The Best Weekend Getaway with Friends in Sedona, AZ

Research shows that female friendship is good for health. Facebook and the web has many articles referring to research from the head of the Psychiatry Department at Stanford saying, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman. One of the best things a woman could do for her health is to nurture her relationships with her female friends.

Today, I’m super excited to share an incredible Sedona vacation with my close friends. It was our first girlfriends’ spa getaway and a trip that rejuvenated us and our friendships. In Sedona, we loved the Boynton Canyon trails, the Boynton Canyon Vortex, Pink Jeep tour of Sedona, spa treatments and so much more. I’ll share our exact itinerary and tips for having an amazing weekend spa getaway for girlfriends, so you can plan your own.

We chose Sedona because of the proximity to San Francisco, many scenic hikes, resorts, and spa options in Sedona. While in Sedona, we met others that had traveled from the East Coast, Canada, and further places because the Spa at Enchantment’s Mii Amo resort is ranked #1 in the USA by Travel+Leisure magazine and others.

Day 1, Friday: Travel, Boynton Canyon Trail, and Mii Amo Spa

Travel from San Jose to Phoenix to Sedona

We took a 6 am a flight from San Jose to Pheonix. Needless to say, waking up so early to get to the airport was not our favorite thing to do, but the excitement to see each other was beyond measure.

At Pheonix airport, we picked our 2 rental SUVs, loaded up our luggage and headed straight to Sedona. It was a 2-hour drive but with the excited chatter, it seemed a lot shorter.

Lunch at Red Rock Cafe, Sedona

By the time we reach Sedona we were famished. So, we headed straight for a hearty Mexican lunch. We picked Red Rock Cafe from a Yelp search and it turned out to be a fantastic decision. After an energizing lunch, we headed to Enchantment resort, nestled within the red rocks of Sedona

At our Casita in Enchantment Resort

We had heard amazing things from my friend Sara about Enchantment resort, from the time that she had stayed here for her milestone birthday trip with 14 girlfriends. So we were looking forward to staying there for a weekend spa getaway.

Enchantment is a sprawling resort on an enormous property surrounded by red rock mountains. Dave (from the hospitality team) picked us from the reception area and drove us over to our casita in a large golf cart. At the casita, he explained all aspects of the resort, the hikes, food options, tips, history and culture of the region… and everything we would want to know.

He knew a lot about the Native American culture of Sedona and the significance of the energy in the region. It was wonderful to hear that the resort honors and incorporates the Native American culture in many ways. He believed that the change in philosophy has helped propel the property to its present heights of success.

We promptly settled into our 2 bedroom casita with incredible views of the red rocks all around. The casita had a kitchen+dining, 2 bedrooms, a living room, 3 full baths, 5 queen beds and large balcony with outdoor barbeque – perfectly suited for our group of 9 friends for the long weekend.

The staff recommended we head out to the Boynton Canyon Trail for an evening walk, before sunset and in time for our spa treatments. So, off we went.

Boynton Canyon Trail and Vortex Experience

One of the benefits of staying in Enchantment resort is the many connected hikes into the Red Rocks and the famous Vortex experiences of Sedona. Boynton Canyon Trail was as wonderful as we expected and more. Here is a bit about the trail in pictures.

• 

• 

We started the hike, just behind the Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo spa, where the golf carts dropped us off. It was a gentle climb up the hill, leading up to the Kachina Woman, the Warrior Rock, and the Vortex. All along the hike, we could hear beautiful soul-piercing music from a flute.

The lovely music that pulled us up the hike, was being sent by the man who has been playing his flute from the top of Kachina Woman, every day for the last 7 years (since 2012).

The flutist climbs up the rocks and plays music. But his mission is to spread love across the world as far and as wide as he possibly can. Every morning, he loads up his backpack with heart-shaped rocks, which he makes with his own hands. All-day long, he plays the flute, inspires every visitor to spread love in the world and gives each person a parting gift of love.

Sudha insisted on giving him a tip for the amazing music. But, he absolutely refused to take anything at all. All he wanted from us was to take his message of love and world peace and spread it as far and wide as possible.

The Red Rocks span as far and wide as the eyes can see from the Boynton Canyon Trail.

• 

• 

There are tons of walking trails, biking paths, and climbing tracks in these mountains. One could spend days exploring the great outdoors of Sedona, from within the resort.

Our Sedona vacation was filled with fun and laughter and lots of pictures.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The hike was so much fun, I’d love to do all 15 best hikes in Sedona. Finally, it was time to return from the hike and get ready for Mii Amo, a must-have experience for any girlfriend spa getaways in Sedona.

Meditation and Chanting in Crystal Grotto in Mii Amo

As we arrived at the Mii Amo spa, we found that a guided meditation session was about to start in the unique circular meditation room – the Crystal Grotto. So, we joined the group for a lovely experience.

There is a large crystal in the middle of the circular Crystal Grotto, with seating along the circular walls. We stood around the crystal and chanted sounds in unison and solo.

In addition to the huge list of activities in Enchantment resort, Mii Amo offers a long list of unique classes and experiences, many of them inspired by the Native American tribes and legends.

Dinner at Mii Amo Cafe

Mii Amo is a full resort on its own, including a couple of amazing restaurants.

We ate at the cafe. The food and fresh fruit drinks were exceptional. I believe some of the ingredients are from the on-site chef’s garden behind Enchantment resort and Mii Amo spa.

• 

• 

• 

Mii Amo Spa Treatment for 9 Girlfriends

Our treatment at Mii Amo was a highlight of our weekend spa getaways for girlfriends. We have some amazing spas in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sedona and around the world. But, the glow after our treatments here was striking.

We were so thankful to Asha C for organizing the spa treatments for the group, ahead of our trip. So the 9 of us could get appointments around the same time. She put together a Google doc with everyone’s names and choices. I had the hardest time picking one of the many amazing options. Asha C and the Mii Amo staff so graciously accommodated my indecisiveness. Ultimately I did a combination treatment that was perfect.

Customers who have reservations at Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo spa treatment have full access to the pool, hot tub, jacuzzi, sauna, etc. We used it before or after the treatments, depending on our appointment timeslot.

Day 2, Saturday: Morning Hike, Sedona Downtown, Celebration Dinner, and Dance

After a late-night at the spa and tons of time in the pool, I didn’t think I would have the energy to wake up early for a hike. But, then some of us got itchy to wake up and hit the trails before breakfast. So, we headed to the other popular trail from the casita – Boynton Upper Vortex Trail Hike.

Boynton Upper Vortex Trail Hike

Much of Western USA had a cold and rainy winter in 2018-19. As a result, there was snow in Sedona in February/March. The trails had just opened but much of Boynton Upper Vortex Trail hike was covered with snow. The pleasant March weather and snow added to our lovely Sedona vacation.

The hike was mostly flat but the melting snow could be slippery without the proper shoes.

Refreshing streams ran along the hike as the snow melted. I could stay there and listen to the sounds of the streams and the stillness of forest for hours.

Vegan Lunch, Shopping and Downtown Sedona

After a wonderful start to the day, we got ready to explore the beautiful town of Sedona.

But first, we needed to get brunch. So, after reading reviews on Yelp, we headed to ChocolaTree Organic Oasis, a vegan restaurant run by a local ashram.

While the food in ChocolaTree was great for those looking for vegan foods with a western taste, I wouldn’t recommend it for an Indian palette accustomed to bold flavors.

After lunch, we picked some groceries for Sunday breakfast in the casita. Then we headed out to town for looking around but instead, we got a lot of shopping done.

After shopping for scarfs, accessories, and absolutely delicious bread with whipped butter, we hung out by a lovely sitting area, with a view of the mountains.

Special Birthday Celebration in Enchantment

On Saturday evening we had a special celebration with a formal dinner in the beautiful Che-Ah-Chi restaurant within Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo Spa. The food was absolutely delicious. The service and ambiance were perfect. We were so happy, we almost forgot to take pictures.

• 

• 

Dance the Night Away

We could have headed back to town to find a dance joint, but we decided to put on the music (the room had surround sound speakers) and create our own dance floor in the casita’s living room. Dancing in our pajamas was absolutely hilarious. It felt like been teenagers again on a sleepover, except with a lot of confidence and without the teen awkwardness. The evening was one to cherish forever. Bela recorded much of the dance, but I’m not going to share it here 🙂

Day 3, Sunday: Walk, Pink Jeep Tour, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Travel Home

We started the morning with a lovely walk on the resort property. Next time I want to take a bike for a spin around the entire property.

Breakfast in the Room

Breakfast in the casita was a great use of the kitchen. We made oatmeal, avocado toasts, fruit salads, chai and more. It was great to have a big breakfast before we started the long morning and the Jeep tour.

While we waited for the Pink Jeep tour pickup service to arrive, we checked out the pool, gym, lounges, etc. If we had more time, and warmer weather, the pool, and outdoor cafes would be amazing with Red Rock mountains forming a stunning backdrop.

Pink Jeep Tour, Sedona

One of the most popular activities to do in Red Rock country is the Pink Jeep Tour of Sedona. The Pink Jeep pickup service arrived at the resort on schedule to take us to Sedona town where we met our jeep and our driver/guide for the tour. The bus driver and later the tour guide shared some fun facts about Sedona.

We took the highly recommended ‘Broken Arrow’ tour. It was a blast as we bounced around in the jeep going through the rocky paths.

Once we passed the gates, only Pink Jeep tours could be seen in the open red rock country. We learned that the jeeps are retrofitted by the company to be driven on these bumpy rocks. They climb mountains and steep downhills with good control. We found out that it’s very expensive to retrofit and maintain these jeeps, which reflects in the cost of the tour.

We learned about the flora, fauna and geological history of these unique red rock formations. David, our guide told us all about the geological processes that transformed the once-white sand beaches to the present-day red rock mountains, over a course of hundreds of millions of years.

We walked all around a large flat mound at our first stop. As David had said earlier, the rock is actually compacted sandy beach. He explained that white sand beaches lay on this terrain around 300M years ago. Since then, iron-oxide deposits settled on top. Water from rains and rivers seeped through the cracks and colored the layers in hues of red. For 65 million years the area was submerged in the deep Kaibab sea that compressed the sand and turned it to red limestone rock.

Eventually, the San Andreas fault pushed from beneath, the land bucked and mountains rose from the sea. The forces of nature were so strong that huge cracks cut through in the mountains, forming the Grand Canyon and Red Rocks of Sedona. A more technical description of the layers can be found at the geology of the red rocks site.

For hundreds of millions of years, mother nature, the greatest artist of all, used her tools of tectonic forces, wind, air, and gravity to create these absolutely gorgeous sculptures. No wonder so many people have moved to Sedona and made it their home. Wouldnt you want to live here too?

They say “what goes around, comes around”. We throw kisses on the left and received them on the right.

As you can tell by now, David knew all the best spots to capture our Sedona vacation memories in pictures.

During the week we visited Sedona, a popular mountain biking festival was in progress. It was fun watching the bikers doing cool tricks and jumps. The horizontal white line near the center of the picture above is treacherous and popular trail among mountain bikers. You can find many videos of the Whiteline Mountain Bike Trail on YouTube.

Below the Whiteline mountain biking trail, are beautiful vistas of the red rock mountains. We were at an altitude of 4500 feet above sea level. It would be so much fun hiking these vast 133K square miles of pristine land.

Along the Pink Jeep tour, David showed us many rock formations that are popular because of their resemblance with familiar sights. For example – Yogi Bear, Humpback Whale, and Flying Saucer.

Fun facts about Sedona and Pink Jeep Tour company of Sedona

The Pink Jeep guide & driver shared a ton of fun facts (but I have not double-checked to confirm) –

• Oak Creek is a valuable perennial watershed for Sedona. The water comes from natural spring at the top of the canyon. In summer it’s popular for numerous swimming holes.
• 67 movies were shot in Sedona in the 40s to 60s. Paramount and Columbia had studios here. As the craze for western movies reduced and more rooftops started obstructing views, movie-making reduced and tourism grew.
• Sedona has a population of 10K residents. About 3.2 million visitors came to Sedona in 2018. There are 60 hotels in this small town to accommodate visitors.
• Average house price is $350K-$700, which is quite a lot for a small town but its a very desirable vacation home destination.
• Pink Jeep Tour Sedona was started by a Realtor from Hawaii in 1960. It was bought by a Texas company in 1988. It has continued to grow leaps and bounds because of its exceptional service, safety, and unique offerings on the land that the company maintains and has exclusive commercial driving access.
• With 100 guides, Pink Jeep Tour is the largest tour company of its kind in the world.
• The park where we went for the jeep tour is 133K square miles large and is located at 4,500 feet altitude.
• The city of Sedona is surrounded by 1.8 million acres of National Forest land!

Goodbye to Enchantment Resort and Sedona Vacation

After a thrilling experience in the Red Rock mountains, we returned to Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo Spa for some relaxation and final packing. With a heavy heart and loads of fun memories, we left the resort to return home.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

No visit to Sedona is complete without a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross that overlooks the entire valley in Sedona. The chapel may be small but it is unique as it lets in the mountains and clouds through its tall windows. The chapel is visible from all over Sedona, as it sits on top of a mountain, inviting every visitor on their Sedona vacation to come up for a visit.

Views all around Chapel of the Holy Cross are breathtaking – close and afar.

What an amazing way to wrap up our Sedona vacation and our girlfriend spa getaway – with nature’s wonders filling our hearts.

How to Organize Your Successful Group Trip

Steps for Organizing the Trip

Tips for a Fabolous Girlfriends Trip

• Scheduling Activities: Book the activities at the time when it’s most enjoyable. For example, if the trail is not shaded and the weather is warm, do the hike in the morning or evening, not in midday. When it comes to activities, timing is crucial.
• Dress code: Plan some outfit coordination for an activity or photoshoot. It adds to the fun.
• Divide and conquer the work if its too much for one person, depending on the group. Have a directly responsible individual for each task or overall plan so there is no confusion.
• Accounting: Keep the expenses and accounting straight so its fair and no one feels guilty that they didn’t do their part and likewise, no one feels they did too much. Best to be fair and transparent. I love the Splitwise app because
  • It’s easy to add transactions as they happen.
  • It divides an expense among the group or some members of the group.
  • Everyone can see their transactions and totals as they happen.
  • no matter how many or how complex the transaction, the app makes all the adjustments and each person has to make only one payment at the end to settle the trip’s balance.
• Tips on using Splitwise: A few best practices will go a long way
  • Record transaction and all its details (date, location, description), as soon as they happen.
  • Record all transactions, no matter how small.
  • Designate one person to add all transactions for consistency.
  • Settle the balance as soon a possible at the end of the trip. We generally settle at the airport after we’ve checked in.
  • I find the best way to settle is from within the app, using Venmo or Paypal even though I generally prefer Apple Pay using Messages app.
• No drama. We didn’t create any rule, but after the trip, everyone felt that the most fun thing was that there was no drama. Everyone felt great.
• For a girlfriends group or family group trip, it’s most important to remember we’re there to have fun together and enjoy everyone’s company. Keep a positive mind and enjoy all the activities and experiences. Even if it wasn’t your first choice it’ll be fun.
• Have Fun. The feeling will last forever.

What to Pack for a Weekend Trip to Sedona

For a weekend trip, I could pack all my things in a backpack. Since United Air and Americal Airlines both allowed for a carry-on, I splurged and took a roller suitcase with a luxurious amount of space.

We packed for cold weather because snow had just stopped, unseasonably late for the first weekend of March. We packed a few things for warm weather too, just in case it heated up during the day. Here are a few things I took –

• Toiletries – Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Lotions etc.
• Makeup for going out, especially for dinners.
• Medications e.g. daily vitamins, allergy meds etc.
• Jeans and t-shirt that Asha and Laxmi picked for the group. As you see on the Pink Jeep tour.
• Jeans and matching blouses (we picked white tops).
• A couple of dresses for the evenings.
• Accessories, scarfs, jewelry to match the dresses.
• Shorts or tights and hiking t-shirts.
• Shoes, slippers, boots or heels with the respective outfits.

Things we would have added if it was warmer

• Swimwear for the beautiful outdoor pools under the red rock mountains.
• Shorts and t-shirts for hikes
• Hat and sunscreen
• Water bottle

Frequently Asked Questions

Credits, Related Articles, and Pins

I’m honored to recap the wonderful experience with Krishnaveni, Asha B, Asha C, Lakshmi, Bela, Manjit, Sony, and Sudha. It was awesome teamwork. With Krishna sending the timely reminders and taking pictures; Krishna & Sudha & Sony brainstorming the plans; Asha C putting together the itinerary and spa reservations; Lakshmi ensuring that we do the Jeep tour and get the t-shirts; Bela being an awesome sport despite the injury; Asha B coming despite family event; Majit organizing the celebration dinner, and so much more.

Thanks to Sara for all the tips on accommodation, food, and activities. It was wonderful to have Seema, Sushila, and Shilpi, in spirit.

Related Articles

• Colorado Itinerary
• Joshua Tree NP Itinerary
• Day Hike to Henry Coe State Park
• Namib Naukluft NP
• Our Photo Gallery from Utah and Arizona

Pin for Later

[themify_col grid=”3-1 first”]

[/themify_col] [themify_col grid=”3-1″]

[/themify_col][themify_col grid=”3-1″]

[/themify_col]