Sedona Guide Day 2 - INTO THE VORTEX
Day 2 was all about being active outside. We made breakfast at home and set out to hike Devil’s Bridge. Obviously I was given a bride-to-be sash and, like any grown woman, I had to wear it everywhere (ok, like a 5 year old at her birthday party).
we cooked breakfast at the house because with this view how could you not? everyone got their own avo, a fried egg, some toast, A PROTEIN SMOOTHIE SHOT, and fresh fruit. oh, and coffee which took a total of 5 people to figure out how to make because the coffee maker was that bougie. with that, a quick change into hiking gear and off we went to conquer devil’s bridge.
it took us about an hour to ascend. this is a conservative estimate. we stopped for tons of pictures, to take in the natural beauty, and just laughing and chatting. eventually we made it up to devil’s bridge wheer we each took a photo and then a group action shot (which gave passersby a heart attack because we were jumping around). the bridge was super wide and actually not so scary once you were walking over it. if you’ve never been hiking, getting back down is harder than you’d think. it took us about another hour to get back down. give yourself time for this hike.
know before you go: if you plug in the devil’s bridge into gps it will take you to a hotel and you’ll be turned around and sent down a long winding road which is Long Canyon road. plug this into your gps (W54G+M8 Sedona, Arizona, USA) and park on the road (you’ll see tons of cars and know you’re in the right spot). it’s almost a mile walk down long canyon road to the actual trail head so factor this into your overall time commitment.
in between hiking and our next adventure we stopped at a spot called Local Juicery which was basically my version of heaven. Everything from acai bowls to smoothies, vegan / GF friendly meals, and a bevvy of products from brands I love (Moon Juice) and brands I discovered (Nucifera). From Local Juicery, I ordered a Superfood Coffee (French press Cartel coffee, maca, tocotrienols, almond butter, cacao powder, coconut crystals, pearl powder, mucuna pruriens) as well as Detox Greens juice from the grab-and-go (kale, cucumber, romaine, celery, green chard, cilantro, dandelion, lemon). I crave that Superfood Coffee to this day. I also bought Moon Juice’s Sex Dust (seemed like an appropriate thing to buy during a bach party) and Pearl Powder (who doesn’t want to drink crushed pearls?) as well as restocked my Four Sigmatic Reishi Tea (because i forgot to pack mine). I bought Nucifera’s balm because my skin was SO dry in Sedona, and I’m now hooked on this stuff.
After our quick lunch we were off to Pink adventure Tours for an off-roading adventure led by who I truly believe to be the best tour guide, Goeff (request him - he is knowledgable, patient, and takes great Instagram pictures!). We were climbing up, and down, some almost 90 degree inclines and descents (or at least it felt like that, i’m sure it was close enough). Also here’s a great start-up story behind Pink Jeep Tours. If I recall the story told to us by Geoff, Don Pratt was a lan developer and would take people around Sedona to look at land only to realize people were booking appointments to be driven around Sedona for the sites. Thus (and after a trip to Hawaii where everything was pink), he began Pink Jeep tours. It is the only touring four wheel drive company to be permitted on the Broken Arrow Trail Head (the company is committed to preservation efforts and there is a mutual agreement with the US Forest Service).
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Pink Jeep Tours has a very strict policy - make sure no one in your group is preggo or they won't let you participate in the off road (which is the only one worth doing). It’s a super bumpy ride.
After Pink Jeep tours we walked to Tlaquepaque (and on the way stopped at some cute shops where I discovered a peacock feather ear cuff - btw no peacocks were harmed for it! sadly i don’t remember the name of the shop and the designer/creator does not have an online link ). Tlaquepaque (pronounced tell-ak-ah-pak-ee) is a historic village of shops , restaurants cafes, etc. Someone was getting married right in the middle of it and it was SO scenic and cute. Great for art, artifacts, jewelry, fossils, etc. WE STUMBLED UPON THE CHAI SPOT, “AMERICA’S FIRST CHAI DHABA”. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. NATURALLY, I GOT THE COCONUT ROSE CHAI AND ENJOYED IT ON THEIR RUG AND POUF-COVERED TERRACE.
we headed home to rest. And of course for bachelorette party fun (gifts, games, toasts and roasts). But before all this, I did some laps in our house’s indoor pool (yes, NBD, there’s a pool in the basement) and then took a most relaxing bath in the most divine bathtub in my bathroom. At this point, with my wine and my book, I could have called it a night. The altitude, the long day of exerting ourselves, and the bath had me exhausted. But rally we must. so i poured the champagne, put on my crown, and the party began.
Dinner was at Dahl & DiLuca - this was really good italian food, and the second restaurant of the chef’s we had already been to. Chef Lisa is the queen of Sedona. Her food has a feel good and comfort vibe to it. So when we were contemplating what to get and whether they could make a plate of arancini accomodate 5 instead of 4 people, a woman walked by and responded, “we can do whatever you want.” I looked up, gaped open and proclaimed “OMG it’s you, the chef! Chef Lisa!!”. She talked to us for a while, agreed to take a picture and in the end, the girls bought me her cook book “The Elixir of Life” which she personally signed. I absolutely fan-girled so hard.
Then we went out for drinks. (Wait, Sam, didn’t you say you were tired?…). Sure we were tired, but it was a bachelorette party and how lame would we be if we skipped out on prickly pear margaritas and a live native american ska rock band performing at an Irish Pub in Sedona while my fiance was out partying a few towns over in Scottsdale? Come on, we’re New Yorkers. We’ll sleep when we’re dead.
The bar is Mooney's Irish Pub, a dive bar with a young crowd, and way too sugary margaritas. Go for the live music. Stay for the tequila shots and people watching (including barefoot dancing cougar sisters tag teaming the same guy - WHO BY THE WAY we spotted the following night at another bar!!). We learned quite a few things that night but mainly, when you ask a Sedona local where they’re from, you will get one of two responses:
“here” (pointing at one’s heart)
“earth”
We vowed that from then on, our response to anyone asking would be Sedona style. “Here”, pointing to our hearts. I recall almost closing the place down - thankfully we returned home to zero crawly intruders in my bed. Day 1, mastered. I could totally get used to this. and we were only on our first full day. it gets even better. stay tuned. until then, abridged day 2 itinerary:
breakfast at the house
devil’s bridge trail head (use the following gps for google maps: W54G+M8 Sedona, Arizona, USA)
quick refuel at local juicery
pink jeep tours - broken arrow tour
tlaquepaque shopping + CHAI LATTES AT THE CHAI SPOT
DOWNTIME BACK AT THE HOUSE + A NICE SPOILED BATH