The ultimate Southwest Us
Road Trip Itinerary
travel tips
Feeling stir-crazy and a little ambitious? Good, you're going to need just the right amount of both to attempt this itinerary. It's not for the faint of heart, but the views might just make you faint. Pick + choose destinations from the list below or (if you're wild enough) try 'em all!
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โฃ
โฃ
Entering into the desert this Lent... literally. Death Valley is basically thatโa desert, boasting the lowest point in the US, deep volcanic craters, and miles + miles of untouched wasteland. Even Star Wars was filmed here and, standing on the edge of the painted rock, you can definitely picture yourself in the movie. Makes you realize why people are convinced UFOs exist out here... โฃ
โฃ
Tip ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ: Donโt overdo it, yโall. Going into this trip, I knew it was asking a lot of all of us. Tons of driving, starting with flying to and renting a car in Vegas, and all that paired with unpredictable weather and lots of flexibility. But in your trip planningโ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ. Dive deep into each location you visit, rather than skimming the surface to check it off the list and not really getting as much out of it!โฃ
๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ + ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โฃ
โฃ
Talk about an adventureโto get to this park, we followed roads that wound along cliffs and gave incredible views of mountain peaks. Little did we know in a few short hours weโd be strapping on snow chains on our tires and climbing up to the top of those peaks ourselvesโthatโs right, this park is at almost 7000 feet (hence the snow!). Strolling beneath towering sequoias is more than enough to remind you just how small you are, and the way the red wood stood out against the bright white of the fresh snow was unforgettable.
โฃ
๐๐ช๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ: Budget extra time (and money) for any unexpected twists + turns. We werenโt anticipating the snow chains or the time it would take to climb the mountain, so having a flexible schedule and budget was key! โฃ
๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โฃ
โฃ
To be honest, this was the spot I was least excited for on this trip... I know, how could a photographer not be psyched out of her MIND to visit JT? But I didnโt really see the drawโto me it was just a desert with some funky looking trees. Man, was I wrong. After leaving our Bakersfield Airbnb, we drove straight to the park and immediately the trees caught me by surprise. They are out of this world, bright green in an otherwise barren landscape, and they stretch on for miles and miles. Iโm also convinced that California has mountains EVERYWHERE, even in the deserts, which makes my Colorado heart SO happy. โฃ
โฃ
Tip ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ: Itโs about the experience, not the destination. We hiked a mountain in JT to see a 360-degree view of the park but didnโt have enough sunlight to make it all the way and had to stop short. But thatโs alrightโsoaking in the views on the way there + back was more than enough. As Miley says, itโs the climb.
๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐๐โฃ
โฃ
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ข. <โ That was the only word out of my mouth this whole entire day. Whether we were driving along switchbacks or hiking up red rocks, the views stole my breath away (or maybe it was the elevation...).โฃ Have you ever had a moment where youโve asked yourself how you got so lucky? Why God chose to bless you this way? Walking along the river trail in Zion Valley at sunset was that moment for me. And hiking up to this spot? Every bump in the road up to this point was worth it when I reached the peak and saw this valley spread out before me. It felt like it was just me and the Lord (and a handful of big horn sheep buddies).โฃ
โฃ
๐๐ช๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ: Do something that scares you. My family is scared of heights (my mom especially), so scaling cliffs, balancing on ledges, and looking down into a canyon? Trust me, thereโs no room for fear on those edges. But what a sense of accomplishment when you reach a goal you never thought you could.
๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โฃ
โฃ
This spot wasnโt on the original itinerary... The Lord seriously worked His magic on this one, yโall, let. me. tell. you.โฃ
โฃ
After leaving the hotel in Kanab (which we switched to after one night in Vegas), we headed to Page, AZ to check out Horseshoe Bend (we couldnโt resist!). Suddenly one thing after another seemed to be going wrong. First Antelope Canyon was closed, then the Grand Canyon North Rim was blocked off! I was starting to think traveling in the winter during Covid was catching up to us...โฃ Then we remembered our back-up spots in Utah and didnโt even hesitateโwe headed straight to Bryce Canyon. We ended up getting there with just enough time for a short hike and watching the sun set over the hoodoos. It was jaw-droppingly gorgeous (is that a word? you get the idea).โฃ
โฃ
๐๐ช๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ: Have a Plan B and be flexible. Was I upset we couldnโt see the Grand Canyon? Sure, but thanks to our crazy amount of pre-trip planning, we had another back-up option that ended up being one of my favorite spots we visited on the entire trip!โฃ
Have more questions for me? I'd LOVE to answer 'em. Drop them in the comments below and let's chat!
THE PHOTO GALLERY:
(because, let's be honest, that's what you're really here for!)
Comments
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS