My husband and I are going to Japan for our honeymoon! However, due to freezing winter weather that would inevitability greet us if we went immediately after our wedding, we opted to wait until Spring 2017. And with that, Alex and I knew that we wanted to do something to celebrate and enjoy our first few blissful days as husband and wife. Even if it was something small. And that’s how the idea for our mini-moon was born.
Our wedding was held in Tubac, Arizona. Our plan was to roadtrip up to Northern Arizona, stopping in Sedona for a few days, followed by the Grand Canyon (I’ve never been!), if weather permits it we would drive into Southern Utah into Bryce and Zion, and then finally drive West, making Vegas our final stop. From there, we’d take a direct flight home, back to Washington, DC. Which makes a total of six full days to enjoy nothing but each other, and the gorgeous views.
I’m breaking down our mini-moon into a few parts: Sedona, Grand Canyon, Utah, and Vegas.
OUR MINI-MOON | PART ONE | SEDONA
SUNDAY
My in-laws held a delicious, and gorgeous farewell brunch in our honor on Sunday morning, at the resort. It was casual and lovely. By the time the last of our guests headed out to the airport, it was nearly noon. Alex and I spent over an hour packing up the bridal suite, and loading up the Jeep we rented for our trip. After stopping for lunch, and then coffee, we were finally on the road. Until…. we saw signs for an ostrich petting zoo. We had to stop. It was amazing — more on that later. By the time we pulled up to L’Auberge de Sedona, it was pretty late, and dark. We went for a quick Italian dinner, and slept. We had our own private creekside cottage, it was so nice! The sheer beauty of the resort was immediately apparent once we woke up and had daylight.
MONDAY
I woke up on the early side, and since I know my husband is not keen to getting up before 9:00am, I decided to grab a solo breakfast, and take an early morning yoga class the resort offers. By the time I was finished, I found Alex in the restaurant, so I joined him for another cup of coffee (and a second breakfast). We booked a Pink Jeep Tour as our day activity before showering and dressing for the day.
After breakfast and a shower, we went into town to explore the shops and the downtown area. I got my aura color read (spoiler alert: it’s yellow), and then had lunch before our Pink Jeep tour.
As soon as we were finished with lunch, Pink Jeep picked us up directly from the resort, and we had a b l a s t.
We then went out for dinner at a Latin inspired restaurant called Mariposa, the Spanish word for butterfly. How perfect is that for us?
TUESDAY
The Monday morning yoga class did wonders for me, so I convinced my husband to join me. Afterwards, we split a breakfast burrito, had coffee, and dinned with a view of the creek. It’s so stunning and peaceful to have a creek running through the property!
We changed into hiking clothes, and drove to Bell Rock for some exploring. Perfect warm weather for a hike, we totally lucked out!
After a few hours, we were starving. We headed back into town for a lunch of burgers and fries, and to browse a few art galleries. 
Back at the resort to shower and nap, we went out to Tlaquepaque for a delicious Mexican dinner, and browse more art galleries. (We’re on a mission for artwork for the house). We did end up purchasing a painting that we both loved — it’ll be hung in on the wall opposite our kitchen. 
We came back to our cottage to find a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and chocolate covered strawberries which we enjoyed with books in front of our fireplace.
WEDNESDAY
Alex agreed the yoga class from the morning prior was fabulous, so we went again on Wednesday morning, followed by breakfast. We showered and packed up our cottage. We were heading up to the Grand Canyon that day, and decided to savor as much daylight as possible. We were on the road by 1pm, saying goodbye to the gorgeous red rocks make Sedona so beautiful and peaceful. It was such a relaxing first half of our trip, and exactly what we needed to recuperate after a hectic weekend.
Next Mini-Moon Monday: The Grand Canyon!