I’ve loved the desert landscape of the Southwest since my first family vacation to the Grand Canyon & Utah many years ago. And last year summer, when Matt & I drove across the country visiting national parks, that love for the desert was reaffirmed.

When we decided to take short winter trip, we thought about switching it up and going East, but Arizona & Utah were still the states that got us excited. Once I saw photos of the red rocks in Sedona, Arizona, it was an easy decision.

We flew in to Phoenix on Friday and drove 2 hours north to Sedona. Shoutout to my husband for pulling the car over to get up close to a saguaro cactus for the first time. Long-time goal: check. They’re just as impressive as I imagined, and seeing hundreds of them along the highway was incredible.

I really can’t say enough good things about Sedona and how beautiful it is. We loved every one of our hikes and everywhere we went in town. We’re already thinking about our next trip to Sedona and nearby Flagstaff (another one of our favorites).

For those interested, the hikes we recommend most are:

Cathedral Rock

Doe Mountain

Bell Rock (Climb)

Solider’s Pass

Send me an email or Instagram message if you need more Sedona trip tips!