Fastest/most scenic rte. Flagstaff to GCNP S. Rim AND Sedona

1. Which route will get us to the park faster, and which is more scenic, in your opinion, from Flagstaff to the South Rim entrance? Take I-40 to 64, or take 180 to 64? I%26#39;m guessing time wise they%26#39;re probably similar, but is one more scenic than the other?

2. Coming from PHX, hubby and I....if we took a quickie side trip through Sedona on way to GC, are the views great from the road? We have a short amount of time and won%26#39;t be able to stop, but if the scenery is great through the Sedona area, we may take that route on the way to Flagstaff.

I wish we had more time but we have from the time our flight lands at PHX Wed. AM to get to the Canyon and back to Phoenix for a conference by Friday at noon, so we want to get to the park in time to have a couple hours of scenic views before sundown the first day. The second day we will go towards the East Rim and down, staying in Flagstaff most likely Thurs PM. This will be in mid-April, so sunset will be around 7pm.

The way I figure it, after our flight lands, we get baggage, pick up rental car, stop for lunch and get to the South gate, it will probably by 3:30 or 4pm, which is why we don%26#39;t have time to actually STOP in Sedona (unless it%26#39;s at a drive through for lunch!!). But I keep hearing it%26#39;s really pretty, so I think we could manage to at least drive through the area IF it%26#39;s as scenic as it sounds. Our main goal though is GCNP, and we don%26#39;t want to push it, as our time there is already going to be pretty tight.

Thanks for your help!

Fastest/most scenic rte. Flagstaff to GCNP S. Rim AND Sedona

Taking a detour through Sedona on your way from PHX to GCNP will add about 30-45 minutes to your travel time. The scenery is awesome and well worth the time. Get off I-17 at exit 298 onto Hwy 179. Go north into Sedona and turn right onto Hwy 89A which will take you up through Oak Creek Canyon and then back to I-17 just south of Flagstaff. From there, take I-40 west to AZ 64 and north to GCNP. That will be the fastest route and scenery will be effectively the same as going through Flag and up 180. After seeing Sedona, there really isn%26#39;t much in the way of scenery until you get inside the park at GC.

I would bet that after driving through Sedona you will decide to stay there on your way back to PHX after GCNP rather than staying in Flagstaff. Sedona is only another 45 minutes past Flag on your return route.

Fastest/most scenic rte. Flagstaff to GCNP S. Rim AND Sedona

Thanks RedRox. You sound like you really know your way around!

I am so excited - when I first posted the above I was just about the book our flights, and found that the prices had dropped and we could go a day earlier for a great rate, so I called hubby to see if he could swing an extra day, and I just booked us a flight on Tuesday now instead of Wed!!

That means we have one whole extra day - yeah!! Now we don%26#39;t have to rush. And now, maybe we can actually SEE some of Sedona!!

Thanks for the info on which route to take up from Flagstaff. You never know until ya ask, right??!! I%26#39;d hate to find out after the fact that we chose Route ';A'; when Route ';B'; was better! That%26#39;s why we LOVE Tripadvisor!

Ok, here%26#39;s another question: where is a great, unique place to eat lunch in Sedona - by unique I just mean, no chain restaurants?

Any other good recommendations for things to see on the way up/back to Phoenix?

Thanks!!

Ok, here%26#39;s another question: where is a great, unique place to eat lunch in Sedona - by unique I just mean, no chain restaurants?

The Cowboy Club is unique and has a Sedona charm about it. Only downside is no views of the outdoors, with the exception of a few tables on the sidewalk outside.

Also consider Oak Creek Brewery, L%26#39;Auberge, the Gathering at Amara, Hideaway, Wildflower Bakery, Sedona Memories...

There%26#39;s a ton of places to choose from. And the good news is, you%26#39;ll find very few %26#39;chain restaurants%26#39; in Sedona. The city council discourages them, and that%26#39;s a good thing.

I%26#39;m so happy we get to spend some time in Sedona, I will check out your suggestions for a lunch place.

I feel that having the extra day will really allow us to ';do it right'; rather than feel like we have to rush from place to place. It will make the trip MUCH more relaxing. I%26#39;m breathing a huge sigh of relief as I write this! I can%26#39;t believe how much airfares have fluctuated in the 2 weeks I%26#39;ve been watching for flights to Phoenix....

Last night I watched a Travel Channel show I had Tivo%26#39;d a while back about the pod people%26#39;s house in Sedona - the brightly multi colored, multi-room dome house there - it looks pretty cool on the inside, even if it does seem to look a bit out of place in the landscape - maybe we%26#39;ll have to drive by it!

Thanks for your suggestions!

One more question, RedRox, since I see you are from Sedona....if we have, say 4 hours or so to see Sedona, is there anything in particular that we should see or do? I realize 4 hours isn%26#39;t much, but I have spent all my time so far researching the Grand Canyon and what to see and do there, and haven%26#39;t had a chance to really look at Sedona or any other areas.

Now that we have added a day to our trip, I%26#39;ll have to figure out how best to arrange our days, but I did make reservations for 2 nights at one of the lodges at GCNP.

So, what makes Sedona ';Sedona'; and how can we experience at least one of its great features in a short amount of time? I%26#39;m thinking along the lines of scenic views, don%26#39;t care about shopping, and won%26#39;t have time for any activities.

Thanks again for your expertise!

You will drive by the pod house. It%26#39;s on hwy 179 on the left as you approach the Village of Oakcreek on the south end of sedona. You might miss it because you%26#39;ll be in awe of the red rocks.

If you really only have 4 hours, take a jeep tour. Pink Jeep Broken Arrow trail is the most popular and will fit in your time frame. Also take a ride up Chapel Rd (off Hwy 179) to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Then when you leave sedona to go up to the GC you%26#39;ll be driving through Oak Creek Canyon which is the other %26#39;must see/do%26#39; in Sedona.

Sounds great you got an extra day!

How about 2 nights in GC, 1 night in Sedona!

Day 1 Tues. Arrive in Phoenix, drive to GC, enter via the East Entrance. Stay in GC.

Day 2 Wed. GC day. Stay inside the park again.

Day 3 Thurs. Drive out the South Entrance and head to Sedona. Spend the night in Sedona.

Day 4 Fri. Get up really early and drive to your conference!

CasaAzul, I think you%26#39;ve read my mind!

I have spent all morning looking at Sedona websites and photos, and I can see that we are definitely going to have to make more time for Sedona!! The wheels are spinning in my brain, trying to work out the details so I get the hotel reservations just right. I%26#39;m thinking we%26#39;ll ';do'; Sedona on our way back from the GC so we can spend some quality time there, and then head to Phoenix from there.

Thanks RedRox for the itinerary ideas. I%26#39;ve now got Oak Creek Canyon in the plans. Wish we could do the jeep tour, but I%26#39;m afraid hubby%26#39;s back wouldn%26#39;t take all the bumpy roads. I%26#39;ve looked into the Sedona Trolley tour, that looks easy enough for seeing the Sedona sights, and it does make a stop at the Chapel of the HC.

I am so excited for this trip. I%26#39;ve never been to that area of the country before!!