Springtime, and high time for a break, we headed to sunny Arizona—specifically, stunning and spiritually charged Sedona, a quick-but-scenic two-hour drive from the Phoenix airport—to shake the last of our winter blues. With 48 freedom-filled hours to spare, we hit up a luxury resort and spa, saw red rocks and faraway stars, ate like royalty and hiked a wonder of the world. All in a day’s (well, two days’) work.
stay: There’s no better place to stay (in our humble opinion) than L’Auberge de Sedona, situated in town on the banks of gurgling Oak Creek and boasting breathtaking views of surrounding Red Rock State Park. The luxury resort offers several room styles ranging from individual suites in the lodge to spacious standalone cottages. For a real treat, do as we did and check into the beautifully appointed Vista Cottage, with a supple king-sized bed dressed in Fili D’Oro Italian linens, a cosy gas fireplace, a Jacuzzi tub and outdoor cedar shower, sweet-smelling hair and skin products from Gilchrist & Soames (so good, our own face wash, shampoo and conditioner were left untouched in our makeup bag) and oversized picture windows in every room providing an unobstructed, 180-degree panoramic view. It truly doesn’t get better than this. L’Auberge de Sedona, 301 L’Auberge Ln., Sedona, Arizona, 855-923-8102, www.lauberge.com
do: The resort offers a plethora of activities on site, inviting guests to participate in its ritual morning feedings of the resident ducks (bread is provided for the birds and, for the people, coffee, tea, creamy hot chocolate and warm scones with jam). Several nights a week, a local astronomer sets up his giant, custom-made telescope in the driveway, offering guests an opportunity to climb a ladder and peer in wonder at distant planets, galaxies and constellations (we took an incredible look at a blue-tinted Jupiter and its multiple moons). Off site, the Grand Canyon is a close and lovely drive, and, so vast, you need to see it in person (no iPhone photo can capture its true beauty; trust us, we tried). If you’re inclined to hike down into the canyon, pick a trail to suit your time abilities—and remember, what goes down, must eventually come back up. Grand Canyon National Park, 928-638-7888, www.nps.gov/grca
shop / spirit: Sedona’s got an eclectic mix of retail—a high proportion of art boutiques and high-end souvenir shops to ensure you don’t go home empty handed. In addition to your suitcase, there’s also plenty of opportunity to fill your soul, with spiritual service providers galore offering counselling, psychic readings, therapeutic bodywork, life coaching and more. Want to get up close and personal with a whirling, swirling centre of subtle energy? Download a free Sedona Vortex Map and feel the positive effects of your encounter long after you leave. (Friendly local word of advice: it’s vortexes, plural, not vortices.)
dine: For a five-star feast in a setting that can’t be beat, L’Auberge Restaurant on Oak Creek serves what our travel partner happily described as "the best meal of my enitre life." Seated outdoors by the bubbling brook, our mouths watered over a locally inspired menu created by chef Rochelle Daniel (who made a personal appearance at our table to ensure we were enjoying her food). In town, dining options range from health-conscious vegetarian to cowboy-style steakhouses, spicy Southwestern to elegant Italian, and everything in-between. Tiny, unassuming Tortas De Fuego turned out to be our favourite casual-yet-delicious lunch spot, offering sparkling Mexican cokes in tall glass bottles, a fresh salsa bar and flavourful, handmade south-of-the-U.S.-border fare that won’t break the bank. Tortas De Fuego, 1630 W State Route 89A, Unit A, Sedona, Arizona, 928-282-0226
spa: It would be practically criminal to stay at L’Auberge de Sedona without signing up for one (or two, three, four) of its signature spa treatments. The Feet in the Creek experience, for one, is a playful session that starts with a barefooted wade in the pristine waters of Oak Creek, followed by a head, neck and shoulder massage and foot reflexology. Our 90-minute Quiet Mind treatment began with a guided breathing meditation and culminated in a deeply relaxing massage. After, we had a chance to blend our own signature herbal body scrub (we chose a pleasing mix of rose, lavender, cane sugar and oil, using a genuine mortar and pestle to coax the ingredients into a happy union) at the spa’s own apothecary, and tasted our multi-talented technician’s locally handmade Chocolita raw dark chocolate (so rich and good, with notes of ground pink rose petals, we purchased a few bars to take home).
With Sedona still on our mind, we will surely see this sweet Arizona city again soon. —Noa Nichol
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