Southwest United States Road Trip!

On the first day, we flew into LAX and picked up our rental van for the trip. We planned this in the most affordable way possible, largely planning to car camp along the way, so we made our first stop at the Wal-Mart to pick up basic bedding and some road snacks.

From there, we drove east towards the Grand Canyon. This was my first time ever seeing a desert climate and I thought it was so cool how a lot of the drive looked like we were surrounded by giant piles of dirt.

We drove and drove until we finally reached the Grand Canyon, just in time for sunset. As if witnessing the Grand Canyon for the first time was not already breathtaking enough, we got our first glimpse of this majestic scenery complemented by a freshly sunset-painted sky. It was incredible to say the least. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon before, I'd definitely recommend. With such epic natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, you never really feel just how expansive and magnificent they are until you see them in real life. Pictures just do not do it justice.

As previously mentioned, we had planned to car camp but at the time we were young and dumb, and the forethought in some of our travel planning skills still developing (haha). We ended up striking up a conversation with an older woman who worked at the park, who informed us that the area was pretty strict on people sleeping in their cars. She invited us to stay in her trailer, and although I would not recommend staying with a complete stranger, I do recommend her wholeheartedly! (Sometimes you just have a feeling and when you know, you know!) However, you may not be so lucky, so I definitely think it's worth planning ahead and booking a room for the night (there is lodging and camp sites available for rental).

An added perk of not doing it that way was the best recommendation for where to watch the sunrise over the canyon! From Yaki Point! (Mather Point also gets an honorable mention) We rose early to get there before the sun came up, and spent our morning enjoying the first light before embarking onward to our next destination!

We drove down to Sedona, a town known as a spiritual healing vortex. We hiked through Oak Creek Canyon which was a wonderful hike (not too difficult but not boring either) and explored some shops and restaurants in Sedona. I'd recommend enjoying some cacao and snacks at ChocolateTree Organic Eatery and then heading over to Dragon's Den Metaphysical Store for some healing crystals and great energy! If you're looking for a place to crash for the night, Sedona Village Lodge has lovely rooms and the owner was so hospitable and accomodating.

The next morning, we drove to the Four Corners Monument, where you can stand not only in two places at once, but four! This is where the states Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona meet, hence the name "The Four Corners". You probably don't need to spend a ton of time here, but it is definitely a cool place to stop to be able to say, "I've stood in four places at once," if you're into that kind of thing.

The next day, we drove to Colorado Springs to visit Garden of the Gods. This land was donated to the state under the condition that it would always remain free to the public. I think that's pretty cool. Walking around the park, you see epic, large rock formations and feel that this must be some larger than life playground for giants. I'd imagine they probably had a similar thought process naming it, "Garden of the Gods". We even found some cool clay sculptures embedded under the overpass.

After that, we started driving up to Denver and met up with a friend of ours from back home who we had planned to attend a concert with at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Before the show, we enjoyed dinner at City O'City, a delicious vegan restaurant in Colorado.

Then, we went to see the concert. If you are a music lover, or even if you aren't, I'd recommend checking out this incredible natural amphitheater formed by, you guessed it- red rocks. I've seen concerts all over, and this is still one of my favorite places to watch a show. However, be warned, the hike up the stairs to get there can be a bit brutal if you're not acclimated to the elevation. So worth it though!

If you're looking for a place to crash nearby after the show, The Acoma House is an incredible 5-star hotel with a mural by a different artist in each room, each decorated with a unique theme.

Next, we drove to Rifle Falls State Park in Rifle, Colorado to experience the beautiful waterfalls there. This is an epic three-stream waterfall and hardly any hike to get to it. There's also some caves around the areas where the waterfalls are as well, which we explored a bit, but I'd certainly say the main attraction is the waterfalls!

We continued driving after that, headed to Zion National Park in Utah.

Next stop, Zion National Park! To this day, this is still one of my favorite places I've visited and one of my favorite travel memories. There are many different hikes you can do and different areas to visit in the park. If you have the time, I think you could spend at least a week here exploring all the different nooks and crannies, but we didn't know just how much we would love it and only planned to spend a day here!

We ended up hiking up to the Emerald Pools, which are three pools that turn a deep color green due to algae in the environment. I'd say this is a moderate level hike and definitely had my thighs burning. I'm glad my friend was with my to encourage me to keep going, because the top Emerald Pool is definitely the coolest one!

As we reached the uppermost Emerald Pool, storm clouds began rolling in. The whole way into the park, we heard warnings of flash floods, but again, young and still invincible, we did not take them seriously. Luckily, we managed to get back to our vehicle and out of the park safely, but first we got a show! What went from a dry, arid rocky landscape suddenly became ripe with waterfalls and rushing rivers. I'd definitely take proper precautions visiting this beautiful park, because it is as beautiful as it is dangerous. However, with careful consideration of the weather in choosing which area to hike and precautionary measures, I think you'll be just fine.

After spending the day in the park, we continued on to Las Vegas.

On our way to Vegas, we stopped at the Valley of Fire State Park outside of the city for some hiking. This place also felt like playing in a playground for giants, climbing on giant rock formations and enjoying incredible panoramic desert views.

As you can tell from most of our other choices of destinations, we are more nature people than flashy lights, but Vegas was on the way and neither of us had ever been, so it only felt right that we stop to walk down the strip and at least say we did.

I was at first enticed by how loud and bright all the lights, colors, and street performers were, but also felt the desperation of zombie's staring at slots endlessly and the overindulgence in the air. But, when in Vegas, right? We aren't big gamblers or drinkers, but we did indulge in an all-you-can-eat-buffet. To be honest, I do not remember the name of the place. We enjoyed lots of dessert lol.

We stayed at the Flamingo Hotel, which was just so cute with pink flamingos and fairly inexpensive. However, be aware when booking, there is a fee to be paid directly to the hotel when you arrive at the property.

From there, we drove back to Los Angeles and spent the evening at Venice Beach. We enjoyed a dip in the ocean, and spent the evening walking up and down the boardwalk checking out the different street vendors and artists. The next day we returned the rental car and flew back home!