For my birthday, we decided to do something we’ve never, ever done despite living here for so man years…a USA Road Trip! I know it’s crazy but my husband and I hate driving, just taking a 4 hour drive up to Orlando seems like the most daunting thing to do. BUT I’m here to tell you that we took a leap into something new, and we LOVED IT! Here’s a quick synopsis of what we did and some tips I learnt along the way.
Best time to visit
Arizona gets scorching hot during the summer months, I’m talking temperatures above 100 °F! The best time to travel here is during the Spring from March to May and just before winter from September to November.
Packing List
- Light Jacket
- Bathing suit (for a dip in Lake Powell)
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Water Bottle
- Hiking Shoes
- Snacks for the road
Stop 1 – Sedona
To get to Sedona we flew into Phoenix, rented a car from Turo in Scottsdale (checkout the awesome car we rented here) and started the 2 hour drive to Sedona.
Hotels in Sedona
Arabella Hotel ($$)
The location of Arabella Hotel is perfect; you are close to all restaurants and main hiking trails. However, we did pay extra for a room with a “Mountain View” and did not get it. They were very accommodating and refunded us for the extra charge but I’m not sure paying for the extra view would have been worth it.
Courtyard Marriott ($$$)
The Courtyard Marriott was a much nicer hotel but a little further away from all the main spots adding an extra 10-15 minute drive to the hiking trails or restaurants. Note– if you are a Marriott Gold member this hotel does not give you free breakfast or a late checkout of 4pm. You can ask for a 2pm late checkout.
Things to do in Sedona
Known as a mysterious vortex of energy with towering mountain ranges, Sedona is truly stunning on the eyes from the moment you drive into town. It is the perfect place for anyone who enjoys nature, being outdoors and burning a few extra calories. Many activities are outdoors with numerous hiking and biking trails alongside top notch spas perfect to relax and rejuvenate.
Devils Bridge
Don’t be deceived by this slim looking rock! It is all an illusion and not scary at all. We started the hike from the Mescal Trailhead to avoid the ATVs and off road vehicles interrupting our outdoor, nature experience.
The hike is 4 miles round trip and you MUST go early to avoid the heat & crowd. Make sure you bring lots of water and are physically fit to do this hike, people have passed out from heat exhaustion. Hiking shoes aren’t required, just sneakers with good grip will do. Do not attempt if you are afraid of heights or cannot walk for a long period of time. We started the hike at 6:30am and only waited about 10 minutes to get on the bridge.
Cathedral Rock
First off, we somehow navigated to a random residential neighborhood and not the trail entrance. To get to the correct starting point, use this link. Once you are on Back O Beyond Road you will run into the trail head on your left hand side.
Go early to avoid the crowd, sun and stifling heat.We visited here on a Monday morning at 7:30am and got the last parking spot, you cannot park on the roadside so getting a spot is key. When you arrive, you can purchase a parking pass from the kiosk for US$5. This hike is less than a mile but quite challenging; you will be going up and up, literally climbing rocks along the way (checkout my stories on Instagram to see more!). Do not attempt if you feel you aren’t physically fit to climb up or are afraid of heights.
Make sure you wear hiking shoes or sneakers with good grip, I twisted my ankle on the way down because I was not wearing the correct shoes! If you want a slightly easier hike take the “easy” route noted on the sign at the entrance (go left) and try to remember the way, it is quite easy to get lost going back down.
Once you get to the top, you will see a sign that says “end of hike”, make a LEFT and continue around and up the mountain a few extra feet for incredible, secluded views.
Jeep Tour
We did a jeep tour found on Trip Advisor (it had numerous 5 star reviews) on the Mongolian Rim and found it to be overpriced and not worth the money. The drive was 2 hours long on very bumpy roads and we only got out of the jeep for about 10 minutes, overall a really disappointing experience and not recommended!
Where to eat in Sedona
For lunch we stopped at The Vault which had great mountain views, friendly staff and delicious food, a great place to get a good meal after a long morning hike. For dinner we visited Hideaway House, one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Trying to get dinner reservations or just walk in anywhere is tough in Sedona, make all your reservations before you travel!
One of our tour guides mentioned that Elote Café was the best spot in the city but we were not able to get in, check it out if you can.
Stop 2 – Grand Canyon South Rim
The most beautiful stop on this trip was certainly the Grand Canyon, it is simply amazing and too beautiful to put into words or in photos! Have your cameras and your eyes ready for this incredible experience. Before you go, purchase your National Park pass online through their app before you go into the park to save time and frustration from the limited phone signal you will get inside.
Shoshone Point
Hats off to @TheEscapeArtist on Instagram for posting about this amazing spot! It truly was an untouched area with no crowds. Getting here is very easy, set your Google Maps to Shoshone Point and you’ll get to a small dirt parking lot on the left side of the road. The trail is an easy walk on flat surface that is about 15 minutes each way.
Matheson Point
Located next to the visitor’s center, Matheson Point is extremely busy and full of people. We went here just to check it out but really only spent about 10 minutes in the location, it was not the peaceful & enjoyable environment we had just experienced over at Shoshone Point. I would suggest taking a drive around the canyon ridge yourself and scouting your own secret spots! You can find a driving map here. There is a shuttle bus that takes around the rim as well.
Where to Stay in the Grand Canyon
The Holiday Inn Grand Canyon South Rim is a great place to stay while visiting the area. The location is only 1 mile away from the park entrance and 1 mile away from Starbucks. Why is this so important? There is literally nowhere else to eat or drink in this town but Starbucks. If you don’t believe me, just check Yelp! Note- gas is very expensive here so fill up before you arrive.
Day 3- Page
Next stop, Page! Make sure you take this drive during the day, the views cannot be missed. This cute little town boarders Lake Powell and is home to only about 8000 residents. Most people come here on a day trip to visit Antelope Canyon but due to COVID-19 restrictions the reservation was closed and we could not visit. We only spent 1 night here but I suggest you book 2, there’s so much to do! Note- this town has a Wal Mart if you need to stock up on any supplies, get snacks for your room/drive or just need a few extra bottles of water.
Where to Stay
Surprisingly the best place we stayed on the trip was here in Page at the Hyatt Place Hotel. The town is very small so almost anywhere you stay will be close to everything but this hotel was clean, new, had a beautiful outdoor patio, great service and a decent breakfast included.
Things to do in Page
The Chains
Another wonderful recommendation from @TheEscapeArtists was The Chains. Only a 10 minute drive from the hotel, this location was a total surprise! Be sure to pack your bathing suit in case you want to take a dip in Lake Powell…but beware the water is very cold! We visited in the late afternoon and there were only about 3 other people enjoying the views, water and energy of the place.
Horseshoe Bend
I’ll start off by saying we visited here at the wrong time! Our usual plan is to visit every site early to miss the crowds and get a good photo spot but the best time to visit is actually mid-day when the sun is high above the mountain. When we arrived at 7:30am there was a massive shadow making it a little less spectacular and certainly not the lighting we were looking for.
Entrance to the park is $10 per car, your National Park pass does not apply here. The walk down to Horseshoe Bend is very easy on flat terrain that takes only 10 minutes each way.
Where to eat in Page
Like most small towns we visited on our trip, food options were extremely limited but we did find a great BBQ spot – Big John’s BBQ! We had the Ribs, Cole slaw and the Potato Salad..all pretty good! Bird House is another great restaurant with one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in town.
Checkout my Instagram story highlights for more footage of this amazing trip and sign up for my e-mail list to get all the latest blog posts directly to your inbox!