AZ > Nevada > Utah | Road Trip
Last minute road trips are THE BEST! When you pack your bags for literally any situation. Oh boy did I pack my bags! I had a lot of options on the table. Maybe San Diego or L.A... Maybe Vegas, Utah, NM, Colorado. Wherever your heart desires. That is the best part. The car gassed up and ready to go! Swimsuits, Little black dresses, high heels, yoga pants, running shoes, sweatshirts, shorts and tank tops, camping gear, perfume and mosquito repellent all for one quick 4 day weekend. lol! Like my mom says "better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it." lol
First stop on the list, Vegas baby!!! Arizona > Nevada! One or two nights on the strip is always enough for me. With it being my birthday month - this would be an awesome way to kick it off. One night at the "new" hotel Linq really worked out! After mentioning my birthday celebration, they were wonderful and upgraded us to a suite. Yes!! Great start to a weekend! The usual vegas shenanigans occurred that night, lots of great food, people watching, gambling (a whole $20 because it's not my thing), drinking etc. You know the drill and just as expected, I was so ready to hit the road in the morning. Minus the small hangover...
I didn't think I was much of a camping kind of girl but decided - what the heck! Lets go to Zion National Park. Nevada > Utah! I'm soooo glad we made this happen! I hadn't been camping since I was probably 13 years old and I do have very fond memories of those trips. But, considering I hate bugs, love showers and all that jazz, I wasn't sure I would have such a great time. It was an adventure! Setting up camp, searching for wood, trying to open bottles of wine in the dark lol and avoiding those huge black stinkbugs at all cost.
We stayed in a city camping ground - so no fees, that also means no showers or real bathrooms. Just porter potties. Both of which were ok! I expected it to be packed or extremely dirty. I love it when I'm pleasantly surprised!! I would come back here any day! It also felt really safe and we met a few groups of just women who do this on a regular basis.
We woke up around 7am the next morning to drive the 10 minutes to Zion National Park. I had heard a lot about the angels landing hike and was freaked out to attempt it. We almost made it to the top but with the two of us having a huge fear of heights we didn't really do a great job at pushing each other. It was also really crowded by the time we got there. After talking to a few people, they all suggested waking up around 5am and being the 1st in line to get into the park. I would have to agree. We stood inline for at least 45 minutes. After a few other short hikes, a picnic under the trees and a cold beer we were in dire need of a shower. Zion Outfitters located right outside of the park offers showers for just $4 for 5min. We ended up going to Zion Cycles in town where we got a 7min shower for $5. Every minute counts! :) We headed back to camp for one more night under the stars and packed it up the next morning. Next stop?!
Page! Utah > Arizona. This was our last day on the road and we truly made the most of it. A few hour drive from Zion to Page is sooo worth it. 3 Must see places while in town are...
- Antelope Canyon- for $25 or so you spend a couple hours in the canyons taking all the photos you want and learning a lot about the history and indian tribes who run the area. I suggest staying towards the back of the group to be able to get some photos without all the tourists. Also, the earlier you show up the better. This was my second time here and we waiting about 1.5 hours in line. Last time I was here, I showed up bright and early and was in the canyons within 15min. The pictures you see below are from the upper canyon tour.
- Horseshoe Bend - This is a free attraction so don't miss out!! The views are stunning and if you have a full day to spend here, pack a lunch and set up shop with your camera to capture all of its magnificence throughout the day.
- Lake Powell - Fun place to spend a few hours swimming, renting a boat, jet skies or kayaks.
3 States later, a quick dinner in Flagstaff and I'm back home! What a fun weekend!!
