ARIZONA: SOUTHWEST ROAD TRIP
In December 2016, Jim and I went on an epic 2-week southwest road trip. It was winter (the “off season”), we both had a bunch of time off, and some killer flight deals. We hadn’t seen much of this part of America, and this was our opportunity! Side note: unless you’re desperate, do not book with Frontier. Not a good experience. A story for another time!
Anyways, on this trip we explored the states of: Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California. This post shows only images from our experiences in Arizona. We rented a Jeep Compass. The 4×4 capability was quite useful on a couple occasions during this wintry trip.
Highlights on this section of the trip include: Desert Botanical Garden (a must-see in the Phoenix area, especially for you plant-lovers out there!), Camelback Mountain, Devil’s Bridge in Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon tour (Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Tour), and a drive through Monument Valley. I cannot reiterate enough how great Arizona would be for a couple looking to elope! This state has so much to offer. Most of the trip we bought food at local grocery stores and kept it in a styrofoam cooler in the Jeep. On occasion we went out. Good food we ate during this part of the trip: Stingray Sushi in Phoenix and Diablo Burger in Flagstaff.
Ready to take a southwest road trip yet? Or an Arizona elopement? I have a ton more information and love trip planning! Just shoot me an email and I’ll happily share my advice, experiences, and itinerary details.
SOUTHWEST ROAD TRIP ITINERARY:
Days 1-2: Phoenix + Scottsdale, AZ
Day 3: Sedona, AZ + Grand Canyon NP
Day 4: Flagstaff, AZ (Horseshoe Bend)
Day 5: Lower Antelope Canyon + Monument Valley
Days 6-7: Moab, UT (Arches NP + Canyonlands NP)
Day 8: Goblin Valley + Capitol Reef NP
Day 9: Bryce Canyon NP
Day 10: Zion National Park
Days 11-13: Joshua Tree National Park
Day 14: Las Vegas, NV
SEE MY CURRENT TRAVEL DATES HERE!
Emily Hary is an adventurous outdoor wedding + elopement photographer.
Although based in the Midwest, she is available for worldwide travel.