Andy Altman Photography

Notes from April, 2006 Trip to Central Arizona to Southern Utah

05/28/07

Sedona, Arizona

After cool temperatures at the Grand Canyon and in Utah, we headed to the warmth of Sedona.  Our weather was close to perfect.  Highs in the low 80's, lows in the mid 60's, sun, sun & sun.  Sedona is an interesting mix of breathtaking natural beauty, fine dining, outdoor activities, over priced lodging, arts, tourist traps and New Age mysticism.  The "Uptown" area is the original Sedona and still has the highest concentration of shops and restaurants.  Nearby is the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village.  Modeled after a Mexican town, it sits on the banks of Oak Creek and offers upscale shops and restaurants.  West Sedona has more practical shops, with restaurants, outdoor shops and strip malls mixed in.

For our first day in Sedona, we decided to take a balloon ride.  To increase the chances of favorable weather (primarily low winds), the balloon companies pick you up before sunrise and transport you out of town to the launch site.  Not much can be taken in the gondola, so pack light and consider a hat since the burner can get a little hot on the top of the head.  The trip was surprisingly smooth.  Since the balloon travels with the wind, only gusts can be felt.  Elevation gains and losses are slow enough that they can only be judged by sight.  The views are spectacular, although a little haze dulled the distant mountains on our morning.  While maneuvering for set down, we were close enough to the ground to see jack rabbits, road runners and one cat scurry from our shadow as we went overhead.  At the end of the trip, they provided champagne, orange juice, fruit and donuts.  We rode with Northern Light Balloon Expeditions.

We were dropped back at the hotel in time for a little real breakfast (and a swim for the kids).  That afternoon we hiked to the top of Doe Mesa.  The top of the mesa is reached in about 0.8 miles with a climb of 450 feet.  The trail was in good condition, with a few rocky or sloped sections.  The top of the mesa offers plenty of exploration with spectacular 360 degree views and blooming cactus during our visit.

The View from the Top of Doe Mesa

After another spell in the pool, we headed back to town for a Pink Jeep Tour.  We had reserved the Broken Arrow / Scenic Rim combination tour.  The Broken Arrow portion is the thrill ride, going up, down, over and through narrow, rutted, rocky "roads".  Although you know they've been doing it for years, it's still surprising that they can navigate many of the sections.  Stops are made at several scenic locations.  The Scenic Rim portion climbs 2,000 feet up to the Mogollan Rim, offering more spectacular views (looking up for a change).  These trips don't appeal to everyone, but they do offer a fun way of seeing more of the region than you get from the highway and provide a little payback to the kids for a week of hiking.

An ancient spot in solid rock split by a straight fault line

View from the Broken Arrow section

View from the Mogollon Rim (Scenic Rim section)

Our last guilty pleasure in Sedona was an ATV tour.  We rode with Arizona ATV Adventures.  They started us out on a training course by their office to get everyone familiar with their ATV and riding off roads.  We then rode for several miles outside of town using the highway shoulder.  Then the real portion of the trip started, several hours of riding on dirt roads.  Much was flat, but several sections contained climbs, twists and even a few humps that offered a roller coaster ride.  In the easier dirt road sections, they allowed the kids to take over the driving, but with the adults behind them, ready to brake or steer if needed.  The views are not as spectacular on this side of town, but the tour was a nice finish to our south west trip.

Hope on the training course

View from the ATV ride