Sedona, Arizona: Spectacular or average?

Dear Phoenix-

You’re probably well aware of the red gemstone found two hours north. It’s called Sedona by most, but has also been called as “beautiful” and “cultural” by others. I usually visit at least once a year, and the last time I visited was when I was returning from a trip to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. Let me tell you–the red rocks that Sedona is so famous for are absolutely gorgeous at sunset.Sara Morgan, a native Arizonian, would love to take out-of-town visitors to Sedona because of the fun things for adventurous people to do, including hiking, canoeing, river rafting and horseback riding.

“It is the epitome of desert beauty,” Sara said. “While Phoenix is a big city, I really believe that Sedona is the heart of Arizona.”

Trevor Godfrey, a journalism student at ASU, loves seeing Sedona when he goes off-roading in his Jeep.

“The colors are awesome and the hills are beautiful,” Trevor said. “I saw [Snoopy Rock] recently from super far away on an off road trail. It was amazing.”

Trevor plans on running a moderate off-road trail in Sedona this summer.

It has been a while since I’ve been to Sedona, but my roommate has never been there before and I’m considering making an end-of-semester trip up there just so she can see the red rocks before she returns home for the summer. It will undoubtedly involve a lot of photos, some shopping, and maybe a bit of hiking.

Go rock some red rocks, Phoenix.

Amanda

Given free time, some students stay local; others prefer to go far.

Dear Phoenix,

Attending one of the country’s largest universities has given me the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and many different states. Being a native Phoenician, I’ve been able to introduce other students to various attractions in the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona. I asked a two people I’ve met this year where they would like to go and what they would like to do if they could go anywhere in Arizona.

photo courtesy of @mandalyn93 on instagram

Jackie Cotton is a sophomore from Wayne, Illinois. If she could do anything in Arizona, she said she would prefer to stay in Phoenix and read at cafes.

“I would just go cafe hopping. Back home, we don’t really have small cafes that are walking distance from where I live. It’s my favorite part about living downtown,” Jackie said.

A few cafes that Jackie said she would like to visit include Jobot at Fifth and Roosevelt streets, and Giant Coffee at First Street and McDowell Road.

McKenna Kutsop is a sophomore from Mountainside, New Jersey. She would like to visit Sedona, Arizona, if she were given the chance to spend time outside of Phoenix. McKenna said she visited Sedona before, and described the views as “breathtaking.”

photo courteesy of @mandalyn93 on instagram

“I can go anywhere and see mountains, but they don’t compare to the red mountains. While there, I think my goals would be to hike as much as possible and take in the culture of the town,” McKenna said.

I have spent much time hiking and camping in Sedona as well as reading in coffee shops, and I agree. Sedona and downtown Phoenix are both great places to visit if you are not from Phoenix.

Eternally exploring,

Amanda

How to Plan a Roadtrip

Dear Phoenix,

If you’re at all like me, you like to push your textbooks aside and start planning summer vacation when the temperature breaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit for three days in a row.

I’ve just begun planning a road trip, and I want to walk you through the steps I’ve gone through (and will go through) to plan the most perfect road trip possible.

The first part of the planning process is to pick out where you will be stopping! I want to go up the coast this summer with my friend Natalie. She hasn’t traveled much on the west coast. We plan to stop in San Diego, Los Angeles, Berkeley/San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. On the way back, we’ll be stopping in various places in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona as well.

The second part of planning a road trip is budgeting. Figure out how much money you’re willing to spend on gas, food and lodging. We’re both on a budget, so we’re taking a fuel efficient car, splitting gas money and sleeping on the floors of friends. If you  have more money, you can splurge for a hotel or hostel.

The third part of planning a road trip is to select the time span of the trip. Our trip is likely going to be two weeks or longer, because I can do that without a foreseeable summer job. It will give us ample time to visit with friends in each city and to explore on my own. Pick a time constraint that fits your life.

Those are the three main steps. As the trip approaches, we’ll start planning what clothing to pack based on the weather, and what local activities we can participate in.

Hope to see you on that open road!

Amanda

Dear Phoenix,

The first time I hiked the Grand Canyon I went with a group of friends from church. We took the South Kaibab trail down, camped at the bottom of the canyon, and then took the Bright Angel trail up the next day.
I was amazed by how peaceful, beautiful and refreshing the hike was, even though I was sore and unable to walk well for the next few days.
I had the opportunity to return this past October for a simple day hike, and was just as amazed by the beauty that was such a short drive from Phoenix. My trip in October was even more beautiful as I was able to make the 5 mile return hike from Indian Gardens to the Bright Angel trail head by myself, at  my own pace, where I could enjoy the nature around me on my own terms.

Keep on trekking,

Amanda

Austin, Texas, or How To Be Spontaneous

Dear Phoenix,

I’ve been planning this blog for a few months now. As soon as I heard I would be creating and managing a blog for my Online Media class, I knew I wanted to spread the love for traveling in and around Arizona.

I made a list of places to visit and things to write about including Arcosanti, Jerome, the Salton Sea, road trip planning and music selection, and I plotted out when I would be traveling where.

That being said, I want you to know that I was supposed to go to Arcosanti this past weekend (the 7-9 of February), and then blog about it. I had contacted Arcosanti and almost made my reservations to stay there overnight, then I was offered the opportunity to go on another adventure.

Arcosanti: 60 miles from Phoenix.

The United Students Against Sweatshops annual national conference was in Austin, Texas and ASU needed another representative. I was essentially offered a free trip to a city I’d never visited before, where I would attend a conference that would teach me how to organize and mobilize people to fight for the rights of workers in other countries. How could I turn that down?

Exactly. I couldn’t.

Austin: 1,000 miles from Phoenix

So this is where I stand. I ditched the Arcosanti plans to go to Austin instead. I figure this would be a great note to begin my blog on: Plans are never ever set in stone.

If you’re going to be the traveling, adventurous type, you need to be ready to be spontaneous.  You need to go with the flow. Greater, grander surprises could be waiting around the corner than whatever you may have planned.

I ran into musician Daniel Johnston’s famous frog mural without even looking for it.

This trip isn’t the first one I’ve embarked on after very little planning, and it sure as heck won’t be the last. If you’ve never gone on an adventure sans-planning, I implore you to give it a try.

Right now.

Stay audacious,

Amanda