Sedona (Mesa, Flagstaff, Williams: how much, house, theatre)

[tahiti]

Visiting Sedona in July - husband, 2 kids (age 9) and myself. Here's what I've come up with as far as activities/sites - please let me know if this is a "must do" or "beyond cheesy - don't bother" .. also, if I've forgotten anything, please add!

Day trip to Grand Canyon (I guess this is a no brainer!)
Western Dinner Theatre
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
Slide Rock State Park
Montezuma Monument
Oak Creek Canyon
Meteor Crater - my son is DYING to see this
Horseback Riding/Jeep Rental

also, how is Mulligan's Grille on the Green? I can get a $25 GC for free if we want - is it worth it?

Thanks in advance!

[Magnum Mike]

- Snow Bowl west of Flagstaff, it's open in the summer also and the ski lifts take you up to the 11,000 foot elevation on the San Francisco peaks.
- A day trip to the historic city of Jerome
- Route 66 through Flagstaff.. just so you can say "I got my kicks on Route 66"..

[sophadilla]

- A day trip to the historic city of Jerome

I agree! Here are more important spots to visit:
-Tlaquepaque
-Crescent Moon/Red Rock Crossing instead of Slide Rock State Park

[foma]

Tlaquepaque <-- cute little shops and stuff but I wouldn't eat a meal there. We had lunch at a Mexican food place and I wasn't impressed. Others may beg to differ though!

Check out the Church of the Holy Cross. It is beautiful! Very touristy I have to admit but nonetheless, breathtaking.

Have fun! I was just there a week ago and loved the area. It was our first time. The PinkJeep tours looked like fun. We went to Vegas the weekend b4 so we were wiped out of cash or else we would've taken one of the tours!

If you are used to driving on flat surface, be careful driving there. The hwy is pretty windy and in high altitude. I wasn't prepared for that. It's no big deal but I just wanted to prepare you so you are not taken aback by it as I was!

[tahiti]

thanks everyone for the suggestions - i've put the snow bowl on our list.

i've looked up jerome, may i ask what is historical about it? from the site i visited it just seemed like a regular town.

i'm going to investigate Tlaquepaque, Red Rock Crossing and the Church of the Holy Cross.

thanks again!

[TonyT]

Tahiti:

Jerome is an old copper mining town. Some refer to it as a living ghost town. Lots of cool buildings from the early 1900's and such. Nice little restaurants and artsy type things. And the views from up there are amazing. I think it's definitely fun place to explore.

Your list is pretty good and the suggestions you have received are good ones as well. Tlaquepaque is alright but you can really run through it in about 30 mins. The Church of the Holy Cross is a must see.

Since you're going to the Grand Canyon, something the kids especially might enjoy is rather than drive, go to Williams and take the train to the Grand Canyon. Never done it myself but those that I have spoken to that have really had fun.

You might consider adding a hot air balloon ride to your list if none of you have issues with heights. It really gives you a different perspective of the area and since you're out in the early morning as the sun is coming up, you will often see wild animals in their natural habitat that you would not normally see if you were on a Jeep tour. And if you're going to do a Jeep tour then definitely go with Pink Jeep. They are the oldest company in town and probably conduct the best and most informative tours.

If you want a good picture taking spot, head up to the Airport Mesa. You have an amazing panoramic view of all of Sedona from there.

For good, nothing fancy places to eat while in Sedona, I would recommend both the Coffee Pot Restaurant and the Hitching Post. If you like barbecue, definitely go to Hog Wild. Beats all the other BBQ places in town, no question. Beyond that, most of the restaurants in town can be a bit pricey.

I live in Sedona so if you have any other questions, I will try to answer them as best I can.

[foma]

TonyT - Since you live in Sedona, do you know the story behind that HUGE home on the way to the Church of the Holy Cross? It has that dome shape, telescope-looking thing and it's beautiful. Man, I'd love to be friends with whoever owns that house!

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by TonyT

Tahiti:

Jerome is an old copper mining town. Some refer to it as a living ghost town. Lots of cool buildings from the early 1900's and such. Nice little restaurants and artsy type things. And the views from up there are amazing. I think it's definitely fun place to explore.

Your list is pretty good and the suggestions you have received are good ones as well. Tlaquepaque is alright but you can really run through it in about 30 mins. The Church of the Holy Cross is a must see.

Since you're going to the Grand Canyon, something the kids especially might enjoy is rather than drive, go to Williams and take the train to the Grand Canyon. Never done it myself but those that I have spoken to that have really had fun.

You might consider adding a hot air balloon ride to your list if none of you have issues with heights. It really gives you a different perspective of the area and since you're out in the early morning as the sun is coming up, you will often see wild animals in their natural habitat that you would not normally see if you were on a Jeep tour. And if you're going to do a Jeep tour then definitely go with Pink Jeep. They are the oldest company in town and probably conduct the best and most informative tours.

If you want a good picture taking spot, head up to the Airport Mesa. You have an amazing panoramic view of all of Sedona from there.

For good, nothing fancy places to eat while in Sedona, I would recommend both the Coffee Pot Restaurant and the Hitching Post. If you like barbecue, definitely go to Hog Wild. Beats all the other BBQ places in town, no question. Beyond that, most of the restaurants in town can be a bit pricey.

I live in Sedona so if you have any other questions, I will try to answer them as best I can.

thank you so much - great post. i was looking into the train, however, the times are not very condusive to our schedule and you don't spend a whole lot of time at the canyon, kwim? if our budget allowed for spending the night, I would, but unfortunately it won't work this time.

i'll PM you if I have more questions, thanks again!

[TonyT]

Foma:

Unfortunately I do not know much about the house you speak of other than it has been under construction for a few years. All I can add is that it is probably the least favorite house of most locals, in large part because of it's being both out of place and out of scale for such a beautiful setting.

[foma]

TonyT - lol, you definitely have a point there. It does seem a little out of place (and scale!) now that you mention it. That's interesting that it has been under construction for that long! I can't imagine how much money has been put into building that gi-normous home!