Category: Tour

Activities, Experiences, FAMILY, Tour

Traveling to Sedona, Part 3

Around Town

As you drive around Sedona, we can assure you it will be easy to find things to do. One stunning look at the mountains, and you’ll be pulling over at every chance to grab a photo or take a hike in the red rocks. 

As a touristy town, there are several businesses ready to take you on excursions and help you see the favorite spots. So, we’ve compiled just a few of the many options you’ll likely see on your day trip through this vortex town. 

Top 3 Things to Do in Sedona

Pink Adventure Tours

You’ll see bright pink jeeps around every corner in Sedona. These iconic vehicles take you on backroad adventures in Sedona where you might not be able to drive on your own. Local tour guides will be able to point out different spots and tell stories of the land’s rich history. Plus, it’s a great photo opp with the red rocks and sporty jeep in the background.

This is an outing for the entire family. Be sure to check out their website for the latest ticketing and scheduling information. The Pink Adventure Tours offer a variety of tour options ranging from 1.5 to 10 hours, based on the level of excursion you’re looking for. Explore the Grand Canyon, Page Spring Cellars, or other scenic rims in the region. 

Hiking

You can check out our last blog (link) detailing a few iconic hiking spots, but it would be crazy to not mention this as a key part of your Sedona adventure. Here is just a small list of the top-rated hikes you can discover on your trip:

  • Cathedral Rock 
  • Doe Mountain Trail
  • Fay Canyon
  • Boynton Canyon
  • Courthouse Butte Loop
  • Devil’s Bridge Trail
  • Airport Mesa Trail/Airport Loop Trail
  • Bell Rock Pathway

Be sure to purchase your Red Rock Pass, which will only be around $5 per car. This will allow you to park at a specific list of hikes needing passes. 

Helicopter Ride

It’s one thing to drive around Sedona and experience the beauty of the red rocks. It’s another thing to see it from an aerial view. You can enjoy various helicopter rides from Sedona and experience the stunning scenery from a chopper! 

  • Sedona Air Tours offers a variety of rides between 15 minutes and 35 minutes.
  • Guidance Air offers similar time frames plus a 55-minute option for an extended view of the area.

This experience will leave you speechless, and it will be a unique view to hold onto for a long time.

With so many additional options for local food, drinks, and shopping, your day will be quickly filled with all kinds of adventure when you make a pitstop in beautiful Sedona, Arizona.

Activities, Camping, Experiences, Tour

Traveling to Sedona, Part 1

Best Hiking Spots

It’s quite the task to narrow down which hikes are the best in Sedona. Everywhere you turn, stunning views, incredible vistas, and scenic trails are awaiting you. So, the great news is, when you take a day trip from our Waypoint Outposts to Sedona, the 38-minute drive will provide endless possibilities for beauty and adventure. You really can’t go wrong!

Still, we want to pinpoint a few of our favorites so you can enjoy the beloved hikes in this tourist town. 

Top 3 Hikes to take in Sedona

1. Cathedral Rock

With an iconic destination up this trail, Cathedral Rock is a thrilling hike with an amazing photo op at the end! You’ll enjoy views of Bell Rock as well as the beautiful landscape toward the west once you reach the top. A narrow ledge at the final destination provides an iconic photo spot for your “on-top-of-the-world” pose. 

Bring lots of water, and be prepared to scale a few spots of smooth rock as you make your way up this trail. It’s a one-mile round trip hike, with an elevation gain of 550 feet. The short distance and stunning scenery make this a popular hike, so be prepared for a full parking lot! You can reach both parking lots via Back’O’Beyond Road, but the trail can also be accessed from the Baldwin and Templeton trails.

2. Bell Rock

The distinct shape and size of Bell Rock makes it one of the most recognizable hiking spots in Sedona. This out-and-back, 1-mile hike is a tourist favorite. The 400-foot elevation gain marks the hike as a moderate climb. You can divide it into three sections: Lower Bell Rock Trail, Upper Bell Rock Trail, and the Ascent. Each of these progresses in difficulty. So if you’re with the family and looking for an easier climb, stick to the Lower Bell Rock Trail. Experienced hikers can venture beyond!

Be aware there is little shade on this hike, so be prepared with a hat and plenty of water! Additionally, note the $5 Sedona trail pass fee, which should get you access for the day to any Sedona trail!

3. Devil’s Bridge 

Don’t let the name scare you. This hike is well worth the stunning view and sought-after natural sandstone arch photo op. Just over four miles out-and-back, you’ll also share much of your hike with pink jeep tours, ATVs, mountain bikes, and fellow hikers. 

We can’t remind you enough to bring plenty of water, as this hike lacks shade. After venturing through a long, fairly flat, rocky roadway, the hike settles into more of a steep climb with distinct rock steps to allow footholds along the way. 

As you near the end of the hike, you’ll see a secondary lookout, perfect for the first photo! But don’t stop there! Keep climbing a bit more and you’ll find the long line of tourists awaiting their solo walk onto the Devil’s Bridge. Fellow hikers are great about helping with photos, but plan to be waiting in line for a while, especially if you’re hitting the trail at a busy time. 

You Can’t Go Wrong

These three hikes are some of the most iconic that we wouldn’t want you to miss. But the truth is, you’ll quickly find that you can’t go wrong when choosing a hike in Sedona. Simply driving around, you’ll see the showcase of red rock beauty. But a hike is definitely worth the time when you plan your stop here. 

Our camp shower is a great stop after your dusty red rock legs are ready to settle in for the night at our Waypoint Outpost. We’ll be ready for you!

Activities, Camping, Experiences, FAMILY, Tour

Adventure to Jerome, Part 3

Top 3 Tours to Take in Jerome

Meandering the streets of Jerome, you’ll quickly discover there are stories just waiting to be told of its history and heritage. You can venture on your own and try to catch the exciting spots, or you can rely on the experts. 

Booking with Jerome Ghost Tours offers a variety of thrilling tours to entertain and explain all of this town’s mysteries! You’ll find a range of tours to suit your interests. 

Ghost Tour

Two options are noted here if you’re itching to get out at night and discover some ghostly fun! Jerome offers a variety of ghost tours for its tourists to enjoy.

  1. Jerome Ghost Walk: This one-hour tour will take you around to “haunted” spots in the town, with a reputation for discovering thrilling interactions with ghosts in the area. The trip is complete with electric and magnetic field (EMF) readers to guide the tourists in this spooky walk through history’s mysterious tenants of Jerome’s past. Tickets for this tour are around $45 each.  
  2. Pandora’s Box: A spooky two-hour tour awaits those wanting a bit more thrill. In the Pandora’s Box tour, guides will bring along spirit boxes and EMF readers to do their best and liven up the tour with connections from the past! Along the way, you’ll hear the tales of murder and mystery that haunt this tourist town. 

Jerome History Walk

This family-friendly tour is a one-hour walking experience through the town’s historical sites. From its rich copper mining history during the war, to the influencers of its day, Jerome boasted some great accomplishments in its height of glory. 

You’ll make stops along the way at old churches, hospitals, as well as hear an overview of exciting history from hotels in the area. Additionally, a pitstop at the United Verde Copper Mine provides some fun context to what grew this city in the first place! Tours from the Jerome Ghost Tours company are in the $39 range. 

Wild Wild West History Tour

As you may have gathered from any study of Jerome, the town wasn’t always best-in-class for its behavior. Many stories will testify to its rugged and rough reputation. The Wild Wild West History Tour with the Jerome Ghost Tours company will be filled with the wild tales of the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Tickets for this 90-minute history tour are in the $60 range. And you’ll get to visit stops like the Sliding Jail, Husbands Alley, former brothels, and hotels will be featured along the way. You’ll also get a glimpse into the United Verde Copper Company. 

While most of these memories are not Jerome’s proudest moments, they culminate to tell the story of this crazy tourist town!

Enjoy your time in Jerome, and be sure to tell us what your favorite spots are!

Activities, Camping, Experiences, FAMILY, Tour

Adventure to Jerome, Part 2

Best Restaurants

After you’ve adventured through Jerome, taking in the sites and history of this sleepy mining town, it will be time for an afternoon pick-me-up. Don’t worry. We’ve got a bunch of recommendations for the best spots in town to eat! 

You may find spooky rumors on your tours around town that Jerome is haunted. Stories of haunted hotels, mansions, and other previously abandoned buildings are endless, and, as with most ghost towns, Jerome capitalizes on the thrill of this with their guests. 

This brings us to our first restaurant stop. The good food will be just as thrilling as the ghost stories awaiting your arrival.  

Top 3 Restaurants in Jerome the Ghosts are Raving About

  1. Haunted Hamburger: Many years ago, when Michelle and Eric Jurisin obtained the building now home to this hamburger stop, testimonies of spooky activity sprouted up from the construction workers renovating the place. Hammers were misplaced, disappearing and reappearing. Doors slammed closed, even when windows had been sealed off. Later on, there were even claims of cans flying off the shelves as well as disturbance to the hot water. You be the judge! A trip to this fun hamburger grille is entertaining and delicious! You’ll find numerous burgers on the menu along with chicken, ribs, and other tasty options! 
  2. Asylum Restaurant: Continuing in our spooky feast journey, we move along to Asylum Restaurant. The spook-factor is apparent due to the location of this dinner stop. Located within the Jerome Grand Hotel, this restaurant was formerly a hospital. Now rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of patients past, the entertainment factor matches the award-winning meals! You’ll find an array of gourmet food alongside a lengthy wine list. 
  3. Bobby D’s: Enjoy delicious barbeque from the oldest operating dining restaurant in the state of Arizona. Established back in 1899, this kitchen was first home to a Chinese restaurant, owned by Charley Hong, an entrepreneur in the area who wore many hats! Beginning in 2011, Bobby D and his sister took over, transforming the restaurant into a BBQ house! Sweet and tangy smells waft through the streets, welcoming guests to come and enjoy the quality ingredients. Bobby D’s takes pride in their home-cooked recipes, all meats and sauces made in house. Try it out!

After you’ve experienced all the spooky stories and ghostly visits, you’ll be ready to head back to your cozy tent at Waypoint Outposts for some stories around the campfire! We love that we get to provide you with accommodations that bring people together. 

It’s a privilege to get to host you, and we can’t wait for you to book your stay so you can enjoy not only our campsite, but also the fun perks of surrounding towns like Jerome!

 

Sources:

https://thehauntedhamburger.com/our-story

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g31253-Jerome_Arizona.html

https://verdecanyonrr.com/jerome-az-restaurants/

https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-escape-jerome-20180218-story.html

http://www.bobbydsbbqjerome.com/index.html

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