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Nightmare In Sedona |  |
Gatlinburg in the Desert?
Nothing against Gatlinburg, understand - it’s in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, and we haven’t been there for many, many years, but way back when it was just a mite touristy, and that’s what inspired Frank’s comment as we drove through Sedona. Let’s face it. In spite of all the wonderful things we’ve read and heard about Sedona, it was just not our cup of tea. Now the scenery is certainly spectacular and it’s definitely worth a visit, but it’s hard not to think tourist trap as you drive through town.Geting to Sedona from the South Rim
It’s a snap, about four hours.- We took South Entrance Road which became US-180 and turned into AZ-64 South.
- East on I-40. Exit onto I-17 S (exit number195A, towards AZ-89A /Sedona/Phoenix.
- Merge onto I-17 S. Take exit number 337 towards AZ-89A S/Pulliam Airport/Sedona.
- Turn right onto W John Wesley Powell Blvd.
- Turn left onto AZ 89A and continue for 27.8 miles.
- Turn right onto Dry Creek Road.
- Turn left onto Boynton Canyon Rd.
Stops and Sights Along The Way
We stopped for lunch at Williams, 55 miles South of Grand Canyon Village, just west of the junction of AZ 64 and I-40. Once a rough frontier town, Williams’ salons, bordellos, and opium dens have been converted into restaurants and a bed-and-breakfast.
We had sandwiches at the Pine Country Restaurant, not quite as good as the lunch we had at Marble Canyon Lodge, but Pine Country Restaurant has a large selection of homemade pies.
Accommodations
Sedona has a variety of motels. We stayed outside the city at Enchantment Resort (see Disenchanted with Enchantment.Dining
We were only in Sedona one night and had an OK (good OK) dinner at a Mexican place whose name I didn’t keep.What To Do In Sedona
 Drive around and look at the rocks, or take a Jeep tour of the canyon(Sedona is known for its Jeep tours). |
Or check out the tourist strip and shops. Visit  , a gorgeous upscale outdoor mall (nicknamed “to-lock-your-pocket” by the locals for its high prices). |
 Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed by most of the merchandise, but we did hear and buy two romantic acoustic guitar CDs by a local artist named Patrick Ki. |
 Also at Tlaquepaque, check out Lyman Whitaker’s Wind Sculptures at the El Prado Gallery. |