Sedona & Phoenix

Welcome back [again]! We’ve finally made it to the last bit of my Arizona story and itinerary, and I’m so excited you decided to continue along with me on this journey! If you’re new here, don’t worry you’re not too late! Check out my previous blogs covering the days prior to this when I was exploring Phoenix and Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon [links below].

Just a reminder! I divided my itinerary up to avoid overwhelming you with all of the information I have to share.

Part 1: Phoenix [click here]
Part 2: Phoenix > Flagstaff > Grand Canyon National Park [click here]
Part 3: Flagstaff > Sedona > Phoenix [this post]

Refresher course: In my last post I explained that I wanted to travel to Arizona since it was getting a bit colder in New York and COVID travel restrictions for New Yorkers had finally started to lighten up.

I took you on my 3-day journey through Phoenix, explained how I was taking advantage of working remotely, and drank some yummy margaritas while eating the BEST enchiladas ever.

After that, I took you along my adventures in Flagstaff and we went to the Grand Canyon, and I hopefully had you laughing at my silly GPS mistake.

Let’s wrap up this amazing journey in my favorite spot in Arizona: Sedona and then circle back to Phoenix for one last night!

Day 6: Flagstaff to Sedona to Phoenix

I woke up pretty early; per usual, and enjoyed one more cup hot chocolate at the Airbnb. I was sad to be checking out of the Hippie Hideaway because quite frankly, I could have just chilled there all day and been happy. I loved it so much, but I knew it was my last full day in Arizona, and I needed to hit the road and enjoy some sunlight and warm weather.

It was a tad chilly in Flagstaff, so I left in a long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans. I drove down to Sedona, where I planned on spending most of my day. I found a municipal parking lot to park, and as soon as I got out of the car I knew I had to change. It was HOT in Sedona. Thankfully, I had a maxi dress accessible in the trunk of my car, and was able to do a quick change in the parking lot by just sliding the maxi dress over my shirt and jeans before undressing again.

I wanted to walk around and get a feel for the town, but my stomach had other plans. I needed to each some lunch. A place called Open Range Bar & Grill caught my eye. It was on the second level of a shopping area, so I made my way up the steps and saw that not only was the restaurant serving some of my favorite foods but they also had the most perfect view of the red rocks of Sedona off of the back deck. While chatting with the hostess and the waitress a bit, they gave me some recommendations of things to do for my day in Sedona. I wrote them down, paid my bill, and continued wandering around my new favorite spot in Arizona.

I loved the whole look and feel of Sedona. The little shops and boutiques everywhere were so charming and the energy that circulated through the air in Sedona was something like I had never felt before. Something about it just made me have this sense of inner peace and calmness. Not something I am use to living in a place like New York, where the energy is always high and stress inducing. I spent a decent amount of times walking in and out of the shops and had to keep reminding myself that I had a full carryon and a full backpack already, so I needed to keep the shopping to a minimum. (Doesn’t mean I couldn’t take their cards and shop online when I got home though, right? *wink*)

It was time to venture out to see more of the beautiful nature Sedona had to offer. I didn’t have a plan, so I checked the list of things to do that the waitress had recommended earlier. One thing that really caught my attention was the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. A stupa is a buddhist meditation and spiritual renewal area. A Stupa is used as a place to set your intentions and prayers for yourself, for your friends, for your family, and for the world. I took a lap around the peace park and read all of the signs, wrote in the intentions prayer book, and the proceeded to set my own intentions. First I started with spiritual renewal. Then I decided on my intentions and took three laps clockwise around the central temple while reciting my intentions over and over again the entire time. I did my best to follow along with the customs and tradition to respect the Stupa once I arrived.

In front of the main Stupa in the Peace Park, there was an alter with bowls of water and gifts that were offerings given to benefit and enhance people’s prayers and intentions. There were gems, stones, jewelry, rocks, etc. It was really nice to see how many people utilized and respected the sacred Stupa that stood here. I turned my head to the other end of the alter and noticed something a bit out of place… A 12 PACK OF DR. PEPPER. SOMEONE OFFERED BUDDAH A 12 PACK OF DR. PEPPER. I couldn’t help but laugh and snap a picture of the soda sitting on the offerings alter. I walked away giggling and thinking that it probably is one of the best sodas to offer *shrug*.

I left the Stupa and peace park with this feeling like the weight of everything that has been on my mind and adding to my anxieties had been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt an even deeper calmness and peace than I even did earlier when I first arrived in Sedona. I wish I could have stayed in Sedona for longer. My only regret in Arizona was not staying in Sedona longer.

I was sad to have been driving away from this beautiful place, but left Sedona with such an inner peace that I couldn’t ben that upset. I drove 2 hours south back to Phoenix to check into my final stay for the week. This time it was a hotel rather than an Airbnb. I was staying Downtown because it was only 10 minutes from the airport, and it just seemed like the smart choice to stay in one of the hotels there. I also had points from my previous stays sooooo the hotel was free, even better.

Phoenix, AZ

I arrived back to Phoenix and my GPS said I was 2 minutes from the hotel when all of a sudden there was a huge “ROAD CLOSED” sign on the street I needed to turn down and where the hotel was located. Apparently this trip was doomed by all of the closed roads from the Grand Canyon to this. They were doing some crazy roadwork all throughout the downtown and I could not for the life of my figure out how to get to this hotel. After about 10 minutes of aimless driving, I pulled over and called the hotel. The girl at the front desk was so sweet and gave me detailed instructions on how to get where I needed to, to park in their lot. She even came out to the lot to check that I had arrived in one piece. I guess she heard the stress in my voice on the phone.

After I checked in and the stress from all of the road closures had ended, I told myself I deserved a drink. I popped open Google Maps and there was a bar 0.1 miles away: perfect. I eagerly walked up to the bouncer at the door of Bitter and Twisted and held 1 finger in the air to let him know I was looking for a table for one, because everyone tends to assume you’re waiting for someone else when you arrive alone. He looked at me with a bit of confusion and simply said, “reservation?” How could I forget it was Friday night? I didn’t even consider the fact that I might need reservations! I handed him my ID anyway and he made a quick remark about how he was from New Jersey (one of New York’s neighboring states for anyone who doesn’t know). Of course, they were all booked up for indoor seating, but thankfully, this restaurant had a little outside high top seating area that was pretty empty outside. The bouncer sat me there, which was right next to where he was standing essentially. I was kind of relieved to be sitting outside, because it gave me a few more hours to enjoy Arizona’s perfect weather.

After the rush of dinner passed and everyone was checked into their reservations, the bouncer and I chatted, exchanged some laughs, and kept each other company. During one of our exchanges, a [very drunk] man sitting a few stools down from me interjected and was rambling all about everything that made no sense. For the rest of the night I could not get him to stop talking to me. At one point he even started whistling and cat calling some women walking down the street. I was mortified to even be in his proximity. I texted my mom “call me right now” and she came to my rescue, laughing as I answered the phone since she knew what was happening since we were texting before I made her call me. She actually answered, “is this your way out of talking to drunk guy?” SURE IS! I guess he got the hint because right after she called me, he got up to go to the restroom and left from there. Didn’t even come back to finish his drink that he just ordered. Me and my mom laughed about how embarrassing he was being and then said our goodbyes so I could finish up my dinner. During all of this, my bouncer friend was handling another round of dinner rush reservations (I was sitting there for a few hours at this point), but after he finished he came over and said “I promise I was watching. He was one more comment from me throwing him out”, which made me happy knowing I had someone looking out for me.

Pro tip for my [female] solo-travelers out there: make friends with the bouncers and bartenders. Once they know you’re alone, they tend to keep an eye on you a bit more than they normally would.

For the three or so hours that I sat at this bar, I was sipping on Lovefruit Medleys, which were sweet but sour and everything delicious. I didn’t realize how strong they were, and when I finally stood up, I knew it was time to call it a night. I guess all of the dumplings I ordered weren’t enough to counteract the booze. I said goodbye to my new friend, went back to my room, and tucked myself into a drunken sleep.

Day 7: Phoenix to New York

My last day had finally arrived, and the week couldn’t have gone any faster than it did. I actually considered cancelling my flight & extending my stay, but for some silly reason, I made my way to the airport and head back to New York.

Before I did get on that plane though, I met my friend, Mike, for one last meal in Phoenix. He texted me bright and early so I could take advantage of every second I had left before I had to be at the airport. I threw my luggage in my rental car, except for my backpack because it had my laptop in it and I am always paranoid it will get stolen, and hopped in Mike’s truck. We drove down to Central Phoenix to find a bite to eat. We finally found the perfect spot: Fillmore Coffee. I enjoyed a chai latte and one of the best egg sandwiches ever, and that’s coming from a New Yorker! I wish this place were closer because I’d get one of those sandwiches weekly if I could!

After finishing up breakfast, we took our time to admire the street art and all of the murals that surrounded us. The clock was ticking and I knew it was time to go back to the hotel to get my car and head for the airport. As I was driving to the rental car drop off something went off in my head and instant panic set in. MY BACKPACK WAS STILL IN MIKE’S CAR!!!! I called him in my panic and him being the amazing friend that he is drove all the way back to meet me at the airport and give me my backpack. I owe him big time for that one. We said our goodbyes (again) and I really left this time; sad every second that I was actually leaving.

Airport security in Phoenix was lightning fast. Nothing like it is in New York waiting in those hectic lines. The airport was eerily empty, which was also kind of nice because it meant I could be safely distanced from the other travelers while I waited for my flight to board. The boarding process was a little different as far as the order of boarding, but I didn’t mind at all. I boarded the flight and was pleasantly surprised to find we were flying on one of those planes you usually on see for international flights, with the three sections of seats. They didn’t seat anyone in the middle section, optimal social distancing on a plane if you ask me. I was flying with Delta again, so we all received our airplane goody-bag just like on the flight from NYC to PHX. Wheels up, time to go back to New York.

Thanks for the memories, AZ. xx