Advice needed on visiting Phoenix area....
 

Well it has been at least 25 years since my wife and I have been to the Phoenix area. Anybody here can they suggest a good small town within 2 hours of Phoenix to provide the following: good hiking trails, good weather(is Sedona too cool?), good food, medium price hotels? Need a break from the cold already. Flying to Phoenix and then renting a car. Can't wait!

I like:

Payson

Payson Weather Forecast and Conditions - weather.com

Prescott

5 Day Weather Forecast for Prescott - weather.com

Show Low

5 Day Weather Forecast for Show Low - weather.com

Sierra Vista is three hours south.

5 Day Weather Forecast for Sierra Vista - weather.com

Cool nights, warm days. Perfect.

Take a look at Wickenburg. Was just there for a few days on business.

Wickenburg Chamber | Bringing Wickenburg Businesses Together

payson and prescott are nice-

I love the Sedona, Prescott, cottonwood area. Perfect this time of year. Lots of hiking. Beautiful. And then you got the small shops in Sedona without a ton of driving. Love it! Sometimes I I feel like just getting out and snowboarding, will go to Flagstaff for the day and take my time heading back, going through these areas. Have fun and post pics when you do!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/22/tahave9e.jpg


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/22/4anutedu.jpg

Pics from a hike in Sedona. The first pic is a place called Devil's Kitchen. Cool rock formations.

You make me want to go up there for the weekend...

Wickenburg is good and Jerome is better.

Sedona and Jerome are nice places and not too far from each other, temps will be nice. Don't go to Sedona on a weekend - way too many tourists. While in Sedona visit Tlaquepaque!

Gold Canyon is doing pretty well. Not nearly as sexy as Sedona, but if you want quiet areas, striking views, easy to get there and trails/golf nearby, it's worth a look. Gold Canyon Candles are made there. Weather will be very similar to the metro Phx area ( awesome ). It's a little over an hour to the Biosphere and access to Tucson is via a great back-roads drive.

Gold Canyon Trails - Best Gold Canyon camping, hiking & biking trails | AllTrails.com
I've done 3 of these hikes.
Peralta is tough/vertical, Wind Cave easy/vertical, Pass Mtn is 8+ miles ( been awhile, we took a couple breaks, was awesome )

Lost Dutchman State Park is just around the mountain. Gold Canyon is just to the right of the picture on the Lost Dutchman page. I hear the Handlebar Pub and Grill in Apache Junction decent.
Arizona State Parks: Lost Dutchman: Home

danica patrick is getting DEE-VORCED! stay away! you have bean WARNED!