Sedona during the film festival

[baf99]

Has anyone been to Sedona during the film festival? I have a week deposited with GPX that is expiring 3/5/18. I had reservations for two weeks in Kauai but due to uncertainties with my cat’s health I don’t want to be gone for two weeks or be so far from home. She has cancer and while she is doing OK for now that can change in a hurry. So, I am looking for a one week vacation from which I can return in a (relative) hurry if necessary.


I would mainly be looking for gentle hiking and scenic photo opportunities. I figured the latest trip possible with the expiring deposit would be best for the outdoor weather, but in Sedona that coincides with the film festival. Are restaurants and roads likely to be more crowded that week vs. the previous week? Will any improvements in weather make dealing with any extra crowding worthwhile? I have only been to Sedona the last week of October 2008 so I really don’t have any recent basis for comparison. There were traffic jams, but there was also a lot of road construction. So, any thoughts on whether or not the traffic during the film festival week would be near peak levels or if they would be more at off-season levels?


Other possible travel options would be Vegas, Tahoe, Myrtle Beach, or the California Coast. For the photo ops/weather trade-off I thought Sedona would probably be best. Feel free to add comments on this as well.


Thanks!

 

[PamMo]

So sorry about your cat, Barbara. I can understand wanting to stay closer to home.

I think ANY time is a good time to hike and hone photography skills around Sedona! I haven't been that week, but from what I've heard from locals, the hotels and restaurants are busy during the film festival - like peak summer and fall weeks. People going for the film festival will be in theaters and attending special events, not crowding the trails. You probably wouldn't want to stay in West Sedona where the festival venues are, and get caught up in traffic. Also, you would need to make dinner reservations ahead of time if you want to go somewhere special. Going a a bit earlier won't make much difference in weather. https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/west-sedona-az/86336/february-weather/2142036

 

[baf99]

Thanks Pam. When I was there during October there were quite a few traffic jams at the Y intersection and I had to wait over a half hour for a parking place at the West Fork parking lot. While I doubt the parking lot would be a problem, traffic jams in West Sedona seem possible during the festival. Although it looks like I dithered a bit too long since a lot of what I was looking at are no longer available. I'm now looking at either a 2BR 2/9 at Los Abrigados or Arroyo Roble (with an additional $175 size upgrade fee) or a 1BR Festival week at Los Abrigados or a 2BR Festival week at Sedona Summit. There was a lot more available yesterday, including the week before the Festival. But there is a 1BR at the Summit for 2 March. That will only have a couple of days overlap with the Festival so that may work out OK.

I'm still on the fence with my cat though. I may end up feeling better just letting the deposit expire.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Sedona can get very crowded in town, but there is a ton to do there and it definitely fits the bill for you regarding "gentle hiking" and a myriad of photo opportunities. The Red Rocks are breathtaking. And if you're feeling adventurous, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is less than a two-hour drive away if you want to try a day excursion just to get a feel of it. Pam gave you good advice regarding the need for reservations in advance--not just for meals but also for excursions. One of the big favorites there is the Pink Jeep Tours. They're a lot of fun, but be sure to get a reservation.

 

[PamMo]

BTW, the roads are MUCH better than when you were there in 2008! Highway 179 coming into Sedona has been widened and now has roundabouts at major intersections. It's definitely helped with the traffic flow. Getting in and out of Tlaquepaque used to be a total nightmare, but that has gotten better with extra turn lanes. Still busy, but not like it was 10 years ago.

Sedona Summit is nice, but it's right where the festival is. If you want a full kitchen in town, Arroyo Roble beats Los Abrigados. We stayed in Arroyo Roble over Thanksgiving (we had three units for the family) and were very happy with the resort. The units are two levels with both BR's upstairs (1K bed, 2 twins), each BR has its own bathroom, the master bedroom has a fireplace. The first floor has a full kitchen, W/D, large open living/dining room with fireplace, and 1/2 bath in the hallway. The resort is on Oak Creek, so you're below town, but some units have great views of the red rocks. It is not the most luxurious or modern - sort of 1980's and a bit dark, but we'd definitely stay there again for the location and size of the units. We also like Hyatt's Pinon Pointe, but that trades with Interval.

One thing that drives me crazy is the mandatory resort fees that Diamond has added. Sedona Summit has a $12/day fee, and Los Abrigados has a $20/day fee!