We had such a nice vacation in Arizona a few weeks ago! About 5 years ago we lived in Arizona, but due to work travel and the hockey season we both felt like we never really got to see much of this beautiful state! During our visit we did a day trip to The Grand Canyon which was literally a dream! For as long as I can remember it’s been on a list of places to visit some day! We also spent a few days in Scottsdale- I’ll share some recommendations we had their too! Sedona is seriously the best place for a romantic weekend away, a girls trip or family trip. Everywhere you look the views of the red rocks are like nothing you’ve ever seen before! Also, this time of year was the off season for Sedona, the temperature was definitely colder than I thought it would be, but it still was so nice and relaxing not dealing with crowds of people.
How we got there:
We took a flight into Phoenix International Airport from DFW then rented a car to drive the 2 hours to Sedona. At first we picked the cheapest rental car we could get, an SUV was 4X the cost, but they ended up renting us a truck for the same price as an economy car and due to the weather (snow in the Grand Canyon) I’m sooo glad we had something with 4WD.
Where we stayed:
The Amara Resort & Spa– loved the location! It was right in the center of town which was so nice to walk around. They also had complimentary valet and recently did a major renovation! They also had a pack N’ play and gave us travel size baby lotion/shampoo kit which was such a nice, thoughtful touch! The views are also amazing, definitely need to go back when it’s nice enough to swim!
Scottsdale: The Four Seasons at Troon North– this resort was on the next level! We pretty much stayed at the Resort and did dinner here too the two nights we stayed because of how beautiful the property was. Our room had a fireplace and unbelievable view of the sunset and sunrise coming over Pinnacle Point.
Hikes:
- Devils Bridge (moderate)- heard this is one of the most popular trails! Really wanted to try, but with the weather it would have been too much for Hudson!
- Broken Arrow Trail (pictured below)- did this one and loved the surrounding red rocks!
- Catherdral rock trail (sunrise or sunset)
- Birthing Cave- tried to get to this but ended up in Boyton Canyon! Couldn’t find this cave so definitely research ahead of time!
- Fay Canyon Trail (heard this one was easy)
- Chapel of the Holy Cross (pictured below)- not a hike, but great to drive by and see this amazing church built into the red rocks!
- Airport Mesa (heard this one is great for sunset)
- Boyton Canyon Trail (pictured below!) A little challenging we probably did 3 miles round trip, but the views are amazing!
Restaurants & Food:
- Hudson House- this restaurant came highly recommended- definitely make a reservation in advance! The view, food & margs were amazing!!
- Salt Rock Southwest Kitchen- had the best homemade margs & tacos! sat outside under the heaters- located in the Amara Resort!
- Sedonuts- homeamade donuts! SO good!
- Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante- we didn’t try, but my friend said it is really great Italian.
- Local Juicery- one of our followers and friends both recommended here!
- Elote Cafe- reservations must be made! One of our followers said this is the best ever!
- Mariposa- heard this place is amazing as well for fine dining, but I read on their website that they are strict about kids dining and dress code so we decided to skip it!
- Coffee Pot restaurant- we didn’t go, but I heard their breakfast is great!
- There is a Whole Foods & regular grocery store in town too that we stopped for a few things for Hudson and waters!
Other things we didn’t get to!
- Verde Valley Wine Trail
- TLAQUEPAQUE arts & crafts village- cute shops to walk around!
- Flagstaff- we drove through and it was the cutest little ski town! Would love to stay longer and head to some of the shops!
SCOTTSDALE: we didn’t do a ton here because we stayed at our resort, but definitely head to Old Town Scottsdale for JOJO’s Coffeehouse coffee flight & breakfast! I’m still dreaming of this! Also, our friends that lived in Scottsdale told us that these restaurants were their go-to: Canal Club for brunch, Culinary Dropout for relaxed family friendly vibes (we would go to the one in Austin all the time), Maple & Ash
Tips for traveling with baby!
The hikes were great and I feel like I tried to research a ton of them to get to the best spots, but I ended up not even making it close to the top of them with Hudson! I wish that I researched shorter, easier hikes!
If you travel a lot like us, definitely invest in a travel stroller! We started using the Ingelsina Quid compact stroller and it’s only 14lbs and so easy to close! See more of our traveling with babies tips in our blogs HERE & HERE! Also, be sure to pack kids water bottle, pouches, snacks and change of clothes for hikes!
