WITH GREAT FOOD AND HOTELS, YOU CAN MAKE SEDONA A MEMORABLE STAY.

Byline: Eric Noland Travel Editor

SEDONA, Ariz. - Given the popularity of Sedona, a traveler must be resourceful and plan ahead to avoid the crush. This means weighing the prospect of lodging in an outlying area and always making reservations for dinner - even for a casual Mexican cafe.

In Sedona itself, there are a number of resorts and motels offering views of the red-rock edifices that are this region's signature. But with development hemmed in on both sides by open national forest lands, most of the lodging options are confined to a strip along two suffocatingly busy highways, 89A and 179. Staying in the heart of it will give you little sense of the innate peace of the area.

For something a little farther off this busy path, consider Oak Creek Canyon, a narrow mountain cleft due north of Sedona. There are a number of creekside lodges in this canyon, all separated from one another by plenty of open space.

We opted for the Junipine Resort, and found it serene and comfortable. Its one- and two-bedroom units - called creekhouses - resemble condominiums in both square-footage and amenities. For $194 in the March high season, our one-bedroom unit had a living room, full kitchen, two fireplaces (wood replenished daily), and a hot tub on a private, outdoor deck.

Accommodations overlooking Oak Creek would have been more expensive, but our unit, despite being separated from north Highway 89A by only a parking lot, was found to be so solidly built that road noise was not an issue.

There were only a couple of minor annoyances. There are VCRs in the room, but rather than maintaining a lending library of movie tapes in the lobby (as many small lodging properties do), Junipine stings its guests for a rental charge - and a steep one, at that: $7 per movie. Secondly, although resort-logo robes are available for purchase in the gift shop, none is provided in the rooms - odd for a place with hot tubs.

Out back, along the idyllic creek, is a parklike area with barbecue grills, picnic tables and a horseshoe pit. The full kitchens and the barbecues give families an opportunity to save money by eating the occasional meal in. Junipine has a restaurant, but we chose instead to drive the eight miles into Sedona for more acclaimed fare.

For dinner, we found it at Pietro's in West Sedona and the Cowboy Club in Uptown Sedona.

Pietro's serves gourmet Italian in a casual setting, including such tantalizing dishes as stuffed game hen ($16) and fettucine with duck confit, fresh shiitake mushrooms and figs in a port wine sauce ($18).

The Cowboy Club is a Sedona institution - formerly the Oak Creek Tavern, a local gathering spot since the 1960s. You expect big but ordinary steaks, baked beans, corn bread - requisite frontier fare - but instead find a stylized menu with Southwest overtones and inventive presentation. The Colorado lamb chop trio ($28.95), served with mashed sweet potatoes, was superb. The wine list is a real prize: reputable California selections at prices only slighter higher than retail list.

The Cowboy Club's interior has not been spruced up since its tavern days - thankfully. The wood floor is well-scuffed, and a western mural on one wall recalls a Disney diorama.

Perhaps the finest dining in town can be had at L'Auberge Restaurant (at the resort of the same name), but to sample its French fare be sure to pack some dressy attire with your grubby hiking togs. It requires that men wear a jacket.

For casual and hearty breakfasts, the Coffee Pot in West Sedona packs in the locals daily. Its menu proudly features 101 omelets (including peanut butter and jelly, so you know they had to stretch to get to 101). Side dishes include grits and biscuits and gravy. After breakfast here, you'll long to get out on a trail in the red-rock terrain just to work it off.

-- Coffee Pot: 2050 W. Highway 89A, [phone]. Cowboy Club: 241 N. Highway 89A, [phone]. Junipine Resort: 8351 N. Highway 89A, [phone], www.junipine.com. L'Auberge de Sedona: 301 L'Auberge Lane, [phone]. Pietro's: 2445 W. Highway 89A, [phone].