April 2023
My first visit was in 2019 for a bachelorette where I first fell in love with the area. The second visit, which is what this post will mostly be about was with some of my friends who are moms. We had decided we need time away from their husbands and kids, so we packed a lot of things into one weekend. I would say if you are going for a short weekend, this itinerary isnt bad but could be broken up a bit just because of the driving. If you have more time, I would definitely break it up, to see all the Arizona has to offer.
We flew out Saturday morning around 7am and with time change, we landed roughly around 9:30am and picked up our rental car, which I believe is a MUST in Arizona, regardless if you are just staying in one town. Just driving around is therapeutic. Anyways, once we picked up the rental, we got brunch at a place called Culinary Dropout, the food and drinks were amazing. They have a summer yard set up with couches, tables, and games which would have been a good time if we weren’t in a time crunch. After brunch, we made our way to Flagstaff where we stayed for two nights. My original plan was to stay in Sedona one night and then Flagstaff but more for convience of having to pack, I decided staying in one place would be better. The hotel in Flagstaff was a Days Inn, definitely not luxury but we needed a place to sleep after the long days were going to have. On our way to Flagstaff, we did visit Sedona.
In Sedona, we drove the Red Rock loop and saw the Chape of the Holy Cross and did a stop at Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. Both sites were very moving, the natural views and the meaning of both sites was a great way to start the trip. After visiting both sites, we made our way to Flagstaff. While there is a way to drive directly, we decided to take the scenic route.
Our next day, we drove to Page to visit the infamous Antelope Canyons. We headed out early, so we could stop at Horseshoe Bend. The Bend was only 10 minutes from where we had to meet for the Canyons, however part of Arizona that does not observe daylight saving time, so I wanted to make sure we were there on time. Horsehoe Bend is approx. a 1.5 mile hike, we were able to get there in enough time to visit, hike, and take pictures. After the visit, we grabbed a quick bite and then got to the location for the Antelope Canyons tour. When booking the tour, I suggest that you book it right after booking the flights or possibly before hand, as tour slots do book up quickly. For our trip, we had a 4th person join us last minute and we were very lucky they only had 1 slot left in our group. For the Canyons, we decided to go with the Upper Canyon Tour. While the weather said that it was 90 and we were sweating, once in the canyons it was about 15-20 degrees cooler, so I recommend bringing a sweater. Another recommendation is to visit around March or November based on what the tour guide said. When we were there end of April, it was bit crowded and we had to keep the line moving as a lot of people were visiting. The guide did say that because our tour was at 2:30pm, it was not as crowded but to me it felt a bit crowded.
After visit the Canyons, we grabbed a bite to eat and then did a UTV Sunset Tour. During this tour, you do go off roading and are able to see great views. I will say not to have a heavy meal prior and be ready to get dirty. Our UTV was a 4 seater and I mostly drove but you can switch drivers. Our guide was great and made sure we were safe throughout the whole ride. It was definitely a must do as well. After our adventurous day, we drove back to Flagstaff under the stars, that are clearly seen in Arizona.
Since we did two busy days for our trip, we decided to splurge a little and get a hotel with a pool for our last night. We stayed at Aiden in Scottsdale, it was a little on the outskirts of Scottsdale but a quick drive into town. For this last day, we got breakfast at the Montauk and explored downtown until it was time to check in to the hotel. Then for the rest of the day, we hung by the pool, explored Old Town, got tattoos, and got dinner at Diego Pops.
Like I said before this trip was jam packed due to time constraints, however I feel like it was perfect for the weekend. Arizona is top choice for vacation in the US.
Wanderlust & bust 
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