Oh Arizona…I fell madly in love with you and hated you all at the same time. Since this was our first real trip of any magnitude and we were broke college kids, this trip had many ups and downs and taught me a lot about traveling and planning. We didn’t have a lot of money, so we drove all the way to Arizona and ended up camping most nights in a tent in the desert sand (which was super hot and I would not recommend it). If we couldn’t find a campground, we paid for the cheapest hotels we could find (also would not recommend because I regularly thought I was somehow going to contract a disease by simply showering). But in the end we made it out alive and I am forever grateful and humbled by the fact that I got to see and experience some of the most amazing things.
Cathedral Rock is one of the first places we visited when traveling through AZ. Located in Coconino National Forest, this beautiful place is a must see! The trail is approximately 1.2 miles out and back and features overlooks of Arizona’s famous red rocks.
Devil’s Bridge is not far from Cathedral Rock and is one of the coolest bridges I’ve ever seen. Not only do you get an awesome view of the red rocks from this overlook, you also get to venture out to the middle of the “bridge” for a photo opportunity! But be careful! It’s a long way down!
There is so much to say about our 3-day backing packing trip into the Grand Canyon. I knew that this trip would change me as a person but I had no idea just how much. I was already expecting it to be the most amazing adventure that i’d ever been on but I can honestly say that it exceeded all of my expectations. Still to this day it remains one of my absolute favorite places to visit. If you plan on going to Havasupai Indian Reservation to see the falls, I recommend hiring a guide company to take you for your first trip. We used Pygmy Guides and they packed all of our food and camping equipment and cooked us delicious meals. Our guide’s name was Owen he was very down to Earth and knowledgeable about the Canyon. Link to Pygmy Guides: https://www.pygmyguides.com/havasu-falls/
The trail to Havasupai Indian Reservation is not an easy one. It is a very hot, slow 8 mile trek under the desert sun while carrying a back pack full of all of your belongings. At the end of this 8 mile hike lies the town of Supai. Then it is another two miles to base of Havasu falls and the campground.
After hiking all day in the desert sun, Havasu Falls is truly a Godsend. The trail leads you from the top of the waterfall to the base and gives you every possible angle to soak in the fall’s majestic beauty. The water is colored a saturated, turquoise blue and contrasts with the surrounding red rocks creating an oasis. The water may look clear from a distance but you actually can’t see through it at all! This is because the water comes from an aquifer and has an extremely high mineral content.
Close by is Fern Spring and is where all visitors get their water supply for the duration of their stay. It has the best tasting water I’ve ever had due to the natural ground filtration process that the water goes through before it gets to the distribution pipe.
The next day our guide took us on a walk about through the canyon where we traveled to Mooney Falls. I really thought that Havasu Falls would take the cake for my favorite waterfall of all time. However, absolutely nothing can compare to Mooney Falls. Period. I don’t know if it was the gush of adrenaline trying to climb down the “staircase” or simply the awe-like appearance of Mooney Falls that makes this particular place so captivating to me. All I know is that I would probably go back to the reservation every single year to stare at this powerful waterfall if I could.
Antelope Canyon is located in Page, Arizona and was absolutely beautiful. It had so many amazing views. However, be warned that in order to see the canyon you have to pay your way onto a trolley or bus and be led by a guide. Unfortunately, it is often packed with tourists and is hard to enjoy. My advice would be to go at an inconvenient time or day so that less people will be adventuring with you! This makes the adventure more peaceful and relaxing and helps you really enjoy the moment while you are there.
Horseshoe Bend is another must see in Page. It is undoubtedly gorgeous and deserves all of the attention it gets. However, similarly to Antelope Canyon, I recommend going at a day or time that is inconvenient for most. Luckily the hike to this overlook is easy and brings you to a plethora of photo opportunities and various viewpoints.
One of our last stops was Monument Valley. This stop was mostly to check of a box on my bucket list but I have to say that I was definitely not disappointed. Driving through the park was really cool. I felt like I was in an old western movie! The monuments are HUGE and at the end of the drive there is a small shopping area where locals set up shops full of beautiful handmade jewelry, clothes and knick knacks.
The Wandering Hippie 