The Vortex of Sedona: A Five Day Trip With Friends

Ahh, group trips — typically a hit or miss for friends and family. Getting more than two people on the same page for anything over two days can be both a test of long-time friendships and a reminder of your love for each other — and your zest for life. Lucky for us, we have a group of people so hyper-aware of our own actions and considerate of each other’s feelings that we truly had an awesome time. So much so that I came back with a refreshed sense of reason and peace in my life.

This trip started as a group decision made the hard way. Our crew is scattered — different parts of Florida, one friend in Atlanta — so “let’s all get in a room and vote” wasn’t really an option. We tried Zoom first. It barely worked. We ended up finishing the whole thing over the phone, sending each other PowerPoint presentations making the case for our picks. I was pushing hard for Boston or the Portland, Maine area. Sedona won instead — and I’m so glad it did. Almost a year of scheduling later, nine of us finally landed there for five days that ended up being equal parts adventure, rest, and a few unexpected moments of clarity.

Here’s the practical guide to what we did, where we went, and what’s worth building into your own trip — with a bit of our story woven in.

Trip snapshot: October 1–5 · 9 people, 4 couples + 1 · Airbnb near Sugar Loaf Dr, Sedona

Day 1 (Wednesday): Arrival + Settling In

Flew into Phoenix on the 6am morning flight from MIA, and immediately picked up a 12-passenger van we lovingly named Appa (any Avatar friends out there?) — turns out that’s the move for a group this size. (Little did we know Appa would decide to give us a scare mid-trip!)

Naturally, we were all starving, so we stopped at James Beard winning restaurant, Valentine in Phoenix for our first epic meal of the trip. It was both surprising and delightful. Tucked into the same building is Modern Manor, a mid-century antique and vintage shop, which we were happy to peruse, laughing at pieces we’d never in a million years find space for back in Miami. We sang our friend Mandy a sweet happy birthday, and continued on our journey – bellies full, and happy we took the worthy stop before we made the ~2-hour drive up to Sedona.

The car ride up set the tone: a full DJ session with everyone taking turns, singing old songs, and — for reasons that made sense at the time — going around naming which cactus we each were.

We stopped along the way at the Chapel of the Holy Cross — you don’t have to go far outside town to find one of the best views in Sedona. It’s a short walk up to the chapel, and the payoff is a sweeping view of the red rocks, with the chapel’s own cross-shaped facade rising up in front of you (some visitors say it echoes two hands pressed together in prayer) which we certainly took seriously. It was built in 1956, commissioned by local sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who was inspired by the Empire State Building and originally hoped to build it in Budapest before World War II changed those plans. It’s now on the National Register of Historic Places.

After a quick grocery run, we finally arrived at the most epic Airbnb, Sedona Creek Manor, to wind down and enjoy what we came for — relaxing, high-quality friend time. On arrival, we quickly realized this wasn’t a standard Airbnb. We were greeted by the most incredible view of the red rocks from a panoramic window. Complete with five bedrooms, a sauna, an outdoor bar, mini golf, and a downstairs den with its own popcorn maker — this was the kind of place that somehow felt both epic and completely reasonable to split nine ways. Half the best moments of the trip happened without ever leaving the property.

Dinner: Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits — Western-themed, solid menu (bison burger and cactus fries are the move), reservations recommended on weekends.

Family tip: if you’re traveling with kids, this is an easy first-night dinner — casual vibe, outdoor seating, not a long wait if you book ahead.

Day 2 (Thursday): Grand Canyon Day Trip

Woke up early, and decided to make our backyard the back drop to our mini photo shoot, then loaded into the van with good music playing, and made the drive to the South Rim — it’s a straightforward drive, and the views start early. Visitor Center + Mather Point for more photos, a walk along the main Rim Trail, then lunch.

Lunch: El Tovar Dining Room — right on the canyon rim, book ahead, reservations open a month out.
Happy Hour: Redwall Lounge for live music and great drinks to close out the night.
Dinner back in Sedona: Elote Cafe — upscale-casual Mexican, no reservations taken (arrive early or expect a wait), the elote and brisket enchiladas are the standouts.

Family tip: the Rim Trail is flat and stroller/kid-friendly near the Visitor Center if you don’t want a technical hike — you still get the full canyon view.

We also made a pit stop at a coffee shop in Flagstaff, right by the town’s Route 66 mural — the kind of unplanned stop that ends up being one of the highlights everyone brings up months later.

Day 3 (Friday): One With Nature Day

On the third day we rose again in a red clay heaven. The sun creeping over the ridge towering in front of us as we sipped our morning coffee on the incredible balcony. Today the group split — golf for the boys, and hiking + a sound bath with the incredible, Yolanda Earthstar – for the girls.

Golf: Sedona Golf Resort — red rock views from nearly every hole, ~10 minutes from the house, $100–120pp for a morning round.
Hike + sound bath: the girls loaded into the van and headed out to Cathedral Rock, where we hiked a short stretch down to the creek at its base for a group sound bath and yoga session with the incredible Yolanda — singing bowls, oracle cards, and a guided box breathing meditation right at the water’s edge, framed by the red rock towering above us. She ended the guided session with a pull of a tarot card and till this day it scares me how symbolic it felt.

She shared the history of the vortex concept traces back to the early 1980s, when a psychic named Page Bryant identified four main energy sites around Sedona — Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, and Boynton Canyon — as places where the earth’s energy is said to be unusually concentrated. There’s no scientific backing for any of it, but Cathedral Rock is widely considered the most intense of the four, and it’s the one most often described as a strong upflow vortex — energy said to move upward through the rock, leaving people feeling lighter, clearer, and more energized the higher they climb. (You’ll also see it described as a feminine or “balanced” site depending on the source — even within the vortex community, nobody fully agrees.) Whatever the framework, standing at the base of it that morning, something was undeniably in the air.

This was the day that stuck with me the most. The sound bath wasn’t something I’d done before, and I didn’t expect it to hit the way it did — it’s the first time on this trip I remember actually feeling both still and, my hands in particular, electrified. That’s the only way I can explain it. That feeling followed us the next morning and still, a year later feeling of transcendence. Something shifted for me that day – a new portal opening to a life that I dream for myself. I’d love to share more in a separate post but I’ll leave it at that.

Evening: The group-cooked dinner at the Airbnb — steak, peach, red onion, and bell pepper skewers off the grill — and a competitive game night. Before anyone ate, we did what we always do: held hands around the table for a minute first.

Later that night, part of the group ended up in the heated pool playing HORSE as the sun went down over the red rocks — espresso martinis in hand, arguing over the rules the whole time.

Day 4 (Saturday): A Whimsical Village, a train ride and the Canyon in Moonlight

We woke up Saturday with a new lease on life (at least I did) – I tend to open myself up to experiences that ground me. It reminds me of my childhood in church retreats and something about being one with nature makes me feel at ease and refreshed.

We decided to skip any strenuous activity this morning and head over to grab brunch at Secret Garden Cafe inside Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. The ambiance was inviting and whimsical and the food was equally delectable. There’s something about brunch with friends, exchanging stories from the night before — or if you’re like us, stories from our high school years — that makes you remember what it was like to just be with your friends.

Shopping/Arts: Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village — walkable, shaded, good for a couple hours

After exploring the cobblestoned, flowered village and perusing through the multitude of unique shops and fares, we made our way to Verde Canyon Railroad’s Starlight Train Tour — a 4-hour scenic ride through the canyon, sunset views on the way out. This was truly the most epic ending to our red-rock journey. We were also gifted an incredible full moon that inched over the cliffs and bid us farewell.

Family tip: Tlaquepaque and the Verde Canyon train are both easy with kids — the train has a gift shop, cafe, and enough space to move around.

Day 5 (Sunday): Departure

We were up and out by 7am for a 2pm flight — no rush, just the kind of early start that lets you actually savor the last few hours instead of scrambling through them. In Phoenix, we posted up at the Amex Centurion Lounge for one last round of desert views out the window and a farewell martini (or two) before boarding. Quiet drive, quieter goodbyes — and then, just like that, back to life in humid South Florida.

What I’d Tell Someone Planning This Trip

Sedona is easy to over-plan and just as easy to under-plan. The red rocks do a lot of the work themselves — you don’t need a packed itinerary to feel the place. If you’re bringing kids, Bell Rock Pathway and West Fork Trail are the two easiest wins. If you’re going for the vortex experience, Cathedral Rock and a sound bath, back to back, is the combination I’d recommend to anyone.

The Travel Enthusiast

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