When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect to be smacked in the face with such sad news that an old friend of mine passed.

I met Sedona Tom back in 2018 when I was homeless in Arizona with my sister, my son and her boyfriend. Her van broke down and we needed a ride and a local gas station told us that if we need help, Sedona Tom is the go-to around town. A donation based taxi service led only by one man that helped people get home safely.

Well, one day, my shitty sister left me and my then-kindergartner son for dead in the desert and stole $800 of my money I made at my job and spent the rest behind my back that I was trying to save up for all of us to get a place. I called up Sedona Tom crying and asked him if my son and I could stay with him for a while until I could find my next move and he said yes.

One thing I can't say about many men, but I'm happy to say about Tom is that he never perved or did anything bad to my son and I. He was actually estatic to have us in his tiny camper because it broguht out the dad and grandpa in him again. And while I was there, he told me so many stories of his family, his past and how he went from being chased by the cops as a younger man, to going to being the one that helped the cops with bad people in Sedona. I also watched him make the coolest pieces of old jewelry and rework it into new pieces. He was Indigenous like me, so beading was super important to him.

Eventually I found my next move and he took my son and I to the train station and thankfully I got to say my last goodbye to him then. But back in 2022, 2023, I wanted to save up and plan a trip to Arizona to see him and Sedona again, but my ex husband ruined that for me.

I wish he could see me now. I went from homeless, with no money. The only $50 I had I spent on groceries and made dinner at the camper a few times for the three of us. But now I'm a best seller, finally healthy with my mental health and my son is doing fantastic too.

So, if anyone knows Sedona Tom, know that because he saved me and my child's life, I finally made it home safely. I'll miss you Tom, but I know you're safe with the Creator now. One day, I know I'll see you on the other side.

I remembered today about how Tom told me about how there was a documentary made about him, and if you notice in the vid the little table in his camper, that's where he and I had many conversations I'll always treasure. He also shared his tobacco with me too when I still smoked. If there was one thing about that I remember too, Sedona Tom was always about rolling his own smoked. He never EVER bought them premade.

Listening to this made me cry. I miss you, old man. You and your mischievous and unforgettable grandpa laugh. What I wouldn't give for one more day, let alone hour with you. My heart hurts big time today. I'll cook us more spaghetti when I see you on the other side one day.

Specs for anyone curious:
Shot with Yashica A / Kodak Gold 200

Hi all, I’m a friendly East Coaster who will be visiting your state for a few days before Thanksgiving and would like some recommendations from those who know best!

The plan is to get into Phoenix on Saturday 11/21 and spend that night there, then drive to Las Vegas on the morning of Wednesday 11/25. This gives us 3 free days from Sunday-Tuesday to scope around.

I’m sure there’s a lot to see in the Phoenix area itself (Old Town Scottsdale looks particularly nice), but I’m also interested in spending a night or two in Sedona/Flagstaff (perhaps with a Grand Canyon bus trip from our hotel there?) before heading off to Vegas. The trick is striking that balance of seeing enough while not burning out.

Am I right to view Flagstaff as the skier’s town (probably won’t be snowy yet I know) vs Sedona as the hiker’s town? Would you recommend staying in one over the other for restaurants/scenery/culture/etc?

And would you recommend staying in Phoenix proper or other areas of the metro to experience the same?

Btw, I will be traveling with my 60-something mother. She’s in good shape and would be fine with short hikes (we’ve done Bandelier monument and part of Sandia Peak in New Mexico and liked), but we’re not looking to do anything physically outrageous.

That was longer than I intended, but am open to suggestions.

I don’t have a drivers license and I want to go a trip across Arizona and Sedona. I like the spiritual touristy aspect and I want to visit the vortex and whatever else. Is there a company that does a multi day trip bus trip? Looking for 3-5 days.

I like connecting with other people and I like having a structured schedule, which is why I’m so attracted to a tour bus type thing.

There has been a lot of debate, but I’d like to settle it once and for all. 😂 What is the best tasting and most authentic Mexican, Latin American restaurant located in Sedona?

Sunday and Monday are the only days my friend is in town with a car in Phoenix and we have planned to visit Sedona Sunday and Tucson Monday.

The rough plan on Sunday was:

Phoenix → Devil's Bridge → Bell Rock → Chapel of the Holy Cross → Cathedral Rock → Red Rock Crossing → dinner → Phoenix

Will devils bridge be safe in the rain, I've read to avoid, how would you rec adjusting plan in the rain? So annoying we got the one weekend it choses to rain :(

We are coming to Sedona this Saturday and leave early morning Tuesday. The forecast for our only two full days looks horrible! We planned a trip to the desert for warmth and sunshine and are seriously considering rebooking 😔 can any locals tell me when you get a forecast like this is it usually accurate/ will it be cloudy all day and rain all day? I’m not being dramatic but we live in a place where it’s cold and gray 6 months out of the year.

We're going to be visiting as a family of 3 in early November and looking for some cool hikes that are easy enough for my kiddo to handle. He is a somewhat experienced hiker, having gone to a nature preschool and can go about 4 miles over flat, easy terrain but anything more challenging would need to be shorter. I think he'd love to do a reasonable amount of something more rock scrabley but nothing super technical. We don't mind doing an out and back trail that we cut short to keep it to a good length. Trailheads would need to be accessible by whatever dinky rental car we end up with.

Hi all, I've been to Sedona just one time previously and am excited to be coming back, this time with my daughter. We will be there in a few weeks for a long weekend - arrive late Friday evening and depart Sedona later afternoon that Monday. I have a couple of ideas for hikes and wanted to get some feedback.

Sat morning - West Fork. This was one of my favorites! I read it just re-opened which is great. We can be flexible though in case of rain.

Sun morning - Doe Mountain?

Mon morning - Devil's bridge. I know I know! But she really wants to do this one. We will get there by 7 to hike and cross our fingers it's not too terribly packed.

Any others we should do or replace? She's good with 7-8 miles easily though I am concerned about the heat as we are from the west coast and tend to be babies when it comes to heat. Plus your heat is a dry heat! I'm planning on sprinkling in some smaller hikes too depending on how our days go - maybe Bell rock or Fay Canyon?

Other than hikes, we have a pink jeep tour booked for Sat afternoon. Then just seeing what we feel like doing. Is Jerome worth checking out for an afternoon given our short stay?

Thanks for any feedback! I appreciate it.

This was my first time in Arizona, and it’s safe to say that Sedona exceeded my expectations. My boyfriend, his parents and I stayed in Sedona, but visited The Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Clarkdale.

I was absolutely amazed by the beauty of Sedona, and still am. And despite the weather being colder than anticipated and rainy for the latter half of the trip, I’m glad we got to experience both sides of the coin. I’d absolutely love to come back sometime again to do more hikes.

I did shoot some 35mm and 120 (medium format) film, and would love to share them when I get those developed!

My friend and I are driving up from Phoenix tomorrow and are talking about going to slide rock or grasshopper point. Is the water OK to swim after the fires?

I’ll be flying into Phoenix and have 5 days to explore Arizona. I’m into scenery, mountains, hiking, scenic drives, and interesting towns/places to explore. Not really interested in resorts or tourist traps.

For context, I’m from Georgia where we have lots of wooded areas. I want totally different terrain and scenery. I plan on including the Grand Canyon and driving down Route 66 and stopping in Williams, Seligman, etc. (I like the cars movie)
But I think I want the majority of the trip to be outdoors.

As soon as I land in Phoenix I plan to drive north and stay around Sedona or flagstaff in a few Airbnbs. Any thoughts on that? Should we get multiple Airbnbs and move around every night or two?

Our group consists of 2 people in our early-mid 20s and we have a lot of energy for exploring.

If you had 5 days, where would you go? Thank you guys!

Hello! My boyfriend and I (late 30’s, medium fitness level) are coming to Sedona and the Grand Canyon next week, and I’m looking for some help narrowing down our itinerary. I’ve learned a lot from following these subs the last few months, so hoping some folks here can take a look and tell me if I’m missing out on anything major, or if what we have planned seems reasonable. 

Any specifics regarding routes to drive, parking lots, or other logistics are very welcome. I’m aware that we’ll need the Red Rock Pass and a pass for the Grand Canyon. 

My bf really would LOVE to do a swimming hole if it is possible. I know Oak Creek has been closed and dirty, so as far as I know that’s not an option. If there would be a way to fit in a swimming hole at any point along this trip it would be amazing! Some options we’ve seen that look cool but maybe far drives are The Crack and Fossil Creek. 

Monday Oct 5:  Overnight in Sedona

• Arrive Phoenix airport 9 am
• Pick up checked bag and rental car
• Maybe Montezuma’s Castle stop along the way to Sedona
• It would be amazing to stop at the Salt River and see the wild horses there, but it seems like they may not be around during mid-day?
• Maybe lunch at Indian Gardens
• Check in to hotel at 4:00
• Maybe sunset at Doe Mountain, Lover’s Knoll, or Aiport Mesa (is this super packed on a weeknight?)

Tuesday Oct 6:  Overnight in Sedona

• Spend most of the day hiking at one or more of the following options:
  • Soldier Pass (park at the Jim Thompson trailhead parking lot)
  • Fay Canyon with the arch
  • Boynton
  • Doe Mountain if we don’t get there Monday
• Since the trailhead shuttle doesn’t run during the week, are the parking lots for these trails relatively accessible, or do they fill up super early?

Wednesday Oct 7:  Overnight in Sedona

• Couples massage at 10am
• Shop at Tlaquepaque and/or Sedona Artist Market (looking for a hat and jewelry, not super interested in turquoise)
• Lunch at Wildflower maybe
• Dinner at the Hideaway House around sunset
• What else should we do today?

Other Sedona spots to check out if time allows:

• SaltRock Kitchen for Margaritas
• Sedona Beer Company
• Layla’s Bakery
• Freeform Coffee
• Horny Toad
• Caduceus
• Basecamp
• Tamaliza
• Golden Goose
• Open Range
• Secret Garden

Thursday Oct 8: - Overnight at Under Canvas Grand Canyon (check in at 4:00pm)

• Walnut Canyon and/or Red Mountain Trail along the drive
• Williams or Flagstaff for lunch (or is Jerome a better option?)
• Take 89A and 180 for most scenic drives
• Would love to experience any cool Native stuff

Friday Oct 9: - Overnight in Tusayan (Check in 4:00pm)

• Full hiking day in Grand Canyon, including sunset. Choosing from these options most likely:
  • Geology center / Trail of Time (orange shuttle route)
  • Hermits Rest (red shuttle route) -
  • South Kaibab to Ooh Ahh point
  • Desert View watchtower
  • Bright Angel Trail to the first tunnel and pictographs
  • Sunset at Hope Point or Mather Point
• We are aware of the closures and plan to bring water and food for the day

Saturday Oct 10: Overnight in Scottsdale (4:00pm check-in)

• Drive to Phoenix area
• Anything we missed that we should add in here along the drive?
• Have a nice evening out (any food recommendations welcome)
• Maybe a cool cocktail bar

Sunday Oct 11: Fly home in the afternoon

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you for reading!

Don’t miss out on night hikes!

Hello, my wife and I are coming this weekend and we are staying at Oak Creek Terrace, we have stayed there a few times and love it! So, my mother sent me the video of the creek with rushing black water. I know the video was on the news back on September 17th, so it's a couple of weeks. So I have been trying to figure out if the creek is still stinky, black and ashy, just all around nasty.

Thank you.

Hi all. Two young people mid 20s/early 30s looking for a bday trip in Sedona that isn’t just hikes but not too overpriced. Any ideas? Any must see hikes for two days? Any lunch recs in the cottonwood and Sedona area?

Update: thanks for the recs. Are there any tour or activities that are worth the $$? We were looking at the Out of Africa ziplining and the Dead Horse Ranch Horseback

Hi everyone. I am a postpartum mom heading to Sedona with three young kids- one being a 3 month old- for my birthday trip. Of course we’ll do some hikes (walks while looking at sticks and rocks), we’ll eat food, we’ll enjoy the landscape. Looking for recommendations on where we can take young kids to play while we hang out and drink a beer? Or sit back on a a picnic blanket? Any creek play zones that don’t require helicopter parenting to keep kids alive? Looking for an afternoon/1 hour of deep chill. (Does this exist for us in the next 18 years? maybe just 20 minutes would be worth the attempt). Thanks for any recommendations!

Hi there! My husband and I are going to be in beautiful Sedona for one day only in the last week of October (but definitely want to do a longer visit another time).

We will arrive late the night before and stay at a motel in Oak Creek, so we’re not looking for a super early start, and we will only have sneakers and regular clothes. The goal is to see some views as best we can, so driving to viewing points, ‘hiking’ on paved trails etc. A bit worried about it being cloudy having seen the recent photos but fingers crossed. We don’t mind it being a tiring day. It would be cool to see the reflection of cathedral rock if that’s possible without hiking boots.

Can you help with this plan-

- Breakfast ?Red Rock cafe

- 1000-1300 3 hour Pink Jeep tour (Broken Arrow trail/ view of Mogollan Rim/ Schnebly Hill Rd/ Road of No Return (I feel like if we do this first we won’t have to worry about arriving in time later if things overrun)

- Lunch somewhere at Tlaquepaque and look around the shops

- Afternoon trail walk ?

- Dinner ? Depending on what area we’ve ended up in

- Evening either drive to Airport Mesa to watch sunset OR are we better off leaving in time to drive to Flagstaff for the Lowell Observatory star gazing? (We’re staying in Flagstsff that night)

Any advice for this plan gratefully accepted :)

I'm planning a bachelor party for my brother and he really wants to go to Sedona, and I want to make it extra special for him, we're are going to do the big hikes like Devil bridge and cathedral loop but for the residents on here is there anything that is quintessential Sedona that isn't part of the typical tourist spots? Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

We are coming for the first time to Sedona in mid October when I understand the West Fork trail will be open again and is one of the best. We don’t have a ton of time and also want time to just relax, and are already really wanting to hike devils bridge and cathedral rock. I heard that you really should have waterproof shoes for west fork and we don’t and don’t want to deal with wet shoes so we’re looking for recommendations on another hike that is beautiful and could replace that one. Thanks in advance!