Sedona is a 30 minute drive from Cottonwood. If you can, we recommend squeezing in a short side trip to Up Town Sedona or Tlaquepaque fro shopping. A drive up 89a from Sedona to Flagstaff is one of the most picturesque drives in Arizona.
Jerome is a 15 minute drive from Cottonwood. It is a small town nestled into the side of Mingus Mountain. It was founded as a copper mining town. We highly recommend a walk around the town (wear comfy shoes, there are stairs and steep climbs). The Haunted Hamburger is a popular tourist restaurant with beautiful views of the valley.
Old Town Cottonwood has several good restaurants. We recommend Bocces Pizzeria.
the Verde Valley has many wineries