Hotels:
L'auberge- this is where my mom likes to stay when she is in Sedona. Next time, Evan and I want to stay here. It is located closer to town then the enchantment which we stayed at last time. The restaurant on property is super romantic and has great views of the creek. Enchantment- beautiful location and huge rooms. older property. two restaurants on site that are so so. One is open all day and the other just for dinner. Both have amazing views. Food is so so and $$$$. Also, their margaritas on the menu are super sugary so beware if you are ordering. I tried the pink cadillac. Good but very sugary! This hotel has incredible service, 10/10. views 10/10 and location to hikes is incredible. There is no need to drive to go on a hike. The downsides here are the food is just okay (not worth the price) and it is about twenty minutes from town. Mii Amo- opening soon (2023). on the enchantment property. Great [new] fitness center & spa (pretty expensive spa, minimum $500 for 100 min). The women's lounge was incredible and had anything and everything you could want/need. This resort seems to be very into healing and a spiritual journey. It has a pool, restaurant and wine bar by night/coffee and smoothie shop by day. I ate at both spots when i was there staying at the enchantment. Both were new, I would say the smoothie bar needed to work on their recipes a bit and the hummingbird restaurant seemed over priced for the food options and flavors. Points for healthy options though. I would consider staying here as the location to hikes is incredible. No need to drive. But again (just like the enchantment) it is about twenty minutes from town. Hikes: Boynton Trail- loops behind the enchantment resort. Long beautiful canyon hike. Also, gives access to the vortex which is said to be a very healing place in Sedona. Devils bridge hike- moderate hike takes about an hour and a half to 2 hours. We went from mescal trail to devils bridge which ended up being about 4 hours and a 10 mile hike. Great views and great workout. The only uphill was on devils bridge. A few places that hands were necessary but overall a moderate hike. Fay Canyon Arch- easy/moderate hike. If you add on the arch can be slightly tricky but a good hike for all ages. Cathedral Rock- two routes on this hike. (winter 2023) the difficult route was under construction. there is an easy route. Birthing Cave- Evan and I tried to find this hike multiple times and kept missing it! I heard sunrise its a great hike. We will have to try for next time! Aerie- Evan and i jumped on this hike, it weaves by fay canyon arch. I actually think this would be a great mountain biking trail for beginners. Restaurants: Cress on Creek- Located at the L'Auberge hotel. This romantic spot is located right on the creek. When we went they had a tasting menu and a la carte option. We opted for the a la carte option. The bar was lively and they had a live violinist that made the night extra special. Evan and I started out sharing a apple and squash soup & beet salad- both were great. They had an interesting dish on the menu that we wanted to try- potato gnocchi bolognese. It came out and was served cold and tasted like flour. We sent it back to be re-fired. It was much better warm but still not incredible. I will add this was completely gluten free and could tell it was made out of straight potatoes but i expected more from the dish. For our mains, Evan ordered the rainbow trout and I had the hamachi. His was way better than mine. The cauliflower rice that came on my dish was very bland and then the sauce was spicy and seemed a bit random. I will say the fish was cooked perfectly. I had not had hamachi prepared like that before normally i only see it at sushi restaurants. Still, Evans dish was incredible so if you are craving fish go for the rainbow trout. Mariposa- This restaurant is a show stopper. Its no wonder my best friend got engaged here. Very romantic restaurant with great views, and a huge garden & patio. Great wine list and cocktails. Definitely get the yuca fries. Evan and I shared the pollo rustica (chicken) and pescado paradiso (fish and prawns). The portions were large and the flavors were great. Definitely will be returning here! Dahl & Di Luca- Evan and I did not make it here this past trip but plan to go on our next visit to Sedona. Modern Italian romantic restaurant. I had a friend recommend this spot and tell us to get the old fashioned. The Hudson- American eatery with great views of the red rocks. Open for lunch & dinner. Lisa Pisa- lunch spot, same chef as Mariposa and Dahl & Deluca. Pizza spot that offers gluten free crust and has vegan options. Cowboy Club- kitchy restaurant that seems cute and "cowboy" inside. Recommended on a lot of sites. I suggested this place for lunch/drinks but we still haven't been! Stagecoach- We went here for a rehearsal dinner. Was super cute and they have live music on the weekends. Local Juicery- cute smoothie/juice spot that also has healthy food options & coffee. This spot is located close to Enchantment (right when you are turning into town). Bonus- this place has gluten free waffles & toast! Side note: Evan and I flew into PHX the night before we drove to Sedona. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel. Tt is a Marriott and closer to the rental car center than the airport Marriott. The Renaissance had large rooms, a good restaurant and gym. It is located downtown and close to other restaurants. I walked around in the morning and grabbed a smoothie on the ASU campus at Rush. But there were a lot of other healthy breakfast spots nearby if you want to grab something before hitting the road. |