The hike--and the recovery.(EXECUTIVE TRAVEL ARIZONA)

It is a cool day, temperatures hovering in the low 60s, but the sun is shining brightly. From the top of the small mountain (or large hill, depending on your perspective) we've just hiked, Phoenix sprawls in the distance. Surrounded by the colorful flowers, saguaro, prickly pear cacti and even grass of the Camelback Inn in the nearby suburb of Scottsdale, we had forgotten that busy Phoenix was right next door. We breathe in the dry, cool desert air and descend back towards the resort.

For many South Floridians, Arizona conjures images of a dry, barren and very hot desert. While parts of the state do get quite hot during the summer, the winter and spring months tend to be cool--and in the mountains of Sedona, snow is not unexpected.

We made the two-hour drive from Phoenix to Sedona not for the snow (we saw none), but for the city's famous red rock vistas. Arriving in the late afternoon, we found ourselves in quaint but overly touristy uptown Sedona, and quickly hopped on a trolley tour. The tour introduced us to a few bits of nature's majesty in Sedona: red rock structures such as Coffee Pot Rock, Chimney Rock and The Sentinel, which all resemble those easily recognizable shapes. We got back to town just in time to drive up to Airport Mesa, a flat area at the top of a small mountain on the western edge of Sedona. There, we joined a crowd and watched as the setting sun made the mountains and valleys of the Oak Creek Canyon glitter an ever-deepening red.

With the breathtaking scenery now plunged into darkness, we headed for a gourmet meal at Dahl & DiLuca, just outside of uptown. We joined locals and tourists alike for a meal highlighted by remarkably fresh and flavorful prawns and garlic bread that rivals that of New York's best Italian restaurants.

The next morning, we hiked through Red Rock State Park, just south of Sedona. Meandering along hilly unpaved trails, we got a display of several kinds of cacti, including many with pink and purple blooming flowers. Flat flower-filled meadows stretched out in front of us and the red rock mountains loomed large in the middle-distance.

We could have easily spent two full days hiking through Boynton and Oak Creek canyons in Sedona, but ...