I’m back blogging, if that’s a thing. We took this trip in October 2021 and it’s currently May 2022. Also the pic above is the view from part way up Bell Rock just in case you need that info.

So we’d actually decided we were going to wait a few years to take the kids to Sedona so they could do some more legit hiking without complaining, but plans changed. We had bought another one of those damn timeshare things where they give you a place to stay if you show up to one of those presentations.

I think we decided we’ll just pay for our vacations from here on out because we’re officially tired of wasting prime vacation time on presentations when it’s clear we’re NEVER buying a timeshare. It’s funny because they have us pegged pretty much as soon a we walk in. They know we’re a waste of their time. Look, here’s a picture of how I bring my kids to those presentations. We find it generally helps speed along the process.

So back to where I was going with this. We were going to wait to take the kids, but we had to choose somewhere to take this vacation and Saida had been dying to see red rocks of some sort because she watches YouTube families that live in Utah and she appreciates the landscape. We figured, why the hell not? We’ll just do Sedona again because it’s on the list. Close enough. Plus what kid doesn’t want to see the Grand Canyon too and we could totally make that drive while we were there.

Spoiler Alert: It’s Corbin. Corbin doesn’t want to see the Grand Canyon. We joke that we now know why Joe Dirt’s parents left him there.

How’d We Get There

Ok so the truth is the other reason we chose Sedona is because Phoenix is pretty affordable to fly into. I just wasn’t really willing to pay the airfare to the other destination options because I’m generally pretty cheap. I also kind of love airports. It’s literally the best people watching and the kids are always excited to fly. We’re doing Yellowstone in July so that’ll be their biggest flight yet. Bozeman on the other hand is… not cheap, but I didn’t pick the destination.

Because it’s been 7 months since we actually took this trip, I’m blown away by how tiny my kids look in these pictures. It’s been an insane year for growth for both of them, hence the reason we’ve added an endocrinologist to the list of specialists for Corbin.

Important things about Phoenix

They now have Whataburger. Seriously, this is a big deal. My kids are Whatadivas, if there is a such a thing. When Tyler and I went 4 years ago, there wasn’t a single Whataburger in all of Arizona so when Corbin requested a Whataburger upon exiting the plane, we were surprised we could deliver and deliver pretty quickly after getting in the rental car.
Saguaros. I don’t know why I still think those things are hilarious. They’re real and they’re huge.

Sedona

Where We Stayed

We stayed in the Arabella Hotel. I didn’t really pick it because of the whole timeshare thing, but I also don’t really have any legitimate complaints. They have two pools. Only one of them was heated though and this was in October so we stuck with the smaller of the two which was pretty convenient from our room anyway. They also do a pretty legit continental breakfast however we had kids and a two hour time change so you could find us on morning one hitting up the Circle K next door for stale powdered donuts and gas station breakfast sandwiches. I was subjected to none of this because of intermittent fasting, but the others seemed good with it. There’s a trail at the back of the hotel property which is pretty cool and they also have complimentary bikes available to take into town, which isn’t a long bike ride at all. Overall it was a good stay and I’d stay there again.

The smaller of the two pools at Arabella, but it was heated. The sunset didn’t suck either.

The sweet parking lot view with red tocks I joked about.

Tyler and I have kind of a running joke on these timeshare presentation vacations regarding the view we get. In all fairness, we had a great view in Tennessee, but our first one of these was to Sedona without the kids for our 10th anniversary. They put us a room number followed by a P. We had a lovely view of… the parking lot. The P clearly stood for parking lot. We got another sweet parking lot view this time, but at least there were some red rocks, lol. I’m joking obviously. We’re pretty good at making the best out of these situations and you’re doing it wrong if you spend all your time in the room anyway.

What We Hiked

Tyler and I hiked Cathedral Rock several years ago when we were in Sedona and we really thought the kids would love it. Unfortunately the were in the middle of a rescue situation at Cathedral Rock so we headed a little further down to Bell Rock. The kids loved it. Bell Rock is still their favorite part of the entire trip. Our obligatory vacation Christmas ornament is a Bell Rock ornament and we snagged Bell Rock magnets for the teachers. Every time we passed it they would say, “There’s Bell Rock!” Hike wise, it was pretty similar to Cathedral Rock, if my memory is correct. It’s challenging, but not crazy long and the views are well worth it. The picture at the top of this blog post is the view from part way up Bell Rock.

I think this is the only picture with all four of us from the entire trip at the top ish of Bell Rock. Not our best selfie ever.

The other hike we took with the kids was a combination of trails recommended by the lady at the hotel desk. She says it’s where she takes her daughter and where the locals go. It was cool, but I still wish we would have done something in the Oak Creek Canyon area instead. If you take Valley Verde School Road until it pretty much ends, you can follow the trail up the creek to Cathedral Rock. This was a combination of Baldwin Trail, Red Rock Crossing Trail, and Templeton Trail. We didn’t go as far as we’d planned because the kids were pretty worn out, but if you’re up for it, you could totally incorporate Cathedral Rock into this hike.

Where We Ate (Food can totally make or break a vacation)

Miley’s Cafe

Miley’s was a favorite of ours the last time we were in Sedona so we knew we had to go back. It’s got a hole in the wall and homey kind of feel. It’s just good cookin’. They’re currently only open for breakfast and lunch and even though we were not in my eating window, I made an exception for Miley’s. The kids had lunch and Tyler and I had breakfast. I’m not sure there is a single bad option on the entire menu and the service is great. If you want great food that’s not fussy, this is it. Everyone is happy at Miley’s and they’ve got a great kid’s menu.

Rocky Road Ice Cream Co.

Once you finish up at Miley’s, head next door to Rocky Road Ice Cream Co. Or just go there after nearly every meal. We might be guilty of this and it might be my favorite ice cream place ever. Just trust me on this one.

Rotten Johnny’s Wood Fired Pizza

So we actually ended up at Rotten Johnny’s because we didn’t know Miley’s was closed for dinner. Rotten Johnny’s is in the same shopping center. I have zero complaints. My pizza and wine were delicious and again, it’s not fussy. It’s another great place for the family.

The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff

We managed to get both the Grand Canyon and a little bit of Flagstaff into a day. It’s doable with an early enough start, but I’m always wishing we had more time in Flagstaff. Maybe one day. We also just barely missed snow on the way back to Sedona. It actually ended up snowing just 20 minutes up the road from Sedona that night.

The Drive From Sedona to The Grand Canyon

In my opinion 89A through Oak Creek Canyon and the switchbacks is the only way to get to Flagstaff. I wondered if I’d still be in awe the way I was the first time and I was. My kids have actually gotten to the point now where they make fun of me for wanting to be in the trees. I think that’s why I love this drive. Once you get to the top of the switchbacks there is a scenic view area called Oak Creek Vista. It’s worth a stop and both times we have been there has been a native market set up selling jewelry and other Native American accessories. It’s a great place to grab a souvenir and a quick picture. From there, it’s pretty quick to Flagstaff and then on to The Grand Canyon from there. Now the drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon looks very different from the first part of the drive. I’m always baffled that you’re just driving through high desert and The Grand Canyon isn’t even that far away and you can’t see it. It’s like it’s not there at all until you walk through some trees at he National Park and you’re like, “Well what do you know, it’s the Grand Freaking Canyon.”

The Grand Canyon

So seriously, it’ll trip you up when you go from high desert to forest to a giant hole in the ground in what doesn’t seem like near enough space for that transition. Arizona is wild. We didn’t spend a ton of time at the Grand Canyon, but we started our walk from the area behind the visitor’s center and walked all the way down to the geology museum and back. I like to try to remember it fondly, but that one kid wasn’t too happy to be at the Grand Canyon and when that one kid isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Being 5 years old is hard apparently.

Saida loved the geology museum. I had no idea she’d find it that interesting and I kind of love that she did. I think she would have stayed there longer.

Overall I don’t regret taking they them to the Grand Canyon. They actually will both tell you they liked it now even though it did not seem that way at the time. Photo evidence or Corbin’s attitude below.

How Corbin felt about the Grand Canyon and the reason Joe Dirt’s parents left him there.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff was basically our dinner/dessert stop on the way back to Sedona. We ate at Lumberyard Brewing Co. (mainly because Tyler and I needed something on tap, stat) which is right in the heart of town. The kids loved watching the trains go by, the food was pretty decent, and I very much enjoyed my beer. I had the Santa Fe burger. I’d recommend it.

Just a couple blocks away was The Sweet Shoppe Candy Store which also sold gelato so naturally that was our next stop because that’s how we do vacation even when it’s nearly freezing outside with snow on the way. The store itself was adorable and the gelato was worth it. Saida had mint chocolate chip at every ice cream place we tried and I believe this was her personal favorite.

I honestly don’t even know what all there is to do in Flagstaff, but every time we’re there I always want to stay longer because it just seems cool. Unfortunately weather was moving in so our time was up, if we wanted to make it through the canyon without snow. It’s my understanding that early October is a little early for snow in town, but they got it anyway shortly after we left.

Back Home We Go, but not without seeing the saguaros

Did you even go to Arizona, if you didn’t stop for a saguaro? We made a quick stop (and I mean really quick) at the Black Canyon City Trailhead on the way back to Phoenix. It was a pretty easy place to stop and got us off the road so it worked. Both kids enjoyed this stop. It was the little bit of exploration we needed before hanging in the airport for longer than anticipated. We actually questioned whether or not we’d make it home. This was right in the middle of Southwest blaming delays on weather (cough, couch, mandates, cough) when there was none. Our flight was pretty delayed, but we made it back to Texas eventually.