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Arizona Road Trip: Sedona, The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon

Sedona, The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon are truly United States gems and full of beautiful natural creations and unique culture.

Sedona, The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon are truly United States gems and full of beautiful natural creations and unique culture. The sunsets are unbeatable and the red rocks are mesmerizing. If you haven’t explored Sedona, the Grand Canyon and Page you need to plan a trip!

We decided to explore these locations mid-February. The weather was perfect, sunny and temperatures typically 50-60s. During the off season there are very little lines and people. It was easy to find hotels and air bnbs at very affordable prices and book our tours. 

Here are my favorite stops we made throughout the Grand Circle trip:

Best Places to Eat in Sedona

Creekside Cafe – Warm croissants, bruschetta board, and homemade hatch green chili soup. ALL are amazing. The homemade chili is spicy and honestly the best green chili I’ve ever had. 

 

The Secret Garden – Lovely breakfast and coffee spot. All food is made from scratch and they have a great happy hour with an outdoor patio! 

89Agave – Mexican is great after a long day of hiking, just sayin. The chips and dips were delicious and I’d recommend getting the enchiladas with the green sauce. Don’t forget to add on a prickly pear margarita. 

Hideaway House – Another favorite is this “country style” Italian restaurant. Roasted peach and pancetta pizza with white sauce is a winner and they have amazing views. 

Aura Reading 

Sedona Healing Arts Center – Best place to get your aura read. I’ve gone twice and each time was so fun! Even if you’re not into auras or crystals it’s an interesting experience. 

Favorite Sedona Hikes

Devils Bridge- 3.9 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Sedona, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and 4wheeler/side by side use. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Devils Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch located in the Sedona area of Coconino National Forest. It was a little freaky walking out on the bridge, not going to lie but totally worth it. 

Birthing Cave – is a 2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail and rated as moderate. Start on the Long Canyon Trail and after a little bit, you’ll pass by a golf course on the right side. Once you’ve been walking for 0.6 from the trailhead, you’ll reach a fork in the road. We missed the fork in the road with a fence and had to backtrack. The left side will be blocked by a log. Take that path and you’ll see a barbed wire on the right side. This means you’re on the right path to the Birthing Cave.

Bell Rock Pathway – Bell Rock Pathway is a 3.6 mile trail. Along this pathway you’ll enjoy fantastic views of Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and other landmarks. Most of the pathway has a wide, hard surface, but there are some steep hills too. Some places around Bell Rock are rocky and rough. I’d recommend shoes with some traction for this one if you are going to climb up the rocks to get better views. 

Amitabha Stupa Peace Park – The Sedona Amitabha Stupa is a sacred place, but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to visit, all are welcome. Sedona Stupa and Peace Park is open from 7 am to 6 pm daily and I highly recommend a visit to this tranquil space in the Sedona red rocks. There are some hiking trails in the park and beautiful statues and monuments. 

Best Grand Canyon Viewpoints 

The Grand Canyon – If you only have a day like we did, I’d highly recommend exploring the South Rim. The walking path was very accessible but we mostly drove to each viewpoint. Mathers, Hopi and Hermit’s Rest (last viewpoint). Hermit’s Rest viewpoint has a cute little cafe and gift shop. 

Some Fun Grand Canyon Facts:

  • It’s 277 miles long (446 km). In some places, it reaches 18 miles in width, but it keeps growing due to the Colorado River’s flow.
  • The Grand Canyon was formed by water erosion. The Grand Canyon has over 40 different layers of sedimentary rock.
  • These rocks are millions to billions of years old. A variety of sediments are found here, including sand dunes, schist rocks, and limestone. Many years ago, warm shallow waters caused a number of the formations of the Grand Canyon.
  • The Grand Canyon is found in the US state of Arizona and it’s thought of as one of the seven natural wonders.

You can do these activities at the Grand Canyon:

  • Hiking
  • Walking
  • Riding Horses
  • Camping
  • Rafting

FYI from March 1-November 30 there are buses running, December 1- February 28 you need to walk or drive. 

Top Things To Do in Page, Arizona 

Favorite Places to Eat

State 48 – Mainly American food with a wide variety of beer. Enjoyed a salad and burger. The sweet potato fries were excellent and had great service. 

Hot N Sweet Donuts- Very friendly owners and delicious donuts! Highly recommend stopping by for a maple or cinnamon roll donut and coffee. 

Where We Stayed 

Country Inn – Clean and convenient. We didn’t spend much time in the room but it was exactly what we needed and very affordable in February! Under $70 a night. 

Best Activities and Attractions 

Glen Canyon Dam- We walked along the bridge to get a full view of the dam and it’s really quite amazing. It’s hard to even conceptualize how the dam was built. There’s a visitor center and tours available. 

Glen Canyon Dam, rises 710 feet above bedrock within the steep, rust-colored sand-stone walls. It was constructed to harness the power of the Colorado River in order to provide for the water and power needs of millions of people in the West.

Lake Powell- Check out the boat launches and all the house boats in the marina at Lake Powell, it makes me want to come back during summer! Some of the house boats were unreal! 

Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona. At 186 miles long and nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline – longer than the entire west coast of the U.S.A. There are 96 major canyons, some of which are 15 to 20 miles in length. It’s no wonder Lake Powell is a national recreational destination of choice.

At the southwest end of Lake Powell is Lake Powell Resort and Wahweap Marina, which is just a few miles from the town of Page, Arizona. 

Lower Antelope Canyon- We chose Dixie Tours for our guided Lower Antelope Canyon tour. This was one of the most amazing parts of nature I have ever seen. The Navajo Sandstone creations from rain, wind and erosion creates such beautiful unique structures. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave great explanations and demonstrations explaining the canyons. 

FYI- You have to wear a mask the entire time, no exceptions and I’d recommend wearing comfortable walking/hiking shoes. It’s a 1 hour walking tour with sets of stairs with some sandy and rocky terrain. 

Horseshoe Bend- Another beautiful spot! The hike to the overlook is 1.5 miles round-trip over a hardened path. Horseshoe Bend in Arizona is one of the most photographed landscapes in the United States of America, and in recent years this natural attraction has become incredibly popular amongst tourists, in large part due to the effects of Instagram. I definitely saw some instagrammers in the wild. Would highly recommend making this a quick stop. 

Check out my other Arizona favorite spots next

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