DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

Is a trip to the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village Shops (photographically) worth while? I'm not a shopper so I'd just be looking for things to take picture of not pulling out my billfold for an expensive t-shirt.

Shaun Loc: Tucson, AZ

There is nothing boring about the Sedona area and you can find a new photo experience around every corner. I agree with most of the other posts and support their suggestions but there is one more that no one has mentioned: a tour by helicopter. My wife and I have been going to Sedona since the 1960's and it was not until this last November that we finally decided to give the helicopter tour a look. We chose Guidance Air (1 928 351-1000 or Guidance Air.com) for the tour company and arranged a short tour for the "golden hour" before sunset. I am a retired pilot and have 35,000 hours of flying in everything from a Piper Cub to an F-16 to a Boeing 707 to a Douglas DC10. I had zero hours in a helicopter until this tour and was totally blown away by it. The helicopters are the newest in Arizona and are climate controlled and equipped with noise cancelling headphones and voice activated microphones so you can converse with every one in the copter. (it is a 4 place bird so 3 passengers plus the pilot) I believe they also have a larger chopper for a bigger group but the visibility out of the 4 seater was amazing. I was using a Sony A6000 with the Sony 18-105 f4 SS lens and used an aperture of f8 and a shutter speed of 1/500(to counteract the vibration of the blades) and auto ISO which turned out to be 1000. Attached are two of the aerial shots and one of the helicopter my wife took after we had landed.

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mrhea

The wonderful petroglyphs at the V Bar V Heritage Site are worth visiting and photographing. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55424

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I'd say definitely yes. The man who developed it went all over Mexico looking at architecture, and brought what he liked into the complex. There's a lot of interesting shots there. I've included (earlier), a couple of shots I took there.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

check out Susie Reed photos. She does photo trips and knows the area well. She is also a nationally know photographer of petraglyphs. I will say though that you need to be clear about what type of shooting you want to do and help keep things on track. One place I found that people don't really know about is behind the highschool - great shots of the valley and coffee pot rock. There is a hiking store in town that has maps of the surrounding trails (forget the touristy maps - go for the usga maps). Lots of moderate trails. There is also a mountain to climb ! Check out Doe Mountain trail and the climb to the top is not bad but make sure you have hiking boots and if afraid of heights, don't look down till you get to the top where you can see the entire red rocks valley ! There are 3 other trails right near there that are great for photos as well. Devil's arch is worth the trip too.

Drive up Oak Creek road heading north for a major climb to a state park. Make sure you have good breaks for the trip back down. Or head south of town and stop in Jerome (you will see a giant J at the top of a mountain from just outside town.) Its a near ghost town but now an artists enclave with plenty to shoot. Night sky photography is great out there as well since its a dark sky area.

Wish I were going ...

jdmarks64

Be sure to go up to the airport -- great vistas up there.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

One of the best Pink Jeep tours is on 'Broken Arrow Trail': https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31352-d3617831-Reviews-Broken_Arrow_Trail-Sedona_Arizona.html
I own a 4-wheel drive Dodge Dakota pickup truck, so I just drove the same route, taking more time than pro tours allow. We saw half dozen different pink jeeps during our trek.

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Leaning Ladder Loc: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

So many great places in & around Sedona. The "classic" Cathedral Rock photo from the water is a must, but hike the trail to the top of Cathedral Rock for a view that will leave you breathless. Strenuous in places, but worth it. Check out Devil's bridge - a very cool location, and Amitahba Stupa and Peace Park is a little hidden gem well worth a stop. Tlaquepaque is always interesting, and a trip to the old mining town of Jerome will not disappoint. Most anywhere along Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona is beautiful, and don't miss sunset from airport mesa. Go early to get a spot, as it can get very crowded. Mid-day light in Sedona can be very harsh and sometimes difficult to meter properly. Early morning and late afternoon/early evening are the best times to shoot. A polarizer is very helpful.

BrentHarder Loc: Southern California

Thanks Shaun for the info. I want to go on that helicoptor photo trip. What kind of money should I expect to be spending? I like your idea of going at the golden hour......smart!

Shaun Loc: Tucson, AZ

I believe we paid $99 per person but they have different lengths of trips for different prices. Try their web site at www.GuidenceAir.com for the latest prices. Hope everything works out and you have a great time.

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

I don't know how many of your suggestions I will be able to take advantage of as I am going with a Senior Center Tour Group. They do have the Pink Jeep Tour as an option so I'll be sure to sign up for that one..Helicopter ride .. is there some way of getting to their facility as I won't have access to wheels? We did a fixed wing flight over Uluru when we were in Australia very early in the morning .. pricey but we'll only be there once. Also we will be on our own for lunch.. any suggestions.. not one of those foo foo guys who digs a postage size meal on my plate with some kind of sauce drizzled on it.. just good food at a reasonable price.Appreciate all your help and info..

Shaun Loc: Tucson, AZ

I don't know if they will pick you up where you are staying or not. Why don't you call them at 928 351-1000 and inquire? Since you have an itinerary, you can make a reservation ahead of time. For the kind of food you are talking about, try Cowboy Club for steaks and prime rib, Oak Creek Brewery and Grill for typical American plus good craft beers and for Mexican, the Javelina Cantina. Have a great time.