Hey you guys! Thanks for joining me on another journey. I’ve saved the best Sedona, Arizona episode for last this week. We got to experience a free helicopter ride amid the magnificent red rocks around Sedona. Upon arriving early at Sedona Air Tours, we enjoyed chatting with the staff as they had us get on the scale (we didn’t enjoy that part so much, ha) to get our weights so they could figure out how to best seat us aboard the helicopter. Finally, it came time to ride out to the helipad. Our chopper was warming up as we approached. We were so pumped with excitement! April even got to be co-pilot, and as this was her first-ever helicopter ride, she was elated! We got to view up-close and personal formations with names such as Chimney Rock, Lizard Head, Capital Butte, Sugarloaf, Coffee Pot Rock, Cathedral Rock, Madonna, The Nuns, Gibraltar, Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock, Submarine Rock, Camel’s Head, Snoopy and Ship Rock. What a thrilling adventure to be able to be so near and exposed to such spectacular beauty! The length of the ride was great; it felt like we were in the sky for a while. Sedona Air Tours were nice enough to make sure each of us got the pictures we wanted taken with the helicopter. We all shared our perspectives on the van ride back to their office. We made sure to leave a tip for the pilot and crew; the entire staff with Sedona Air Tours was fantastic! I whole-heartedly believe that was the very best “free” I have ever had. Since we were so energized after our adventure, we decided to go do a sunset hike. Bell Rock in the light of that evening was stunning. Afterwards, since we were ravenous, we decided to try a restaurant in Sedona called Hideaway House. I definitely recommend checking them out. Their customer service and quality of food is top-notch. We even enjoyed sitting out on their deck even though it was dark. That night, we stayed in the city of Cottonwood, which is about 35 miles outside of Sedona, Arizona. We got a clean, well-remodeled room at the Verde Valley Inn. I really liked the fact that our room had vinyl flooring. It was a comfortable stay, and I recommend them. We were able to save quite a bit by not staying within the city limits of Sedona. Overall, we loved our time in and around this lovely part of the country!
