Our very first trip since the COVID pandemic began was to the great states of Arizona and Utah in May of 2021. This was a particularly important occasion for us, as it would it be our last trip before we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into our lives! As such, our hearts were filled with much anticipation and excitement.
Our road trip began in Phoenix (Arizona), inside a desert valley tinged with the quintessential beige and yellow setting that was to be expected and decorated with the most peculiar breed of cacti (Saguaro). Driving north from Phoenix, we were enchanted by the way that the landscape transformed in what can only be described as a blend of both desert, forest and fertile rock valleys. Bears, deer, elk, pine trees, snow capped mountains and rocky creeks were the norm in Flagstaff (Arizona) and the surrounding area as was the much cooler temperature. However, further north as we approached the Grand Canyon, the land reverted to a quasi-desert, with rocky ground and thorny shrubs dotting the landscape. Continuing north along the border and into Utah the land turned once more into a desert, with not a tree in sight. Finally, after some hours of driving into Utah at an elevation of 8,000 ft. (2.40 km), the land changed once more to a series of flat plains, interrupted by vast and fertile canyons.
Come along for the ride as we share some helpful tips while recounting our epic road trip throughout Northern Arizona and Utah.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Our first stop on this grand adventure was to the charming little town of Flagstaff, which served as an excellent base for exploring the surrounding area during this portion of our trip. For a small town, Flagstaff was rich with the amenities of a large city such as an airport, railroad, highways, museums, malls, theaters, name brand retailers, excellent restaurants, ample nightlife and even a major university.
What makes it a good base?
Ideal Location: If you are driving, Flagstaff is only 1.50 hours to Grand Canyon National Park, 40 minutes to Sedona, 2 hours to Phoenix, 2 hours to Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, 40 minutes to Meteor Crater and it’s adjacent to the country’s largest Native American governed lands. Additionally, the town is surrounded by the world’s largest contiguous Ponderosa pine forest so there is plenty to explore.
Accommodations: Flagstaff has the best quality hotels for the most reasonable prices in the area. We stayed at the Little America Hotel and would highly recommend staying there as it is right off the highway, is next to 2 gas stations and is just a 6 minute drive to the downtown area.
Food: We’ve traveled to many places in the world and Flagstaff can hang with the best of them. As foodies, the excellent cuisine of Flagstaff was the most unexpected surprise of this trip. Also, the food portions are huge!
People: The locals are very welcoming to tourists and will happily offer helpful tips of places to visit during your stay. The town also enjoys some diversity due to the Northern Arizona University main campus as well as its close proximity to Native American governed lands.
Restaurant Recommendations:
Fat Olives - This pizzeria cooks its pies in true Neapolitan fashion and is in fact 1 of only 96 restaurants to be Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) certified. Guy Fieri even visited this restaurant during an episode of his show on the Food Network. Our favorite dishes were the wood fired artichoke hearts, oven roasted olives, Margherita pizza with pepperoni and Calabrian peppers.
Salsa Brava - This is another restaurant made famous by Guy Fieri’s TV show which specializes in Mexican and American Southwestern cuisine. The food portions are jumbo sized and that includes the specialty margaritas too. We had the stuffed sopapilla, which was a football sized (literally) frybread stuffed with meat, pinto beans, cheese, rice and topped with chili sauce. We also had some specialty street tacos (Maui and Cochinita Pibil) with some prickly pear margaritas to wash it all down. For appetizers, they served us complimentary corn chips with 3 different salsas which were also delicious.
Tourist Home All Day Café- This is a casual breakfast and lunch spot which features craft coffee, pasties, cocktails and some creative dishes inspired by American Southwestern cuisine. We highly recommend the breakfast burrito, tomato soup, French toast and a peppermint oat milk latte to wash it all down. This is the perfect spot to fuel up before a long day of hiking or day tripping.
Lotus Lounge at Hotel Monte Vista - This upscale restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Flagstaff and it features an excellent menu of Asian fusion dishes as well as craft cocktails. According to Nina, “the sushi was to die for.” Due to its popularity with the locals, reservations and proper attire are recommended. We were actually turned away the first time we tried to eat at this restaurant due to it being too full for dinner so plan accordingly.
Mozelle’s Bakery - This nondescript bakery is located at the popular Heritage Square. All of their pastries are made from scratch daily and it’s the perfect place to stop for some treats while strolling around downtown. We highly recommend the home made French macaroons and lemon tarts.
Places to Shop:
The Rainbow’s End - This was such a cute boutique selling a variety of local designers and artist crafts such as Boho-chic inspired dresses and accessories. Nina bought some laser cut earrings as a small keepsake from our trip.
Suite 104 - If you want a little bit of a chuckle, stop by Suite 104. They have some unique and weird pieces that make you question taste level and art as the trinkets they sell are very outlandish.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
From Flagstaff, we traveled north to see the fabled Grand Canyon; indeed one of the most impressive geological features in the world. Such was our astonishment at this magnificent landscape that Nina was overcome with emotion the minute that she approached the rim and laid eyes on the canyon. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is so vast, its imagery so poetic and its grandeur so physically imposing that it was impossible to capture it on camera as our human eyes perceived it to be and even now we struggle to capture it with our words. As such, we earnestly believe that everybody should make this trip at some point in their lifetime (circumstances permitting) so as to marvel at the magnificent beauty of the Grand Canyon for themselves.
Things that you must do while at Grand Canyon National Park:
Desert View Drive (Route 64): This is a scenic drive that runs west-east along the canyon’s edge and has many overlooks with ample parking available. In fact, the views on each overlook as you continue east from Grand Canyon Village get better and better because every time you stop along this road to marvel at the view, you will be treated to a different aspect of the canyon. This was our favorite part of visiting the Grand Canyon.
Hiking: For most people, hiking the Rim Trail is all you really need as it hugs the cliffside so you always have an awesome view. Also, the Rim Trail is flat and fully paved so there are no accessibility issues. For avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, Bright Angel Trail or South Kaibab Trail are popular choices that take you below the rim and into the canyon.
Mather Point Overlook: This lovely overlook is located next to the Visitor Center and main parking lot. There is plenty of space available for people to walk around and they even have several benches, picnic tables, bathroom facilities and a water fountain in the vicinity of the overlook.
We actually visited Grand Canyon National Park on two separate daytrips from Flagstaff. On the first day of our visit, we hiked the Rim Trail as well as Bright Angel Trail which literally and figuratively took our breath away. Because of the high altitude and Nina’s pregnancy, we were not able to hike any further than about a half mile (800m) into the canyon. However, the views of the fertile valley around Indian Garden were quite stunning. This was all just a wonderful reminder of how small we are in this big beautiful world.
On our second daytrip, we drove along Desert view drive and stopped at every overlook as the sun was setting. The way that the colors changed from a bright green and red to a dark red, deep green and later pinkish hues as the sun set in the distance was truly one of the most beautiful things that we’ve witnessed in our lifetime.
Click here for a more detailed article of Grand Canyon National Park.
Bearizona Wildlife Park
Williams, Arizona
We visited Bearizona Wildlife Park on a recommendation from a local Navajo girl that we befriended while in Flagstaff. Just a 30 minute drive away, we were treated to some of the most fun that we’ve had since we were kids. There are actually two sections of the park. The first section is a drive-thru, where you literally drive through the forest and witness a variety of animals roaming about, such as black bears, bison, bighorn sheep, reindeer and wolves. Our favorite part was being able to see the black bears playing in the water. The second section of the park is a walk-thru area that resembles a small zoo where you can get up close views of grizzly bears, porcupines, otters, elk, fox and other animals. The best part was when Julian fed sweet potato to some bear cubs.
Sedona, Arizona
Nestled in a fertile red rock valley and completely surrounded by the some of the most beautiful mountain ranges, Sedona came highly recommended by several people that we befriended while in Flagstaff. Originally, we weren’t even planning on visiting Sedona, but we were curious to see what all the hype was about. Indeed, its reputation was well deserved and we ended up loving Sedona so much that we we actually came back on two separate day trips.
Things that you must do while at Sedona:
Highway 89A: This scenic drive between Flagstaff and Sedona can be a daytrip by itself. The winding road descends into a canyon of sandstone cliffs, oak and walnut trees, swimming holes, overlooks and various trailheads. Along the drive, you will also see a few restaurants, hotels and Native American peoples selling jewelry and other crafts. Continuing past Sedona on highway 89A will take you through the picturesque towns dotting the Verde Valley.
Hiking: There are literally hundreds of trails throughout Sedona, but the two that we enjoyed most were:
Sedona View Trail - Airport: This is an easy trail that is located on the top of a mountain next to the local airport and takes you past scenic overlooks and a vortex, which is said by locals to be a place of intense energy. The best part is that because of its location, this trail gives you panoramic views of the valley and adjacent mountains the entire time you are hiking. The sunset views from this trail are also mesmerizing and most people will have no problem hiking as it is mostly flat with just a few rocky sections.
Baldwin Trail - Cathedral Rock: This is one of Sedona’s 7 hidden hikes and in fact, the trail is actually located on a dirt road about a half mile (800m) behind a residential neighborhood. Part of the trail hugs a creek where you’ll find several locals bathing in the water, having picnics and sun tanning on the banks. As you progress, you’ll start climbing several switchbacks past cactus and twisted trees until finally arriving at the base of Cathedral Rock, which also happens to be the location of a vortex. The views from here are stunning and it was the first time that we really felt the intense energy of a vortex.
The Vault Uptown: The real selling point of this restaurant is the spectacular view of the red and green mountains that you have while eating. The food is excellent and if you’re able to secure an outdoor table, you can easily spend all afternoon just marveling at the beautiful view and nice weather.
Sedona is a very popular tourist destination and as we drove in, it became quite obvious as to why. A narrow mountain road opens up to a gorgeous view of the Verde Valley with a lively downtown area full of restaurants, shops, street performers, and tour operators. The amount of activities could fill a two week itinerary and for the most part, we were sad to leave Sedona as we headed to our next stop. Nevertheless, this beautiful little part of the world will definitely be a place that we return to over the years.
Slide Rock State Park
Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona
Driving down the scenic Highway 89A on a daytrip from Flagstaff, we made our way to this hidden treasure and local favorite in the heart of Oak Creek canyon. Slide Rock State Park is known by that name because of a natural waterslide that cuts through a channel of red rock where you’ll often find locals sun tanning, picnicking, swimming and sliding down the creek’s smooth surface. It also happens to be the site of the historic Pendley homestead and apple orchard. We had so much fun walking around the orchard while gazing up at the impressive mountains and spending some time to appreciate the simple pleasures of this natural wonder. Most exciting of all was that during our visit to Slide Rock State Park, we received the news from the genetic testing lab that we were to expect a healthy baby boy! (Prior to that we didn’t know the sex).
A huge thanks to our friend Katy from Flagstaff for this recommendation!
Grasshopper Point
Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona
Just before arriving to Sedona on that awesome highway 89A drive from Flagstaff, we stopped at another recommended spot called Grasshopper point. This is another local favorite hangout spot that had various hiking trails and best of all, a huge creek where the locals like to go cliff diving. Indeed, this was a different kind of paradise and it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
A huge thanks to our friend Katy from Flagstaff for this recommendation!
Navajo Nation
The drive up to Bryce, Utah from Flagstaff, Arizona proved to be a long but unforgettable journey. A great portion of the drive included going through tribal lands, giving us a brief glimpse into the lives of the Navajo people and a better appreciation for our new friendship with Valendria, the sweet Navajo girl that we befriended while in Flagstaff. In the distance we could see buffalo grazing freely, humble houses dotting the valley and cliffside, road kiosks where the Navajo people sold artisan crafts to passerby, and groups of Navajo men on horseback. The setting was quite stunning, with red and beige rocky cliffs on one side of the road and the vastness of the Grand Canyon on the other side. With proper planning, one could easily spend an entire daytrip just driving through this area, stopping to chat with locals and marveling at the scenery that these people simply refer to as home.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Located in a very remote part of southern Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park was an adventure that we would never forget. Indeed, never before had we seen such poetry in stone until we gazed down upon the endless rock spires known as “Hoodoo” that dotted the landscape of Bryce Canyon. Orange and beige spires reached up from the ground by the hundreds, greeted by white snow on the canyon walls slowly melting as the sun continued rising. Like the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang, each rock was unique in both expression and feature. As an artist, it was no surprise that Bryce Canyon was Nina’s favorite stop along our grand road trip throughout Arizona and Utah.
Things that you must do while at Bryce Canyon National Park:
Bryce Amphitheater: This is the star of the show when it comes to visiting Bryce Canyon as it’s where nearly every picture that you’ll see on social media and the internet is taken. The amphitheater is basically a series of four lookout points along the rim with our favorite being Sunset Point since it had the best view. We loved it so much that we chose this spot for our baby announcement photo!
Hiking: The hiking experience at Bryce Canyon National Park is incomparable to any other hike that we’ve done in the world. When you are below the rim you almost feel like you are walking into an underwater fantasy. Walking past rock spires that look like castles, dried creek beds, beige sand, trees growing both out of the ground and sideways from the canyon walls is a surreal experience that we encourage everyone to undertake.
Drive to Rainbow Point: This scenic 18 mile drive takes you from Bryce Amphitheater all the way down to the very southern tip of the park known as Rainbow Point. At elevations that range between 8,000ft - 9,000ft (2.40km - 2.74km) there are many lookout points along the road where you can pull over and marvel at the beauty of Dixie National Forest and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the distance. Our favorite overlooks were Rainbow Point and Natural Bridge.
Star Gazing: Because of the high elevation, clean air and remote location, Bryce and the surrounding area is a perfect place to go star gazing. One night, we even saw a shooting star light up the night sky! There are several “Dark Ranger” programs available where park rangers will take you on a guided night hike. There are also star gazing tours where you are offered a chance to look at the nearby planets and stars via telescopes which is sure to provide an unforgettable experience.
We used Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. Our guide was an astronomer & park ranger who was extremely knowledgeable and happily answered any questions. The cost was only $37 USD per person and we highly recommend this tour.
Click here for a more detailed article of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Zion National Park, Utah
Continuing with our trip, we headed to a beautiful corner of the world called Zion National Park. Being here felt like we were visiting the mythical Jurassic Park; a forbidden area of exotic beauty and possible danger whose stunning natural scenery can only exist in a movie or science fiction novel. Waterfalls cascade down from the red and white rocky mountains, feeding into the Virgin River and its tributaries. Fertile canyon walls reach high into the sky, becoming ever more ethereal to the humble traveler. Being the adventurous spirit, it came as no surprise that Zion National Park was Julian’s favorite stop along our grand road trip through Arizona and Utah.
Things that you must do while at Zion National Park:
Hiking: The hiking experience at Zion National Park is the most comprehensive offering available out of any park that we visited while on our trip through Arizona and Utah, with seemingly endless trails available ranging from easy to strenuous. Some of the main hiking trails that are available at Zion National Park:
The Narrows: This strenuous hike takes you along the Virgin River and deep into a narrow section of a canyon appropriately called “The Narrows.” Most of the hike actually involves wading through the river, over slippery rocks and past waterfalls, shallow pools and one of the most incredible views of the canyon from the ground. For serious hikers, it may take about 4.50 hours or more to finish the “Bottom Up” portion of the hike. For us, it took 7.50 hours round trip.
Emerald Pools: This trail begins by crossing the bridge over the Virgin River next to Zion Lodge (shuttle stop #5), which then leads you up the mountain past waterfalls and charming alcoves to three naturally occurring pools. The path to each pool is divided into sections depending on difficulty, with the lower pool being classified as easy and the middle and upper pools being classified as moderate. On the trail you may even see wild deer like we did!
Angel’s Landing: This popular trail is very strenuous, with a portion that involves climbing up a steep, narrow ridge where you have to support yourself by holding onto chains that are anchored into the mountain. From Zion Lodge (shuttle stop #5) you can actually see the hikers summiting the mountain way in the distance. Due to Nina’s pregnancy and the risk of injury or death from falls (13 people have died as of the time of this writing), we opted to skip this hike on this trip but we’ll return in the future to cross it off our bucket list!
Zion-Mount Carmel Highway: Located between the east entrance and Canyon Junction, this is one of the most scenic drives that we’ve ever done and it is a must do on anyone’s itinerary. This drive is unique because the landscape changes rather quickly with each bend in the road. Along the switchback road, white rock mountains give way to black and red canyon walls, with lush valleys painting the landscape. There are also several overlooks/lookout points on this road but with very limited parking. Apart from the natural beauty, the fact that this is only a two lane mountain highway with no dividers will give you an extra adrenaline boost!
Biking: There is a main road that takes you through all of the park and because of this, biking is a popular activity at Zion National Park. With a bicycle, you can circumvent the need for a shuttle to take you around to the various trailheads (private vehicles are not allowed 9 months out of the year). Plus, the road is incredibly scenic, as it takes you past all of the park’s famous landmarks.
Picnic: Just in front of Zion Lodge (shuttle stop #5) there is a very large shaded area where you will see people picnicking and it’s clear to see why. Would you not want to relax and enjoy some nice weather with a view of these mountains?
Click here for a more detailed article of Zion National Park.
Lake Powell, Utah & Arizona
After we finished our visit to Zion National Park, we headed back south towards the Utah/Arizona border. As we got closer to the Arizona border town of Page, we caught a glimpse of Lake Powell, a huge lake that was formed by the damming of the Colorado River at Glen Canyon. Driving over the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge, it was quite a site to see a lake on one side of the bridge and a deep canyon on the other side. We also took the opportunity to visit the lakeside town of Wahweap and stop at several overlooks. It was incredible to see such a vast desert with absolutely no vegetation bifurcated by a deep blue river and lake.
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
While staying in the town of Page, Arizona, we took the opportunity to see the famous Antelope Canyon. Most of the canyon is actually located in Navajo territory and due to the ongoing COVID situation, visitors to the reservation (and Navajo section of the canyon) were not allowed. Because of this, we ended up visiting Antelope Canyon via a kayaking tour through Lake Powell. As we paddled our way past yellow/beige canyon walls in the early morning, we eventually landed at a beachhead deep in the heart of Antelope Canyon. Afterwards, we walked for about 15 minutes before the walls started to change colors from yellow and beige to purple and pink, decorated with the most beautiful swirls as if the walls had been painted by the wind. We took as much time as we could to appreciate Antelope Canyon, owing to the fact that this was a bucket list destination and we had just kayaked 2.50 miles (4 km) just to get here! In total, it was a 5 mile (8 km) round trip of kayaking but that made the trip so much more worth it. Almost as if we had earned the right to see Antelope Canyon.
For anybody interested in kayaking to see Antelope Canyon, we highly recommend Lake Powell Adventure Company. Our guide Briton was super friendly and knowledgeable, not to mention very patient since due to Nina’s pregnancy, we had a little bit of trouble keeping up with the rest of the group.
For more info visit: https://lakepowelladventure.com/
Horseshoe Bend
Page, Arizona
The next stop on our trip was to the much renowned overlook of Horseshoe Bend. After hiking for almost a mile from the parking lot in the unforgiving desert sun, we arrived to the lookout point situated on the cliff’s edge and caught a remarkable view of the Colorado River below. Had it not been for the infernal heat, we could easily have spent an entire afternoon here, watching the boats circle around the peninsula and taking in the majestic views of the river and canyon below. It was amazing to see such a dichotomy between the arid landscape of our immediate surroundings and the fertile environment with trees growing on the river banks way below.
Please note, entrance to the parking lot at Horseshoe Bend costs $10 per vehicle and the only bathrooms available are located in the parking lot.
Taliesin West
Scottsdale, Arizona
The final stop on our grand road trip through Arizona and Utah was to the architectural landmark known as Taliesin West. Designed by the genius American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taliesin West felt like we were visiting an oasis in a desert. Walking throughout the property you will notice elements from the desert environment incorporated into the buildings juxtaposed with lovely pools, fountains and greenery. In the future, we would highly recommend visiting during the winter months when temperatures are much cooler. We went in mid-May and the temperature was over 100°F (38°C)!
Wrapping Up
For most of our time together we were only focused on traveling internationally. Such was the call to adventure in our youth that we always dreamed of visiting far flung destinations, especially after watching season 1 of the Amazing Race. However, this trip made us realize that much of our own country remained unexplored and underappreciated. As such, it is our hope to inspire both domestic and international travelers to visit the magnificent beauty that is the United States of America.
If this blog post reaches no one out there in the internet universe, that is fine with us. In that case, our only hope as new parents will be to inspire our children, seeing the world through their eyes and driven by a renewed Manifest Destiny to experience all the wonderful things that this world has to offer. For what it’s worth kids, we were cool once (haha). Now it’s your turn to make your own adventures.
And to our posterity, perhaps long after we have passed, we can only hope that the legacy we’ll be leaving to you will inspire you as well. Even though we may not get to meet each other in this life, you can at least get to know us through our adventures with Travel to Escape Reality!
All the best and much love!
Nina and Julian