Sedona Arizona?

[oceanfamily]

Have you been there? what did you really like about Sedona? Where would you recommend a place a family could stay for about 2 weeks? Perhaps a house rental?

[Rosemary]

Sedona is one of the most beautiful places I've seen in the U.S. I particularly love it in the winter when there is a breath-taking contrast between the red rocks, evergreens, and snow.

Downside: it has grown a lot in the past 20 years, and there are a lot more people everywhere in the area, both on the trails and on the roads. I would suggest staying on the outskirts of town if possible, closer to the hiking trails (assuming you're going there to be outside).

I would suggest looking for a house rental, but I don't have any specific recommendations. We used to live in AZ and would go to Sedona for the day or spend the night camping/backpacking.

The areas I've hiked around Sedona are off of Schnebly Hill Road (back route to Flagstaff), Beaver Creek (nice for an easy backpacking trip and hot weather swimming), and in southwest Sedona. All beautiful and not too crowded, although getting to Schnebly Hill Rd requires going through traffic. If you're away from the city, take time to stargaze - it's amazing.

[mtnlaurel]

We were there in October a few years ago. Absolutely magical!
We stayed at a campground down on the river covered in cottonwoods. It was perfect for us- a little cramped in the rv style of camping, but not bad at all. We have a pop-up and were on this really cute little loop with a lawn, bbq and bonfire pit in the middle. www.ranchosedona.com (http://www.ranchosedona.com)
I have used vrbo.com many times with success for house rentals.
We hiked during the day... it was warm and we needed to drink a lot of water. I don't remember the specific hikes, but there was a great loop hike we did.
Oh and we did this SUPER fun swimming hole/natural waterslide that was in the canyon north of sedona. Swimmin' holes are my E-spec-i-al-i-ty and it was a blast. Our kids were pretty small on that trip (one being an infant) so we didn't get to explore every inch.
We watched the sunset at an Energy Vortex by the airport and it was a party. A great place to bring picnic apps & bev of choice. It had an event atmosphere and was all focused on the sunset... quite fun.
One afternoon/evening we went to www.enchantmentresort.com/ (http://enchantmentresort.com/) . We got drinks and found a little rooftop area where we could take in the beauty there - which was perfect because we had the kids with us and we had the rooftop all to ourselves - this actually is a travel memory I'm hoping I'll remember forever.
One of my little travel tricks is to enjoy apps/drinks at a posh resort, then come back to the campground for campfire meal...... (and since I don't drink alcohol, it's just the cost of a soda w. lime)
We were there for either 3 or 4 nights and barely scratched the surface.... I hope to return some day.

Have a fantastic trip!

[EarthSky]

Sedona has become very commercialized and crowded during the summer - bumper to bumper in town, with people trying to find parking spots or get through town. I strongly suggest staying outside the town, although I don't know how many home rentals there are. You might even want to stay a bit north of there (as most traffic is from Phoenix, south of there). Be sure to see the stone Chapel built into the rock. The small artist shops are wonderful, but be sure to look for authentic Native American jewelry and art, often with little photos and bios attached. Oak Creek is wonderful for kids, as the water is clear and accessible. Best option for site seeing in town is to park in one of the public parking areas and plan to walk the rest of the day (the town itself is quite small). The sunsets are beautiful, and some of the restaurants have seating on outside balconies so you can enjoy the view :)

[awakenedsoul]

I loved Sedona! What a special place. I stayed at a place called The Quail Lodge, (or something like that.) I was just passing through on my way back to New Mexico. It was breathtaking!

[Jill]

It's beautiful, but if you stay in town, just be prepared for someone on every corner wanting to read your aura or sell you crystals!

[ljevtich]

Have you been there? what did you really like about Sedona? Where would you recommend a place a family could stay for about 2 weeks? Perhaps a house rental?
We have been there quite a few times. My parents have a timeshare there at the Hyatt. And you will find that there are MANY Timeshares there. RVing is a little tough, and camping right now is probably not something I would recommend, as it is either HOT or (because we are having a wet Monsoon season) WET, so staying in a hotel or motel would be a better option.

There is tons to do in and around Sedona. Make sure you have a National Park pass, because going to National Forest trailheads you need to have either that or a Red Rock pass (and having the National Parks' pass is better because it gets you into National Parks for a year). The towns of Jerome and Cottonwood are beautiful and the National Parks of Montezuma Castle, Montezuma's Well, and Tuzigoot NM are near-by, as well as Walnut Canyon, Wupaki, Sunset Crater, and Grand Canyon.

With all of the rain we have been having, the creeks are looking good, and Slide Rock State Park will have lots of water. Also the Oak Creek runs through Sedona, and you can go on rafting trips and kayaking (depending on age.)

For Restaurants: http://www.yelp.com (http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=restaurants&find_desc=&find_loc=Sedona%2C+AZ)

I have been to many of those restaurants, the grocery store at Safeway and New Frontier's (like Whole Foods).

If you get a Jeep, you can do Schnebly Hill Road, from 1-40 down to Sedona. I would suggest going that way rather than up Schnebly Hill Road.

From Sedona is Jerome, a cool place to go for its history and art. If you go on its art walk, you will have fun!

Flagstaff is not too far away either, and Williams is a fun town too.

[simplemama]

We have camped in Oak Creek canyon, the National Forest, and Dead Horse state park (near Cottonwood) I would recommend them all if you like to camp.