Why We Fell in Love with Sedona

Enchanting. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think back to the three magical days we spent in Sedona – welcoming the new year and officially saying, “Hasta la vista, baby” to 2017.

It was everything we expected and more. The beauty of the red mountains staring at us from every direction, the quiet and peaceful sounds of crystal clear water cascading down Oak Creek. The picturesque drive to get into Sedona was full of excitement, revealing one beautiful scene after another as we hugged and curved through majestic mountains to arrive at our final destination. We were literally at the edge of our seats with anticipation to arrive at this peaceful oasis.

The breathtaking vistas that welcomed us were enough to leave us speechless and in awe as soon as we arrived in Sedona.

It was our first time visiting this part of Arizona. My wife had done some research about the city and had promised it would be well worth the trip. I’m usually the one that does the driving so I leave the trip planning to her. She is much more practical about planning logistics, and she knows what my son and I enjoy. We’re not that hard to please, in all honesty. I like large open spaces with plenty of nature to immerse myself in. He likes more mundane things like souvenir shops and knick-knacks he can bring back home.

Sedona offered both.

We stayed at the Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble Hotel & Creekside Villas right in the middle of it all. From the moment we stepped into our room we were blown away by all the details that went into making sure this hotel experience was a great one for guests. The balcony in our room literally overlooked the mountains. The on-property creek that was just a walk away was actually Oak Creek. And the resort-style country club also on-property featured a heated pool, a hot tub, a sauna, a tennis court, and even a family recreation area. Edgar and I spent a lot of time at the country club playing pool and swimming after our long walks during the day.

Sedona is one of those places that makes you feel and act different. I know because my wife is not one to go on hiking trips, but in Sedona she was all for them. We trekked along Oak Creek and even went to visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which in it of itself requires a bit of a hike. We were going to make the long walk to Devil’s Bridge as well, but then decided to take a jeep tour instead. We were all pretty tired by this point.

It turned out to be a great decision because we were able to cover so much more terrain, and our driver had so much interesting information to share with us about the area. He was an excellent tour guide!

At the end of our trip we discussed coming back one more time to welcome another year in the future. We are Best Western Rewards members, and we do travel a lot throughout the year, so we are already racking up our points. The fact that we can let those points rollover means that we can use them for a return trip this year or hold off until next year, or the one after to return.

I’m not sure my wife and son are willing to wait that long.