What I Wore in Arizona
Spring break usually takes us to a beach destination. Hawaii and Mexico have been favorites in years past, but this year I traded in my swimsuit and sunhat for hiking boots and Patagonia layers and we set our sights on Arizona. We’d been wanting to visit Grand Canyon for some time and spring break seemed ideal. We also decided we’d tack on a few days in Sedona, a place we’ve enjoyed visiting in the past. As soon as we finalized our destinations, I started thinking about what clothes to take. I love all aspects of trip planning but I especially love planning my wardrobe. Some of my dearly beloved poke fun at my planning (which has been known to include Excel spreadsheets…) but as one who’s always thinking about my next trip, it gets me excited!
Packing for this trip to Arizona proved to be slightly tricky because the weather there was much cooler than at home in Austin. Grand Canyon and Sedona forecasts called for 50- and 60-degree daytime temperatures and cooler nights, but it had been in the 80s already in Austin. And in reality, the weather was milder than forecasted. Still, I wore nearly every single piece of clothing I packed for this trip.
What I Packed Vs. What I Wore
Our Arizona itinerary included a day in Grand Canyon and two days in Sedona. Here’s what I packed (including what I wore on the plane) and what I actually wore:
3 leggings: I wore all of these.
3 long-sleeve t-shirts: Two of these were athletic shirts for hiking, and I wore both of them. I didn’t wear the casual long-sleeve tee I packed.
1 long-sleeve button-up: I wore this on both travel days, though I didn’t wear it on the trip itself.
1 pair of jeans: I wore these for dinner out in Sedona and on our return travel day.
2 sweaters: One sweater was a thin, waffle weave, and the other was a warmer cashmere. I wore the waffle weave to dinner in Sedona but didn’t wear the cashmere sweater at all.
1 sweatshirt: I wore this a lot!
1 shacket: I wore this to dinner in Sedona.
1 Patagonia coat: I wore this in Grand Canyon and was glad I had it. Mornings and nights were especially chilly.
1 Patagonia vest: I also wore this in Grand Canyon.
1 fleece jacket: I also wore this in Grand Canyon. It’s probably the warmest of my three outerwear options and I was happy I had it the morning that we went to see the sunrise at Mather Point.
1 pair of hiking sneakers: I wore these in both Grand Canyon and Sedona. Because we didn’t do any major hikes in Grand Canyon, I could’ve gotten away with sneakers but I definitely needed hiking shoes for our Sedona hikes. I wore these on our travel days, too.
1 pair of winter fashion boots: I wore these in Grand Canyon. Did I need them? Absolutely not. But I love them and living in Austin I get very few opportunities to wear them, so I brought them.
1 pair of cowboy boots: I wore these to dinner in Sedona.
Wool cowboy hat, bandana, various earrings, necklaces and bracelets: I wore all of these.
As you might imagine, Grand Canyon style was super casual. I didn’t need anything other than athleisure, so my leggings and long-sleeve tees were perfect. Even at dinner, the vibe was pretty much people fresh off of a hike or sightseeing.
Sedona was generally casual, too, but I felt more comfortable in jeans and my sweater/shacket combo for dinner versus wearing my hiking gear, which is what I wore during the daytime.
Ultimately, I had only a few things I didn’t wear and a few things I wished I’d packed. The weather in both Grand Canyon and Sedona was warmer overall than I had anticipated and while my Patagonia coat got plenty of wear, the cashmere sweater I packed did not. And I really would’ve liked to have had a short-sleeve t-shirt.
Want to know more about my trip beyond the fashion? Read on for where we stayed, what we did and where we ate in Arizona.
Beyond the Fashion…
Where We Stayed
Marriott Phoenix Airport: We arrived in Phoenix late at night and booked this hotel for the sake of convenience as we were picking up our rental car from the airport the following morning. There were some hiccups with a delayed shuttle pickup at the airport as well as not having the room we booked available when we checked in. Not the best experience but the location was convenient for what we needed.
Yavapai Lodge: My research showed that it was best to stay in Grand Canyon Village and I’m glad we did. Yavapai Lodge was the perfect base for exploring Grand Canyon. Plus, it has a cafeteria-style restaurant, tavern and a general store (to include a counter service deli, groceries and souvenirs) on the premises. It is nestled amongst evergreens and we had several deer and elk sightings, much to my delight!
Crystal Sky Haus Airbnb: We could not have chosen a better Airbnb for our time in Sedona! My only complaint is that I wish we had more time in this beautiful home! Located in west Sedona, the house is a very short drive to Uptown and plenty of hikes but in a quiet, peaceful neighborhood with red rock views from the backyard.
What We Did
Grand Canyon South Rim Trail: Access to this trail is just across the road from Yavapai Lodge so it was the first thing we did in Grand Canyon. We walked the Trail of Time and were in awe of the canyon. I couldn’t really grasp its magnitude until I was standing with it spread out in front of me. This trail is completely paved and easy to walk. We had three kids, ages 7 to 10, with us and they had no problems.
Grand Canyon Mather Point: We opted for a 6AM wake-up in order to take in the Grand Canyon sunrise at Mather Point, one of the quintessential tourist spots. It was relatively crowded (and cold!) but we were easily able to secure a good vantage point for Mother Nature’s big show. Because it was spring break there were plenty of kids who were just as annoyed as ours about the early wake-up! But it was worth it!
Fay Canyon (Sedona): We arrived in Sedona before we could get into our Airbnb and some brief Googling led us here. This was just the right hike (distance and difficulty-wise) for our crew, some of whom daringly climbed the enormous rock at the end of the trail.
Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock (Sedona): The nice thing about this hike is that you can make it as short or long as you want depending upon which directions you take throughout your journey. In total, we hiked about 4.5 miles which was effectively a big loop around Courthouse Butte and ending at Bell Rock (which we did not climb). All Trails’ description of “moderately challenging” is accurate. The scenery can’t be beat.
Uptown (Sedona): This is one of the main touristy areas of Sedona (at the intersection of Arizona 89A and 179) with loads of shops and restaurants. If crystals are your thing, you’ll find endless suppliers here. It is very touristy but made for some interesting afternoon window shopping.
Tlaquepaque (Sedona): Another popular tourist spot, Tlaquepaque also has shops and restaurants. Though also touristy, it has a different vibe from Uptown and seemed more high-end—more galleries and unique shops, and more picturesque.
Where We Ate
General Store at Yavapai Lodge (Grand Canyon): There is a small deli inside the general store and we grabbed lunch here - think soups and sandwiches. It was a decent option and most of all, convenient. We grabbed our must-have Grand Canyon souvenirs here, too.
Yavapai Lodge Tavern (Grand Canyon): We had dinner at the tavern. There is also a cafeteria-style restaurant at Yavapai Lodge and both of these spots get very crowded at mealtime. Although the tavern was crowded, our wait time wasn’t terribly long. They have a full bar and serve traditional tavern fare. Again, it was a convenient option to have right where we were staying.
Cowboy Club (Sedona): This made for a good, kid-friendly lunch spot before checking out the shops in Uptown. Their margaritas go down too easily and pair really well with the cactus fries, a must-try.
Pisa Lisa (Sedona): We ordered takeaway for dinner so that we could enjoy the beautiful backyard at our Airbnb. They have lots of unique brick oven pizza options in addition to traditional pies, all of which were delicious.
El Rincon (Sedona): Located in Tlaquepaque, El Rincon offers traditional Mexican fare and tasty margaritas. My beloved Mexican restaurant in Austin no longer offers taco salad in a taco shell bowl (!) so I was happy to find it here!
Hideaway House (Sedona): We enjoyed our last meal in Sedona at Hideaway House which leans Italian but also has traditional American fare like burgers. It’s a cute, unique spot and I only wish we weren’t there at nighttime (and it wasn’t raining) because the views from the back deck where we were sitting are supposed to be gorgeous.
Coffee Pot (Sedona): We probably waited an hour to be seated for breakfast, not something I’m normally willing to do, but it was worth it. This place is wildly popular and it is clear why. They have an extensive breakfast menu (yes, literally 101 omelets) and super friendly customer service. They have a gift shop attached to the restaurant which gives you something to do while you wait.
Our trip to Arizona was so much fun and the memories we made will stay with me, especially the Grand Canyon. There’s not much I would change about our trip, but one piece of advice I would offer if you plan to visit is to strategize your arrival time at Grand Canyon. The website does a really good job of sharing peak entry times and includes a live webcam of the South Entrance Station. When we went in mid-March, it was recommended that we arrive before 9AM or after 4PM but since we were driving up from Phoenix and had only one day in Grand Canyon, that wasn’t an option for us. We arrived around 1PM and waited to get into the entrance for about an hour. I’m told that wasn’t a bad wait but if I were to do it again I think I would plan to arrive after 4PM and explore the canyon the following day, or stay the night before in Tusayan which is the small town just outside the entrance gate. That would allow you to get up and easily breeze through the entrance before 9AM.
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