Lots of questions about March trip to Arizona

Hi!

We%26#39;re planning on going to Scottsdale, Tuscson, %26amp; Sedona during the March spring break. I have a few questions:

1. Is it better to take a tour of the Apache Trail or drive it yourself? If tour, which company is good?

2. Anyone have any problems with any bugs, scorpions, spiders, cockroaches ect. in the hiking areas in Sedona and Scottsdale? My daughter (13 yrs) and I are deathly afraid of them and I was reading some posts about people getting bitten by scorpions in their hotel rooms %26amp; finding cockroaches...needless to say, it freaked me out!

3. Is it worth going to Montezuma%26#39;s Castle? We%26#39;re staying in Scottdale for 5 days, one of which will be a day trip to Tucson. Then going to Sedona for 2 nts. What about the scorpions, spiders, ect there? The gov. website freaked me out with their pics and warnings.

4. Is Jerome worth a stop? We were thinking of spending the morning in Montezuma%26#39;s Castle %26amp; afternoon in the Jerome galleries, then going to Sedona. We like art %26amp; unique things for the home. Is it worth it?

5. Should we take a tour to Tuscson from Scottsdale or go ourselves?

6. Any bug problems with the Enchantment resort, being so close to nature?

7. How much time should I give ourselves to drive back from Sedona to Phoenix Airport?

Sorry for the long post, but I really need some info, esp. about the creatures! Thank you!

Lots of questions about March trip to Arizona

Hi

1.Apache trail: 20 miles dirtroad plus a sealed part. Can be bumpy. If you drive slowly you can do it on your own and with a normal car. We have never taken a tour so can%26#39;t judge. If you feel unsafe driving yourself on mountain roads take the tour. Hope they make stops in Tortilla Flat and Goldfield Ghosttown on their way.

2. You are forgetting about snakes-lol- Wear sturdy shoes, stay on the beaten path, don%26#39;t lift stones, slab on sunscreen, wear a hat and bring water. You are in the desert with magnificent animals but encountering one is not likely. They%26#39;ll be away before you get to them. No worries.

3/4 You can go to Montezuma Castle on your way to Sedona. I would try to spend a full day in Sedona. Take a Jeep tour, see Slide rock SP, see Oak Creek Canyon, Chapel of the Holy Cross and hike in Red Rock SP among others. You can drive back to Sottsdale via Jerome, Prescott and Wickenburg. We also enjoyed our visit to Lake Pleasant, north of Phoenix. Not mentioned that often on the forum.

A 1-1.5 hours visit to Montezuma Castle was enough for us, but you can stay longer of course.

5. It you have the time I certainly would recommend an overnight in Tucson. Much to see and do. If you want to make a daytrip I would drive myself and visit Arizona-Sonora Desert museum and Saguaro NP west. Both locations are close. Don%26#39;t miss that museum. Most of it is outside.

6. I have not the faintest idea. Can%26#39;t imagine.

7. It%26#39;s a 2 hours drive from Sedona to Phoenix. Considerably longer if you take the drive via Prescott.

Stop worrying, you are going to visit a fantastic part of the world! And have fun!

Tet

Lots of questions about March trip to Arizona

Good advice, Tet!

Don%26#39;t worry about bugs. Believe me, they are more afraid of you than you should be of them. I%26#39;ve never encountered a scorpion (except in a tank at the zoo) here. Enjoy the beauty of Arizona while you are here!

Hi beach-

Apache Trail, for me is best driven yourself. Most likely you%26#39;ll just go out to Tortilla Flat, try some prickly pear ice cream and that will be your turn around point. It%26#39;s a great drive, great scenery. If you are afraid of heights or not so good at driving on winding roads with steep dropoffs though, it can be a little scary.

The critters aren%26#39;t crawling all over the place like the warnings would have you believe. I know where you are coming from though, my first few hikes (South Mountain, Superstition Mtns, and Sedona area) I was totally on edge. Just stay on the path and don%26#39;t poke the plants or pick up any rocks. The only creatures we%26#39;ve seen while hiking are little lizard guys which are harmless, we also see a lot of rabbits and birds.

For my husband and I, Montezuma%26#39;s Castle was a waste of time and money. We stayed about 10 minutes. For some reason we were under the impression that they let visitors climb around inside the ruins, which is not the case. It%26#39;s up in the side of a hill and all you can do is look up at it. It is interesting but we were disappointed. Tuzigoot (closer to Jerome) was a bit better because you can walk in and around the entire site.

Jerome would be a fun side trip. Again, if you are weary of climbing, winding roads, maybe not for you though. If you are looking for a great hamburger, The Haunted Hamburger in Jerome is the place for lunch.

From Sedona to the airport, give yourselves a couple of hours, depending on time of day, construction delays and traffic it can vary.

And oh yes, Tet mentioned it but it is important so I will repeat - bring and drink a lot of water!

We are from Michigan originally and have friends/family coming down to visit often. Most of them usually end up cranky and dehydrated the second day because they think they are drinking enough water even though we nag them to drink more. Even if you already drink a lot of water now, you need to double your intake for your visit. And no, soda (or %26#39;pop%26#39;) is not an alternate option! :)

Thanks everyone for all of your help! We%26#39;re from MI too, so that%26#39;s why I%26#39;m so freaked out by the creatures!

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