December in Scottsdale... Need we say more?

Come to Arizona this winter! Where else can you play golf and snowboard IN THE SAME DAY?!? Read on for Arizona winter vacation tips for Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott and Scottsdale, including ideas on annual events, what to do, what to pack and typical weather and temperatures for each area.

Flagstaff

Top Reasons to Visit in Winter:

• Skiing and snowboarding! From the time the first snow hits in early December through about March, the Arizona Snowbowl located above Flagstaff on Mount Humphries is abuzz with skiers and snowboarders, locals and tourists, families and individuals.
• The fewest crowds of the year at the Grand Canyon South Rim (the North Rim is closed in the winter.) Picture the Grand Canyon dusted with white – spectacularly peaceful.

What to Pack

As with any snowy destination, a warm coat, boots, hat and gloves are a safe bet. To manage the temperature swing as you move from outdoors in, be sure to wear layers you can peel off and put back on as needed. Expect high temperatures in the 40s and lows in the teens. Flagstaff receives annual snowfall of approximately 99.5 inches – truly a winter wonderland.

Area Events

Be sure to participate in the handful of area holiday events like the Holiday Lights Display at the Little America Hotels; a tour of Riordan Mansion, adorned in turn-of-the-century decor and fragrant boughs; the Grand Canyon Railway’s “Polar Express” from Williams (an easy 39 miles west of Flagstaff) and more.

Flagstaff Winter Weather

Sedona

Top Reasons to Visit in Winter

• The fewest crowds of the year, red rocks dusted with white, but very little snow on the ground in town which makes driving and other outdoor activities easily do-able.
• Sedona’s winter weather still hits relatively warm highs of the mid-50s and 60s with chilly evenings perfect for sitting at your bed & breakfast’s fireplace.
• You can golf and ski in the same day! Play golf at one of Sedona’s picturesque golf courses in the morning, and hit the slopes north of Flagstaff – just 60 minutes away – in the afternoon.

What to Pack

Pack your camera and be sure to take photos of Sedona and Oak Creek covered in ice and snow… at about 5,000 feet in elevation, Sedona is beautiful in winter. Layers are the way to go with long pants, long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, fleece pullovers or sweatshirts. You may want a light jacket as a top layer. Shoes or boots are the best choice of footwear.

Things to Do

There are relatively few visitors to Sedona in the winter months, but there’s no reason to stay away! In fact, Sedona couldn’t be better when you have the destination practically all to yourself! Do spend your holidays in Sedona… let the hosts of a quaint Sedona bed & breakfast wow you with festive decorations, food and hospitality. Be sure to participate in the handful of holiday events like the Red Rock Fantasy festival of lights, the lighting of 6,000 luminarias at Tlaquepaque, Christmas caroling, or the Verde Canyon Railroad’s Santa Claus-themed train ride (in Clarkdale; 23 easy miles southwest of Sedona) and more.

Sedona Winter Weather

Prescott

Top Reasons to Visit in Winter

• Prescott is known as Arizona’s Christmas City, so winter visitors will delight in seeing the white granite courthouse sparkling in snow and twinkling lights.
• With gentle snowfall averages of 5 – 6 inches per month in December, January and February, Prescott is an ideal winter playground. Winter visitors can anticipate average high/low temperatures of 55/22 in December, 51/21 in January and 54/24 in February.
• January and February are a great time to come to Prescott. The crowds are fewer and there are some great lodging deals to be had.

What to Pack

Be sure to pack for winter weather, including thin, warm layers and a waterproof outer layer. You’ll want boots or shoes with a decent tread to allow you to walk around downtown or even do some light hiking in safety and warmth.

Things to Do

There are plenty of days filled with sunshine and crisp temperatures, an ideal combination for hiking, mountain biking or riding your motorcycle up to Jerome and Sedona. Nearly every weekend year-round, visitors and locals delight in the incredible special events in Prescott. Prescott is becoming known as a special events city, largely due to a month’s worth of December events in Prescott, “Arizona’s Christmas City,” including a huge annual Christmas Parade, lighting the tree on Courthouse Plaza, the Acker Musical Showcase, and “Dickens of a Christmas,” and continuing weekends packed with music, art, food, cultural, and car and aeronautical festivals on Courthouse Square.

Prescott Winter Weather

Scottsdale-Phoenix

Top Reasons to Visit

• Weather! Scottsdale’s winter weather is the stuff of legends. 75 degree, sunny, perfect days are the norm – quite the welcome respite from Midwestern snow drifts and Nor’Easters.
• Signature annual events are parties such as the P.F. Chang’s Rock n’ Roll Marathon, the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction, the Phoenix Open and other golf tournaments, and many, many more. Participate or spectate; either way, you’re almost guaranteed to have a great time and return to work with a tan

What to Pack

Locals take the winter months as an opportunity to dig out sweaters and boots, but you’ll be happy to leave those at home and pack shorts, pants, short sleeves and light layers (and don’t forget a swimsuit and coverup!). Expect crisp mornings, sunny, warm afternoons and chilly evenings that will have you adding and subtracting layers all day long. Scottsdale – though an upscale resort town – rarely requires anything more than casual “resort wear” attire.

Things to Do

In addition to the aforementioned annual events, believe it or not, you’ll probably want to log some time at your resort or hotel’s pool or (better yet) spa. Take time to stroll around Old Town Scottsdale, for kitschy souvenirs to fine art; you can spend an afternoon shopping and peeking in galleries, grabbing meals at some top-notch eateries. Check out Scottsdale Fashion Square for luxurious and upscale retail therapy, or (need we say it?) play 18 or 36 holes at one of the 100 area championship golf courses.

Scottsdale Winter Weather

I was fortunate to be able to stay several nights in one of our advertising client’s vacation cabins just outside Flagstaff this week.  Though I have been to Flagstaff many, many times, this was my first vacation stay in a Flagstaff cabin and I have to tell you, I LOVED it.

My Flagstaff cabin getaway was just like being at home, and not at all like being at home.

The cabin had a convenient location, about 8 miles south of Flagstaff, making it easy to run into town for groceries, a couple nice meals out, and general sightseeing ventures.

Was the cabin 5-star? Well, no.  But Hello….iT’S A CABIN in the woods. Instead of a personal valet, I had primeval ponderosas ever standing by; in place of French linen spray, my room was infused with cool, alpine breezes; and rather than a fancy Hammacher-Schlemmer white noise machine set to “rainstorm,: I slept to the music of an actual rainstorm.

In short, the cabin was outfitted with the kind of amenities designed to be just like being at home, and not at all like being at home.

Here are some of my photos from the trip… I couldn’t take enough photos of the lovely wildflowers on the hiking trail that originates in the cabin’s backyard, nor a storm that rolled in across the meadow in front of the cabin, nor the morning fog that settled in the wide open field, over which a big red barn presides.The pastoral imagery-brought-to-life was just too much to capture with my point-and-shoot, but you get the idea.

A big thank you to Arizona Vacation Rental Homes (www.arizonavacationrentalhomes.com) for encouraging my vacation buddies and me to come stay in your charming property.  The stay was a welcome break from the “seasonably warm” temps in the Phoenix Valley.  This blog post was not solicited in any way… I just enjoyed my summer getaway and want other locals and visitors to give Arizona Vacation Rental Homes or any other Flagstaff cabin rental companies a thought when planning a trip to Flagstaff.

bumblebee

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dewdrops

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fence

Photo credit: cogdogblog on flickr

Have you ever gone on vacation and experienced a great spa treatment, exhilarating hike or profound relaxation?  If you’re like me, you’ve said, “I could totally LIVE here.  I feel so good.  I am going to continue _________ (hiking, relaxing, taking care of my skin/body/health) when I get home.”  And I’ll bet you felt this way especially after visiting Sedona, Prescott, the Grand Canyon, Scottsdale or Flagstaff.  But when you got home, that commitment to living like you’re on vacation got put on the back burner, didn’t it?  Yep, me too.

Today, our guest contributor Greg Drambour has a solution for making your “commitment to self” last well after your bags are unpacked.

Finding Out What You’re Willing To Do In Arizona

My clients on Sedona retreats know this question all to well! Any healing, whether emotional or physical, requires two components for success: One, do you have a desire to heal? Two, what are you willing to do about it? What you are willing to do about it when you are here with me on retreat is one thing but what you are willing to do when you get home each and every day is another thing entirely! That’s why I encourage clients to enroll in my 4-week follow-up program after they return home.

People come to Sedona and have powerful experiences. Then they get back to their life and within a few days or weeks their world overwhelms them and that wonderful feeling is lost. My follow-up program helps to keep the momentum going and to anchor those insights you received here in on your Sedona retreat.

As I am nearing my 29th sobriety anniversary, I have taken some time to look back over the last 29 years. I have noticed two important things: One, when I was in a “doing” place, I was moving forward very fast in my personal growth. And two, when I was working with a coach, mentor, therapist or one of the Holy Men, I was also moving forward at an accelerated rate. I’m with Tony Robbins–we all needs coaches! If not me, then I encourage you to seek someone out. Work with someone for 4 weeks and see if it makes a difference. See if you move forward, even a few inches.  Also, check in with that person every few months at the very least—it’s a win-win!

Sometimes, we have to take small steps into what we are willing to do. As long as it’s not too many small steps that go on forever as way to put off the big step!

Doing equals victory! I have complete confidence in the power of your human spirit and your ability to accomplish the impossible. I have seen it happen too many times, not to believe it.  The act of having faith in this inner power can create miracles.  Don’t underestimate the simple power of faith.  Pick a goal and have faith in it happening.  The impossible being accomplished from faith is just not written about in books, brothers and sisters!  But you have to try to see it work!

So, get into a “doing” place-even its 5 minutes a day but each and every day–see what happens. I think you will be surprised. This column is my “doing”!

A Ho,
Greg