2020 had us all spending a lot more time in the comfort of our own home. But after awhile I think all of us were wishing we could just get away from the crazy reality we are living safely.
2020 for me, personally, was the worst year of my life. Obviously Covid contributed to that, but my mainly because I lost my father in May to pancreatic cancer. Not only does the death of someone close to you put things in perspective, like the things you want to experience, the places you want to see….It also had me wishing for an escape from reality for a little bit.
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Before my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I traveled a lot. For me, I think it is a type of therapy. Putting the world on hold to experience different cultures is a great way to get away from it all. Planning your trip and traveling gives you a reason to get excited. Something to look forward to. When the week is becoming mundane, it’s nice to think, “Today wasn’t great, but a month from now I will be in (insert city)!”
I started looking up places I could go that the main focus was outdoor activities. I thought of possibilities: pools, beaches, hiking. Then it hit me: Arizona. Growing up, my family and I spent 2 weeks every summer exploring the USA in our camper trailer. Because of that, I have been to a large number of states. One we never made it to was Arizona. I had been in the Phoenix airport before, but unfortunately, for me…I don’t think that counts 🙁
I have always been interested in going to Arizona and the timing just hasn’t worked out. Pictures online seem so pretty, but I thought maybe it was time to go and experience it for myself.
Ultimately wanting to get away mentally regardless of if I had someone to go with, I decided to start researching. I eventually did enlist my best friend to go with me and we made a plan.
The hardest thing for us to decide was what city to stay in. Sedona and Scottsdale are the two cities that first came to mind. After doing a little bit of research on both, we decided to stay in Scottsdale and make a day trip to Sedona. Our main reason for deciding this was because Sedona is generally 10 degrees cooler than Scottsdale and when you are trying to escape the cold…that just won’t do.
Once arriving, I am sooo happy that we stayed in Scottsdale. Regardless of the weather, there is, in my opinion, much more to do. The was a downtown area with wineries, bars, restaurants…all while being minutes away from breathtaking hiking trails.
Where to stay? When I tell you I did a lot of research on a nice, centrally located places to stay, I mean I did A LOT. I finally settled on The Scott Resort and Spa. It was one of the nicer options without being crazy expensive. It is also within walking distance of downtown. After staying, I can say it was really lovely. It is recently renovated and the restaurant, pool, and rooms were super clean. All of the staff was friendly as well. If I ever go back, which I hope I do, I will definitely consider staying there again.
Scottsdale
Hiking:
I am by NO means an avid hiker. Before this trip, I never went on any serious hikes or even had any of the gear. The few times I did hike, it was spontaneous and wore completely the wrong shoes. As I quickly learned, going downhill without traction is NOT fun.
First thing I did to prepare for this trip was go on Amazon and look for a cheap pair of hiking boots The ones I purchased were by hash bubbie for $35.99. They had good reviews and were cute (because that’s what really matters).
I also found a cheap crossbody backpack for $16.99 by MOSISO. It really was the perfect size.
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The first hike we did in Scottsdale was Tom’s Thumb. I think this trail is arguably one of the most well known hike’s in Arizona. This trail is about 5 miles round trip to the peak thumb (as you can see in picture) and back. It was rated as difficult and I am not going to lie, I certainly struggled the first patch of the hike. It is steadily uphill for a large portion in the beginning. However, after you are rewarded with views of the mountains on one side and Phoenix on the other. The second half of the trail is much more enjoyable on my legs!
The second hike we did was at Papago Park. When I say this is a “hike”, I am using the word lightly. After Tom’s Thumb, we went to this park and wandered around. I was apprehensive doing two hikes so close together (especially after being on the struggle bus during the first part of Tom’s Thumb), but Papago Park really could be as hard or easy as you wanted it to be. In the middle of the park is a really more of a stroll than a hike. In the middle of the park are two buttes that tower from the ground. The hiking is a loop around these buttes without any steep areas.
About halfway through the loop there is the Papago Park Amphitheater. This 3,500 seat amphitheater was built in 1933 but has been unused for about 50 years due to the main road built directly behind the stage area.
When we walked by there was a man running up and down the steps and I couldn’t help but be reminded of Rocky.
Even if it isn’t in use anymore, it is worth the treck around the park to observe the area (and getting a little reprieve from the real hiking trails).
The last hike we did in the Scottsdale area was Camelback Mountain. Much like Tom’s Thumb, I think that this is one of the most well-known hikes in the area. Being out last hike, I will tell you…I was not able to finish. My legs were shaky and sore from our pervious activities, but honestly, I found it hard! That is not to say that there wasn’t children and elderly kicking my butt on it and doing just fine.
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While my best friend didn’t find it as hard, I think I struggled with the couple areas that were unconventional hikes. As you can see from this picture, there were areas that you needed to use both your hands and your feet to get up the rocky terrain.
It was fun and different, but the entire time going up, I spent half the time worrying about what it would be like going down!
Either way, since it is an iconic climb with iconic views, I would still recommend it. At least until the point where I ended…most of the way but before the hands on knees vertical climb!
Food and Drinks:
One of my favorite things about going on trips is the food. I am one of those people who plan their day around meals and what they are going to eat next. The restaurant I loved the most in Scottsdale was Diego Pops. Right in the downtown area, the restaurant is a hip Mexican restaurant with a cute, small indoor section and a HUGE outdoor section.
It was colder than normal the days we went to Arizona and I honestly expected it to be like I have experienced in other southern states…the moment it hits below 70 degrees F, everyone runs inside. But boy was I wrong about Arizona! We sat outside in the cooler weather and everyone was with us! We ordered some tacos and margaritas and it was sooo delicious.
This blog is fairly new, but one thing that will be pretty obvious about me from the get-go, is I love wine. LOVE. This obsession even makes it’s way into my traveling. Before going to Arizona, I didn’t hear much about wine being made there…and I would assume I am not alone in that…However, after doing a little research, Arizona does in fact make a lot of wine.
Downtown Scottsdale is home to a lot of tasting rooms for these wineries that are located in different regions around Arizona. I only experienced two keep in mind, but my favorite was Carlson Creek Vineywards tasting room. It is small, but the gentlemen who worked there was obviously veryyy knowledgeable in their personal wines. He could recommend the order in which you should drink them, what food you should pair them with, and was overall very friendly with each customer.
Some noteable restuarants in Scottsdale include:
- elements: This restaurant is super fancy, which to be honest isn’t really my vibe, but the views of Camelback Mountain during the day and at night are amazing. We went at night and because there are so many houses on the mountain, seeing all of them lit up in what looked like the sky, was beautiful.
- Tommy V’s Italian Restaurant: I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Italian food and red wine, so this restaurant gave us both. It was cute, affordable, and I would definitely recommend having one of your meals here.
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Sedona
Two hours north of Scottsdale is the picturesque town of Sedona. While Scottsdale has it’s own mountains and buttes around the city, Sedona is known for it’s red rock. During the drive north, it was crazy to see how quickly the color of the rocks changed. From a pale brown to a bright, vibrant red.
When researching must see places in Sedona on the top of my list was the Chapel of Holy Cross. This is a Roman Catholic Church built into one of the red rock buttes. It first opened in 1956 and I just knew I wanted to light a candle for my dad. He traveled quite a bit growing up and I am not sure he has been there, but it’s comforting to know that if he never made it there, I can bring a little part of his memory to new places by donating and lighting a candle. Even though the church is tiny, I would definitely recommend visiting for the views and the architecture. Maybe even light a candle for someone you love as well.
We also spent a lot of time at Slide Rock State Park. The ideal time to come here would be in the summer. This land was initially an apple farm and on your walk to the “natural water slide” as locals call it, stands the buildings that were a part of the farm years ago. The biggest attraction is the stream of water gliding between the red rocks. It was super cool to climb the rocks and look up at the mountain above. In the summer hundreds of people come to cool off and slide down the red rocks into the water. Unfortunately while we were there, we found snow! Nothing us Michiganders aren’t used to, but surely not something I need to see on vacation!
There is plenty of hiking in the Sedona area but we made our way up the scenic route of Highway 89A instead. It amazed me how in one day I could start in Scottsdale with brown rock, move through Sedona with red rock, and then continue north to landscape that looked like Washington with pine trees everywhere.
Overall, I loved everything about Arizona and hope to go back again and again. I am pretty sure no one can get sick of looking at those views.
P.S. Yes, I was sore for an entire week after all the hiking lol
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