USA Road Trip

In lieu of our current international traveler road blockages (Thanks a lot COVID-19), I figure it’s a good time to start looking into domestic travel and road trips. It’s time for us to explore our vast and diverse country in all of its glory. In this blog post, I’m touching on some of my favorite places to explore the West. The Wild West as I like to call it.Are you feeling trapped and discouraged due to not being able to scratch that travel itch? Or were you planning on finally taking your first big trip this year to a foreign land? Well here is everything I have put together based off my experience driving around Arizona, Utah, and Nevada on a pretty awesome road trip.

Nevada

If you are in Las Vegas, try to make time for a little off the strip fun. Head out for the Seven Magic Mountains. It’s an easy 30-minute drive from the strip, and well worth it to see something outside of your daily norm.

• Grand Canyon Western Rim

For starters, I have been to the Grand Canyon twice. Each was fabulous in its own right but nothing beats your first time seeing something like this. I giant opening in the earth with hypnotizing shades of red as far as your eye can see. Wow!

From Las Vegas you can take a rental from the strip early in the morning, I highly suggest before sunrise, you can reach the western rim of the canyon in just under 4 hours. Google maps got me there safe and sound. The Grand Canyon is technically in Arizona I left just before lunch and got there around 3 or 4 pm and I don’t recall there being a huge crowd, it was early March and the suns position in the sky gave me truly beautiful pictures with the canyon laid out in front of me. However, I do wish I had left earlier in the day so I could have had some more time to just sit and look, I also missed the opportunity to go to the Hoover Dam because it was pretty dark on my way back to Vegas and I was honestly tired from the sun and driving Grand Canyon West is not affiliated with Grand Canyon National park, therefore they do not take GCN park passes, and their entrance fee is $39 and access to the Sky Walk an extra $20 here is the info for Grand Canyon West which I highly recommend visiting if you are in or around Vegas at any point. The western rim is its own entity and on the land of the Hualapai Tribe which you can read more about here.

• Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam is just under two hours west of the canyons western rim and about 45 minutes east of the Vegas strip. I actually went to the Hoover Dam the second time I was out west and spent a few hours there. They offer tours inside of the Dam and just looking down at it is an experience in its own right. If renting a car is not an option for you to visit either of these sites from vegas, there are guided tours, the bus, and rideshares that are also available options. By the way, always pack at least a gallon of water, in addition to your personal water container. the sun beating on you really takes its toll. Even if you are sitting in a cool car. As well as sunscreen and chapstick, that sun hit different.

Arizona

• Prescott

Ok, a quaint town in-between Phoenix and horseshoe bend. I was there during the fourth of July and they had all kinds of fun, wholesome activities, and eclectic shopping. I lovvvved shopping. I attacked some In N Out here and rested after two straight weeks camping under the stars and roadside motels.

• Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park has two different entrances where you can drive in and look down at its gaping magnificence. You have the South Rim, and North Rim.

Each location is vastly different each are magical. You can visit any of the two on a day trip to hike or just sit down and have a look at the view and eat. Although I think you should book a hotel near by and give yourself ample time  Start your planning from here

• Horseshoe Bend
  

Doing it for the gram? Horseshoe Bend is a hop, skip, and a jump from Phoenix(4 hour and 20-minute drive, to be exact) and it’s worth the trip. Although you now have to pay $10 for parking a car and $5 for motorcycles. There is no entrance fee to take the short hike to the overlook and get the pictures you have been seeing all over social media. I say head out as early as possible or later in the day, it was busy when I arrived in the late scorching morning and although it was not terrible, it would have been nice to have some solitude to really take it all in. and just around the bend, See what I did there?!

• Antelope Canyon

I have to go back and see this, I didn’t realize you MUST  book a tour to venture into the canyon. This canyon is on Navajo land and the tours you book are all run by members of the Navajo Nation. The upper canyon tour is the most famous, as far as social media photogs are concerned, there are also lower canyon tours, boat tours, and so on. All information on Antelope Canyon tours can be found here .

• Monument Valley

Just 2.5 hours from the Horseshoe Bend/Antelope Canyon area and is also in the land of the Navajo Nation, and interestingly enough in a different time zone. Another bucket lister for me. The park sits on the border of Arizona and Utah and it would be wise to give yourself at least 4 hours of drive-through time, in order to get out take pictures and take your time on the gravel road that you self drive through. Aside from horseback riding, and 27 different viewpoints, there is an area of the park that you can only view via guided tour. Prices to get into the park and other information can be found here .

Utah

• Zion National Park

It takes only 4 hours if you are coming from Monument Valley and coming from Horseshoe Bend, about 2.5 hours. I love Zion, driving into it left me amazed and, well, quiet. So much to see and do here. You can always just drive through if you’re short on time, or you could park, get a map, and hit a hike or two. I suggest going earlier in the day, if not camping out, and hit Angels Landing to get some amazing photos overlooking the park.

• Bryce Canyon

Just under 3 hours north of Horseshoe Bend and a 1.5-hour drive from Zion national park is Bryce Canyon National Park. With 15 hikes at various levels from easy to hard, as well as the option to drive the loop around and leave, you could easily spend a full day here

• Off the beaten path at Kanarra Creek Canyon Hiking Trail

One hour from Zion National Park, and off the beaten path is a serene and less populated hike that you pay $12 to enter and basically find your way up a creek and through some wood into a canyon that eventually leads you to waterfalls. It’s a beautiful hike, I highly recommend it. You can find out more about it here. I suggest again, bringing water and eating beforehand. While I do feel solo travel is super beneficial, I do not think it’s the wisest thing to go on difficult hikes on your own, especially if the place has few visitors. Also, if you have waterproof hiking boot, wear them, if not you can read about the footwear I take on my trips HERE.