Sedona or Santa Fe? Recommendations, please

Parent Cafe
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<p>Seems many are getting excellent travel/vacation advice from the collective wisdom of cc’ers, so I am looking for some as well.</p>

<p>DH and I were scheduled to take a lovely trip to Zurich, but his work travel schedule changed and my birthday trip was cancelled :frowning: So, since I’ve got the days blocked off in my calendar, we are looking to take a long weekend somewhere, and I thought about 2 places I’ve never been but always wanted to go, Sedona and Santa Fe. </p>

<p>Keeping the airfare costs aside, what would you recommend? On the plus side for Sedona, we will enjoy the beauty, and hiking/biking opportunities in Sedona and are ok with the hot daytime temps. The downside is that it is about to enter monsoon season there and may have afternoon/evening rain dumps. We’ve also been told its pretty sleepy there and the sidewalks tend to roll up at 8 pm (maybe later in the summer). Is it high season (eg even more expensive lodging) now as well? Where would you recommend staying and what would you recommend doing? Are the jeep tours worthwhile? We will probably have 3 full days plus travel on either side.</p>

<p>Now Santa Fe-- a bit more to do, but are the wildfires anywhere near there? Will the smoke be an irritant or block gorgeous views? Suggestions for places to stay, things to see/do?</p>

<p>We are open to thoughts and suggestions, but I’d really appreciate comments specifically on these 2 places.
Thanks!</p>

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<p>Santa Fe is very far from the wildfires, so nothing to worry about there.</p>

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<p>Santa Fe is about 300+ miles from the Gila Wilderness and Ruidoso wildfires. Right now there’s not even smoke from the fires in Santa Fe. (Wind is blowing the wrong direction. Believe me we’ve had smoke from the Whitewater-Baldy fires <cough, cough=“”>, but none in the past 2 weeks.)</cough,></p>

<p>What to see: </p>

<p>Georgia O’Keefe museum
[-</a> Georgia O’Keeffe Museum](<a href=“http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/]-”>http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/)</p>

<p>Palace of Governors (oldest seat of government in the US–also a museum)
[Palace</a> of the Governors](<a href=“http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org/index.php]Palace”>http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org/index.php)</p>

<p>Santa Fe Opera’s season start in late June ([Tickets</a> & Performance Information - The Santa Fe Opera](<a href=“http://www.santafeopera.org/tickets/index.aspx]Tickets”>http://www.santafeopera.org/tickets/index.aspx)) </p>

<p>10,000 Waves (outdoor Japanese style day spa in the Santa Fe National Forest)</p>

<p>hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest</p>

<p>Bandelier National Park (prehistoric Puebloan ruins and petroglyphs)
[Bandelier</a> National Monument - Bandelier National Monument](<a href=“http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm]Bandelier”>http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm)</p>

<p>Kasha-Katuwe tent Rocks National Monument ([Kasha-Katuwe</a> Tent Rocks National Monument](<a href=“http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/rio_puerco/kasha_katuwe_tent_rocks.html]Kasha-Katuwe”>http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/rio_puerco/kasha_katuwe_tent_rocks.html))</p>

<p>shopping on the Plaza</p>

<p>art galleries on Canyon Road</p>

<p>Camel Rock casino on the Pojoaque Pueblo</p>

<p>What are your interests? Culture? Art? Outdoors? Archeology/anthropology?</p>

<p>tons of restaurants—everything from Frito pie at the Woolworth lunch counter on the Plaza to chic modern American dining at Geronimo</p>

<p>ttp://santafe.org/Visiting<em>Santa</em>Fe/Things<em>to</em>Do/</p>

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<p>If you go to Santa Fe, drive about 40 miles north to Chimayo to the Rancho de Chimayo and have a wonderful Mexican dinner. We ate there five years ago and still talk about it. </p>

<p>Santa Fe also has many Native Americans who come and sell their wares on the city square and there is the Loretto Chapel with Miraculous Staircase which legend says that St. Joseph built.</p>

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<p>What is the name of the great hotel in sante fe, La Fonda? Old-fashioned but charming. One could spend a day just looking at art galleries. There is also the farmer’s market on Saturday, which sells more than food.</p>

<p>Nothing against Sedona, just never been there.</p>

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<p>Been to both fairly recently. I know it’s pricey but if you can swing Enchantment in Sedona, it will be an amazing experience. Sedona is all about the scenery and hiking.<br>
Santa Fe is much less hotel dependent and is great for art (gallery and museum), food, fun town with lots of outdoor concerts. More variety of activities in Santa Fe.</p>

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<p>Thanks, everyone! Very helpful, as usual! </p>

<p>Wayoutwestmom- is they any issue with the air quality now, or is there expecte to ba any, in a week or so?</p>

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<p>Don’t know Santa Fe, but will second the recommendation for Enchantment. Beautiful location, spa and restful experience. Sedona is an easy drive to the Grand Canyon for a day trip. Sedona is a small town, but nice for a few days and great restaurants/art galleries. Always wanted to see Santa Fe as well. Enjoy your trip.</p>

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<p>I’ve been to and love both places. But I’d have to give the edge to Sedona for spectacular scenery and the day trip to the Grand Canyon. If you’ve never seen the Grand Canyon, you have to go - it’s something you shouldn’t miss.</p>

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<p>Enchantment looks gorgeous but its full 2 of the 4 nights we would need. Other ideas?</p>

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<p>Santa Fe is a more ethnic experience, and in addition to the Indian art, the architecture is fantastic - you can spend a half day driving around looking at Pueblo houses, and there are old Catholic churches.</p>

<p>Santa Fe has become commercialized and when I was last there it had become extremely expensive with many more wealthy East Coast visitors.</p>

<p>You can stay at Ten Thousand Waves for a great experience (if you can get reservations), or
for much less money rent a house or stay at a B and B or VRBO and just visit during the day
for a wonderful spa experience. The food at La Fonda is good, as are other locations.</p>

<p>Sedona has beautiful scenery and art you can see in many other places, and with the politics of the state, I wouldn’t give it my money today.</p>

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<p>I can use points for the Hilton Sedona resort. Thoughts?</p>

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<p>I tend to go to the Dr. with my mom when in the Sedona area, as she lives nearby. But for beauty, it can’t be beat. There are many, many places to hike and view the rocks. The smartest way to deal with the monsoons as well as heat is to get up early, hike, retreat, rest, walk the commercial areas mid day, then hike again at sunset. Though as AZ has no daylight saving time, sunset is earlier there than in the rest of the country. </p>

<p>Sorry, don’t know resorts, though they are plentiful and nice. </p>

<p>If you have interest in Anasazi ruins, the area is full of them, with Montezuma’s castle, Tuzigoot and farther afield, Walnut canyon by Flagstaff. Jerome, a hillside mining town overlooking the Verde Valley is fun. Arcosanti, the Palo Solari futuristic city is a short detour on the drive north from Phx. </p>

<p>In Flagstaff, the Museum of Northern AZ is a very good look at the cultures and geology of the region. There are quite a few other National Parks and monuments in the area to check out, if that is your thing. Personally, I’d try to avoid the Grand Canyon in summer, as it can be a zoo at the main lodge and visitor center area. But there are many, many lookouts that will be less crowded, toward the east end of the park. </p>

<p>Personally, I’d challenge Jym to go to AZ and talk politics with everyone she meets, as she is good at it. As a historic Arizonan, I am not a fan of the boycott, as it hurts the common people who run small businesses serving the tourist industry. There needs to be more robust debate over what is going in AZ.</p>

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<p>LOL, thanks greatlakesmom! </p>

<p>I would steer clear of any political discussions. I have relatives in Arizona, so cant entirely boycott the state.</p>

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<p>@jym–</p>

<p>No air quality advisories currently in effect and none expected in the short term, but predicting out more than about 7-10 days is impossible (according to my work colleague who has her PhD in meterology/atmospheric physics).</p>

<p>And there’s also a Hilton about 1/2 block off Santa Fe Plaza.</p>

<p>~~~</p>

<p>And I’ll second and third the rec to stay away from the Grand Canyon during the height of tourist summer season. It’s a zoo. We always go in April-May or Sept-Oct when the temperatures are more reasonable and we can get the space and time to enjoy the Park’s views without being jostled. I also prefer the North Rim to the South, but it’s much harder to get to.</p>

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<p>Good points GLM. I’d avoid Arizona in July and Aug because of the heat.</p>

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<p>For scenery, Sedona is more beautiful than Santa Fe. Sedona has a great collection of art galleries with pottery, jewelry and other crafts called (and here I’m mangling the spelling) Tlaqueplaque. </p>

<p>I was in Santa Fe last October and frankly I was a bit disappointed. The Georgia O’Keefe musuem had only a few of her better known works. I was in an out in half an hour. Many of the stores were closed or closing. The farmer’s market was sort of interesting. The scenery around Santa Fe is nice but the scenery around Sedona is spectacular. And I’d second or third seeing the Grand Canyon. Yes, it could be hot but the south rim is at around 5,000 feet so it may be cooler there than at lower elevations.</p>

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<p>If you are based in Sedona and want to to some half day drives, you could head north to Page (4-5 hours) and see Lake Powell, take the tour boat for a ride, spend a night, then stop at the North end of the Grand Canyon, way fewer people to make things hectic. Lake Powell is two hours north of Flagstaff</p>

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<p>TatinG, in addition to the Tlaquepaque in NM, there is one in Mexico, near Guadalajara. The name comes from there!</p>

<p>“The name Tlaquepaque derives from Nahuatl and means ‘place above clay land’. The area is famous for its pottery and blown glass.”</p>

<p>I’m not super familiar with either Santa Fe or Sedona, but from what I’d heard, I think the OP might like Sedona better.</p>

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<p>I think the food is better in the Santa Fe/Taos area than in Sedona. The scenery is more showy in Sedona. The New Mexico high country is beautiful in a little bit more subtle way.</p>

<p>One of the most remarkable dinners of my entire life was at Sagebrush Inn in Taos.</p>