Budget:
- Flights – $368.90 (Steve’s $126.70, Kim’s $242.20 after Points)
- Alamo Car Rental: Standard, VW Jetta or Similar, $198.68 = $98.68 + 100 points
- Airport Parking $39.23
- Camp Bow Wow $159.60 (for the pup)
- The Saguaro Scottsdale – $252.45
- Sedona Horse Ranch – $274.21
- Travel Insurance $70 (I was 7 months pregnant)
$1,363 Total Spending:
- $918.83 / $1,300 Spending Money ($380 under budget!)
Total: $2,227.17
Thursday: Scottsdale
Budget: $125
Actual: $64.55
- Hudson News $22.62
- Airport/Subway $41.93
7:15pm: Depart New Orleans
8:45pm: Arrive in Phoenix
9:40pm: Pick-Up Car at Alamo
10:00pm: Drive to Scottsdale
10:30pm: Check-In at The Saguaro Scottsdale
Friday: Scottsdale & Sedona
Budget: $570 = $75 Breakfast, $80 Pool, $150 Shopping, $75 Lunch, $40 Cookies, $150 Dinner
Actual: $410.28
- The Vault Coffee $10.56
- Hash Kitchen $82
- Pool Drinks $92.12
- Brat Haus $47.95
- Super Chunk $13.98
- Steakhouse 89 $120
- Groceries & Charger/Gas Station $43.67
Coffee at The Vault Coffee & Juice Bar, 6:30am – 11:00am
8:00am: Breakfast at Hash Kitchen. Cutest mimosa flight + instaworthy locale and food! Steve loved his corned beef hash and I got my fav chilaquilas.
9:30 – 1:15pm: Pool Day! Pool Menu available 11:00am – 6:00pm
1:15pm: Cookies at Super Chunk
1:30 – 2:30pm: Lunch at Brat Haus. We always try to do German food at least once on vacation since we have zero German restaurants in BR.
2:45pm: Leave Scottsdale, Drive 2 hours to Sedona Horse Ranch
5:15pm: Check-In to Sedona Horse Ranch.
7:45 – 9:15pm: Dinner at Steakhouse 89. Our AirBNB host suggested this restaurant when we told her we wanted steak and we LOVED it. Bread with roasted garlic, wedge salad with crab, lobster bisque, and mouthwatering prime rib. Great service. Highly recommend!
Saturday: Grand Canyon National Park
Budget: $300 = $35 Entrance, $40 Breakfast, $50 Lunch, $50 Dinner, $50 Gas
Actual: $234.45
- Bright Angel Coffee & Sunscreen $24.59
- Grand Canyon Souvenirs & Conservancy $44.33
- Culvers $25.14
- Elote Cafe Drinks $29.39
- Elote Cafe $111
3:40am: Head to the Grand Canyon
5:15 – 7:30am: Sunrise at the Grand Canyon:
We left our place at 3:40am and arrived around 5:30am and parked at the Visitor’s Center to watch the sunrise. I read that Mather Point is usually incredibly crowded with early-bird campers but it was easy to walk around the Rim Trail and find empty spots to enjoy the view. Keep in mind this was Easter weekend which is incredibly busy but in our experience if you get to the National Parks early you can avoid the crowds 🙂 You could also walk past Mather Point to Yavapai Point for more seclusion.
7:30 – 9:00am: We grabbed a coffee at Bright Angel Bicycles & Cafe (7am-6pm) and hopped on a shuttle to go see some viewpoints:
- Hopi Viewpoint
10:15 – 1:30pm: After a quick stop at Grand Canyon Village, we headed out at 10:15am as crowds were starting to get heavy. We stopped for a Culver’s burger on Route 66 in Flagstaff and enjoyed the drive back to Sedona. We even spotted snow on the ground!
1:30 – 6:45pm: We hung out at the AirBNB and watched an eye-opening documentary about the Grand Canyon and all of the tourism that occurs at the West Side… crazy.
6:45 – 10:15pm: For dinner we went to the infamous Elote. We got there relatively late (7pm) and waited about an hour to be seated. We met a couple from LSU (small world!) and enjoyed the popcorn and drinks/mocktails out on the patio overlooking the hotel pool. Steve LOVED his Arizona Bourbon Sour – Copper City Bourbon, Lime, Agave & St.Germain. So different from what he normally orders.
Sunday: Sedona
Budget: $200 = $60 Breakfast, $40 Lunch, $50 Airport
Actual: $209.55
- Gas $13.98
- Cathedral Rock Parking $5
- Crystals $103.78
- Smoothies $17.10
- Verde Brewing $38.28
- Airport Drinks $21.18
- Fast Food $10.23
8:45 – 9:30am: Cathedral Rock – 1.5 Miles, 30-40 Minutes, 600ft elevation gain. Short, steep hike. You can feel the “energies” in the gaps or saddle points of Cathedral Rock. A magnificent view, considered the most photographed spot in AZ besides the Grand Canyon. Involves various forms of rock climbing, butt sliding and crab-walking down red rocks. Steve made it all the way to the top. I hung out at the mid-way point and watched him rock climb.
9:45 – 11:00am – Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village – “Do you sell Bolo ties?” Go for Art, shopping and beer tasting at Brewery.
12:30 – 2:00pm – Verde Brewing Company – Found a random brewery for lunch via Google Maps and had the best Elote Nachos. Steve enjoyed sampling the beers.
3:30pm: Drop-off Car
6:30pm: Depart Phoenix
11:20pm: Arrive New Orleans
More Scottsdale Ideas
- Dinner at Hula’s Modern Tiki – Food and Drinks until 11pm.
- Live Music at:
- Rusty Spur Saloon
- Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row
- Old Town Tavern
More Sedona Ideas
- Hike with dogs off least at Turkey Creek Trail
- 7 Centers Yoga Arts has free yoga classes
- The best food is not in Sedona but in Old Towne Cottonwood and Jerome 🙂
- Hike: HiLine
- Spa: The Hilton
- Coffee: Fire Creek
- Breakfast: Indian Gardens
- Breakfast or Lunch: Juniper Bar & Grille
- Pizza: Famous Pizza
- Dinner: Elote, Tara Thai, Cuchina Rustica.
- Bike Shop – Sedona Bike n Bean
- Bike Ride: Slimshadey and Templeton.
- Groceries: Webers 16A
Sedona Sunset Hikes
- Cathedral Rock – 1.5 Miles, 30-40 Minutes, 600ft elevation gain. Short, steep hike. Can feel the “energies” in the gaps or saddle points of Cathedral Rock. A magnificent view, considered the most photographed spot in AZ besides the Grand Canyon. Involves various forms of rock climbing, butt sliding and crab-walking down red rocks. 11 minute drive.
- Airport Mesa: 22 Minute Drive, 3.5 Miles, Easy to Moderate
Sedona Red Rocks Hiking
- Slide Rock Swimming Hole – The Slide Rock swim area is approximately 0.5 miles of creek. There are multiple places to swim and wade, as well as the famous slide, an 80-foot slippery chute that is worn into sandstone. Please enjoy with caution.
- Grasshopper Point Swimming Hole
- Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock Vortex: 10 Minute Drive – Big Park Loop 4.5 Miles, 1-2 Hours. A no-brainer, gentle hike around Sedona’s famous formation.
- Chicken Point: 11 Minute Drive – 3.5 Miles, 1.5 Hours. Beautiful easy to moderate trail that rolls across the Red Rock landscape through a number of dry creek washes (arroyos) and then crescendos atop Chicken Point. Beautiful views of Cathedral Rock, Courthouse / Bell Rock, Gibraltar Rock and Munds Wilderness at the end.
- Chimney Rock: 15 Minute Drive
- Devil’s Bridge: 30 Minute Drive – 4 Miles, 3 Hours. A short but hearty uphill hike boasting spectacular scenery. The viewpoint at the end is postcard worthy with a view of the largest natural sandstone arch in the area. Best early in the AM before tourists.
- Fay Canyon: 35 Minute Drive – 2.4 Miles, 80 Minutes. Fay Canyon is a great trail for the whole family. Unlike many trails that require you to go “down, across and up” numerous arroyos (dry creeks), Fay Canyon is actually relatively flat. It is one of those trails that starts out good and keeps getter better the further you make your way back into this box canyon. The high red rock cliff walls coupled with the large oak and juniper trees make this a great trail year-round. This is an easy hike and it goes about one mile into the canyon. About half way in, there is a trail to the right that takes you up a hill to the arch which is pretty unique and has really nice views. (This portion is steep and our guests have suggested using hiking poles.) After you visit the arch, keep going the rest of the way to the end of the original trail. If you are at all adventurous, keep going! Another 100 feet up a steep climb are the best views by far! It’s not too difficult and only looks a little intimidating. Make it to the top where it opens out to a large flat area that has natural seating and views that go for miles!
Grand Canyon 1 Day Itinerary
This was our plan but I was pregnant and tired 🙂
Map – Driving
Map – Shuttle Stops
Travelers can take a cell-phone audio tour at 30 sites. These ranger-narrated tours last two minutes and can be accessed by dialing 928-225-2907 and pressing the designated stop number.
2:45am: Drive to Grand Canyon: 2 Hours 20 Minutes from Sedona
5:00 – 7:00am: Sunrise at Yaki Point
Park at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in Lot 4, 3, 2, or 1.
Use free Kaibab Rim Route (Orange) Shuttle Bus from Grand Canyon Visitor Center to Yaki Point. Shuttles run every 30 minutes during the hour before sunrise.
Yaki Point – Arrive 5:30am before the sun clears the horizon and stay an hour or longer after. Sunrise: 6:02am
7:00am: Breakfast/South Kabib
Shuttle back to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center Complex, grab a breakfast burrito and a snack for your pack at Bright Angel Bicycles & Cafe (7am-6pm) or the Deli at the Marketplace for freshly made sandwiches, hot dogs and grab-and-go meals.
Get back on the Kaibab Rim Route shuttle to South Kaibab Trailhead for a hike down the South Kaibab to Ooh-Aah Point or Cedar Ridge. Remember to bring plenty of water. Once of the park’s prettiest trails, the South Kaibab Trail combines stunning scenery and adventurous hiking with every step. The only corridor trail to follow a ridgeline, the red-dirt path allows for unobstructed 360-degree views. It’s steep, rough and wholly exposed.
South Kaibab to Ooh-Aah Point 1.8 Mile Round Trip; to Cedar Ridge 3 mile Round Trip. Ooh-Aah Point: Killer views in under two miles? Yes, please! Descend the initial switchbacks and traverse out to the scenic overlook. Then huff it back up to the trailhead. Expect to spend a couple of hours on the trail.
9:30am – 12:30pm: Rim Trail / Lunch
Shuttle to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and get on the Rim Route (Orange) shuttle to Mather Point and then stroll the Rim Trail to Yavapai Geology Museum (plate-glass windows offer gorgeous views and handy panels identify and explain the formations before you) and the Trail of Time exhibit (traces the history of the canyon’s formation and every meter equals one million years of geologic history).
Yavapai Tavern (Noon – 10pm) – Outfitted with fire pits so that it can be enjoyed year-round, the restaurant serves bison sliders with hatch chile white cheddar, a salami and manchego flatbread with kalamata olives plus burgers, smoked wings, salads, and sandwiches. You’ll also find margaritas, martinis, draft beer, and frozen hot chocolate spiked with Patron XO Cafe and Makers Mark.
12:30pm – 2:30pm: Hermit’s Rest
Take the Hermits Rest Route (Red) Village Route Transfer toward Hermit’s Rest, get out at any of the stops (Hopi, Mohave, Pima) and walk along the trail in either direction. From Mohave and Hopi you can spot three Colorado River rapids. When you get tired, catch a bus back to the village. At Hermit’s Rest hike about 10 minutes down the Hermit Trail to look for ancient fossil beds.
Hopi Point to the Abyss (2.1 miles)
2:30 – 5:00pm: Desert View
Pick-up Car and take Desert View Drive east to exit the park at the East End Entrance, stopping at scenic overlooks including:
Shoshone Point – The hike is a gentle 1-mile 40 minute stroll on a dirt road through open forest where deer and elk graze. Soon the breath-stealing beauty of Grand Canyon stretches out before you. A narrow ridge thrusts out from the plateau providing canyon views in excess of 180 degrees. Relax and savor this private perch far from the crowds. And don’t forget the picnic lunch.
This viewpoint is unmarked; look for the small dirt parking lot on the north side of Desert View Drive about 1.2 miles east of Yaki Point.
Grandview Trail – one of the steepest trails in the park, dropping 1200 feet in the first .75miles, it’s also one of the finest and most popular hikes. The payoff is an up-close look at one of the inner canyon’s sagebrush-tufted mesas and a spectacular sense of solitude. Hike to Coconino Saddle (2.2mi, 2-4 hours).
Moran Point
Lipan Point – Creeks, palisades, rapids and sunrises. Near Desert View, offers incredible views of the canyon with the San Francisco Peaks to the south, the distant Painted Desert, and extensive stretches of the river below.
Navajo Point
Desert View Watchtower – Scramble to the top of Colter’s stone tower which is the highest spot on the rim (7522 ft). Unparalleled views take in not only the canyon and the Colorado River but also the San Francisco Peaks, the Navajo Reservation and the Painted Desert.
Be sure to leave at least 2 hours before sunset so as to avoid inbound traffic on 64 and get back to Sedona by sunset there. Driving back down Oak Creek Canyon and approaching Uptown Sedona as the sun sets is as beautiful a sight as you’ll ever see.
OR if you want to do Sunset in the Grand Canyon…. Plan to arrive at your viewpoint as much as 90 minutes before sunset and stay at least 10 minutes after the sun has set and no longer illuminates the buttes and pinnacles in the canyon, don’t rush off —the sky may light up red, pink or orange. Better yet, stay around as the sky grows dark. Grand Canyon offers some of the blackest skies and brightest stars found anywhere. Sunset: 7:08pm
On Hermit Road, Hopi Point is unquestionably a desirable viewpoint for sunset, it attracts crowds of people and buses, especially in the summer.
Also along Hermit Road, Mohave and Pima Points offer spectacular views of the canyon, are less congested, and allow you to see the Colorado River a mile below!
Points along Desert View Drive that offer great east and west panoramas include Yaki, Navajo, and Desert View.
Lipan Point, near Desert View, offers incredible views of the canyon with the San Francisco Peaks to the south, the distant Painted Desert, and extensive stretches of the river below.
Dinner Ideas in Flagstaff
- Coppa Cafe – til 9
- MartAnne’s – til 9 – local favorite for Mexican
- Pizzicletta – til 10. If it’s busy, we suggest heading next door to the Mother Road Brewing Co. Flagstaff’s most popular brewery will serve you an arugula-topped pie straight from the patio, with some warmed Nocellara olives on the side.
- Beaver Street Brewery – til 11
- Diablo Burger – til 10 – burgers served on English muffins
- Criollo Latin Kitchen – til 9 – Navajo Fry Bread
Take Away Traveler 