Anonymous wrote:Sedona requires a 2 hr drive from PHX airport. I personally don’t view that as a “weekend” trip.

You can fly to Flagstaff. 40 min drive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got from Santa Fe. If you have not been since Covid, be aware that it (and even Albuquerque) shut down around 5:30. The Georgia O’Keefe museum is under construction (they are building a new museum across the street), so it’s quite small and the other museums are fine - but if you are used to New York or DC not particularly impressive. Meow Wolf is not where I think my adult friends and I would like to go (my kids loved it). Taos and Madrid were worth the drive - but a lengthy drive. There is a direct flight from DC to Albuquerque- but not Santa Fe. Sitting in the Denver airport was not fun. Hiking great - some beautiful old Pueblo villages. Would not turn down the enchiladas. All things considered, I wonder if Boulder or SanFran/San Diego wouldn’t be a better option?

What? No.

- Someone who visits both cities once or twice annually

Depends when you go - off-season gallaries, stores, some restaurants close early. Old town Albequeue, Sante Fe close early off-season, absolutely.

Anonymous wrote:Just got from Santa Fe. If you have not been since Covid, be aware that it (and even Albuquerque) shut down around 5:30. The Georgia O’Keefe museum is under construction (they are building a new museum across the street), so it’s quite small and the other museums are fine - but if you are used to New York or DC not particularly impressive. Meow Wolf is not where I think my adult friends and I would like to go (my kids loved it). Taos and Madrid were worth the drive - but a lengthy drive. There is a direct flight from DC to Albuquerque- but not Santa Fe. Sitting in the Denver airport was not fun. Hiking great - some beautiful old Pueblo villages. Would not turn down the enchiladas. All things considered, I wonder if Boulder or SanFran/San Diego wouldn’t be a better option?

What? No.

- Someone who visits both cities once or twice annually

Sedona is dull to me. If you stay at a great resort and just want to relax by a pool and have few great meals, it's fine. Santa Fe is way more interesting. Good museums, hiking, art galleries, more variety in food, quirky stuff like Meowolf, and god day trips up into the mountains.

Just got from Santa Fe. If you have not been since Covid, be aware that it (and even Albuquerque) shut down around 5:30. The Georgia O’Keefe museum is under construction (they are building a new museum across the street), so it’s quite small and the other museums are fine - but if you are used to New York or DC not particularly impressive. Meow Wolf is not where I think my adult friends and I would like to go (my kids loved it). Taos and Madrid were worth the drive - but a lengthy drive. There is a direct flight from DC to Albuquerque- but not Santa Fe. Sitting in the Denver airport was not fun. Hiking great - some beautiful old Pueblo villages. Would not turn down the enchiladas. All things considered, I wonder if Boulder or SanFran/San Diego wouldn’t be a better option?

Anonymous wrote:Santa Fe offers more options; Sedona is more a state of mind than a place to engage in activities. Both are great.

FWIW Travel & Leisure magazine just named Santa Fe as the top destination for tourists in the US (displacing perennial winery Charleston, South Carolina).

T&L top 10 US tourist destinations:

1) Santa Fe
2) New Orleans
3) Charleston, SC
4) Savannah, Georgia
5) Alexandria, Virginia (huh ???)

6) Honolulu
7) Greenville, SC
8) NYC
9) Asheville, NC
10) Chicago

Sedona and Scottsdale, Arizona both are great destinations and should be on this list in my opinion.

That is one bizarre list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sedona requires a 2 hr drive from PHX airport. I personally don’t view that as a “weekend” trip.

I don’t view either as a weekend trip from DC. Way too far.

+1

This was bumped today? Well watch out for private investigators when you're on a "girls weekend" and actually sleeping with an NFL head coach

Sedona is beautiful but parking at trailheads can be quite difficult

Is it better to fly into Albuquerque or Santa Fe? I'm searching the options but thought I'd ask here too.

Santa fe has charm and history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Santa Fe offers more options; Sedona is more a state of mind than a place to engage in activities. Both are great.

FWIW Travel & Leisure magazine just named Santa Fe as the top destination for tourists in the US (displacing perennial winery Charleston, South Carolina).

T&L top 10 US tourist destinations:

1) Santa Fe
2) New Orleans
3) Charleston, SC
4) Savannah, Georgia
5) Alexandria, Virginia (huh ???)

6) Honolulu
7) Greenville, SC
8) NYC
9) Asheville, NC
10) Chicago

Sedona and Scottsdale, Arizona both are great destinations and should be on this list in my opinion.

There is no reason to go to Scottsdale unless you want to golf in the winter or maybe go shopping. It's urban sprawl with no redeeming qualities.

Agreed, I'm from the Phoenix area and I just don't get why people from out of state vacation in flippin' Scottsdale??? I know that there are some hotel resorts there and some golf courses, but that's about it. Shopping? You can get everything there online or in any other US city. The mall is meh, Tysons is better.

The only reason would be the very upscale resorts with the elaborate pools, especially if you wanted to combo with Sedona or Tucson, which we did. But not for just a weekend, I agree.

Anonymous wrote:I love Sedona and I'm not into "woo" at all. I am into hiking and it's fabulous for that.

I did NOT like Santa Fe or New Mexico in general, and I've traveled all over that state. The crime in that state is off the charts bad.

That said, neither of these are a 'weekend trip' from DC due to the travel time and time difference.

The woo is inescapable in Sedona. The red rocks are beautiful but the city feels like a tourist trap and is overrun with “spiritual” seekers. OP, if I were you I would look into Palm Springs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Santa Fe offers more options; Sedona is more a state of mind than a place to engage in activities. Both are great.

FWIW Travel & Leisure magazine just named Santa Fe as the top destination for tourists in the US (displacing perennial winery Charleston, South Carolina).

T&L top 10 US tourist destinations:

1) Santa Fe
2) New Orleans
3) Charleston, SC
4) Savannah, Georgia
5) Alexandria, Virginia (huh ???)

6) Honolulu
7) Greenville, SC
8) NYC
9) Asheville, NC
10) Chicago

Sedona and Scottsdale, Arizona both are great destinations and should be on this list in my opinion.

There is no reason to go to Scottsdale unless you want to golf in the winter or maybe go shopping. It's urban sprawl with no redeeming qualities.

Agreed, I'm from the Phoenix area and I just don't get why people from out of state vacation in flippin' Scottsdale??? I know that there are some hotel resorts there and some golf courses, but that's about it. Shopping? You can get everything there online or in any other US city. The mall is meh, Tysons is better.