This Thanksgiving, Ashish and I went on a road trip to Arizona. We wanted to cover as much as possible and also make most of the National Park Pass that we had bought during our Yosemite trip.
Day 1:
We left L.A. at 4:00 AM on Thursday. We took the 10E to Phoenix and then 17 N towards Sedona. Around noon, we stopped at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. The monument itself is not accessible, but there are interesting models that explain how life must have been in the mud dwelling, built at such a height, all those years ago.
At the sight of the Bell Rock, we knew we were in Red Rock country. After checking into our rooms at the Amara Resort and freshening up, we were ready to explore the most beautiful place in the US. We first went to the Red Rock crossing to see Chapel Rock. This is a very good place for pictures as the evening sun’s rays fall directly on the rock and the reflection of it in the water is beautiful. Since it was already time for the sun to set, we went over to the Sedona airport. There were a lot of people there, but we managed to get a parking spot. From the Sedona airport, you can see all the rock formations set against the clear blue sky. The setting sun’s rays catch the redness of the rocks and give them a beautiful shimmer. After the sun sets, the splashes of reds and blues in the sky merge, as darkness sets in.
The rest of the evening, we drove aimlessly on the 2 main roads of Sedona. Most of the places and shops were closed since it was Thanksgiving, and since our dinner reservations were still a couple of hours away, we went back to our room and watched a movie.
Day 2:
Our destination today was the Grand Canyon. We left Sedona at around 10:00 AM and drove through the Oak Creek Canyon. With the trees in Fall colors, the gurgling brook and the road winding itself around the colored rocks, this was one of our most memorable drives. We reached Tusayan at 12:30, and headed straight for the National Geographic IMAX theatre. The IMAX movie is about 20 minutes long and is a great way to get an introduction to the Grand Canyon.
After catching a quick bite at Wendy’s and checking into our room at the Holiday Inn Express, we were ready to see the Grand Canyon. Though we were just a couple of miles away from the Southern entrance, it took us 1 hour to get into the park because of the ‘Day-after-thanksgiving-rush’. Having the National Park pass helped, since we were allowed to use a special lane and saved about 20 minutes!
Our first sight of the Grand canyon was from the Mather point. We stopped at a couple more points before deciding to explore the Hermit's Rest Route. Since no cars were allowed and there were big ques at the shuttle stops, we chose to walk the trail along the South Rim. It was a nice trail, with the view of the canyon. We could see the different peaks and also the trails leading down into the Canyon. We watched the sunset from Maricopa point and then headed back to the Gand Canyon village. With the cold breeze blowing into our face, and the chill that had begun to set in, we were glad to try some hot tea at the canyon gift store. After picking up some souvineirs, we went back to Tusayan.
Day 3:
Though we had made plans in LA that we would go watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, the weather outside made us postpone that to our next visit. Quite some time after dawn, but way before noon we went back into the Park. This time took the Desert view Drive. We just stopped at a couple of view points, since by this time we had had our fill of the view. Two points that we enjoyed on the drive were a visit to the Tusayan ruin and museum, and the Watch Tower at the East Entrance. The watch tower is a beautiful structure and you get an amazing view of the Colorado river running through the Canyon.
It is very truly said that 'It's a small world', coz when we stopped at Cameron to fill up gas, whom should we bump into, but Ashish's boss, Vincent! After fuelling our car as well as our tummies, we proceeded to Flagstaff. We visited the Wupatki National Monument which was fun, walking through the ruins and imagining how people made a living in the dire desert. We also drove by the Sunset volcano and crater which had erupted in the 1000s, and saw the charred remains of plants that is still visible today.
We reached Flagstaff late afternoon and were thrilled when we drove into Conifer House- a Bed and Breakfast inn. The innkeeper was very sweet and made us feel very comfy. In the evening, we went upto the Observatory, but were not able to view the night sky because of the wind and clouds. For dinner, we had reservations at The Cottage Place, a very nice restraunt. The ambience was romantic, the food - delicious and the service - fabulous.
Day 4:
In the morning, we were greeted with a thin layer of snow settled on our car. Breakfast was yummy and very filling, with fresh fruit, home-made buttemilk scones and scrambled eggs. We drove straight back to LA and luckily, didn't get any traffic till we reached Victorville, CA. After being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for almost 3 hours, we finally reached home.
From the Arizona cacti to the Joshua trees, the Red rocks to the Grand Canyon, the mountains to the plains, the ruins to the quaint mining towns- yup! we had seen most of Arizona!
At the sight of the Bell Rock, we knew we were in Red Rock country. After checking into our rooms at the Amara Resort and freshening up, we were ready to explore the most beautiful place in the US. We first went to the Red Rock crossing to see Chapel Rock. This is a very good place for pictures as the evening sun’s rays fall directly on the rock and the reflection of it in the water is beautiful. Since it was already time for the sun to set, we went over to the Sedona airport. There were a lot of people there, but we managed to get a parking spot. From the Sedona airport, you can see all the rock formations set against the clear blue sky. The setting sun’s rays catch the redness of the rocks and give them a beautiful shimmer. After the sun sets, the splashes of reds and blues in the sky merge, as darkness sets in.
The rest of the evening, we drove aimlessly on the 2 main roads of Sedona. Most of the places and shops were closed since it was Thanksgiving, and since our dinner reservations were still a couple of hours away, we went back to our room and watched a movie.
Day 2:
Our destination today was the Grand Canyon. We left Sedona at around 10:00 AM and drove through the Oak Creek Canyon. With the trees in Fall colors, the gurgling brook and the road winding itself around the colored rocks, this was one of our most memorable drives. We reached Tusayan at 12:30, and headed straight for the National Geographic IMAX theatre. The IMAX movie is about 20 minutes long and is a great way to get an introduction to the Grand Canyon.
After catching a quick bite at Wendy’s and checking into our room at the Holiday Inn Express, we were ready to see the Grand Canyon. Though we were just a couple of miles away from the Southern entrance, it took us 1 hour to get into the park because of the ‘Day-after-thanksgiving-rush’. Having the National Park pass helped, since we were allowed to use a special lane and saved about 20 minutes!
Our first sight of the Grand canyon was from the Mather point. We stopped at a couple more points before deciding to explore the Hermit's Rest Route. Since no cars were allowed and there were big ques at the shuttle stops, we chose to walk the trail along the South Rim. It was a nice trail, with the view of the canyon. We could see the different peaks and also the trails leading down into the Canyon. We watched the sunset from Maricopa point and then headed back to the Gand Canyon village. With the cold breeze blowing into our face, and the chill that had begun to set in, we were glad to try some hot tea at the canyon gift store. After picking up some souvineirs, we went back to Tusayan.
Day 3:
Though we had made plans in LA that we would go watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, the weather outside made us postpone that to our next visit. Quite some time after dawn, but way before noon we went back into the Park. This time took the Desert view Drive. We just stopped at a couple of view points, since by this time we had had our fill of the view. Two points that we enjoyed on the drive were a visit to the Tusayan ruin and museum, and the Watch Tower at the East Entrance. The watch tower is a beautiful structure and you get an amazing view of the Colorado river running through the Canyon.
It is very truly said that 'It's a small world', coz when we stopped at Cameron to fill up gas, whom should we bump into, but Ashish's boss, Vincent! After fuelling our car as well as our tummies, we proceeded to Flagstaff. We visited the Wupatki National Monument which was fun, walking through the ruins and imagining how people made a living in the dire desert. We also drove by the Sunset volcano and crater which had erupted in the 1000s, and saw the charred remains of plants that is still visible today.
We reached Flagstaff late afternoon and were thrilled when we drove into Conifer House- a Bed and Breakfast inn. The innkeeper was very sweet and made us feel very comfy. In the evening, we went upto the Observatory, but were not able to view the night sky because of the wind and clouds. For dinner, we had reservations at The Cottage Place, a very nice restraunt. The ambience was romantic, the food - delicious and the service - fabulous.
Day 4:
In the morning, we were greeted with a thin layer of snow settled on our car. Breakfast was yummy and very filling, with fresh fruit, home-made buttemilk scones and scrambled eggs. We drove straight back to LA and luckily, didn't get any traffic till we reached Victorville, CA. After being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for almost 3 hours, we finally reached home.
From the Arizona cacti to the Joshua trees, the Red rocks to the Grand Canyon, the mountains to the plains, the ruins to the quaint mining towns- yup! we had seen most of Arizona!
Trip Route:
LA-> Sedona -> Tusayan->Flagstaff->LA
Recommendations:
Sedona:
Amara Resort: Nice place to stay in Sedona. Rating: 7/10
Visit to Cathedral rock from red rock crossing: Nice picture point to capture the essence of the red rock country Rating: 9/10
Drive through Oak creek canyon: Beautiful! Rating: 10/10
Grand Canyon:
The National Geographic IMAX at the Grand canyon: Must see before going to the park. Rating: 8/10
The Watchtower at the Grand Canyon: Fantastic views of the river through the canyon. Rating: 8/10
Flagstaff:
Conifer House: Very cozy bed and breakfast palce. The innkeeper is warm and helpful. Rating: 9/10
The Cottage Place: Excellent place- a must go for dinner. Rating:10/10
