The drive into Sedona alone is beautiful, which is a good sign of the views and atmosphere to come. Sedona is a popular place that gets busy with visitors, especially when you visit on a Saturday. Once you arrive and look around, you will understand why.

Our first stop when getting into town was at Creekside Coffee to refuel after the drive. It’s a popular spot for it’s views of the surrounding area (their slogan after all is ‘a brew with a view’). They have a nice selection of coffees & drinks, baked goods, and food items. We opted for caffeinated beverages and muffins. They also have wine tastings of the local Javelina Leap winery – we meant to do this and simply forgot by the end of the day!

We ventured across the street to the Tlaquepaque Shopping Village – there are many shops to explore here. What was supposed to be a ‘quick stop’ turned into several shopping bags. A handful of notable spots we came across:

• Sedona Candle Gallery – gorgeously designed candles that, if burned the proper way, can be reused as a decorative candle holder for tea lights
• Spirits & Spice – a wonderful shop with olive oils, vinegars, spices, and various high-end spirits
• The Chai Spot – cute spot for a traditional chai and shopping
• The Artist’s Kitchen Shop – on the north side of Tlaquepaque, great place to purchase creative kitchen and cooking gifts

Since Sedona is big on vortexes, where should you go to find one? There are two easily accessible spots that we ventured to – Red River Crossing and the Airport Mesa Overlook.

Visiting the Red River Crossing will cost you a $10 day pass from the Recreation Resource Management (the federal park pass doesn’t work here). The pass allows access to three different spots and hey, it’s going to a good cause! Drive to the Crescent Moon Ranch and purchase the pass. Continue driving east and park at the end of the road, plenty of parking is available. Follow the Red Rock Crossing Trail along the creek. It’s an easy and short hike, good for all skill levels. Even starting at the picnic site you have beautiful views of Cathedral Rocks. Enjoy the views and the vortex energy!

The Airport Mesa Overlook is even easier to access since it’s basically right in town. Drive up Airport Road and look for the parking lot on your left after about a half mile. The parking lot is small and will likely be full, so continue driving up another half mile until you reach a much larger parking lot on your left, pay $3 in cash. This lot is right across the street from the scenic Sedona Airport overlook, which is worth a stop itself. From the parking lot, follow the Sedona View trail heading back downhill to the Airport Mesa, finding yourself in another vortex with spectacular 360 views of Sedona. For a longer hike, opt for the Aiport Loop Trail.

Before heading out of town, how about stopping for quick bite? Right back down Airport Road is Tamaliza, a family-owned Mexican spot serving up great food. This spot is perfect for all diets. Their menu changes often but you can count on tamales and enchiladas being available.