I started 2025 needing to make a number of changes in life. I carried some bad habits forward and haven't gotten the traction elsewhere that I need. Additionally, work is typically pretty busy during the month of January. Although I'd just gotten back about a month earlier, I was ready for a little reset time. I scanned Sedona rates one night and found a nice Hilton for the long weekend with fantastic rates, I jumped on it.
Unsurprisingly, Friday the 17th was a bit chaotic. I was trying to get things wrapped up when a big issue came up at 4PM. It took a while to get that sorted so I didn't leave the house until almost 6PM. I ran a couple of errands and made the drive up north. It was pretty mellow most of the way. I was routed along a stretch that I am unfamiliar with so the last 30 mins were new road to me. I arrived at the Hilton Sedona Summit around 9. I got checked in and got over to my building. These are Grand Vacation units so they are like small apartments. I got all of my stuff unpacked by 9:30 and was ready to wind down. I spent a few hours just hanging and crashed out some time around midnight.
Saturday, the 18th, I got up and got ready. I headed north on the 89A to Flagstaff. The drive was nice despite being stuck behind a very slow driver on a one lane road. I started the Flagstaff jaunt on the east side of town. By now I was hungry so I stopped at the Flagstaff Mall to grab something to eat. Afterwards, I checked out a few stores and slowly started working my way through all of the shops including Bookmans, The Geekery, and others. After a few hours there, I headed back south to the hotel. I got stuck behind another slow driver, but got back around 3. I decided to hang around the room for a bit until dinner.
For dinner, I grabbed a burger at Oak Creek Brewery. I really like the place and the traffic was not too bad. The meal was great and I had plans for the evening. I headed back to the room and hung out for a few hours until it was really dark. Part of the reason for the trip was to do some serious stargazing. At the end of the street for the hotel property, it turns into dark desert on the sides of a non-trafficked road. I walked 100 feet into the darkness and saw the night come alive. I stood in the cold for a while taking it in and taking pictures. I headed back to the room, warmed up, and spent a few hours just winding down and relaxing.
Sunday morning, I woke up but did not feel well. I didn't sleep well and had a tension headache. I got ready and headed to Sedona Crepes for breakfast. I have seen it a lot but never stopped. It was worth trying once, but I don't know that I'll be back. From there, I headed to the Sedona Heritage Museum. I've not been there and wanted to give it a shot. It was small, but fun to check out. I then headed back to the hotel and grabbed a quick nap. After that, I headed to Cottonwood to look around a bit and grab something for dinner later. It was a couple of hours roundtrip and a lot of fun. I got back to the hotel from my last run of the trip.
The remainder of Sunday was all about winding down. I ate half of a sandwich on my balcony and enjoyed the air. I walked all of the complex and checked it all out. I had some time while the sun set so I got the room completely packed and ready for the early checkout. I saw more stars again and was grateful to have the chance to do so. I called it a pretty early night. I was in bed around 10 and probably fell asleep around 11.
Monday was uneventful. I was up early and was out and on the road by 9:30. The drive was smooth and I was back at the house and unpacking by noon. I had a very nice break and am grateful that I was able to do so. I love traveling and the time away was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to my next trip.
