The purpose of road trip Arizona was to visit several popular sites in Arizona – Red Rock State Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, and Antelope Canyons. We knew that there were several other interesting sites to see and we planned for them as side trips. The road trip was done on the month of April when the Arizona weather was mild in the 80s F.

Day 1 road trip Arizona: Phoenix

• We arrived around noon in Phoenix by way of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The flight was smooth. We already had reservation for a vehicle rental and we took the shuttle bus to the rental center. The process was easy but we had to return our vehicle for a better one. We still had a few hours before we can check in at the hotel so we strolled around downtown Phoenix. We saw some larger-than-life murals.
• Camelback mountain and Roosevelt Row were the other places that we saw after we left downtown Phoenix.
• We next drove to Papago park where we strolled as the afternoon sun was setting. It was around the area of Hole-in-the-Rock where we watched the sun set and saw the distant skyline of Phoenix. We checked in our hotel before it got too dark and prepared for our road trip for the next day.

Day 2 road trip Arizona: Phoenix to Sedona – 117 miles northbound via Interstate 17 north

• We were on the road by 7 A.M. to avoid the rush and the daytime heat. Montezuma Castle National Monument was the first stop where we bought an annual National Park pass. This will be the same pass that we will use for all the National Parks that we were planning to visit. We thought it was economical and a great help to the development of the National Parks.
• Our first rest stop was at the Red Rock Ranger Station along highway 179. This rest stop afforded a view of the Red Rock formations from a distance. After this, we continued our drive and drove by several Red Rock formations.
• Visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Open daily from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. and can be accessed along highway 89A. Parking can be a challenge so be prepared to walk the moderately steep upgrade towards the chapel.
• The sun was high when we arrived at Slide Rock State Park. There was a substantial crowd enjoying the cool creek water. We were able to find an isolated spot further upstream where we had lunch and rested for the rest of the afternoon.
• Before dark, we arrived and spent time at the Uptown Mall Downtown Sedona before retiring at our hotel.

Day 3 road trip Arizona: Sedona to Grand Canyon south rim – 109 miles via US 180 west

• This route took us to the Grand Canyon National Park entrance at the south rim. The Grand Canyon was a major part of our eight-day road trip. Having the annual National Park card ready facilitated east entrance. We recommend arriving before 9 A.M. and do the Desert View drive first to avoid the crowds. There are several pull outs along the route for parking, viewing, and taking pictures of different parts of the Grand Canyon. It may look the same but take note that each pull out view has its unique viewing characteristic.
• We recommend hiking the 1.7 mile Trail of Time. It starts at the Verkamp’s visitor center and ends at the Yapavia Geological Museum.
• We recommend visiting the Yapavai Museum of Geology located in the Yavapai Observation Station to learn about the history of the Grand Canyon.
• It was late in the afternoon when we ended our tour of the Grand Canyon. We drove and slept at Flagstaff for the night because it was shorter drive. It was a 79-mile drive via AZ 64S and180E.

Day 4 road trip Arizona: Flagstaff to Page – 129 miles via US 89

• We started the day with a good breakfast at the Downtown Diner in Historical Downtown, Flagstaff. Most of the morning was spent just walking around Historical Downtown and appreciating the old structures and murals before heading for Page. Getting oriented to Page was easy. The Chamber of Commerce located in the middle of town had a lot of interesting things to see as well as maps and information about the town. We suggest checking it out.

Day 5 road trip Arizona: The town of Page

• The first on the list was Horseshoe Bend. The parking fee was $10.00 and there was enough parking space. Use the restrooms on the far side of the parking lot as the hike toward Horseshoe Bend takes you farther away from the restrooms. The hike was 1.2 miles towards Horseshoe Bend and back to the parking lot. It was windy that day and the sand was whipping on our face. Best to be ready with sun glasses, hats, or anything to protect your face.
• We drove next to Glen Canyon Dam Overlook. Entrance and parking were free. There was a short hike through sandstone dunes to the viewing area.
• Wahweap Bay Overlook was another good place to sightsee. The elevated location gives a nice 360 degree view of the Lake Powell and the surrounding areas.
• We were curious about Lone Rock and so we drove to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to see. We drove along US 89 N for about 12 miles and crossed the state line to Utah. The water level on what used to be a lake that surrounded the Lone Rock has receded significantly. Be careful driving through the sand dunes as it can be deep in certain areas.

Day 6 road trip Arizona: The town of Page

• We first toured the Upper Antelope Canyon. Advanced reservation was required as it sells very fast. The 12 noon tour was the most popular. The tour was operated by Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours and it took about 90 minutes. We started with an orientation about how the tour was going to be conducted. They were very strict about following instructions and the wearing of face mask. We were driven to the entrance of the slot canyon in specially equipped trucks. The road was sandy and required the use of 4 x 4 trucks. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful with photo taking.
• We toured the Lower Antelope Canyon in the afternoon. We felt like we needed to complete the experience by seeing both areas. There were two companies which operated tours and we picked Ken’s Tours. The tour was about an hour long. It was more difficult going through the canyon because there were steep stairs in certain areas and narrow in most areas. Our tour guide was also very knowledgeable and helpful with the photo taking.
• The two canyons were equally amazing and beautiful. The difference was the Upper Antelope Canyon was wider at the bottom and easier to walk through. The Lower Antelope Canyon was narrower at the bottom and more difficult to walk through. It also required climbing steep flights of stairs.

Day 7 road trip Arizona: Page to Petrified Forest National Park – 179 miles via AZ 264E

• We started driving as early as we could for the 3-hour drive to Petrified Forest National Park. We entered through the north entrance and toured the park by driving its 28-mile trail. There were several pullouts indicated in the park map that were interesting. We stopped at several of the pullouts for a view of the painted desert and petrified logs. The 1-mile asphalted hiking loop of the Blue Mesa Trail gave a closer look at the Petrified Forest.
• The 28-mile trail connected us back to Interstate 40. We drove 105 miles to Flagstaff to spend the night. We will be heading to Phoenix the next day for our flight out of PHX.

Day 8 road trip Arizona: Flagstaff to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – 145 miles southbound via Interstate 17 S

• On our back to PHX, we took a side trip to Arcosanti. An experimental town about 70 miles north of Phoenix. Arcosanti was described as a prototype arcology of a compact city design. It took about an hour to tour Arcosanti.
• We drove back to PHX rental car center to return our rental vehicle and took the shuttle back to the main airport.