At the end of January, my good friend Sarah and I “met in the middle” for a trip to Sedona and its surroundings.

Now that I live in New Mexico and she’s in California, we liked telling people we were meeting in the middle when they asked what brought us to the area—though, admittedly, after repeating it for the tenth time, it lost a bit of its novelty, haha.

It was a weekend girls’ trip. We met, technically in Phoenix first, and kept our eyes on the horizon until we were out of the mega-city and over the hills into the Verde Valley. (No offense to Phoenicians, but we are more small and mid-sized city kinda gals.)

We stayed in nearby Cottonwood, an adorable town in its own right. I’d been given a tip from some locals years ago that if I wanted to visit Sedona I should stay in Cottonwood instead, and that it was charming and half the price – and it did not disappoint.

Our base for the trip was the Iron Horse Inn, perfectly located within walking distance of restaurants and bars. We quickly fell in love with the nearby Copper Jackalope Brewery, which became our home away from home during our stay. Their alcoholic kombucha was a standout—delicious and memorable.

We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night in Cottonwood. Friday was dedicated to exploring the town and taking a scenic ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad (a special feature coming at the end of the month!)

Saturday was our Sedona day. We started the day with the much-buzzed about eggs benedict at the Pumphouse Urban Eatery, located across the street from the popular Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village.

After window shopping, we got a day pass to the Los Abrigados Resort & Spa, where we swam in the saltwater pool, soaked in the hot tubs, and attempted the sauna—which lasted about 45 seconds before we gave up (we were out of practice!)

Exhausted from sitting in the hot water and yapping apparently, we revived ourselves with chai, shortbread, and Pakistani snacks at the nearby Chai Spot. It was a treat for the taste buds and a treat for the eyes to enjoy the colorful patio. It was also wonderful to learn that 50% of the company’s profits support women and children in Pakistan!

We also took a brief hike—accidentally through private property, thanks a lot, Google Maps—to Buddha Beach, where we captured iconic shots of Sedona’s stunning red rocks and relaxed by a calming, ice-cold stream.

Afterward, we wandered through downtown Sedona, popping into shops and grabbing a quesadilla on a second-story patio, watching the other tourists meander by below us.

By Saturday night, the call of the Jackalope lured us back to Cottonwood once more. We also found time to enjoy some wine tasting at some downtown breweries, and we enjoyed Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria for dinner and a quick wine flight as well. The view alone made it a star of the trip. The pizza was also delicious.

I’m looking forward to doing a deep dive into the Verde Canyon Railroad later this month. A big thanks to the railroad for letting us ride in exchange for a special feature!

Blog schedule moving forward

Last month, things got chaotic with my professional life, and I needed to take a step back to rethink my schedule and strategy so I didn’t post any blogs for January.

In frantic times, I have a tendency to spin my wheels. But after some nervous walks and stress-eating sessions, I’ve formulated a new plan and slightly different path in reaction to changing situations.

For now, I’ll need to scale back blogging slightly to accommodate some additional part-time gigs and classes.

I’m going back to school, but it’s all part of the plan to go abroad—stay tuned for more!

I’ll be posting regular blogs once a month on the second Tuesday, and the fourth Tuesday will be reserved for occasional special features.

In April, I’ll be hopping the pond for my first trip to Europe. I don’t want to spoil too much just yet, but I’m excited to bring you all along for the journey here—even if the pace is slightly slower for now.

I’m playing the long game here, and it’s always been my dream to be a travel writer, so abandon this, I shan’t. I remind myself: adjust, don’t abandon.

I appreciate you all being here for the ride. 😊

Until next we travel,

<3 Skye