Shae and I spent most of April and May of 2021 in Arizona having also spent a couple of weeks there in 2020 just before – and just as – COVID started impacting the US.
It’s a beautiful state with lots of great hiking, delicious food and other stuff to do, although the heat can be killer in the southern part of the state. Despite not even being there in the summer, it was often far too hot to want to go outside and do anything in Tucson and Phoenix, although it was far more temperate in Sedona and Flagstaff when we were there.
Here’s a list of all our best and worst things from Arizona.
Favorite Accommodation We Stayed At
Stephen – The Airbnb we stayed at in Sedona while Shae’s mom and stepdad visited us was lovely, so it’s hard not to pick that. However, I also loved the Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North, so I think that just edges it. Every room is a two room suite, the grounds made it feel like a resort and it was great value booking it with points.
Shae – The Holiday Inn Phoenix for sure! It’s like a little mini-resort… a vacation oasis in the desert.
Favorite Meal
Stephen – The Spanish Omelette I got twice at The Toasted Owl Café in Flagstaff, although the tacos I had from La Fresita in Tucson were also very good.
Shae – Oohhhh The Toasted Owl Café was superb but I’m going with the burrito I had at Carlsbad Tavern. Soooooo good.
Also honorable mentions to the dessert from Hideaway House and the meal that included javelina running by at The Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson.
Most Disappointing Meal
Stephen – I can’t think of anything in particular, so I guess I’ll say the not-great breakfast sandwiches at the Courtyard Flagstaff.
Shae – The second visit to The Toasted Owl Café had some hiccups that made it less enjoyable than the first visit, but the food was still stellar.
Favorite Free Activity
Stephen – This is tough because pretty much everything we did had some kind of cost. Pretty much all of my favorite things were hikes where there was a fee payable, although our National Park Service annual pass meant the cost was covered by that.
In terms of activities that would be free for everyone, I think I’ll have to say getting our COVID vaccines!
Shae – My favorite free activity was going up to Dobbin’s Lookout in Phoenix. Beautiful views and a pretty drive.
Favorite Paid Activity
Stephen – Our hikes to Cathedral Rock and Devil’s Bridge. Both of those provided simply amazing views of the Sedona landscape and I’d love to return in the future.
Shae – The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum hands down, with a close second being the Biosphere 2 which we did last year when we were starting AZ before Covid-19 hit in earnest.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Activity
Stephen – There was so much stuff that we did in Arizona that was pet-friendly. Loads of hikes, wineries and even a ghost town were pet-friendly, so it’s hard picking any one thing. Seeing as hikes are generally pet-friendly, I’ll pick Gold King Mine & Ghost Town in Jerome because attractions like that often don’t allow dogs.
Shae – I agree – and we didn’t actually do it with her but it was fun to learn that the Pioneer Museum in Phoenix was also dog-friendly.
Least Favorite Activity
Stephen – Visiting Tombstone. If you’re really into Wild West stuff then it might be fun, but it felt like a slightly more low-key Arizona version of Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach which isn’t a compliment.
Shae – LOL I was about to say the Bug Museum…. but that was from NM and I’m still mad about it. I’d agree, Tombstone wasn’t as great as it was made out to be.
Favorite Hike
Stephen – Again, both Cathedral Rock and Devil’s Bridge in Sedona.
Shae – I think I loved Cathedral Rock most because of how happy and proud my mom was of her achievement.
Favorite Quirky Thing We Did
Stephen – I can’t think of anything particularly quirky that we did, but I’m sure I’ll read Shae’s answer and kick myself that I didn’t remember whatever it is that she lists like I did with our New Mexico list.
Shae – You know… I’m not sure we did something that was too quirky other than Tombstone and it wasn’t that great. However, I do have it on my list to go back one day to Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch which I think would definitely fall into the category.
Favorite Memory
Stephen – All of the views we had from our different hikes in Sedona.
Shae – Feeding (against the rules and good wildlife practice but hey, I’m human – I make mistakes) the little Harris’s antelope squirrel from my hand.
Funniest Moment
Stephen – Realizing that we’d taken a slightly early (and therefore wrong) turn on our hike to Subway Cave which meant we hiked much further for much longer than we needed to.
Shae – No, Stephen Pepper. That was not funny. Probably most of the moments with my mom when she came to visit. She’s a hoot.
Thing We Most Regretted
Stephen – Not making the most of our time there. From the heat to COVID vaccine side effects to illness to work commitments and more, it felt like there was a lot more we could’ve seen.
Shae – Doing the whole state twice. I know we had our reasons but I was ready to go by the end. Not for bad reasons, just ready to move on. I also regret not biking at the Grand Canyon as I really wanted to.
Something We Missed And Want To See
Stephen – Although we did visit the Grand Canyon, there’s so much more of it that we haven’t gotten to see yet.
Shae – I don’t really have much that I’m sad we missed, but Lake Powell sounds like a cool place and possibly a trip to Bearizona.
Our Biggest Surprise
Stephen – How amazing Sedona was. Everyone I know who’s ever been has raved about it, but I figured it was perhaps overhyped. Nope – it really is that beautiful.
Shae – How much I enjoyed Sedona. I thought I’d like it OK but since I’m not the big hiker I wasn’t as excited as Stephen going into it, but it was beautiful and I can’t wait to find reasons to go back.
My Arizona Drinking Game Would Be…
Stephen – Take a drink every time it’s above 90°, although you should probably make that a drink of water.
Shae – Drink every time you see a saguaro cactus.
Summary Of Arizona In 10 Words Or Less
Stephen – Very hot but also very beautiful and tasty food.
Shae – Beautiful desert landscape and cute critters – highly recommend.
Arizona Cities We Visited In Order From Favorite To Least Favorite
Stephen – Prescott Valley/Sedona, Tucson, Flagstaff, Phoenix.
Shae – Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott Valley/Sedona, Phoenix.
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