with plenty of spurs to turn its 4 miles into a loop of many lengths, up to about 14 or 15 miles. It’s also a gonzo singletrack bike ride. USGS: Sunset West, Humphreys.
Pop on up to the big ditch for dinner: The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is ridiculously close – about an hour and a half – so much so that crazy road-trippers think nothing of zooming over there for sunset and a meal. Take the scenic drive, stopping off at your favorite Photo Opportunity pullouts along the way.
Make reservations on the way: El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge, 928-638-2631 (reservations, ahead or same day), grandcanyonlodges.com. Sometimes it’s packed, sometimes they have plenty of room, but it’s worth trying to get into the dining room that looks out over the South Rim and have a stellar meal as the sun goes down. Get the tenderloin or the shrimp. Open some bubbly. Linger if they’ll let you (they usually will). If you really planned ahead, you made overnight reservations and you’re sleeping here too.
Day 5: Stay another day or head back to Phoenix to fly out
You need a lot of energy either way: Late for the Train Coffee, 107 N. San Francisco St., lateforthetrain.com. There are four locations of this Flagstaff-grown coffee chain that trains its baristas to create masterpiece lattes and cappuccinos, but the downtown site offers the best people-watching and the coolest vibe. Locals buzz in and out; snag the corner seat by the door and get a sticky bun or an apple cinnamon roll.
Bike from town to the forest: Sticking around for a while? If you still have anywhere from one to three hours, Observatory Mesa, a beginner-level urban trail ride that starts at City Hall and rides 500 feet up onto the mesa and can be as long as you want, up to 20 miles. Killer views (the San Francisco Peaks), much wildlife. The railroad tracks lead back to town, but the descent is very rocky near Tunnel Springs; a map is helpful is you aren’t ready for that kind of ride.
Beer is good after a bike ride: Beaver Street Brewery and Whistle Stop Cafe, 11 S. Beaver St., 928-779-0079, beaver streetbrewery.com. This sparsely decorated but usually bustling brewpub serves an eclectic menu that, not surprisingly, goes really well with its flavorful brews (the oatmeal stout is a good choice). Unusual but they work: three-sausage pizza, caramelized onion and cheddar fondue, and steamed mussels with Thai curry. Housemade soft pretzels are good snacks, and the late-night menu goes until midnight.
Day 6: OK, now you really have to go home
Some excellent New Mexican food can be had here: Los Dos Molinos, 8646 S. Central Ave., 602-243-9113. Super-spicy salsa, overstuffed burritos, chimichangas filled with well-seasoned shredded beef, and margaritas that rely on lime rather than a mix for flavor make Los Dos Molinos a good choice. Hope that you are stopping by at an off time, because this colorful, smallish spot gets overrun.
One last reminder of the trip: Sueños Latin American Imports, 6035 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-265-3486, dayof thedeadmercado.com. Fantastic milagro collection, which makes this a popular stop for el Dia de los Muertos, but it’s a fascinating place to wander around anytime, and there’s sure to be something that will find a space back home – and the grinning skeleton heads might help make you less sad that the vacation is over.
Travel editor Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-954-1599 or travel@denverpost.com.
INSIDER’S GUIDE
GET THERE
The major airlines fly nonstop to Phoenix and are offering flights booked now starting at $123 round trip.
America West, Frontier Airlines, United and US Airways also fly into Flagstaff after stopping in Phoenix; flights booked now for trips through the end of the year start at $460.
GET AROUND
In January, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport opened its new Rental Car Center, which houses all 13 of the rental car companies in one three-level parking garage, accessible only by shuttle bus from the airport.
This has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on what is important to you. For instance, the idea is that fewer shuttles saves gas and the environment, and also supposedly the confusion of multiple rental car shuttles. However, if you are in a hurry or don’t like to be jammed onto a bus with 40 people, the downside is that all 40 inevitably are headed to the same rental company, and it turns out that 40 people coming off a bus trying to figure out where they are going causes quite a bit of confusion too. Returning the car was much easier. They still need more gas stations near the airport, however.
Get to Sedona from Phoenix
In normal traffic, it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Take Interstate 17 north about 100 miles. Take the Arizona 179 exit, Exit 298, toward Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon. Turn left onto AZ 179 and drive through the Village of Oak Creek. Sedona is about 15 miles.
Get to Flagstaff from Sedona
In normal traffic, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The Oak Creek Canyon drive is beautiful, especially in the fall; to go that way, take Arizona 89A north 24 miles to the junction of Interstate 17 and Interstate 40.
Get to the Grand Canyon
It takes about an hour and a half to two hours. Take U.S. 180 west to Arizona 64. Take Arizona 64 right into the South Rim. You also can take Interstate 40 west to Arizona 64 into the South Rim, and you can take U.S. 89 north to Arizona 64 west to the East Entrance, also known as Desert View.
GET TO THE ACTIVITIES
SEDONA
Boynton Canyon Trail: From Arizona 89A, turn right onto Dry Creek Road and follow signs to Boynton Canyon. Trailhead is at a Forest Service parking lot.
Cathedral Rock Loop: There are a couple of trailheads, but if you have rented a bike at Absolute Bikes or Bike & Bean, the trailhead near Bell Rock is less than a quarter-mile north of Absolute and almost right across the road off Arizona 179. Otherwise, there is trailhead parking where Verde Valley School Road turns into dirt, 3.2 miles north of Bell Rock Boulevard, as well as a half-mile down Back O’ Beyond Road 3 miles south of Sedona from Arizona 179.
Palatki Heritage Site: Take Arizona 89A south from Oak Creek Canyon. Turn right a half-mile south of mile marker 365 (at a group of mailboxes) onto a dirt road, Forest Road 525 to Forest Road 795. It is 8 miles to the parking lot.
FLAGSTAFF
Sunset Trail Loop: Drive north out of Flagstaff on U.S. 180 to Forest Road 420 (Schultz Pass Road). Drive 6 miles east on FR 420 to the trailhead at a parking lot on the south side of the road.
Observatory Mesa: You can park next to the Bark Park on Toltec Street and start the trail from there, up the steep, marked Urban Trail.
MORE INFORMATION
“Fat Tire Tales and Trails: Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Guide,” by Cosmic Ray ($13.95, Cosmic Ray). Available in local bike shops and online, this is an irreverent and handy guide to biking all over the state. Not the most detailed, but it will get you around.
– Kyle Wagner
