Everyone wants to see the Grand Canyon. I did too, but I admit it wasn’t high on my list of must-do travel itineraries until my Mom suggested it for a girl’s trip. I got to work planning out our four-person, seven-day road trip with the only real stipulation being that it had to include the Grand Canyon and Sedona.
I forgot to add Nevada
Ok, so technically this trip did also include Nevada (and slot machines) but that was only because we flew into Vegas and picked up the rental car before heading to Utah. There were slot machines in the car rental building so we can now officially say we’ve been to Vegas and played the slots. Assuming that was actually on a list of things we needed to check off.
Don't miss Utah
This portion of the trip was initially plotted out for my benefit to include a visit to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. I convinced everyone that the scenery would be worth the drive. That was an understatement. We were tired and on a mission to get to the hotel when we drove through Zion National Park but you could easily spend days just in this one area.
The following day I pulled out the camera and we went to Bryce Canyon National Park. This park is famous for the hoodoos (columns or pinnacles of weathered rock) but it has some pretty impressive arches as well. It was early May and we managed to get every season of weather packed into one day.
The next day we stopped at the Animal Sanctuary on our way into Arizona. This peaceful location and the amazing work being done there made for a pretty special visit.
Now entering Arizona
One of my goals for this road trip was to drive no more than 3 hours a day (especially since I’m a control freak and don’t usually let anyone else drive). We mostly stuck to that and it made for relaxing days with time for multiple stops and sightseeing. From Kanab, Utah we headed to Tuba City, Arizona to station ourselves closer to the Grand Canyon for the next day. Along the way we stopped at Lake Powell and the Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks.
These tracks are indeed real, made some 200 million years ago. Some of the other items and the explanations given by the local guides are to be taken with a grain of salt.
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a very impressive sight and well worth the visit even if you only see a small part of it. We entered the park along the east rim and in early May parking at each of the sites was easy. Once we got to the south rim, the most developed area of the Canyon, we had to park the car and take a shuttle to the lookout points. I can’t even imagine what the crowds must look like in July or August during the busy season.
Sedona
Our next destination was Sedona where we stayed for three nights in a nice 2 bedroom condo. There was plenty of space for the four of us and it was a nice change to cook some meals and relax for a few days while we explored the area.
Phoenix
Our final night of the trip was spent in Phoenix. On the drive from Sedona we made a quick stop at the Montezuma Castle National Monument.
There was a Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix (we visited in 2014). Although the 100 degree heat was rather uncomfortable, the distinctive glass artistry was spectacular.
This trip was an excellent sampling of what the area has to offer. If you haven’t been to Arizona or Utah, add them to your list.
Check out the full United States photo gallery here.
Wonderful images of an interesting and well planned trip to the Grand Canyon.