The Ultimate 4-Day Arizona Road Trip Itinerary

We eventually settled into the Wildflower Inn at Bell Rock in Sedona, arriving just in time for a well earned shower and an early check-in for the night. Considering it was bedtime back in Indiana, we saw an opportunity to our advantage: staying on our home time zone, which allowed us to plan for an invigorating sunrise hike the next morning. Next Sedona trip I fully intend on booking a Sedona Jeep Tour. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about these tours, click here to book one yourself and be sure to tag me on social media!

Day 2: Sedona Sunrise to Page Paradise

A pitch black 4:30 AM start led us to Cathedral Rock. We parked in the empty lot near the trail head, which we knew by reviews would be full by sunrise. We quickly hit the trail and in just about half hour we made it to the top of the vortex. One day prior, we survived a torturous mountain, only to be taken aback equally so by this much less rigorous climb. The views were unbelievable. We relished in the ten minutes we shared in solitude at the top, before another couple joined us. It wasn’t long at all before several groups of people started appearing, and confirmed that getting here early was a must. We all waited with bated breath when that first hint of sunshine crested over the mountains, and a 4 am wake up never felt so good. Cathedral rock is one of several alleged vortexes in Sedona, perhaps that is why it was such a grounding feeling being able to witness the sunrise painting the sky here. I could have spent all morning captivated in these views, but our bellies were eager to head back and find some breakfast.

We enjoyed a well earned breakfast at Coffee Pot Restaurant, a no fuss or frills local favorite. The coffee was hot and the food hit the spot; we were fueled up and ended up having time for one more hike before we would need to head north. Fueled up, we hiked Bell Rock, a fairly flat and easy climb. Though I do recommend using All Trails app to stay on course here. After soaking in the last moments of serenity we finally headed back to the car to begin our trek north towards Page. On our way out, we stopped in at Chapel of the Holy Cross, before the 3.5 hour drive towards Page.

We took the 30 mile Oak Creek Canyon scenic drive towards Flagstaff, stopping at several vista points along the way. We walked around Midgley Bridge and then explored Grasshopper point, a pay to access swimming area. With extra time you could plan several hours cooling down after a day of hiking at this watering hole, though in my opinion the water was a little chilly to me. There were several families here enjoying picnics and playing in water. You can obtain a day use pass here for $8 per vehicle. Oak Creek Vista point offered insane views at an area named, The Overlook. By the time we made it to Flagstaff, we were starving. We stopped at the first place we could find, it was a craft beer and pizza shop. We ordered quickly, scarfed it down and hit the road again, in a hurry to check in so we could explore Page and the Navajo lands we would be staying on for the night.

The Navajo Nation land includes miles and miles of mostly desert. We stopped at historic Cameron Trading Post for Navajo tacos. Although we weren’t hungry, I was informed this was a must stop, and they lived true to their reputation. We shopped around for a bit, marveling at the authentic American Indian pieces.

Just over an hour later and we arrived at our accommodations for the night: Shash Dine’ Eco-Retreat. I can honestly say, this was the highlight of the trip. I will admit, when I found this place I was a little apprehensive. No running water, no electricity, no wifi… and what the heck is a navy shower? We were immediately welcomed by the great pyrenees at the gate and I instantly fell in love with the place. After being introduced to the land, we were taken to our sheep wagon where we would be sleeping for the night. The owner recommended we walk to the back of the land to glimpse views of Lake Powell. We looked for Indian artifacts on the way, while we didn’t find any, it was still exciting to look.

“The history of the land dates back to ancient times. Petroglyphs, arrow heads and shards of pottery can be found while hiking, remnants of days long past can still be seen in the artifacts of local Dine’, as well as in the old wagon trails littered with antique glass that glitter in the sun.  During the Long Walk period of Navajo history, Baya’s ancestors hid in the canyons from the United States Army to escape being forcibly removed and marched hundreds of miles to Fort Sumner in New Mexico.  The family history can be traced to these grazing lands for fifteen generations. Hogans that Baya’s ancestors built are still standing, and their knowledge of the history of the land is still on their tongues for anyone interested in listening and learning.” -Shah Dine’ Eco-Retreat website.

We were still about 12 minutes from Page so after exploring the land we jumped in the car for Horseshoe Bend just in time for a magical sunset backdrop. As you can imagine, the crowd here was pretty thick but everyone was respectful and I was able to snag the best photo at the point. By this time we were hungry and tired so we went into town for a bite to eat at Big Johns Texas BBQ. The food was great and a band was just starting up when we got there. We stayed for a few songs, but then headed back so we could be sure to find our way before it was too dark.

With no running water, navy showers were the only option. There is an outhouse and a privacy area for showers. Buckets of water are left in the sun all day to warm. The water was not at all warmed by the sun, and with the sun going down the temperature was falling quickly. I opted to let Jordan experience this one on his own, while I offered moral support and a towel.

With the last little bit of light from the horizon, I couldn’t believe my eyes. On one review, they were called “A five billion star hotel” and oh my sweet Jesus. Never in my entire life have I seen so many stars. They seemed so close to the Earth, like I lost touch with reality. I had never experienced such beauty in one day. Words and pictures would never be able to describe this, you just have to experience it for yourself. I was ready to lay on the ground for hours stargazing until Jordan reminded me of the rattle snakes and creatures of the desert. So into the sheep wagon I went, snuggling up to the window so I could peak out of the curtain at the skyline until I could hold my eyes open no longer. Surprisingly, the desert gets very cold at night! I questioned the thick comforter on the bed we slept in, but waking in the night I realized it was necessary. The bed was small, maybe a twin? Though worked in our favor as the forced proximity allowed me to steal Jordan’s body heat to stay warm. I would recommend you pack warm night clothes if you stay here in May. Despite the cold, I will do this again. I hope to bring my children here for the sole purpose that they can live in the stars for the night.

Day 3: Page’s Natural Wonders

Waking to the ranch roosters’ crow was an exciting first for me. Still living on Indiana time zone, we opted to get an early start for the Grand Canyon but unfortunately missed our Navajo breakfast. This turned out to be a poor choice, as there were very little dining options on the way. We ended up in a burger king drive through ten minutes before they opened. I suggest making sure you have snacks with you if you plan to skip breakfast.

One of my bucket list items was to visit the beautiful Antelope Canyons. At the time of our trip, Navajo Nation still had strict pandemic restrictions and closures on all of their lands. This included Navajo owned Antelope Canyon. The exception to this was the privately owned Shash Dine’. Had the lands reopened by the time of our arrival, we planned to spend the morning here, heading to the Grand Canyon in the afternoon.

We drove about an hour and half with a stop at the Grand Canyon East entrance where we soaked in our first glimpse of this natural wonder. By just after 7AM we arrived at the South Rim and made the trek up the Kaibab trail. After about an hour we found ourselves surrounded by endless canyon views from what felt like the top of the world. You could easily spend an entire day (or two) here exploring the sites and trails. As we made our way back down the trail, we passed dozens of hikers just getting started. Considering the sun was just finding its way into the canyon, and the shear number of hikers that would soon be congested at the top, we were suddenly very thankful for our roosters’ early wake up call. We soaked in a few last sites at Mathers viewpoint before it was time to find a more edible breakfast.

We stopped in at Foodie Club just south of the Grand Canyon. Service was quick and the food was really great! Feeling a lot less hangry, we started our 3.5 hour drive back towards Scottsdale where we would complete our journey. I tried my first Dutch Brother’s coffee at the first chance I got. I had been drooling over this place for years as my Las Vegas living cousin had always raved about their coffee. It became an instant obsession.

We had some time to kill before check-in to our VRBO in Old Town Scottsdale, so we made our way to happy hour for margaritas and finger foods at the JW Marriott. Rita’s Cantina & Bar treated us to mountain views of the one and only Camelback Mountain. She looked just as grand as I had remembered her. Feeling a little more relaxed we checked in and cleaned up for our Anniversary dinner.

One local watering hole was within walking distance to our vrbo. We were walking distance to Coach House where we joined about half a dozen other locals. We grabbed some drinks and were immediately taken in by the locals here. Everyone here was already on a first name basis, so it was no surprise they knew we were visitors. The vibe was so great here we never made it to Old Towne to bar hop and explore before dinner. We accepted far too many drinks from our new friends and eventually had to bid them farewell if we wanted to make it to dinner on time.

Jordan took me to Nobu for my first time for our anniversary dinner. In hindsight, I would have faired better soaking up my pre-dinner drinks with something a little more greasy and a lot less expensive! Though I do know I thoroughly enjoyed my sashimi. I ordered the yellowfin jalepeno, whitefish taradito, and a few appetizers. Still dizzy with the nights festivities, we wrapped up the evening shortly after dinner and called it a night. We decided on the airbnb the evening before, after contemplating spending our anniversary at a more worthy locale: The Scott. The airbnb was more than adequate for our needs and ultimately was glad we opted not to splurge.

Day 4: Scottsdale’s Farewell

On the last day we allowed ourselves a well-deserved sleep-in. We had a pretty easy morning, starting first at Dutch Brothers (again) and then sat down for breakfast at the highly recommended Breakfast Club. The food here was mouthwatering! There were so many crowd favorites to choose from. I opted for the heuvos rancheros, 10/10 would recommend.

We continued our quiet morning by the shared pool at our rental until our 11AM checkout. A final hike at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and a late lunch at Freshbox completed our Arizona adventure. As the sun began to set with one last hour to burn, we visited Top Golf Scottsdale to grab a few last mountain views. Eager to head home to our tiny humans, we bid farewell to an unforgettable anniversary trip.

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