Spring in Sedona

We were in a comfortable one-bedroom condo on the ground level. It was decorated in lovely, Southwest decor. The kitchen was well equipped, though we ate most of our meals out. A fabulous two-person jacuzzi in the bathroom. Our patio opened up against a hill but we had a great view of the golf course below and a hilly area with lots of gambrill quail. Our only complaint was that the bathroom noises from upstairs were an irritation, especially during the night.

There were two pools and three hot tubs in the complex. We found a great hot tub up the hill surrounded by foliage where we loved to sit and watch the stars come up in that black Arizona sky.

We walked the neighborhood each day soaking up the scenery, the fragrance and the calming atmosphere of the Arizona desert. Very secure, very beautiful.

Staying at the Ridge gave us privileges at the spa/sports club up the road, where we enjoyed playing tennis several times during our trip.

We arrived at the Ridge before check in time but the staff found us a room that was ready. We were given a room that the patio opened up onto the road. Even though I felt like I was being a pest, I went to the office and asked if there was another room with a better view and they gave us the one described above. No problems. Now granted the upper story units have a MUCH better view, we were happy with ours.

Remember, the Village of Oak is a piece from downtown Sedona but we enjoyed being out away from all the hustle and bustle of crowds. You definitely need a car.

Best Things Nearby:
Hiking in the red rocks of Sedona

Best Things About the Resort:
Beautiful scenery. Proximity to the golf course and sports complex.

Resort Experience:
We were in a comfortable one-bedroom condo on the ground level. It was decorated in lovely, Southwest decor. The kitchen was well equipped, though we ate most of our meals out. A fabulous two-person jacuzzi in the bathroom. Our patio opened up against a hill but we had a great view of the golf course below and a hilly area with lots of gambrill quail. Our only complaint was that the bathroom noises from upstairs were an irritation, especially during the night.

There were two pools and three hot tubs in the complex. We found a great hot tub up the hill surrounded by foliage where we loved to sit and watch the stars come up in that black Arizona sky.

We walked the neighborhood each day soaking up the scenery, the fragrance and the calming atmosphere of the Arizona desert. Very secure, very beautiful.

Staying at the Ridge gave us privileges at the spa/sports club up the road, where we enjoyed playing tennis several times during our trip.

We arrived at the Ridge before check in time, but the staff found us a room that was ready. We were given a room that the patio opened up onto the road. Even though I felt like I was being a pest, I went to the office and asked if there was another room with a better view and they gave us the one described above. No problems. Now granted the upper story units have a MUCH better view, we were happy with ours.

Remember, the Village of Oak is a piece from downtown Sedona but we enjoyed being out away from all the hustle and bustle of crowds. You definitely need a car.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Good

In our search for great Mexican food we stumbled onto this small, authentic Mexican restaurant in Flagstaff on our way back from the Grand Canyon. One look and you could tell, this was the real deal. You walk up to the counter to place your order. There is a wonderful selection to choose from. We ordered the daily special which was enchiladas, taco, rice, and beans. (Not too adventurous) We were given one of their pork tamales to sample (wonderful). On our special we chose a carne asada taco and pork carnita taco. They were both wonderful! The enchilada was average. They have a salsa bar with several choices of freshly made salsas to sample, including an avocado salsa.

Great place, friendly people and really good Mexican food!

We fell in love immediately with the smoothies at Creative Juices. My personal favorites were Picasso Peach (a wonderful blend of peaches, pears, apricots and nonfat vanilla yogurt) or Mocha Monet (Ghirardelli chocolate and dark roasted espresso in nonfat vanilla yogurt). They serve sandwiches along with their smoothies and pastries. The owners were wonderful, friendly and eager to please. We got our smoothie fix at least once a day . . . We're having withdrawals!!

This great place is owned by the same folks that have Creative Juices. We would get a smoothie there and go down a few doors to The Grill for breakfast. Their breakfasts were the best we had all week. Great selection, fresh and innovative. They are also open for lunch. Fresh salads, sandwiches, and much more.

One of our best eating memories of Sedona is sitting outside on the patio at Picazzo's, listening to live jazz, having a freshly made spinach salad and dynamite pizza.

This is not your typical chain pizza place. Puttanesca was fabulous with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and French feta cheese topped with fresh basil. So many choices, so little time. The salads were large enough to share and very good. Choose from Greek, Asian, Fresh Pear Gorgonzola, Caesar and more!

The steaks were superb. The side dishes were innovative and so tasty. (Try the crispy spinach with parmesan. It will melt in your mouth. The rice has a blend of dried fruit to give it a slight sweet flavor.) Great salad. The waiter was very attentive. The ambience was romantic yet not stuffy. Soft jazz in the background. Wonderful romantic evening.

Returning to the state where my heart belongs, we planned our summer vacation to Sedona. In early May, the weather had already started to heat up but the mornings and evenings were cool and clear. There were two days when the wind blew quite strong, trying to make us homesick for Oklahoma . . .didn't work. The crowds were heavy in downtown Sedona but we really didn't spend much time there. We aren't much into shopping or galleries. We are more the outdoor type.

There are numerous hiking trails around Sedona. We hiked a short, easy trail around Bell Rock. We saw two of the biggest jack rabbits I have ever seen. We were a bit disappointed that the cactus weren't in full bloom, but enjoyed the ever changing views around each corner nevertheless.

We took a day and drove up to the Grand Canyon. The crowds there weren't bad at all. The weather up there was great. Warm but not scorching.

We drove back through Flagstaff. Took a short hike up a trail in town that started in a park. Beautiful but still scarred by recent fires. It was warm even in Flagstaff.

We weren't able to take the ski lift up Snow Bowl because there was still snow up there so we just drove up and took part of a trail up there. The weather was so nice. We had to pull our sweatshirts out of our packs. Beautiful scenery, quiet, serene. The smell of pines and the sound of the aspens. Mmmmm..... Only saw one other family hiking so we basically had the trail to ourselves.

One day we drove down to Pine/Strawberry. Two small towns in the White Mountains. We took the Pine trail just outside Pine. A wonderful, moderate hike through the pine forests. Again, scarred by recent fires. But still beautiful.

From what we learned, Arizona is in the middle of a 50-year drought which was evident in the areas we hiked. Even though it was dry, that couldn't detract from the beauty of the areas.