Our first destination on the way to the Grand Canyon from Tempe, was Sedona. I had heard a lot about Sedona for it's natural beauty and New Age intrigue, so it was a place that was important to hit while I was in Arizona. It made for a great stop over point, it was just two hours north of Tempe and two hours south of the Grand Canyon, a half way side trip and rest stop.
Once we arrived we began hitting the hot spots that someone might try to see with about one day in this destination. I was overtaken by the gorgeous rock formations surrounding this quaint city. The various shades of red, brown, and orange created a palette that I hadn't experienced before in the the U.S. It showed a distinctive corner of our nations landscape. It was very inspiring to witness, much like experiencing the unique landscape of the Pacific Northwest earlier this year.
One of the highlights of this destination was the Airbnb we stayed in. I chose a quaint little one room apartment that was separate and freestanding from the renters home. Being my first experience with an Aibnb, it was hard to know exactly how it would go, but it proved to be perfect. The place was welcoming, clean, unique, and cozy. A perfect place to have a relaxing vacation night. For our evening we took the renters' advice and watched the Sedona sunset from Airport Mesa. After the sun got through lighting up the sky, we headed to a grocery store to pick up something for dinner and provisions for our Grand Canyon day to be prepared in the morning. We spent our evening enjoying ourselves at "home" and discussing our adventure plans for the next day.
Sedona is a great place for seeing beautiful wonder, fun shopping, a nice meal, and outdoor fun. The downtown area was crowded but manageable and it wasn't too tough to find a free place to park. A trip to Arizona wouldn't be complete without a stop here.
