Arizona is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. It is a pleasure to the senses and a photographer’s dream. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyons, Horshoe Bend, Page and Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Sedona, Hopi and Navajo Reservations, Petrified Forest, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu City with the London Bridge, The Four Corners, Saguaro National Park, Jerome, Prescott, Phoenix, Tucson, Tombstone and the many deserts and small towns are all magnificent. How can so much beauty exist in one state? Well it does, and you can see it all. You can drive from Northern Arizona to Phoenix in a day.
Eight day itinerary: On our recent trip we flew to Phoenix then drove immediately to Sedona (about 2.5 hours). We stayed overnight at Adobe Village Inn and did a quick tour of Sedona that day and part of the next day.
Day 2 we drove to Monument Valley stopping in at Wholefoods in Flagstaff to get snacks, water and wine (Navajo Nation is dry so the hotel does not serve alcohol). It is a four hour drive so you may want to break it up. We stopped along the way and had lunch in the desert.
We arrived while it was still daylight (try not to drive at night; there are no lights on the roads and a lot of wildlife). We stayed for two nights at The View Hotel in Monument Valley.
On Day 4 we drove to Page which is about a 2.5 hour drive. We also spent two nights in Page because there is a lot to see in this area. We stayed at La Quinta.
On Day 6 we drove to the Grand Canyon South Rim entering the park through the East entrance. We stopped at the Cameron Trading Post for lunch before entering the park. From Page to the South Rim of the Canyon it is about 2.5 hours, but of course once you enter the park you will want to stop at every vista point. That evening we drove to Flagstaff (1.5 hours from South Rim) and stayed overnight at La Quinta Inn.
Day 7 we took the scenic route 89a south to Sedona and stopped for lunch (an hour drive). Then we headed out toward Phoenix / Scottsdale but stopped in Jerome along the way (one hour drive from Sedona to Jerome). From Jerome to Scottsdale it is a 2.5 hour drive depending on traffic. We spent two nights in Scottsdale to finish off the trip. On day 9 we headed to the airport.
The land that is present-day Arizona is one of the oldest inhabited areas in the United States. Although statehood was achieved as recently as 1912, Arizona’s history began more than 12,000 years ago. The thing that struck me most about Arizona was the sense of peace you feel when driving through the desert. Of course it helped to listen to Ry Cooder while driving.
Northern Arizona is high elevation and it gets cold in the winter. In the summer it is hot during the day but the highest elevations such as Flagstaff, are much cooler than the desert areas. You need a jacket. On one trip, we encountered snow, hail, rain and heat in one day! As you head south to lower elevations near Phoenix it becomes progressively hotter. In the summer it is very hot in the Phoenix area; too hot to walk outside for long (we couldn’t take it for more than five minutes!).
There are twenty-two sovereign American Indian communities currently in Arizona. The Hopi Nation, surrounded by the Navajo Nation, is one of the oldest tribes in Arizona. The Hopi village of Oraibi was founded in 1200 AD and is considered the oldest American town where people have continuously lived.
The Navajo Nation is a Native American territory covering about 17,544,500 acres, occupying portions of northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, and northwestern New Mexico in the United States. This is the largest land area retained by a Native American tribe, with a population of roughly 350,000.
Magnificent places such as Monument Valley, Antelope Canyons, Horseshoe Bend and other scenic areas are all part of the Navajo Nation. I have a lot of respect for the native tribes and their land. It is truly an honour to visit them. Their land is spiritual and you can feel it.
When visiting Monument Valley, the best place to stay is at The View Hotel owned by the Navajo tribe. The rooms have balconies facing the classic view with the three giant buttes. There is nothing like it! Please see the blog links above for this and other scenic areas in Northern Arizona. There is a per vehicle fee ($20) to enter the park even if you stay at the hotel (which is in the park).
Page
There is a lot to see near Page in Arizona. One of the key features is Horseshoe Bend. The Colorado River meanders into a horseshoe loop around one of the large buttes and the result is spectacular. Horseshoe Bend is located 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles southwest of Page. There is no fee and there are no lines.
And of course, not to be missed is Antelope Canyon. There is an upper and lower Antelope Canyon in slightly different areas (but not far apart). I recommend the lower canyon. The upper canyon has an amazing light beam piercing the canyon for a short period, but it is a very short window to capture any good photos – between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. It is also more crowded and the tour is shorter. The lower canyon tour is about an hour and you can get many great shots. There is a lot of ladder climbing and small winding turns; you have to be fit and not claustrophobic. Please see our Antelope Canyon blog.
Page is situated near Lake Powell, another fabulous location. Take boat ride and explore. One can easily spend many days here. Rainbow bridge is a unique feature that can only be accessed by boat. Lake Powell resort offers accommodations, several restaurants and many of the boat tours are located in the hotel lobby. There is a fee to enter this area because it is part of the National Park system ($30 per vehicle).
There are many reasonably priced hotels in Page. We stayed at La Quinta, but next time would like to stay at the Lake Powell Resort. The resort has three or four restaurants, and definitely one of the few places that serves fine dinning. The views from the restaurants are spectacular.
Recommended places to eat:
- Nemo’s Fish and Chips 636 Elm St in Page
- Lake Powell Resort – Rainbow Room or Driftwood Lounge
- Ranch House Grille – in Page
Enroute to the Grand Canyon or anywhere south from the Page and Monument Valley area, you will likely pass by Cameron. Do yourself a favor and stop in to the Cameron Trading Post. They have great native jewelry, silver rings with turquoise, t-shirts and some cool souvenirs. And it’s the last restaurant for quite a while. The food is good.
Of course one cannot do a blog on Arizona and not include a photo of the Grand Canyon. For more information on this majestic place, please check out my blog Grand Canyon. The entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.
Flagstaff
When heading south from the Grand Canyon (or heading north from Phoenix or Sedona) you will inevitably pass by or through Flagstaff (established in 1882). Now this is a cool town! We loved it. Flagstaff is surrounded by mountains, desert and ponderosa pine forests (the largest pine forest in North America). It’s a gateway to the San Francisco Peaks, home to Arizona’s tallest mountain (Humphreys Peak) and the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort. Route 66 passes through Flagstaff, and the Lowell Observatory is located here.
Downtown Flagstaff is where you want to stay. It’s a cute old town, walkable, with good restaurants and bars (some with live music). However we stayed in another area at La Quinta Inn which was fine, but had to drive downtown for dinner.
Important to note that restaurants close around 9 PM during the week. Tinderbox Kitchen is good restaurant to try, Diablo Burger is getting great reviews, Macy’s European Coffeehouse is highly recommend and Brix for a great dinner.
The classic old Hotel Monte Vista is famous for ghosts and guests of the past. John Wayne, Carol Lombard, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Freddy Mercury and many others stayed here. There is a list of names and the rooms they stayed in on the hotel web site. Next time we visit, this is where we will stay. And there is a Wholefoods not too far away.
We took scenic route 89a through Oak Creek Canyon from Flagstaff to Sedona. It has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Most Scenic Drives in America by Rand McNally. The road winds through mountainous pine tree laden terrain so you need to drive slow. It is a narrow road with the mountain edge on the drivers side when heading south. This road leads to Sedona.
Sedona
Sedona is simply breathtaking! Red rock buttes, steep canyons, pine forests, a quiet peaceful town with hiking trails and a calmness that I have never experienced before. And it is surrounded by 1.8 million acres of national forest! It is also a place for a luxurious vacation with great food, wine, spa treatments and art galleries. It is not a late night town.
Here is an excerpt from their website: “Sedona is equal parts rugged, equal parts resort. Regarded by Native Americans as sacred, Sedona continues to be recognized as a place of healing and spiritual renewal. Many come to experience the vortex energy centers of Sedona. Others want to prowl the 40-plus art galleries lining the streets, or to receive soothing treatments from the dozens of spa facilities. Most recently, with its nearby vineyards and tasting rooms, Sedona has emerged as a destination for wine enthusiasts.”
In downtown Sedona you don’t want to miss Cowboy Corral for great Western shirts. Excellent quality and reasonably priced – around $120 USD.
One of the best restaurants in Sedona, and one with a great view by the river, is L’Augerge de Sedona / Cress on Oak Creek. Condé Nast Traveller called L’Auberge one of the Southwest’s top ten restaurants, and it is impossible not to agree with them. This resort also has luxury hotel rooms and chalets. Also excellent are:
On one trip stayed at the Best Western Inn of Sedona, which has amazing views, is reasonably priced and very comfortable. However, there are many great places to stay in Sedona. We also stayed at Adobe Village Inn which is a good value, but about a 20 minute drive from downtown Sedona.
Other options:
We drove from Sedona to Jerome en route to Phoenix. Jerome, a former copper mining town, was once known as the wickedest town in the West. It sits above what was the largest copper mine in Arizona and produced an astonishing 3 million pounds of copper per month. Men and women from all over the world made their way to Arizona to find work and maybe a new way of life.
Today the mines are silent, and Jerome has become the largest ghost town in America. But it is not desolate. Jerome is now a bustling tourist magnet and artistic community with a population of about 450. We met some of the old California hippies here, now proud artisans with small shops. I bought a t-shirt with artwork and the caption: “And the beat goes on…” Cool place to see and great for photography.
As we got closer to Phoenix it started to get hotter and the cacti got bigger.
Phoenix – Scottsdale
Phoenix, the state capital, is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains. And it is very well designed: the streets are clearly named, there is ample parking, it is very clean and just plain nice. Right after we parked, city tourism staff on a golf cart zipped over and gave us some tourist brochures (maybe because we had Nevada plates). The Phoenix area is known for golf, retreats, spas, great outdoor ventures, nightclubs, and great restaurants. Phoenix is also the fasted growing city in the USA. Currently it is the 6th largest city in America and the only state capital with a population of more than one million residents. It is a driving city. You won’t find too many people walking around, especially in the summer.
Scottsdale is an upscale city next to Phoenix. It has many high end restaurants, art galleries, artisans shops, hotels and resorts. This is the place you want to stay in.
We stayed at the Valley Ho – I highly recommend it. It is reasonably priced (costs more during high season) and the rooms are large with mid century modern furniture. The bathroom is also large with a huge jacuzzi bathtub and a shower. Loved it! They have two pools, unfortunately one has loud music blasting on Saturdays during off season, but they do have another pool that is long and good for laps. 
The restaurants in the hotel are very good. We ate at the bar and had one of the best IPAs ever along with a nice pasta dish.
Other luxury options are: The Boulders, The Phoenician, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort, Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa, The Fairmont, and many more. Scottsdale has no shortage of good hotels. I think I’m quite content staying at Valley Ho again.
And Scottsdale has no shortage of fine dining. It is a mecca for quality food. Arcadia Farms Cafe is amazing for brunch. It is a must. Farm fresh and delicious.
We also recommend Cafe Monarch. It is expensive but the food is delicious and the service spectacular. Good old world quality service with waiters that know their stuff. Also try Citizen Public House and FNB (a current darling of the Scottsdale food scene).
And if you want to try some Arizona wine, they have wine tasting in downtown Scottsdale at Aridus wines. They have award winning wines and a good selection. I had no idea that Arizona produced such nice wine!
I loved driving through the peaceful desert and I loved seeing Arizona. Try playing Ry Cooder Paris Texas as you drive. It fits in perfectly! Go see Arizona, you will love it!
More Arizona blogs found in Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell and Tombstone.
For more photos of Arizona please go to Wonderland Photography.
