Nice route to see the colorful red rocks
by mikehanneman
Last summer on my way to the Grand Canyon I decided to see what all the talk was about Sedona and their red rocks.
I pulled off of Interstate 17 onto highway 179. Boy was I in for a visual treat!
Excellent views at a distance of all the beautiful red rocks and formations.
You can't go wrong with this view!
Seek Spiritual Enlightenment Elsewhere
by lovemycacti
Go for the scenery, not necessarily to be enlightened. I had heard so many wonderful tales of spiritual enlightenment from other internet travelers who had been to Sedona. So perhaps my expectations were a bit high and I had hoped of 'finding' myself here.
When I got to Sedona I was impressed with the beautiful red rocks and other landscapes of the area, until I drove into downtown. The downtown is picturesque, with colourful, vibrant boutiques, cafes and personal art galleries. But the hoards of other tourists looking for the same spiritual experience cluttered any good vibes this small city could give.
Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing, and this is my opinion of Sedona. Like many other places that once start out as places with great meaning and beauty (Niagara Falls, Ontario and Gallup, New Mexico to name a few), the touristy 'cheese' can overcompensate and kill the area's true and complete beauty. But welcome to the corporate world.
I have heard there are communes in the area, where people work and live together and was inspired by that ideal. However when I got to Sedona I was soon told that communes are expensive to join and only the middle-upper class can afford to be enlightened that way.
The vortexes-the highly prized energy fields of Native American cultures-were loaded with tourists, some of whom would steal a rock/dirt nearby for a souvenier, which broke my heart. Please respect this sacred land and leave it be!
Basically, enjoy the natural...
by dzni
Basically, enjoy the natural beauty of this place. I didn't spend much time here, but that's my number one reccommendation. Second only to that is to enjoy the town itself.. the little shops and eateries. And, while touristy a bit, it can still be fun. ;) After all, if you visit a place, you are a tourist, right? My raspberry cheesecake
Restrooms UpTown & Hiking Trails Are Available
by Yaqui
There are not enough restrooms in Uptown Sedona or the hiking trails. There are plenty of restroom available. You just have to look for the signs. Generally I found them where the public parking areas in uptown. Pink Jeep Tours as a huge one just behind the building and down the stairs. Awesome view back there BTW. Oh, the trolley tour there is one behind there building too. Just ask someone or look for the signs.
If your wanting to go hiking, each parking facility for the hiking trails usually has a restrooms. Now you just have to get past the smell sometimes, because they are probably steptic tank restrooms, most parks are, but they usually very clean and are available.
Important Information ....
by deecat
Sedona has four distinct seasons, and none of them are very extreme. If you do not enjoy heat, I would avoid Sedona in the months of June, July, and August because they have temperatures in the high 90s; however, the nights sink to the 50s and 60s.
Most people visit Sedona March through May and September through October. If you hate crowds, your best bet is to vist Sedona during its least crowded times which are the first two weeks of December and all of January. The only problem with that is that some of the lodges in Oak Creek Canyon close for the season.
You might want to call the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Chambe of Commerce: (928)282-7722 or (800)288-7336. They are always happy to assist you concerning lodging and to send you a free information packet. We visited in early June and really had little problem, but I've been told that we were lucky.
It was unseasonably cool that year, and so we did not have to deal with any of the 90 degree weather.
The photos we took all look as though they were painted. Depending on the time of day and the lighting, the colors of the rocks vary in hue.