The Great Southwest Road Trip

Taking in the sites in Utah.

Suffice it to say, Covid has drastically changed the way we travel (for now). In summers past, the season meant family adventures to far flung destinations and more often than not, multiple flights across the globe. It’s not lost on us how lucky our littles are and we’re proud to say they have developed a love for travel equal to our own. 

After a relocation to California (for now) and months hunkered down at home, we decided to continue our travel tradition and hit the road to make the memories we have come to crave. Despite coming to the desert for over fifteen years, we have never ventured too far from home and we were thrilled to discover that we were just a day trip away from some of the most epic scenery, National Parks and monuments in the world. 

With very little planning (no really, we didn’t plan anything), we packed the car with our camping gear, a few groceries and some activities for the kids and we hit the road. We hatched a plan to start in Sedona, AZ, continue on to the Grand Canyon, AZ, then make our way to Moab, UT and Zion, UT before circling back to Palm Springs. 

With a few weeks off stretched out before us, we spent the next 9 days wandering where we felt inspired to explore and our only regret is that we didn’t stay for more. Read on...

The views into the Vortex at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, AZ.

Day 1 - 4: Sedona, AZ

The drive to Sedona is just under 6 hours from Palm Springs and with the excitement of seeing new places and letting our plans unfold as we go, it was an easy and relatively quick drive. The weather was beautiful (as it often is in the Southwest) and we decided to try our luck at Cave Creek, a campsite we found on recreation.gov. Much to our surprise, we landed one of the last available spots and settled in for the night and were thrilled to be nestled in the middle of a forest adjacent to the creek which kept things cool in the late summer sun. 

Settling in to the camp site for the night.

The next morning we set out for a hike at the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. The trail was nestled in between magnificent red rock formations and relatively flat and easy for our first time out on the trip. We spent time scaling the rocks and taking in the majestic vista which was the perfect reset from all of the time we had spent in quarantine. Be wary of the red ants when scaling however as I got a nasty bite from one tiny ant and it was horribly painful for several days. 

After a picnic lunch we decided to check out a vortex, famous for its healing energy, which are found in several spots throughout the desert town. Our first experience was at the vortex located at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. While we aren’t religious, the architecture and setting of this church are like none other and the circular ramp leading up to the main lookout is perfect for the kids to run around. 

It was a full day and we were excited to head back to our campsite for S’mores and dozens of rounds of our camping edition of Spot It. 

Spot It! Camping Edition

Our second full day started with a visit to town to check out the copious amounts of crystal shops, coffee at Creekside Coffee with the most insane view and delicious tacos for lunch at the family-run Tamaliza Cafe. Fueled and ready for more exploring, we ventured to the Airport Mesa Vortex for some more energy healing and hike along the red rock canyons. The views from this spot were once again stunning. 

After two nights in the tent, we decided to book a last minute hotel room to regroup, dust off and take advantage of the wifi to plan our next stop. Earlier in the summer we stayed at Under Canvas Zion and had an amazing experience glamping so we wanted to check out more that they had to offer. Less than 2 hours away, we had our next destination, Under Canvas Grand Canyon. 

Day 4-6: Grand Canyon, AZ

Our drive had us pass through Flagstaff and we decided to stop for lunch and tour the town. We grabbed a quick bite outside and wandered the streets but were disappointed with the overall vibe. And on we went. 

Under Canvas Grand Canyon is located about 30 minutes from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. It’s easy to miss the entrance as it’s set off the highway down a fire road but once you make your way along the dirt path you are greeted by the peaks of the big-top-style safari tent of the main lounge. 

Full moon above the main tent at Under Canvas Grand Canyon.

We made our way to our Deluxe Safari tent complete with a king-sized bed and separate cots for the kids. The tent has a wood-burning stove for the colder months and full bathroom with running water, toilet, shower and a private deck looking out over the grassy plains. The views were by far less impressive than the Zion location but the tents were generously spaced out from your neighbors and you could easily imagine you were on safari in Africa. 

The lounge offers dinner and drinks and a rotating schedule of activities. We listened to live music while the kids were mesmerized by the stars and s’mores by the free-standing firepits. 

Under Canvas Grand Canyon

The next day we ventured to the park to take in the sites. We started at Mather Point which has an amazing lookout where you can watch the hawks soar past. The vastness, height and silence are completely mesmerizing but be warned that once you walk along the rim trail, there are no railings and sheer drops so hold on to your little ones tight!

Upon the recommendation of an instagram friend, we decided to check out the Bright Angel Trail, a 15 mile dirt cliff that ventures into the depths of the canyon. I loved the idea of this trail but I found it so terrifying that I turned back after a short distance and prayed that my family made it back in one piece. Turns out, they did and they loved it.

The Grand Canyon

Day 6-8 : Monument Valley & Moab, UT

The next day we continued on our tour through the Southwest towards Utah. My hubby has spent several mountain biking trips with his brother in Moab and the rest of us had never been so we decided to make that our next destination. The drive was just under 7 hours but the scenery felt like something out of the movie “Cars” and we loved watching the rock formations shape shift along the way. We passed through Monument Valley and listened to the Forrest Gump soundtrack for dramatic effect and took countless photos along the way. 

Taking in the breathtaking views in Monument Valley.

While in Moab, we wanted to check out yet another Under Canvas location but given we had not made any advance reservations, we were out of luck. Thankfully, there was a new hotel in the center of town with sparkling clean facilities, very few guests and a theme-park-sized swimming pool that kept the kids entertained while we took in the glorious views from the sidelines. 

The next day we stocked up on a fresh stack of books at the insanely charming Back of Beyond Bookstore before venturing out to hike in Arches National Park. It’s been a bucket list item for me to hike to the Delicate Arch and despite the kids’ complaints from the 100 plus degree sun (sorry guys!), we made it. I loved it.

Day 8 - 9: Zion, UT

With temperatures soaring we hit the road once again. I feel like we could have spent days hiking the famed trails through the park but alas the littles were getting restless with the red rocks and we decided to start the descent back home. 

Earlier in the summer we visited Zion National Park but we had our pup in tow and only spent our time just outside the park so we went back for another go. Once again we wanted to try our luck at camping and miraculously we were able to snag a spot inside the park online. We still don’t quite know how we got so lucky but given we were open to both camping or staying in a hotel, we weren’t too concerned with where we’d end up each night and looked forward to the adventure of it all. 

Hiking into Canyon Overlook Trail.

After a sleepless night due to furious canyon winds, we decided to pack it up and head back home. But first, we hiked. The drive through the park is easily one of the most breathtaking ones we’ve experienced but if you are afraid of heights and hairpin turns, ask someone else to take the wheel - it’s intense! We arrived at the Canyon Overlook Trail for our last hurrah before heading home and it was the perfect short yet stunning way to top off our adventure. Weaving up and along the canyon, the trail ends at an overlook that is the subject of countless photographs. 

Simultaneously tired but energized by our unstructured time on the road, we settled in for the long drive home. With too many episodes of Wow in the World and countless hours of fighting over the backseat, the 7 hour journey felt a little long but truth be told, we can’t wait to do it all over again. 

Camping Guide

For a list of things we brought with us on the road trip and what we used to camp, check out my lists on Amazon.