Sedona, Arizona

Known for its red rocks, art galleries, and new-age vibes—there are psychics and aura- readers on every corner, Scout’s honor—Sedona is a mystical spot like nowhere else on earth. We explored the town recently; here’s the best of what we found.

Where to Stay
 

 
A view of our guest room at The Hilton Sedona Golf Resort

The Hilton Sedona Golf Resort and Spa is a perfect mix of convenience, chic Western style (look for the lobby’s cowhide-covered stools), and luxe perks. On a hill overlooking the red rocks, the property has 219 guest rooms and guest suites.

Decorated with kiln-dried Adler Wood Furniture from Mexico, each cozy room has its own gas fireplace, microwave and wet bar, and private balcony or patio. Our bathroom was stocked with deliciously scented Crabtree and Evelyn products and had the perk most hotels forget about: a shower sponge (score!). We had sweet desert dreams in the wrought iron bed, made extra plush and snuggly with the Hilton Serenity Collection Bedding.

The hotel also has an 18-hole golf course, the rugged Southwestern eatery Grille at ShadowRock, three swimming pools, and a poolside café. At the 25,000-square-foot fitness center and spa, Eforea, services take on a uniquely Sedona spin. Called “Healing Journeys,” facials and massages are combined with energy healing treatments, and the fitness classes include Kundalini yoga, Tai Chi flow, and Qi Gong.

Where to Eat
 

Breakfast at Red Rock Café
 

With natural beauty galore, Sedona’s not a town for sleeping in. Thankfully, there are a slew of great breakfast spots to get you going in the morning. If Eggs Benedict are your thing (and really, what better vacation breakfast is there?), stop by the Red Rock Café. The sunny space, decked with Seonda-themed murals, has the vibe of a morning-time Cheers.

The friendly waitresses chat with and hug regulars, who order up giant cinnamon rolls, country biscuits and gravy, and omelets stuffed with everything from avocado to turkey sausage. The Eggs Benedict dishes are listed on a section of the menu known as Benedict Row. There are traditional options and the “Cowboy-Style,” which subs in country biscuits for the English muffin and uses gravy in lieu of Hollandaise sauce. This place has also got a great Bloody Mary, and if you like your morning cocktails spicy—we do—you’ll be grateful for the extra horseradish and hot sauce on the side.     

The Hideaway, a checkered-tablecloth spot near Oak Creek Canyon, is hard to beat for a casual lunch. With a full bar, patio dining, and a pool table if you’re so inclined, the charming restaurant has casual standbys like Reuben sandwiches, Tuna Melts, and jumbo hot dogs. At night, the patio glows with white Christmas lights and the menu offers comforting Italian classics like baked lasagna, Angel Hair pasta, and giant wedges of cheesy garlic bread. On some nights, a live guitarist jams quietly in the background, and takes requests (a few bucks’ tip never hurts). We asked for the Rolling Stones’ Wild Horses and got a sweet serenade.

For dinner, Sound Bites Grill is a fun, music-themed spot with a martini bar, portraits of rock stars decking the walls, and a gallery of guitars signed by the likes of Bono and Eric Clapton. There’s also a stage for live performances.

The menu hits on any kind of imaginable craving, with options ranging from crab and shrimp nachos to buffalo burgers and pesto Alfredo linguine. Our favorite dish—something you just can’t find elsewhere—was the Navajo Jo pizza, which tastes like a blend between quesadillas and pizza. The fun dish is based on a concoction that co-owner Stephen Sullins cooks up for his kids.  Sedona’s not exactly a late-night town, but this spot serves food until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and stays open till 10 on weeknights.

Like a fine-dining restaurant from a fairy tale, L’Auberge Restaurant on Oak feels like an enchanted spot—and did even before we got started on the famous wine list. Perched alongside a creek with drifting ducks, the patio is an absurdly idyllic spot for catching the sunset. At night, it lights up with candles and starry white lights wrapped around sycamore trees. Each cozy table gets its own heat lamp, purse hook, and expert server—our waiter was also a sommelier. The dinner menu offers three, four, or five courses of seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired fare. Our dinner included lavender-cured Ahi tuna, wild Columbia River Salmon with pistachio and apricot gastrique and all-natural grilled ribete. The place is pricey but so worth the splurge.

What to Do
 

 
Verde Canyon Railroad
 

A trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad is a great break for whoever’s been manning the wheel of your rental car. A perfect way to gawk at the scenery—and drink up: there’s a bar car, folks—the four-hour journey winds thorough a canyon filled with swooping bald eagles, Indian ruins, and red-rock cliffs. The first-class seats are stocked with water bottles and chips, and an in-car buffet holds snacks like salad and chicken wings. But the real place to catch the action is the open-air viewing carts, where you can feel the sun on your face and get up-close views of rock formations with names like the “Guardian Angel” (look closely and you can see the wings). Along the way, train-themed tunes spill though the speakers and live guides and audio commentary fill you in on your surroundings. The most luxurious way to see the sights is to book the Caboose. Geared for groups of six, the elegant car has oversize leather chairs, cupola seats, and a personal attendant to ply travelers with appetizers and champagne.  

Another great way to get up close and personal with nature: arrange a hike through the local Hike House. The hiking store is owned by Greg and Gracie Stevenson, a southern, husband-and-wife team who left the corporate grind to pursue their rugged passion. Gracie picks out the gear for the retail area, which “looks like Nordstrom went on a hike,” says Greg. Stocked with stylish hiking pants, shorts, and tops, the retail area also has hiking sticks, backpacks, hydration packs, yoga gear, and shoes. The on-site Energy Café, a place the Stevensons designed for hikers to gather before and after hitting the trails, has smoothies, homemade granola bars, and “Mama’s Red Rock Trail Cookies” that Gracie bakes up herself.

The store’s main claim to fame (though those cookies come in close) is the Sedona Interactive Trail finder. There are more than 100 trails in Sedona, and the finder helps visitors discover a trail that perfectly meshes with their preferred distance, time, incline, and difficulty.



Hiking West Fork Trail
 

Better yet, arrange for a private guided tour. We explored the West Fork Trail with friendly, seasoned hiker Jason Danoff, who told us about geology and wildlife, shared tidbits from his own hiking adventures, and deftly helped us over the slippery creek rocks. He even brought along some M&M-studded trail mix from the Energy Cafe. In October, the trail was at its most colorful, with the leaves bursting in hues of orange, red, and yellow.


Safari Jeep Vortex tour
 

For a mystical, oh-so-Sedona outing, book a Safari Jeep Vortex tour. The “vortexes” are rumored spots of energy—great spirals that travel upwards or downwards, and have either uplifting or grounding vibes—that can be felt at particular spots in town. Scientific? Not a bit. (The whole term “vortex” was supposedly coined by a famous medium who worked in the area.) But a vortex tour is a fascinating experience tailored to open-minded travelers, and you can’t really say you’ve experienced Sedona without checking one out.

The tours are typically two-and-a-half hours. Though most of the vortexes can be spied from paved roads, there’s also an option to get closer to certain spots via rocky back roads—but be warned: “rocky” is the understatement of the century. On the tour, a guide fills you in on the history of the area and the vortexes, and lets you hop out to experience the rumored energy spots along the way. Our guide, Chad, led us through a goose-bumps-inducing Indian ceremony at one of the spots.


Spa at Sedona Rouge
 

For a bit of pampering, book an appointment at the Spa at Sedona Rouge. Inspired by Morocco and the desert, the spa has dim rooms scented with rare flower oils and made extra cozy with Kashwére blankets. We booked the Abhayanga treatment, a 60-minute, full-body massage with warmed oils and “silent mantras” the therapist incorporates into the service (basically, positive thoughts meant to make the treatment more spiritually enriching.) Before our treatment, our masseuse analyzed our Ayurvedic personality type and gave us some tips for at-home relaxation.

The spa also has a Tranquility lounge where guests sip tea and flick through magazines in plush robes; locker rooms have saunas, steam rooms, and clothing-optional hot tubs (hey, you’re on vacation.) Spa guests also get access to the Sedona Rouge swimming pool.

Bring some extra cash for the retail area, a surprisingly great spot for gifts. There’s pretty jewelry displayed amid branches and Buddha heads, new-agey books for positive thinking, and signature Spa Rouge grooming goods scented in cedar-grapefruit and lemon-mint.
-Jenny Berg

*Top photo featuring views from West Fork Trail. All photos by Dustin Berta.