If I had one day in Phoenix, I wouldn't want to spend 4 hours in a car gettting to/from Sedona, though it is nice.

Bring trail running shoes (or light hikers) and climb (read: hike) Camelback Mountain. Bring water. Done casually, it will take you 1.5-2 hours round trip, and gives you a nice view of the Phoenix metro area from the top. Spend the rest of the day lounging at the pool, and/or take a ride up the Beeline Hwy to see some scenery.

I agree with Cholla, go climg Camelback or Pinnacle Peak. If you want to workout, there is cactus pool not too far, it's nice:-) Lots of shopping if you are the shopping type..

Tubing down the Salt River!

---

_______________________________________________

Camelback is nice and right in Scottsdale. I doubt it will take you anywhere near 2 hours though unless you are carrying a couple of friends on your back. I stayed at a hotel in Scottsdale last year and did Camelback twice. The second time, I ran the bottom third or so (the rest is too steep/technical) and did it in something like 45 minutes - and I'm nothing special on this forum. Other than that, the best thing to do in Phoenix is sit by the pool.

---

__________________________________________________
What a drag it is getting old. -- Stones

A few years ago, I was running Camelback every day, sometimes twice, so I just have no clue how much time a "regular" person, even a fit triathlete, might need to go up/down. 45 minutes round-trip, on the main Echo Canyon trail, is a pretty fast trip.

cholla

I may have gone up the other side. Not sure which one is the main trail.

---

__________________________________________________
What a drag it is getting old. -- Stones

The main trail is the Echo Canyon trail, with a water fountain and parking lot at its base near Tatum & McDonald. The other trail is the Cholla trail (that's where I took my forum name from); it is much more runnable on its lower half.

I really miss Camelback, as I haven't been there in a long time due to training for IM AZ and two marathons before that. I think I'll head up in a week or so, once I recover a bit more from the IM......

That's right - we took the Cholla trail from the back entrance of the Phoenician. I shoulda figured that one out from your name.

---

__________________________________________________
What a drag it is getting old. -- Stones

Spokesman will rent a nice bike (road or mountain) ~$40 for a day's rental, and has some great riding right out the door. My business trip, I rented a Lightspeed, and rode a nice 60 mile out and back into the Tonto National Forest. Too beautiful.

Great owners, well worth the money if you have the time.

Mark