Things to do
  • HIKING
  • MOUNTAIN BIKING
  • VORTEX TOURS
  • JEEP TOURS
  • SHOPPING
  • HOT AIR BALLOON 
  • SPA & MASSAGE
  • INDIAN RUINS
  • TROLLEY RIDE
  • YOGA
  • HORSEBACK RIDING
  • VERDE VALLEY RAILROAD
  • GOLF
■DAY TRIP OF INDIAN RUINS

You begin by going South on Hwy 179 to I-17. Go under the interstate and across Beaver Creek to the “V-Bar-V Ranch” where you will see more petroglyphs in one spot than any other we know of. This appears to be a message site with more than 1000 petroglyphs chiseled into the 11 walls. Incredible.

Continue to Montezuma’s Well. It is a limestone sink hole formed by the collapse of an immense underground cavern. The springs that feed it flow continuously. Both the Hohokam and Sinagua diverted the water to irrigate their crops as well as built their homes in the area. Walk to the bottom of the well to see how their irrigation canals worked and dangle your feet in the cool water on a warm day and try to imagine how the people went about doing their daily work.

From here you can go to the Montezuma Castle site where you will find an amazing five story cliff dwelling built in the 12th century by the Sinagua farmers and a wonderful visitor center. On the paved pathway you will find many plants identified for you. ($2/person entry). Off on Highway 260 through Cottonwood to Clarkdale where you can walk through the Tuzigoot Indian dwelling site built between 1125 and 1400. It crowns the summit of a long ridge that rises 120 feet above the Verde Valley. It was inhabited by 50 to 200 persons.

■GRAND CANYON

(Driving Day Trip to the Grand Canyon)

Many of our guests leave after a hearty Southwest breakfast for the Grand Canyon and return in time for a Sedona Sunset. One route is 89 North of Flagstaff to the Sunset Crater National Park Loop. This is a 31 mile loop road that will take you to Sunset Crater, crater and lava flow area, next a panoramic view of the Painted Desert and then arrive at Wupatki ruins. These ruins include not only a pueblo, with original 800 year old beams in place, but also a ball court and sacred blow hole. At the end of the loop road you’ll continue North on 89 into the Navajo Nation. The 100 year old Cameron Trading post can be an interesting stop with their gift shop, museum, and Navajo tacos. (A small one for two). From there you enter the Grand Canyon through the Navajo Nation and may see them selling their arts on the side of the road. This will take you to the East entrance to the South rim of the Grand Canyon, usually less traffic than from the South entrance. After a late lunch at the historic El Tovar Hotel, we recommend a 15 to 45 minute hike down the Bright Angel trail to give you a feeling of being below the rim. Don’t forget it takes two times as long to come back up! You may want to stop at the IMAX theater enroute back to Sedona via Highway 180. This is a very rewarding day. Don’t forget to take a jacket as it can be very cool.