Phoenix to Zion NP drive: 18 ranked stops, break in Flagstaff

Award-winning chef Shon Foster's flagship, an OpenTable Diners' Choice favorite serving inventive globally inspired small plates and craft cocktails. Order: Chef's tasting small plates.

Bistro from Michelin-trained chef Cesidio d'Andrea serving French, Belgian, and Italian classics, a surprising fine touch in small-town Kanab. Order: Steak frites.

The Colorado River’s 270° bend, 1,000 feet down

Balanced-rock hoodoos on an easy desert walk

An all-day downtown cafe with locally roasted coffee, brunch cocktails, and a big sunny patio — widely considered the best breakfast in town.

ski the San Francisco Peaks high above the desert

Where Pluto was discovered, on a hill above Route 66 Flagstaff — the night sky as the main event.

A pine-lined course at 7,000 feet with the San Francisco Peaks watching over you. One of Flagstaff's best public escapes when the valley is baking.

A Mexico City-style torta legend on North 7th Street, featured on Man v. Food and beloved for enormous, overstuffed sandwiches.

The light-beam slot canyon on Navajo land

chains to a knife-edge summit; permit required

A canyon-side Sedona cafe and market that fits the exact rhythm of the Oak Creek drive: coffee, breakfast, shade, and trail provisions.

A cozy, wood-and-fire smokehouse on 16th Street with pecan-grilled steaks, a fireside cellar-like bar, and a deep wine list.

Gary Panks framed this one against Sedona's red-rock cathedrals, and the par-3 10th may be the most photographed hole in the Southwest. Bring a wide-angle lens and play slow.