Veranda.com: “Here’s How to Spend a Perfect 48 Hours in Sedona, Arizona”

Sedona is Mother Nature at her best. From the bright-blue skies to the iron-rich red rocks and emerald green junipers, everywhere you look is bold and beautiful. In addition to the dramatic landscapes, Sedona is known for its good vibrations, which attract creatives, spiritual seekers, and healers from around the world. Whether it’s spiritual enlightenment or a delicious prickly pear margarita you’re after (or maybe both!) Sedona offers it in spades, which makes it the perfect weekend escape for the thoughtful traveler. Read on to discover where to stay, play, and what not to miss in this unique desert city.

Friday Afternoon

90 minutes from Phoenix Sky International Airport, L’Auberge de Sedona is the perfect place to soak up sun, stars, and sprawling landscapes. Nestled on the banks of Oak Creek in Sedona’s Red Rock region, the property features sophisticated guest cottages, a spa, and fine dining restaurant. Inside the recently-refurbished Creekside cottages, the interiors skew more modern, with soothing creams and outdoor cedar showers, while the Vista Cottages offer dark-wood headboards and whirlpool bathtubs for two. As a guest bonus, the property generously offers incredible complimentary activities, from s’mores and stargazing and monthly moon meditations to artist-in-residence talks.

Do you hear the spa beckoning? Us too. For something really special, book a massage at’ L’Apothecary Spa’s private creekside tent and listen to water babbling past as you take your pick from refreshing facials, reparative peels, cleansing body treatments, massages, and integrative therapies, including cranial sacral treatments, holistic massage, and reflexology.

Saturday Evening

Cress on Oak Creek isn’t just dinner—it’s an experience. In good weather, sit on the patio and enjoy views of the creek which sparkles in the sun by day and provides the perfect calming soundtrack by night. As for the menu, it’s seasonal, often changing, and always features ingredients foraged from the surrounding area. On any given night you might be served a salad with local mushrooms, or a duck roasted with goat cheese crumbs and cherry tomatoes. The truffle fries are also a no-brainer.”