Sedona & The Grand Canyon
We love national parks. I love them for their beauty and my kids love them for the adventure they provide and wide array of outdoor activities. For this trip, we actually surprised our kids and started in Anaheim and took them to Disneyland since we were just a short flight away. We then backtracked and flew into Phoenix where we visited the Grand Canyon followed by Sedona.
LODGING: We stayed at the High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the aesthetic and cleanliness of this motel was not what you think of when you hear the word ‘motel’. In fact, the main lobby was nicer than most hotels we have stayed at. The modern mountain lodge melded vintage style with contemporary. There is a restaurant on site, as well as a pool, saunas and a great bar to grab an evening cocktail at. Highly recommend as the prices were affordable.
Travel Itinerary
Day One
Day One
Day One
We checked in after driving from the airport, and swam for bit. We then headed to dinner at Fat Olives. It was quick and easy and not too far from our motel.
Day Two
Day One
Day One
7:00 a.m. – Drove to the Grand Canyon at the South Rim Entrance. There is a fee of $35 to enter the park.
8:00 a.m. We hiked South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point which had amazing views! Hiking there does not provide guardrails and there are some steep drop offs so best to go when kids are a bit older in my opinion.
Noon: We drove to Desert View Watchtower to grab lunch and use the restrooms. On the way back to the South Rim Visitor center we hit up Moran Point, Grandview Point and Shoshone Point.
We had planned on a shuttle to The Abyss and Walk to Mohave Point, but we ran out of time.
Day Three
Day One
Day Three
6:15 a.m. – Drove to Sedona (a little over an hour)
7:45 a.m. – we parked and hiked Bell Rock which was a trail we could all do, however, there was a lot of rock climbing so be prepared!
9:30 a.m. – Cathedral Rock was our next hike. This is a short and sweet 1.2 mile roundtrip hike.
Lunch we grabbed Subway in Sedona! 😊
1:30 p.m. – We did a Pink Jeep Tour of Broken Arrow. This off-roading experience takes you to locations you wouldn’t normally be able to get to without a 4WD vehicle. Our driver provided a lot of information about Sedona and had fun with all of our kids, who were 8 – 15 years old at the time. Highly recommend if you visit Sedona!
DINNER: we ate at Mariposa which had amazing reviews! The food was delicious, but this place is a splurge and carries a higher price tag.
