Southwest Vacation: Santa Fe/Taos, NM vs Sedona/Flagstaff, AZ (live, best)
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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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I have a new affinity for the Desert Southwest. I've been around New Mexico and loved it but haven't explored Northern Arizona yet, and I'd like to. Santa Fe and Taos are known for art but also mountain recreation and hot springs. Sedona is known as a new age spiritulist area but also beautiful scenery. Flagstaff what I know of it has mountains and pretty western and close to the Grand Canyon. Both areas are in close contact to Native American culture. Which area would you prefer if going on vacation?
Sedona can be pretty cheesy, although all descriptions of Taos I've heard sound like Sedona so mabye it's up your alley. I know you're a NM guy. Flag is cool downtown and has a lot of outdoor stuff around town though it does have a lot aggressive panhandlers insisting your buy their crudely carved kachina doll and shady drugged out hippies slinking around who seem more hateful than loving. If you want to see the Canyon you're probably gonna stay in Flag, and you ought to see it at least once.
Sedona and Flagstaff by a longshot. Sedona is a such a beautiful area with Oak Creek, Red Rock State Park, and the shops downtown are pretty cool as well. Flagstaff is nice as well and then your also within distance of the Grand Canyon.
I don't know what you like to do on vacations, but I enjoyed Flagstaff area a lot. I actually stayed in Williams, an old Route 66 town that's closer to the Grand Canyon. I only ended up visiting the Grand Canyon one day over a week long trip (mainly because of my acrophobia). I actually enjoyed nearby sights more than the Grand Canyon itself. One nearby attraction is Jerome, a scenic mining town that used to be the biggest city in Arizona. The native American sites were also interesting. I can't remember any of their names because I went to so many. One smaller park I liked was Sunset Crater National Monument, where you could see where the volcano erupted. It is nicely preserved and you can see volcanic remains that I don't believe you can see in very many places on the Mainland. If you like scenery, the Painted Desert is also worth a visit. Enjoy your trip wherever you go.
I'd say that's pretty tough. Of all those towns, I like Flagstaff the best, but that's mainly because it has a younger vibe and is more down-to-earth. Sedona is in a beautiful area but is easily the cheesiest, most fake-southwest-art of the group. Taos is rustic but touristy, while Santa Fe is the only of the group that really qualifies as an international destination (unless you're grouping Flag w/Grand Canyon). Santa Fe easily wins as far as arts/cultural/history/architecture/food, but despite the fact that I find it beautiful, it's also snobbish and so I don't find myself there very often.
Overall, by a slim margin I'd pick Santa Fe/Taos...
Sedona and Flagstaff and closer to more spectacular natural attractions in some ways, although Northern New Mexico and the Sangre De Cristo range are nice as well. The town of Sedona is kind of corny, though the Red Rocks are amazing and I'd agree that Flagstaff is my favorite town of the four. It just feels like a cool college town in the Rocky Mountains basically--it's not as unique in some ways...But it's a great base to explore a lot of the surrounding area and there's a lot to explore around there.
Culturally New Mexico is way more interesting... If I'd never had been to any of the still inhabited pueblos, Bandelier National Monument, or Chaco Canyon(kind of far but worth the drive) that'd be my first pick. And Santa Fe and Taos are way too touristy in some ways(overpriced art galleries and restaurants for rich tourists), but it's still fun to hang out there. Good real New Mexican cuisine in Santa Fe and although the fake adobe is kind of overdone, it's still a cool historic town. I like some of the towns in the hills as well--Chimayo reminded me of a small Mexican village.
If I had never really experienced the unique New Mexican culture I'd pick Santa Fe/Taos. If I wanted a trip more suited to a lot of outdoors exploration of the Southwest, I'd pick Flagstaff/Sedona.
Also some of the best stuff in the region is in the area in between both...Places like Monument Valley or Canyon De Chelly are a few hours from each of those locations in Northern Arizona. Worth checking out with more time...
Sedona and Flagstaff and closer to more spectacular natural attractions in some ways, although Northern New Mexico and the Sangre De Cristo range are nice as well. The town of Sedona is kind of corny, though the Red Rocks are amazing and I'd agree that Flagstaff is my favorite town of the four. It just feels like a cool college town in the Rocky Mountains basically--it's not as unique in some ways...But it's a great base to explore a lot of the surrounding area and there's a lot to explore around there.
Culturally New Mexico is way more interesting... If I'd never had been to any of the still inhabited pueblos, Bandelier National Monument, or Chaco Canyon(kind of far but worth the drive) that'd be my first pick. And Santa Fe and Taos are way too touristy in some ways(overpriced art galleries and restaurants for rich tourists), but it's still fun to hang out there. Good real New Mexican cuisine in Santa Fe and although the fake adobe is kind of overdone, it's still a cool historic town. I like some of the towns in the hills as well--Chimayo reminded me of a small Mexican village.
If I had never really experienced the unique New Mexican culture I'd pick Santa Fe/Taos. If I wanted a trip more suited to a lot of outdoors exploration of the Southwest, I'd pick Flagstaff/Sedona.
Also some of the best stuff in the region is in the area in between both...Places like Monument Valley or Canyon De Chelly are a few hours from each of those locations in Northern Arizona. Worth checking out with more time...
Why does everyone say Sedona is "cheesy". I have been there about 5-10 times and never felt that vibe. I do somewhat feel that Sedona tries to individualize itself and say that it has a different culture and deep history but it doesn't.
I've never been to Arizona, and have spent only minimal time in Santa Fe and Taos, so I'm not going to vote; but I did want to say I'm quite interested in visiting Flagstaff, and to a lesser extent, Sedona. They both fit my climate requirements, but definitely wouldn't work with my wallet as places to live.
Sedona/Flagstaff, there is so much to do in sedona;hiking,site seeing,camping, and slide rock!flagstaff is a great town all 4 seasons especially the dining and outdoor activites
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