I am always on the hunt for cheap flights so when my friend told me about a deal to Phoenix, I instantly booked two tickets for SGDF and me. We booked several months in advance but didn’t start planning until a few weeks before the trip.

• Main method of transportation: Driving
• Summary Itinerary:
  • Friday: SFO > PHX airport, dinner in Flagstaff, drive up to Page, AZ
  • Saturday: Lower Antelope Canyons, Lake Powell Resort, Horseshoe Bend, drive down to Grand Canyon Village
  • Sunday: Sunrise at Grand Canyon, lunch in Sedona, drive down to Phoenix airport
• General Tips and Fun Facts:
  • Book a tour before visiting Antelope Canyons – you can only visit the canyons via a tour guide
  • Arizona can get extremely hot starting in May so plan outdoor activities accordingly
  • There are three major airports – SLC, LAS, and PHX:
    • SLC: To Page, AZ (5 hour drive down)
    • LAS: To Page, AZ (4.5 hours north east of Vegas); To Grand Canyon (2 hours); To Sedona, AZ (4.5 hours south east)
    • PHX: To Page, AZ (4.5 hours north); To Grand Canyon (3 .75 hours north); To Sedona (2 hours north)

A friend of mine told me about the following places / landmarks to see (in order of South to North):

1. Sedona: beautiful town surrounded by red sandstone formations with various hiking / walking options such as Red Rock State Trail, Slide Rock Trail, and Lake Montezuma, historical areas like Cotton Wood Town, and apparently plenty of spa options
2. Flagstaff: college town and a good nightlife
3. Grand Canyon: arguably the most famous landmark / national park in AZ
4. Page: home to the Antelope Canyons, The Wave, and Horseshoe Bend

My friends and I ended up narrowing it down to Page and the Grand Canyon. Tip: Consider paying more for a different airline. Frontier is like the Ryanair of the US and charges for a carry-on, selecting a seat, snacks, and beverages.

Friday – Day 1 (kind of…more like a 0.5 day)

This was our travel day – landed in Phoenix at 3:45PM (due to the delay) and then drove for 4.5 hours to Page, AZ. We got our minivan and went off on our road trip. We stopped at Fratelli Pizza in Flagstaff to get inexpensive, delicious thin crust pizza (gluten-free options too). We drove another 3 hours to finally arrive in Page, AZ. We stayed at Lake Powell Resort (thanks Hotwire.com) and woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and views like these:

The resort is in a national recreation center close to Antelope Canyon (20 min drive). There is a $15 entrance fee, even as a guest but it valid for 7 days.

Saturday – Day 2

We woke up early to head to our first destination – Lower Antelope Canyon. You must book a tour to visit Antelope Canyon (AC) and I highly recommend Ken’s Tour, which is $28 per person, and lasts an 1 hour and 15 min. Ken’s Tour also offers a photographer tour for more intimate groups. Cordell, our guide, provided insightful details, pointed out different rock formations shaped like Jack Sparrow, a shark, an eagle’s head, and took the best photos. Some interesting insights and hints:

• Lower Antelope Canyon (AC) is less crowded than Upper Antelope Canyon
• Lower AC is V-shaped versus the A-shape of Upper AC, which affects the colors of the canyons and the best times to tour
• Water, wind, and sun have shaped the AC – Cordell showed us by pouring water in the sand and shaping it with his hands to form a mini-AC
• Best times to see Lower AC: One of the first or last few tours to catch the blues / purples (during the winter) and yellows / oranges (during the summer)
• Best times to see Upper AC: 11AM or 1PM
• Preparation / hike overall for Lower AC: This is more of a walk than a hike – we made the mistake of bringing a fully packed backpack filled with Gatorade, water, snacks, protein bars. We first walked down a staircase and then through the canyons.
• Worth driving 5 hours there and back to see things like this (photos do not do this place justice):

We booked a late morning tour so we spent the rest of the early afternoon back at Lake Powell Resort. We just swam and relaxed by the pool, surrounded by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Our last stop in Page was Horseshoe Bend, which was a 30 min drive south of Lake Powell Resort. This was also a must see in Page and effortless spot to get to. We just parked and walked ~0.7 miles up a tiny hill to see this:

I have to admit that it was intimating to crawl over the edge since there are no guardrails. I encourage parents to keep a sharp eye on any wandering children. In my case, poor SGDF had to chase me and hold me down as I leaned over to take this:

After the Horseshoe Bend, we drove for several hours to Grand Canyon Village. Grand Canyon Village is inside the Grand Canyon National Park so you have to pay the $25 entrance fee per vehicle (good for 7 days), even if you are staying at one of the hotels or trying to eat. Tip: Next time I’ll invest in the America the Beautiful Pass if I plan to go to many of the parks. It is $80 for the year and is valid at many of the national parks.

We found a dinner spot in Grand Canyon Village called Arizona Room, which was surprisingly good given the average Yelp reviews. The restaurant features a view of the Grand Canyon and amazing prime rib with sides for $24 (as well as baby back ribs, rib eye, salmon, and pork chops). We then went to bed immediately to wake up at 4:00AM…yes, 4:00, to catch the sunrise.

Sunday – Day 3

It was pretty brutal to wake up at 4:00AM, but it was worth it in the end. My friends did some research that the South part of Grand Canyon is the best place to catch the sunrise. The canyon looks like it is also “waking up” as the sun gradually reveals various hues of yellow and orange. Tip: We hiked after the sunrise and I would recommend catching the sunrise at Maricopa Point, which is a little bit higher and offers a better view of the canyon.

After our hike, it was more driving. We first drove to get a late brunch / lunch at Creekside Restaurant in Sedona, AZ. Sedona seems to have more food options than Flagstaff. Creekside Restaurant was worth the wait to eat with views of the signature red rock formations (almost like the color of cha siu bbq pork, yeah, I was pretty hungry when I realized this). I am putting Sedona on my list of places to go back since we only had time to do a short walk before heading back to Phoenix Airport. Until next time Arizona!