A Gift of Memories in Sedona

For the fiance’s 40th, I decided to gift him a memory full of red rocks and mountain scrambling. When it came to picking a resort, Amara Resort & Spa did not disappoint. The location was convenient, the views were spectacular, there is Saltrock Kitchen, an infinity pool, a creek, and also a luxurious spa on site.

Day 1

From PHX we rented a car and drove 2 hours up to Sedona. We took a stop at Montezuma Castle for some viewing and grabbed a bite to eat at Butterfly Burger. After, we went to Clark’s Market for water bottles and hiking snacks. We then checked into the resort and had dinner at Salk Rock Kitchen.

Day 2

We woke up around 5am to hike Devil’s Bridge early. Little did we know we parked at the wrong trailhead, the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead, which took us a total of 3 miles to get up to the bridge and 3 miles back. So by the time we got to the bridge there was at least an hour line wait to take pictures. If you want to get to the bridge faster, park at the Mescal Trailhead instead, with 1.5 miles to the bridge and 1.5 miles back. After we got breakfast and coffee at The View Cafe, did some shopping uptown, and then hung by our infinity pool.

Day 3

We had an 8am Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour this day. So we woke up early, caught a golf cart up to the shops and got breakfast and coffee at Before & After Java Cafe right next to the Pink Jeep Tour location. This tour was definitely a highlight of the trip. After the tour we explored Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, had lunch at Oak Creek Brewery and chai tea at The Chai Spot. Back to the pool we went. For dinner we celebrated the birthday at Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill and enjoyed the beautiful views.

Day 4

We got breakfast at Before & After Java Cafe and drove to the Sedona Shuttle site. We took the shuttle to Cathedral Rock Trailhead were we did a 1.5 mile scramble up the rocks and enjoyed the Vortex at the end of the trail. We met an incredible family from Michigan and had a blast with them scrambling up and down. Finishing the hike so early, we all decided to visit The Chapel of Holy Cross. The family recommended for us to eat lunch at The Hideaway House and it did not disappoint. My favorite meal with a view so far. We ended the day with an amazing relaxation massage at Amara Spa and had our farewell dinner at Salt Rock Kitchen.

Day 5

We said our goodbyes to Sedona, packed out bags and headed back to PHX.