First Trip to Sedona

Best Things Nearby:
Arroyo Roble is very well located in upper Sedona, within walking distance of the shops (if you don’t mind walking up a steep hill). Oak Creek Canyon is just to the north. The Grand Canyon is about 2 hours away. There are beautiful red rocks right outside your door.

Best Things About the Resort:
The resort does not have planned activities, but it does have an informational session on Sunday for a local tour company to come tell you what there is to do in the area. We got some good information here but did not take any of their tours. I also heard a lot that I had already found out in my own research. There is an indoor/outdoor pool, ping-pong, pool tables, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, racquetball courts, and outdoor tennis courts. I believe there is both a steam room and sauna, plus they have a decently equipped workout room. Equipment can be signed out at the front desk. Everything was well maintained. Note that if you want sun at the pool this time of year, you must go in the morning, as the shade takes over starting shortly after noon.

Resort Experience:

The unit was rather dark, but that probably helps keep it cool in the summer. There are gas fireplaces in the living room and master bedroom, although we didn’t use them. Furnishings are older but in good shape. We had to sleep on the couch since I brought my mother and her fiancé, and it was not comfortable. We had to sleep with our heads at the end because it went downhill at the head. There is a washer/dryer, but the capacity is small and the dryer took at least three times to dry the clothing.

The kitchen is equipped basically for six but had some extra glasses and mugs. There are plenty of pots/pans/cookware to cook whatever you want, all in good shape. They supply a small box of dishwashing detergent and small bottle of dish soap. One nice touch is a bottle of liquid soap in all the bathrooms.

The master bath has a hot tub and double sinks. The bedroom has a seating area with a TV and plenty of drawer space. Since my mother slept here, I really didn’t spend any time here. Towels are just enough for six, with one mid-week exchange. They do have pool towels in your room that you could use for bathing if you wanted to.

The door to the extra bath is actually inside the doorway to the spare bedroom. This was a little inconvenient at times. The spare bedroom has two twin beds, no TV, and no dresser. The closet is large and has an upper shelf and some cubbyholes that we used for our clothes.

Although there was plenty of room for six, I would recommend four just because of the sleeping and bathroom arrangements. There is no charge for local calls. Two PCs were located in the main office area, with Internet access and a printer. This was great for checking in for our flights home.

We did the trolley ride early in the week after reading suggestions in previous reviews. We did a Pink Jeep Tour to the ancient ruins, which was very interesting. We took a day trip to a couple national parks and drove to Jerome. Note that parks and many towns close down by 5 or 6pm, so start your day early. We drove up to the Grand Canyon, which took just over 2 hours.

Overall, we liked the resort and would rate it an 8.5. They keep the grounds done very well and I like the amenities, but I think they need some updating in the units. The location was great. We can’t wait to go back to do everything we didn’t have time for.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Good

We got into town about 3:30pm and were starved since we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We were seated rather quickly because we didn't mind if we ate inside. We were seated by the window that looked over the valley, though, so we still had a nice view.

The Haunted Hamburger is on the top of the hill in Jerome, an old mining town built on the side of a mountain. The view is fantastic. We were actually on our jeep tour in Sedona when the guide pointed out buildings on a hillside in the distance and said that it was Jerome. It was neat knowing we were recently there looking out and must have seen Sedona from there.

The Haunted Hamburger is a rather small, pub-like restaurant. There is a wrap-around deck outside with some seating under cover. I had a blue-cheese burger that I thought was good. My son had ribs for an appetizer that fell right off the bone. I can't really remember what anyone else got, except for my daughter. She ate the cheese quesadillas and didn't like them.

The specialty here is the ribs. The hamburgers were good, but I wouldn't say it was the best I've ever had.

We called around noon on a Friday to make a reservation, and our choices were 5:30pm or after 8pm. We took the one after 8pm. We were promptly seated when we got there, and it was still busy.

We ordered a small plate of nachos for an appetizer, and it was still large enough for us to share. My son ordered the Mexican steak that came sliced. It looked very good. My husband got pork enchiladas, and I had a cheese enchilada and chicken burrito.

Everyone enjoyed their dinner. Because we were there so late, it was dark and we couldn't see the view. During the day, you can get a nice view of the red rocks while you dine. Service was excellent.

We had read mixed reviews on Pizza Picasso and their gourmet pizzas. We wanted a regular old pepperoni pizza, so were looking at the advertiser racks in the resort. Olive Oil's had a 10%-off coupon, and we were glad we picked it up.

They do deliver to the resorts, but we decided to drive out since we didn't know the sizes. Olive Oils is located in the Safeway Plaza on 89A, so it is easy to find. The restaurant is very small, with limited seating. The walls are uniquely decorated with paintings of Disney cartoon characters.

We went to pick up some things at Rite-Aid while we waited for the pizza to cook, and then couldn't wait to get home to eat. The pizzas were some of the best we've had. It is a hand-tossed pizza. The sauce had a great flavor and the crust was really soft. I don't often eat the outside crust, but this was almost like eating a breadstick it was so soft.

I highly recommend Olive Oils. We picked up a pizza for lunch one day, too. When we called, they let us know that the size of the pizza we were ordering was on special with a free soda. In most of our experiences, we don't hear of the specials unless we ask. I thought the food and service were great.

When we picked up this pizza, the one girl working was delivering a pizza to a table outside where the patron was sitting with his dog.

I wasn't as awestruck as I had imagined I would be, although it was amazing. I have a little bit of a height issue, and there are a lot of unprotected edges, so beware. I hyperventilated a bit when my husband tried to get my kids on the edge for a picture!
We drove up while my mother and her fiancé took the bus trip. My mother has limited mobility so this was great for her.
We drove into the Grand Canyon on the south rim and exited via the east rim, stopping at Cameron Trading post. If you take the train in, do the more western side of Grand Canyon first, as no cars are allowed and it is a long ride out and back on the trolley, with limited stops. If you start later, they can't guarantee you will make it back to catch your train home. We had a lot of people getting off due to this warning, and they didn't get to see these spots.
I recommend stopping at the watchtower on your way east. A nice view of the canyon and the watchtower is interesting. The inside is decorated like there are petroglyphs on the walls. You can walk all the way up to the top, where there is an observation area. Partway up, there is an outside area where you can get great views of the canyon.
There are a couple gift shops here as well, one right in the watchtower. There are also public restrooms.

There are ancient ruins wherever you go. I have so many pictures, but I'm combining all into one journal entry.

We first went to Montezuma's Well. This is a restored ruin around a spring-fed well. It’s very interesting, and you can get close to some of the ruins.

Next, we went to Montezuma's Castle. Again, it’s another restored ruin. This is also a national park, so there is an admission you have to pay. We purchased our National Park passes here so that we could use it for the Grand Canyon and other parks. Montezuma's Castle is a ruin high in the side of a cliff.

Our third stop was Tuzigoot, another national park. These ruins are on top of a hill overlooking the canyon between Jerome and Sedona. There is a beautiful view, and it was rather windy the day we were there. Someone spotted a diamond-back rattler and the ranger caught him. It was interesting to see close up (after it was safely enclosed in a covered bucket!)

We did all these stops in one day on the way to Jerome in a big loop.

We took our Pink Jeep Tour as an ancient ruin tour. These ruins were not restored, but still in their natural state. The Pink Jeep guide explained all the various petroglyph (drawings on the walls) and how to identify which Indian group left the markings there. The Hopi were there first, then the Apache. There were also some markings from an unidentified tribe that would have been there prior to the Hopi.

I found the ruins to be very interesting and ended up with most my pictures being of the ruins.