Skyline Drive: 2021/12

Phoenix, Sedona and Tucson in Arizona (12/24-12/7/2021)

365 miles to Phoenix, 5 hours 20 minutes on Sunday
Hyatt Place Airport Tempe with breakfast and free parking #H-C4PHN43L2ZRW
Central one hour ahead of Pacific Time; sunset at around 20min past 5pm
Friday - home to cracker barrel mesa (arrive at 12pm local time); taliesin west 420PM last term (12345 N. Taliesin Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, reserved and paid for 2:40pm to 4:10pm); hotel then dobbins lookout (arrive 5pm-530pm); cocina madrigal taco; hotel (in total 7.5 hours drive); japanese friendship garden (last admission 330pm 1125 N. 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003; $10 and $8)
Saturday - hotel to Boynton canyon to devils bridge to amitabha peace park to airport mesa vortex to chapel of the holy cross to cathedral rock to bell rock to hotel (269 miles, 5 hours 20min)
Sunday - hotel to Saguaro national park (giant cactus) to Rincon mountain to Sabino canyon to eat at Kiwami to Red Hill to back at hotel and eat at Sicilian Butcher at Chanler (203 miles, 3 hours 20min)
Monday - hotel to to hole in the rock to pagaya park / Lost Dutchman state park somewhere back to home

Desert botanic garden, closed on Christmas day, advance tickets required, $40 adult, evening hours available https://tickets.dbg.org/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=ST&c=CHIHULY
Pagago park and the Hole in the rock (was just ok); park at west buttes parking lot; https://www.visitphoenix.com/sonoran-desert/parks/papago-park/
Dobbins lookout for sunsetting; moderate (very nice place, love it) trail; https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/holbert-trail-to-dobbins-lookout
Saguaro national park, 1 hour 30min in the south, https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/saguaro_hiking.htm
Lost dutchman state park; 30min drive; $7 per vehicle; Christmas day closed; https://azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman/
Biosphere 2; https://tickets.b2.arizona.edu/; $25 per adult; about an hour and 44 minutes drive
From the locals

Taliesen West located at 12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259. It is open daily from 8:30 to 6:30. There are several tours to choose from ranging from 45 minutes and $38 to 3 hours and $75 and all visits are guided; $49 per adult
Dobbins lookout The Dobbins Lookout is located at 10919 S Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85042. There is no cost to see it and you have the option to drive to the top of the mountain or hike up. If you do drive, there is a short, uneven walk to get to the Lookout. The park is open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
West Valley Thunderbird Conservation Park (https://www.glendaleaz.com/live/amenities/parks_facilities_trails/regional_parks/thunderbird_conservation_park) is a nice small neighborhood park area located in the NW valley at 22800 N 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85310. There is also an entrance on 67th Ave. It is open from 7 to 5:30. There are three hikes in the area that all are around an hour or so, depending on your speed
The Japanese Friendship Garden (closed on monday) is located at 1125 N. 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003. It is open from 10 to 4 Tuesday through Sunday and general admission costs $10

Restaurant - Phoenix Palace for dim sum (chinese); Old town taste chinese; Chen's noodle house (Tempe) Barrio Queen Tempe (mexico); Taste of Peru; Thai Elephant (americanized thai food, was just ok), Zu Izakaya (asian food, large portion, was ok) Cocina Madrigal (close to old town but on street, Mexico; love this place, sit outside, simple menu); Stone Korean Tofu House (Scottsdale); Hiro Sushi at Scottsdale (traditional Japanese); Hodori Korean (Tempe); Baby Kay's Cajun Kitchen (Tempe); Angry Crab Shack - Food (Tempe); Sicilian Butcher (Chandler in the south; italian food); DeFalco's Italian Eatery, Grocery & Deli (fast food italian)

Chapel of the holy cross (didn't go), two hours from Phoenix, limited parking, see website https://chapeloftheholycross.com/hours/
Cathedral rock, can stop at mescal trail head (for devils bridge, but it's very hard), Subway cove is also very hard, limited parking but can use the national park pass http://www.arizonahikersguide.com/all-hikes/hike-cathedral-rock-trail-sedona
Airport Mesa trail, moderate, https://thehikehouse.com/trails/airport-mesa-trail
Bell rock, again moderate trail, http://www.arizonahikersguide.com/all-hikes/hike-bell-rock-loop-sedona
Slide rock state park and the Devils bridge trail (at least 3 hours for round trip and another time to wait on getting on the bridge and taking the picture), moderate trail again, https://www.earthtrekkers.com/hike-devils-bridge-sedona-arizona/
Amitabha stupa and peace park, free parking, tibet like temple and rolling prayer
Mature tourist area, free parking downstairs; bell rock inn etc has nice places to live by
Yayapi trail, stopped by there, but couldn't get too long in the trail

Noodleholics and Kiwami Ramen (didn't go)
Saguaro National Park, 9-5pm; closed on thanksgiving and christmas
On the west, red hills visitor center for scenic Bajada loop drive valley; view overlook trail
On the east, Rinton Mountain visitor center for cactus forest scenic loop dirve; and desert ecology trail;The visitor center is also the starting point for a scenic auto/bike tour around the Cactus Forest Loop Drive offering incredible views of the Rincon Mountains.
https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/saguaro_hiking.htm
Sabino Canyon https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recarea/?recid=75425; go for visitor center, lush green
West side has rugged roads, many trails; east side has more of a garden feel, has trails in the neighborhood
Sabino canyon is a very popular place, can walk to the dam, very paved and very walking friendly

Skyline Drive