In college, you’re probably not overflowing with cash. Still, you want to get out. If you’re like me and in the Southern California area (shout out to SDSU Aztecs!), there are tons of places that you can go without requiring a plane ticket or any large expenses. One of these, and perhaps one of my favorite road trip ideas, is a college road trip to Sedona, Arizona. In this article, I’ll tell you why you should go there, why it’s a perfect college road trip, and what you can do when you’re there.
Where Is Sedona?
Sedona is a beautiful city in Northern Arizona. About two hours (120 miles) from Phoenix, 50 minutes (30 miles) from Flagstaff, and seven hours (460 miles) from San Diego, it’s close to many other attractions and makes the perfect road trip stop.
Surrounding Sedona are the famous red rocks–hence the nickname “Red Rock Country.” Situated at Oak Creek Canyon, you can find many springs, forests, deserts, and other natural formations you desire. Additionally, due to its location and its commitment to conservation, Sedona is an International Dark Sky Community. This essentially means that it has one of the clearest skies and highest commitments to reducing light pollution. For stargazers, this is fantastic news!
What Is Sedona Known For?
Going on a college road trip to Sedona is a fantastic option because of the variety it offers visitors (especially college-aged ones!). If you like hiking, spirituality, shopping, natural beauty, relaxing, spa days, dining, arts, wine, or crystals, this is absolutely the place for you. In my time here, I was enchanted by the way so many different mini cultures co-existed, the charming fusion of nature and sustainable town life, and the many options for local cuisine and activities.
More specifically, Sedona is known for being a place with vortexes. Vortexes are said to be centers of concentrated spiritual energy. Many people find peace, revelations, and guidance near them, and they’re said to be great for healing. Sedona has four major vortexes, all of which are accessible to hikers or people on tours: Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon. Locals and tour guides offer a wealth of information on the healing benefits of these vortexes. When combined with all of the spiritual healing shops and opportunities, Sedona awes visitors with its commitment to natural healing.
If any of these things call out to you, keep reading to see why a college road trip to Sedona is such a great choice!
What Is There to Do in Sedona?
In this section, I break down some things that you can do in Sedona into various categories based on interests.
General Interest
These are some general things that I personally found interesting when going about Sedona.
The only teal McDonald’s sign in the world!
Sedona has some strict ordinances to uphold the natural beauty. All of the buildings are painted to blend in natural surroundings. Yellow is not one of these colors, and as such, the famous golden arches were made teal here to blend in better. Locals jokingly called it the “most photographed McDonald’s in the world,” and they might just be right. Whether you want to actually grab a meal here or just see Sedona’s take on the golden arches, it’s well worth it.
Red Rock Country + Hiking
You know when you get to Sedona because you’re immediately surrounded by gorgeous red rocks in every direction. Whether you want to drive through and observe the rocks or get up close and personal with them yourself through hiking, they’re the most obvious attraction. Once more, the Sedona tourism website covers all the hikes that you can take, as well as their difficulty. As a pro tip, go earlier in the day rather than later!
History of Sedona (Including Celebrity History)
In Downtown, there’s a walkway overlooking the red rocks. Here, you can read all about Sedona’s history, as well as the famous people who have passed through it! While we didn’t have time to go too far into this, we saw some pretty famous names. It definitely seemed worth checking out on a college road trip to Sedona!
Spiritual/Wellness
Sedona draws many people because of its vortexes and community focused on spiritual healing. Here are some activities that can get you into this scene.
Crystal Shops and Psychics
There are many, many crystal shops in Sedona. Whether you’re looking for crystals, sage, magic wands, books on astrology, or a psychic to read your aura, Sedona has you covered. When I was there, I visited Crystal Magic just to look around. It was close to my hotel and seemed intriguing, and I’m happy that I stopped in. This enormous store had just about every stone you could think of, and it drew a wide and eccentric audience. Next door, in a connected store, there were mediums and psychics who offered a wide variety of services, including psychic aura imaging. While this was a little expensive for the average college student, it was certainly fascinating to hear about!
Vortex Tour
This was our favorite stop of our Sedona trip. Many companies do private tours of the various vortexes. They send knowledgeable guides out with you to explain the different energies, the history of the town, and the landscape. At some of the stops, you even get to stop and meditate or sit at the vortexes to see if you can experience the peace for yourself. Pink Jeep Tours are a well-loved and fantastic option for this. They have other tours too, and this is one with very little hiking, but I would definitely recommend it, even with the price!
Chapel of the Holy Cross
This was my favorite part of Sedona. This Catholic church is built into the gorgeous red rocks, and it is nothing short of an architectural masterpiece. Although the walkway up there is a little steep and the parking lot can fill up fast, it is 100% worth it. You can go in the church, see the view from the top, and learn about its fantastic history. They also have a fantastic gift store where you can grab a postcard.
Spas and Massages
Sedona has many spas and resorts, as well as various massage parlors. I don’t think many college students would spend money on this (they get really expensive, no matter how nice they sound), but if you’re interested, Sedona’s tourism site has a list of places here.
Shopping
Sedona offers plenty of opportunities to shop, ranging from thrift stores to novelty stores to expensive (and I mean expensive) stores.
Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village
If you’re going to shop one place in Sedona, this is the place to do it. The shopping center is fashioned after a Mexican village, and it has something for everyone. There are high quality artisan shops, shops solely for quilts, shops for outdoors activities, shops for inexpensive trinkets and toys, clothing boutiques, record and antiques stores, and more. Tlaquepaque is well known for housing Southwestern and Native American art, jewelry, and crafts, and the artisan vibe is very strong. If only to walk around, I would recommend stopping here. It’s in downtown, so it’s close to everything and so beautiful that it’s worth the time.
Main Street
Main Street has a ton of shops. While you can easily just walk around and see what there is, here are some suggestions:
- Sedona Gifts–general gifts for friends
- Sedona Candle Company–fun and unique candles
- Western Trading Post–Western themed souvenirs
- Blackbird Vintage–vintage clothes
- Uptown Mall–a collection of shops (food, souvenir, wine, etc)
- Native American Traders–jewelry
- Cowboy Corral–Western themed clothes and souvenirs
- Sedona Artwear and Shirt Company–great for general souvenirs
- Wisdom Arts–home decor
Where Should You Eat in Sedona?
Like everything else, prices in Sedona are a bit higher than they are elsewhere. However, there are some fantastic eateries sprinkled throughout. While I haven’t been to all of these, I have heard great things about each of them. Once more, I’ve selected some places that have a good price point for college students.
McDonalds
Because why wouldn’t you want to eat at the teal arches on your college road trip to Sedona?
Chipotle
Because it’s cheap and your mom might have a gift card for you and your friends to use.
Cowboy Club
Because it has a great history, good food, and good decor (American food).
Outlaw Grille
Because it’s Sedona’s version of a Costco food court–cheap, easy, and fast. With shade.
Momo’s Kitchen
Because it’s a simple Thai place with great food.
Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen
Because healthy pizza and Italian food at a decent price point is too good to pass up.
Mesa Grill
Because it’s by the airport, has a good menu with decent prices, and has a view that can’t be beat.
Los Rosales
Because it’s fantastic, affordable Mexican food with good margaritas. Try the prickly pear one.
89Agave
Because they’re supposed to have fantastic margaritas (and food).
Where Should You Stay in Sedona?
This is going to be assuming that the people in your college road trip to Sedona are not wealthy. If you’re an average college student, you want something that is worth your money while still remaining close enough to the location. For this, I’ve found a few hotels that are a decent price. As a rule of thumb, hotels and AirBNBs in Sedona are a bit on the pricier side. However, there are definitely some gems.
1. White House Inn
Located about six minutes way from downtown Sedona, this is a fantastic budget option. For about $115 (we went in early July and stayed for one night), we got a room with two queen beds and a full kitchenette. This was honestly my favorite hotel that we stayed in during this trip. It was clean, close to other amenities, and decently quiet. If you’re looking for something last minute (like we were) this is a fantastic option.
2. Baby Quail Inn
Another cheap option (often around $100 pre-tax as well) is Baby Quail Inn. This hotel is also by the center of town, and it’s significantly less expensive than other ones. While I didn’t stay here (it was fully booked), it has great reviews!
3. Los Abrigados Resort and Spa by Diamond Resorts
This is supposed to be a fairly nice hotel (3 stars), and it’s offered at around $100 as well. It has a game room, a spa, and many other amenities. Even if you’re only there for a night, it could be a fantastic spot for a girls’ trip.
4. Bell Rock Inn by Diamond Resorts
Like the one above, Bell Rock Inn is a 3-star hotel that boasts good prices (it can be under $100!) and great location. Reserve in advance for better prices!
5. AirBNB
As always, AirBNB and other vacation rental sites are great options, especially if you have a larger group on your college road trip to Sedona. One thing that I’d caution is that some of these are more expensive (and further) than hotels. Just make sure to check the complete price before you commit to a place. Some of the spots are very quirky–think camping, mystics, and more. You can find quite a unique stay through this, and if that’s what you’re going for, I would definitely search AirBNBs.
Other Things to Know for Your College Road Trip to Sedona
- There is free parking! It can be hard to find sometimes, but there are free parking lots behind some of the stores in downtown. Additionally, in Tlaquepaque, there’s free parking. It can be a bit of a walk if you’re going far, but you shouldn’t have to pay for parking on your college road trip to Sedona.
- Watch out for the heat! While Sedona isn’t as hot as Phoenix, it can still get pretty toasty. Make sure to bring hats/sunscreen/water. Sedona is no fun with heat stroke.
- While you can book most things on the day of, try to book them in advance! Even if you’re a more spontaneous trip person like me, it helps to have a little bit of structure with your plans. This goes especially for things like the Pink Jeep Tours!
- Gas is way cheaper in Arizona than in California. Yes, it’s common sense, but it’s fantastic.
- It can be hard to find parking at some hiking locations, so be sure to get there earlier rather than later.’
A Final Word
If you’re considering a college road trip to Sedona, you won’t be disappointed. Sedona offers so many fantastic options for everyone to enjoy. Have fun, and remember–bring that sunscreen!
