Growing up is hard to do. For example, one of your best friends (whom you can’t imagine life without) gets married. That’s all well and good until her husband gets accepted into an MBA program in Arizona. Of course, she is expected to go with him. Whatever happened to hoes over bros?! Cason and I tried everything to bribe Jon Paul to stay including stocking his fridge with a Zaxby’s tray once a week. He considered it for a minute but ultimately turned us down…bummer. All jokes aside, we love JP and tried to be supportive of his decision even if that meant taking Holly all the way to the west coast. They moved in August of 2012 and Cason and I did what any normal people would do who are having serious withdrawals; we booked a trip to visit less than a month later.

We flew into Phoenix and spent the night with Holly and JP before us girls ventured out to explore the wild, wild, west. The first place on our road trip was Sedona, Arizona. At this point you all probably know Cason “Pricelined” for us. (Click here to read up on her skills.) We won the Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa. The views were spectacular. We were nestled perfectly in the middle of the famous Sedona red rocks. Unfortunately we didn’t take any pictures of the hotel so check out their website to fully grasp how remarkable it was!

You can’t go to Sedona without doing the Pink Jeep Tour! The tour is the perfect way to take in all the views Sedona has to offer. Who doesn’t want to go off-roading through the Sedona red rocks? The views are breathtaking and the tour guides stop to let you get the perfect pictures. I went on the tour with my family when I was little and I was so excited do it again when I could actually take it all in. Nerd alert: I was also really excited to learn more about the Hopi – a Native American group living in Arizona. I teach about the tribe every year in 4th grade Social Studies.

You can’t visit Sedona without instantly picking up on the energy of the town. It is all about becoming one with nature. Think natural healing, crystals, and spas. So of course, the 3 of us immediately booked our massages at the Sedona Rouge. I am a sucker for a good massage but a massage with the red rocks as a backdrop is especially good! Rumor has it there are special powers in the Sedona red clay so if you find yourself out west, I recommend giving it a shot! Just to give you a heads up, the Sedona Rouge is a clothing optional spa…you’ve been warned.

We also found some great eats in Sedona. Two of my favorite places were Sedona Memories Bakery and Café and Blue Moon Café. Both places were the perfect “local” find. Here is my turkey club which included cream cheese, avocado, cranberry sauce, sunflower seeds, and swiss cheese – DIE.

The next stop on our AZ road trip was Scottsdale. You will have to check in again to hear all about that adventure! If my bff has to move, at least she moved to a cool place, right? Can’t wait for you two to move back to ATL. (Lots of coughs, winks, and crossed fingers with that statement!)

Happy Hump Day!

Sedona, Arizona Getaway