Arizona Spectacular!

Day 1

Arrive in Sedona by 3pm and meet in the hotel lobby to get you checked in.  We’ll enjoy a tour of Sedona, including a short hike with a visit to a vortex. Many people visit Sedona to explore its metaphysical dimensions, especially its vortices. Page Bryant coined the name “vortex” in 1980 for areas in Sedona that have highly concentrated energies conducive to prayer, meditation and healing. Nonetheless, the term “vortex” has taken hold because it helps to explain people’s experiences of well-being at the sites. Let’s see if you can feel the energy! We’ll enjoy a delicious welcome dinner at one of the many splendid Sedona restaurants. Overnight Sedona.

Day 2

After breakfast, we depart Sedona and drive up onto the Colorado Plateau through Flagstaff with a stop at Walnut Canyon. Here we’ll enjoy a two mile hike on the Sky Island trail to view the dwellings sheltered by overhanging cliffs that were home to Walnut Canyon’s only permanent human inhabitants more than 800 years ago. Then it’s off to Winslow, Arizona where we’ll stop for photos at “the corner” that the Eagles song made famous!  We’ll have lunch, and then it’s off to the Petrified Forest National Park . We’ll enjoy a variety of hikes to see the petrified logs, the Agate House, another short hike to a petroglyph site, and visit Puerco Pueblo, then on to the Painted Desert Visitor Center and to Tawa Point to hike the Painted Desert Rim Trail. Gorgeous! Back to town to check into our hotel and have dinner. Overnight Holbrook.

In the middle of this unexpected transition in my life, words cannot express what this trip has meant to me. Thanks for the opportunity to grow and explore new worlds. — Patsy R, AL

Day 3

After breakfast, we cross the plateau to Chinle.  It’s about a 2 hour drive north with stops and a time change along the way. Once we get to Chinle, all aboard for a fun jeep ride into Canyon de Chelly. Our private tour includes a visit to Antelope ruins and to famous White House ruins, among many other sites. Our Navajo guide shares historical and interesting stories. Inhabited by Native American peoples for millennia, the area is dotted with prehistoric rock art. The White House Ruins, among others, are remains of ancient Pueblo villages. There are also wild horses that we may be lucky enough to see. We’ll head the short distance back to Chinle to check into our lodging with time to relax before dinner. Overnight Chinle.

Day 4

After breakfast we’ll drive along the rim of the canyon enjoying the great views from the top of the canyon that we jeeped in the day before. A special stop for a short walk is to the overlook of enchanting Spider Rock.  Navajo legend claims Spider Woman lives between the towers and she taught them to weave.  We’ll enjoy several scenic overlooks before stopping at the Visitor Center on the way out of town. The scenes as we drive towards Monument Valley are breathtaking. The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley. All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience. Then it’s on to lunch at historic Goulding’s Trading Post. We’ll have some time to shop and wander about. Check out the old movie sets from John Wayne westerns.  Next, we drive to Page to check into our hotel, and have some free time before our delicious dinner. Overnight Page.

I’ve backpacked thousands of miles alone but I treasure this week spent traveling with these amazing women. — Kate L, MA

Day 5

After breakfast, we have a full day touring this area with the most beautiful and photogenic areas of Antelope Slot Canyon. We’ll enjoy and photograph one of the most unique and magical places of the American Southwest. Over thousands of years, wind and water have formed narrow crevices in the mesa measuring a quarter mile long and 130 feet deep. It’s beautiful and mystical. We’ll also gain unique insights to the Native Navajo culture in this sacred setting. Next, we visit Horseshoe Bend. We’ll hike approximately 1.5 mile to the overlook for an iconic, breath-taking view of the Colorado River winding 1000 feet below. We’ll take our time here, have a picnic lunch, and hike the short distance back to the van.  This is a day to take our time and enjoy all this gorgeous area has to offer.  Delightfully tired from this scenic day, we drive south to Marble Canyon to check into our lodging and have dinner. Overnight Marble Canyon.

What a fun experience! This trip has opened my eyes to a part of Arizona that I truly want to revisit. The hiking, the spectacular and dazzling views, the frequent laughs and the easy camaraderie all made for a truly memorable experience. Thanks go out to our intrepid trip leader and to a fine group of traveling sisters. Hasta luego.
— Sally H, NY

Day 6

After breakfast, we hike and explore this stunning area! In 1984 Congress created the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument area. Vermillion Cliffs National Monument is a remote and unspoiled, 294,000-acre monument and a geologic treasure, containing Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes and Paria Canyon. It’s known for its outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation so it will remain free from the influence of man and are protected for future generations. We’ll choose hikes that are particularly scenic and moderately challenging. We drive back to Sedona with a stop to shop, then check into our lovely hotel. We may have some time for a dip in the pool before our fabulous farewell dinner. Overnight Sedona.

I loved just being able to sit back and enjoy the trip knowing everything was taken care of.  What a great way to travel!  I enjoyed all my travelling companions and thought we had a good bond. I look forward to doing more trips with you in the future.  Thank you for a most memorable trip.
— Janet S, AZ

Day 7

Enjoy breakfast and the hotel’s amenities before you board your pre-arranged shuttle service back to Phoenix, or stay and play in Sedona!

• 6 days/6 nights fully guided tour by a Canyon Calling Trip Leader
• All land transportation as outlined in this itinerary
• Hotel accommodations, double occupancy
• All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 7
• All activities outlined in this itinerary
• All activity guide gratuities
• All entrance fees, park passes and permits

• Round-trip transportation to/from Sedona, Arizona
• Alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature
• Gratuity to your Trip Leader at the end of the tour