With red rock vistas, beautiful views, who can resist Sedona, Arizona. I’ve only been there twice in my life. And I look forward to going back there every year. It’s just so different, such a unique part of the Pacific North West. You’ve got to see it for yourself, at least once. In Sedona, Arizona you’ll probably never run out of things to do.
There are great shops to go to, beautiful restaurants to visit, and gorgeous sites to see while shopping or hiking to a sacred site. Here are eight great attractions I have found to be the jewels of Sedona; they include restaurants, shopping, and vortexes.
You can go to Uptown Sedona where you can shop at the many stores, buy western attire and turquoise jewelry, or have a nice meal while observing great views.
For a great casual experience you can go to the Canyon Breeze Restaurant with a beautiful bar overlooking the red rocks. This place is misted by water on a continual basis, keeping you cool while you enjoy your meal along with the beautiful scenic views. I suggest the Tuna Meltdown; it’s an excellent sandwich while overlooking the red rocks. The first picture shows an afternoon photo of the red rock views at the restaurant.
There are a few great shops where you can buy curios, souvenirs, and great turquoise jewelry. I recommend Discount Indian Jewelry; they have very good prices, and a great selection of jewelry, souvenirs, and clothes.
Throughout Uptown Sedona there is a chain of stores called Cheers; Cheers has great souveniors, t-shirts, and great calendars. Yes, it has the same exact name as Cheers (NBC 1982), the great bar sit-com.
You can go to West Sedona- the original uptown- and the most favored location among the locales, my favorite restaurant is Heartline.
Heartline has two buildings one for breakfast and lunch, and the other building is for dinner. The building to the right is the breakfast and lunch.
Heartline has a quaint and relaxed atmosphere. I recommend the salad with seared Ahi tuna; the salad is a masterpiece with delicious greens, vegetables, and excellent Ahi. If you’re on a budget you can eat a vegetarian garbanzo bean sandwich.
Heartline has a good sized, yet small lunch area; you can eat inside or outside. If you want privacy you should eat outside. Be sure to bring a sweater, because Heartline has a really good air conditioning system. The service is exemplary and the food is five star dining in a casual atmosphere.
I want to mention a restaurant outside of Sedona, but very close by. You can go out of Sedona, to a town called Cottonwood; here you’ll find a great Thai restaurant called Thai Palace. It has a calm, large seating area and terrific food. I recommend any of the curry dishes, with brown rice. I also recommend the coconut ice cream- it’s amazing.
In West Sedona, you can go to Tlaquepaque where you can find Rene. It is a true fine dining experience. You can go just casual or dress up. They do serve escargot, and fine wines. I recommend the Ahi tuna, they serve it on a flour tortilla with many vegetables. The salmon dish is also excellent. The restaurant is first class, definitely a place to impress a date, or to bring family for a big meal and for special occasions.
Rene is truly one of the best quality restaurant settings in Tlaquepaque. It has a view outside the windows that shows the beautiful fountain area. Picture two shows the fountain setting.
If you loved Tlaquepaque you’ll love Steaks and Sticks at the Los Abrigados Resort, it is just south of Tlaquepaque. Steaks and Sticks is a great sports bar. They have a great salmon dinner; the salmon is marinated in a delicious sauce. They have great steaks and the cheesecake is delicious.
Steaks and Sticks has three giant sports screens in one room, great for beers and dinner, while watching a game.
Of course there’s a lot more than just shopping and fine dining, you’ve got lots of sacred sites in Sedona. These places are called vortexes, follow the advice they give you at Sedona’s Chamber of Commerce in Uptown Sedona.
They have rangers and guides who are very knowledgeable. Here is some basic information: on any hike you have to bring 1 gallon of water per person, a first aid kit, stay on the trails, make sure people know you’re going on a hike, go with a group if you’re a novice or inexperienced, take hiking boots, also know the trail with maps or with a guide, be prepared for a hike; don’t take it too lightly.
The trails are hot with lots of rocks, and there could be wild animals so be careful where you step. Go on the easiest hikes first; best thing is to go with a group. There are several vortexes you can visit in Sedona. The third picture on the article is of the Fay Canyon hike’s views which you’ll find on the Fay Canyon Trail.
