With only a handful of days to spend in the beautiful American Southwest, what’s a traveler to do? El Portal Sedona Hotel provides visitor with a list of six ways to fill your days with a mix of shopping, hiking, site seeing, and eating.
(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - February 23rd, 2015 - As one of the most beautiful locations in the American Southwest, Sedona offers an array of ways to spend a trip of practically any length. With beautiful hiking, scenic vistas, exciting day trips, and top-flight food and shopping, it can be hard to decide how to spend the time. For instance, what are the best ways to see what Sedona and the surrounding areas have to offer in only three days? Here are six places that could top the list of any vacation.
1. One of the perennial favorites of all the Sedona locations is Oak Creek Canyon. With miles of beautiful hiking and biking trails, it’s entirely possible to spend a full day exploring the canyons, vistas, and the nature of area. However, if a long day out doors doesn’t appeal, then enjoy the fourteen-mile scenic drive along route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff. The picturesque forests and astonishing rock formations are all visible from the comfort of a car along one of American’s top five most scenic drives!
2. For internationally renowned shopping and dining, spend the evening at Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village in the center of Sedona. Tlaquepaque offers a tremendous variety of shops, galleries, and artisans. This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon beneath the shade of sycamore trees and enjoy local art and music before dining at one of the nearby restaurants that range in specialties from authentic Mexican to fine French cuisine.
3. Another wonderful day trip is to spend the morning and afternoon in Jerome and then grab dinner in old town Cottonwood. Jerome, known as the largest ghost town in America, it used to be the hub of copper mining in Arizona and one of the wickedest towns in the west. Today it has a number of local artists, museums and attractions that make it entirely modern. On the way back to Sedona, stop in at old town Cottonwood for a delicious dinner at one of the many restaurants on Main Street.
4. The Honanki Indian Ruins is another place to spend an afternoon that combines beautiful scenery, pleasant hiking, and local history. The lesser known of the two ruins sites in the Sedona area (the sister site is Palatki); Honanki was the home of the Sinagua – the ancestors of the Hopi – from 1100 to 1300 CE. Today, it is a national heritage site, and visitors can see the dwellings as well as beautifully preserved rock paintings and pictographs during tours.
5. From Sedona, one of the natural wonders of the world is only a short drive away – Grand Canyon National Park! From Sedona, the Grand Canyon is only a short two-hour drive away, allowing visitors to avoid tourist congestion and crowded on-site lodgings. With a variety of tours available, visitors can arrange their trips with minimal hassle and enjoy one of the most incredible sites the planet has to offer.
6. If spending a morning or afternoon outdoors is on the to-do list, then hiking Margs Draw is a must for any Sedona visit. With an easy to moderate difficulty level, this trailhead is perfect for families or anyone looking for a more leisurely trail that allows hikers to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of stunning red rock views that Sedona is famous for across the world. Averaging three miles total, this trail is the perfect one to take for a day of walking and enjoying the natural splendor of the American Southwest.
To enjoy all of these sites during a three-day venture, vacationers will need a place to stay in Sedona, and it’s almost impossible to find lodgings better than those at El Portal Sedona Hotel. Come and enjoy the natural beauty of Sedona, and make El Portal a second home during any stay. This pet friendly hotel offers personalized concierge services for guests and is staffed by people who know the area and are valuable resources for planning days full of activity. The central location of the boutique hotel makes it the perfect place to get some R & R between adventures.
About El Portal Sedona Hotel
El Portal Sedona Hotel is a boutique hotel with 12 amenity-filled suites. Unpretentious luxury resonates from this meticulously and accurately created “hacienda.” With a romantic courtyard and beautiful great room, guests can enjoy the serene, ageless spirit of Sedona. It is a pet-friendly hotel, a AAA Four Diamond Hotel, voted one of America's Best Pet-Friendly Hotels by Coñde Nast Travelers Readers (2015), and Best Pet Friendly Hotel in the USA by USA Today and 10Best.com (2013). El Portal offers guests personalized concierge services for the Sedona area to enjoy, explore and discover Sedona.
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