4 Days Road Tripping in Arizona

Hear me out, I have always had the desire to travel the States, but always had a bigger desire to travel as far as I can while I am still young-ish and able to. At age 29 my body can handle a 30 hour travel day compared to a 4 hour travel day. Well thanks to COVID and being an American there was/is no hope for a 30 hour travel day anytime soon. My only options were National Parks or Mexico. We’ll consider this a silver lining that I was finally able to explore some of the most breathtaking places in the States. I wish I had more than 4 days to explore Arizona but those 4 days were absolutely amazing.

Day 1: We (as in me & my best friend) took an early morning flight from Philly to Phoenix and planned on picking up our rental car from the airport after we landed. After arriving at the car rental office and waiting over an hour and making no progress, we finally came up with a plan B (things you need to be good at when traveling, trust me). We Ubered to a different car rental company about 15 minutes away from the airport. Not only was this rental car cheaper, but it also saved us from not losing our whole first day in Arizona. These (now) East Coast girls' first stop was obviously In and Out, animal style, duh!

Now, we were finally ready for our 4ish hour drive to Page. After arriving, we immediately went to Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks to rent our kayaks. Luck had it, we snagged some of the last ones, if not the last ones. Book your kayaks/paddleboards in advance or plan not to kayak/paddleboard on Lake Powell! We originally wanted to paddleboard, but there weren't any left which actually worked out in our favor. A single person kayak worked out so much better, we had a place for our bags and were able to take pictures of each other (yes, we are basic). Next up, sunset at Horseshoe Bend which was absolutely stunning! I read plenty of blogs about the best time to see Horseshoe Bend, most of which said during the middle of the day to avoid shadows. We decided to ignore everything we read and watched the sunset over horseshoe bend, 10/10 recommend. It costs $10 per car and the ticket is only valid for that entry. We were fully expecting this to be a full-on hike and were pleasantly surprised when we found out it was ¾ of a mile flat walk, our type of “hike”. The path is a bit dusty, just something to keep in mind when picking out an outfit. Bring a beer to fully enjoy a relaxing sunset over a gorgeous backdrop.

We grabbed dinner at El Tapatio, which served up some bomb Mexican food. Featuring margs the size of my head, queso, and tacos. What more can one ask for in life?

Day 2: We loved Horseshoe Bend so much we found it worth it to spend another $10 and watch the sunrise there. Then had an oh so healthy McDonald’s breakfast.

We picked up the kayaks right when they opened at 8 am so we could make the most of our day. They were due back at 6 pm, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy the whole day. Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks put the kayaks on top of our car for us. We took videos and photos during their instructions teaching us how to put the kayaks back on our car for the way back. We went to Antelope Point, a public boat launch that cost $30 for the day. To kayak to the hiking portion, Slot Canyon, and back took about 4 hours. Keep in mind we are by no means “in shape”, we swam in the canyon, took pictures, and went at a very leisurely pace.

Due to COVID (that has ruined everything else this year) Antelope Canyon was shut down (August 2020- double check when you plan your trip). The hike we did was similar to Antelope Canyon, Slot Canyon, and extremely impressive! We walked a little less than a mile and turned around to head back to our kayaks and eat lunch. I suggest bringing a waterproof bag and attaching it to your life vest, if you flip, you won’t have to worry about your belongings becoming treasure at the bottom of the lake. Anything you do in Arizona in August will require lots of water, just so we’re all clear. Pack a lunch and a couple of adult beverages to enjoy in such a serene setting. Our single kayak rental for the day was $35 each.

We had a low key sushi night, Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge, and rested before our early drive to Sedona.

Day 3: From Page to Sedona it was about a 3-hour drive. We got super lucky and were able to check in early to our Airbnb. You’ll definitely want your accommodation to have a pool for a midday break and after your hikes. Let’s preface this, I’ve done some dumb shit in my life, and hiking Devil’s Bridge at 12 pm in 105-degree weather is definitely up there. Okay, soooo my best friend and I knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into...we know that hiking in the middle of summer in Arizona, in the middle of the day is not smart at all but when you’re on a time crunch ya gotta do what ya gotta do. The hike starts out very easy, just a simple flat walk. It then gets progressively harder and towards the end expect steps. Be warned, there is barely any shade on this hike. Our stupidity did work to our advantage- when we arrived at the top there were not many people up there. We were able to take our super cool picture on Devil’s Bridge and enjoy the views without feeling overwhelmed by loads of people. The hike took us about 2.5 hours round trip and is about 4 miles long. Our last mile, the “easy walking stretch” was extremely brutal, so I would recommend going at a “cooler” part of the day. The view at the top was absolutely worth it, peep the pics below for proof.

We had planned a sunset hike that day, but as you can imagine that did not happen, we enjoyed the rest of our afternoon relaxing by the pool. We had dinner at Hideaway House which offered majestic views over Sedona. I would say the food was subpar, but a glass of wine with that view made up for it.

Day 4: Sedona is known for being a “vortex”, there are particular locations where the energy is known for being stronger. A “vortex” is essentially a place on earth known for having swirling energy that is healing, spiritual, etc. We watched the sunrise at Airport Mesa, a vortex, and it was so peaceful. Granted, I feel that way about every sunrise, and when the landscape is that gorgeous how could I not feel completely at peace? Park at the bottom of Airport Mesa and take a ten-minute walk up for a spectacular place to watch the sunrise.

We were told by numerous people to get to Slide Rock as soon as it opens, so naturally, we got to Slide Rock as soon as it opened. Google Maps says it opens at 8 am but be warned, it actually opens at 7 am. We probably could have gotten there a bit later but didn’t want to chance it. The entrance fee is $20 per car on a weekday and $30 on the weekend/ holiday Mondays. You know what they say, “The early bird gets the…” best spot at Slide Rock. I would confidently say the name is accurate, consider bringing water shoes to walk around in. This was our last day and had debated doing a hike instead, but we were definitely pleased with our decision to relax here.

Make a reservation at The Hudson and try to snag a table outside, thank me later. The food and view were equally as amazing.

Tips: Bring sunblock, a waterproof bag, lots and lots of water, hats, hiking shoes/ sneakers, water shoes, backpack. The cell service in Arizona is not great, have your directions pulled up while you have cell service. Find a peaceful place to stargaze in Sedona. Appreciate the beauty that is in front of you!!

Page/ Lake Powell

Rainbow Bridge- 17-mile hike or can take a boat

Antelope Canyon- closed during COVID (August 2020)

Sedona Hikes/ Swimming Holes:

Bell Rock- vortex, 2-3 hour hike, moderate

Cathedral Rock- Vortex, sunset hike, 2-hour hike, moderate to difficult

Boynton Canyon- Vortex, 3-hour hike, moderate

Grasshopper Point- swimming hole & hiking trails

The Crack at Wet Beaver- 3.5-mile hike one way to get to a cliff jump & swimming hole, 4-hour hike, moderate to difficult

Midgley Bridge- moderate

Birthing Cave- 2-hour hike, 3 miles roundtrip

Red Rock Crossing- 45-minute hike