As you may have seen from my Instagram, Kaity and I had a week full of adventure out west. We covered 1478 miles and five national parks in one week! Our adventure began on Saturday morning at 4:30 AM… yours truly pulled an all-nighter (you know racing thoughts and all…) but Kaity was pretty well-rested.
It was SO hard to leave my woozleton, Mr. Binx. Here are some of my packing essentials:
We headed to the airport for what would be the adventure of a lifetime! I would like to give Kaity credit for most of the planning. She was on Google docs months in advance preparing this adventure itinerary for us, and I am glad she did. It was a week full of adventure at a decent price.
We flew on American Airlines out of Newark, New Jersey to Phoenix, Arizona. After an emergency landing due to a medical emergency on our flight, we finally arrived in Phoenix. I purchased a rental car from Budget through Costco car rentals for a great deal! We were even upgraded at the counter… this Hyundai Elenatra was our reliable whip for the entire week! This baby took us 1478 miles, and was very good on gas.
We were very hungry after a long flight, so we headed to the first nice diner we could find. Kaity and I enjoyed some brunch and we were on our way to the first stop: THE Grand Canyon!
What a beauty. I am unsure if it was the sleep-deprivation or the long car ride, or the lack of food consumed, but this view almost brought me to tears. It was incredible, and much more magnificent than I could ever imagine.
We spent some time walking around the overlook, and then drove to different outlook points as the sun set in the sky. It was a wonderful experience.
From here, we headed to our hotel… in the middle of nowhere Page, Arizona. It was not the best area, and we could not find a place to grab dinner. There was hardly any cell service, so we had no idea what time it was. We drove through fields of nothing but cacti… and potentially aliens.. who knows?! We had to eat some crappy little wraps and snacks from Safeway for dinner… Pretending the hotel room was “fine,” we showered and called it a night. Melatonin was my best friend this night, as the sketchy area and hotel called for some nerves.
Day 2 was a bright and fresh start. We were still adjusting to the time difference, so we woke up decently early that morning. We prepared for a day of adventure ahead. Next stop was Lower Antelope Canyon. We registered for this tour in advanced for $50 a person. It was a fast-moving tour, but it contained some very cool views!
Following this tour, we headed into town and had some Sonic for lunch… limeade slushy… come on. So nice after being in the sun!
We walked around Horseshoe Bend. It is now pretty built up with a nice parking lot. $10 a carload.
It was an EPIC view!
We continued our drive to Zion National Park that night. It was Cinco de Mayo, and our margarita daydreams were quickly dropped after itinerary left us in the dry place of Hurricane, Utah. We still had Mexican food and watched some Netflix in a very nice hotel.
Day 2 was Zion National Park! Three different hiking trails, waterfall views, and impressive overlooks. What a day.
After our hiking, we drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. This stop was absolutely EPIC. The views were INSANE. I would definitely go back here again. We stayed at a cute little hotel, and then realized we needed to change our plans.
…The road to Yellowstone would be closed before our scheduled plan. The road opened on Friday, and our trip required a Thursday drive.
We decided to take two days to travel and adventure elsewhere. We had a rainy day, so we drove to a random Utah location to break up driving. We enjoyed In n Out on the way, and then worked out and relaxed for the remainder of the night.
The next day, we headed to Jackson Hole. This downtown was really nice, and our hotel was super cute. We shopped, ate, drank, and had a good time.
It was an early start the following day. We drove through Grand Teton National Park in our matching silly tees. It was cold, but so beautiful. Here, we enjoyed lunch at an adorable lodge. The warm pizza really hit the spot.
After some more driving, we headed to our motel in the absolute middle of no where between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The motel was cute, rooms were nice and resembled cabins. I was super bored, so I did some walking around while Kaity relaxed in bed. I felt a stomach ache coming along, so I headed to the gift shop for a water bottle. The credit card minimum forced me to purchase a super adorable and cozy sweater… We ate dinner at the cute restaurant and called it a night after wine and the Simple Life.
Yellowstone time! This might be my favorite day of the trip. The views were incredible, it was not crowded and it was such a wonderful park. The wildlife were so cool to see, the hiking trails were nicely done, and the park was just an overall gem. I would definitely return here again.
Upon leaving the park, we were surprised to see momma and baby bison roaming the streets! Just when we thought the day could not get any better, it did! I hope to go back to Yellowstone and stay at the lodges in the park. The wildlife, hiking, nature, and adventure are unlike anything I have experienced. While we only had one day here, it was a day to remember for sure.
After a drive into Montana, we enjoyed some Chinese food and then called it a night. The next morning, we got up and packed up the car. It was time for our adventure to come to an end. Kaity and I flew Delta on the way home, and it was a great experience for both of us! Kaity returned back to California, and I headed back to Philly/NJ. The Bozeman Montana airport is very nice and the staff was super friendly… way better than Newark!
Becsea 