Arizona is an incredible state with landscapes like nowhere I've seen before. Here's my story of a 5-day road trip between Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Sedona and Scottsdale.
Lake Powell & Horseshoe Bend
After flying into Phoenix (and immediately eating burgers at an In-N-Out), my travel partner and I rented a car and traveled north to Lake Powell. The drive takes about 4-5 hours and brought everything from a super dry desert, to a mountainous forest with a huge thunderstorm. It's crazy to watch the landscape change as you travel throughout the state.
Lake Powell acted as a home base for the first couple days of the trip, as you can easily travel to Antelope Canyon and enjoy the lake itself. There are also a few restaurants and hotels in the town, making it a comfortable stay.
One of the first stops we made was a visit to Horseshoe Bend. There isn't much to see, other than an incredible amount of natural beauty.
While in Lake Powell, we rented a power boat and lived like Queens for about two hours. You can also rent kayaks, yachts and pretty much every boat in between. I highly recommend getting yourself into the water, whether by boat, kayak or swimming; it's an incredibly relaxing break after hiking and driving!
Lower Antelope Canyon
There are two parts to visiting Antelope Canyon: Upper and Lower. In order to visit, you need to be accompanied by a guided tour as you cannot travel through these on your own. The lands are owned by the Navajo Nation.
We booked a tour through Navajo Tours, and contrary to popular scheduling, visited Lower Antelope Canyon first followed by Upper Canyon.
The Lower Antelope Canyon is as it sounds; low into the ground, now accessible by steep metal stairs built into the walls to allow tourists to visit. The shapes, colours (and crowds) were something that you could never describe by words. Thousands of people visit the canyons everyday.
The canyons were formed 100% naturally by wind and flash floods. Despite fighting the crowds, it's definitely a sight to see.
Upper Antelope Canyon
Upper Antelope Canyon is also at it sounds; located above ground and easily walkable with no climbing required. The tour guide drives you out to the entrance point, and escorts you through the mystical cave-like experience.
The light you'll capture as you venture through the Antelope Canyons differs depending on time of day you visit. If you want to see beams of light, visit Upper Antelope Canyon first thing in the morning. If you prefer a shadowy experience, visit Upper Canyon in the late afternoon, as we did.
Hiking in Sedona
A must-do while you're in Arizona is visiting Sedona for some incredible hikes. Driving south to Sedona from Lake Powell will also take you right past the Grand Canyon. I recommend stopping to take in the view.
We stayed right outside the front doors of Bell Rock Trail, which allowed for easy access to sunset and sunrise hikes through this forest.
But be careful; if you go early or late enough, you might hear the coyotes actively howling and getting closer to you than you'd like! We were chased out of the forest bright one morning when I decided to get a bit too close for comfort.
The Sedona forests are so beautiful, and have a sweet smell. There are all kinds of trees and plants to explore, and nothing really beats the red rock colour.
If you're not afraid of heights, hike your way up to the Devil's Bridge. There are multiple routes to get up here, but no matter if you take the easy or tough route, the end view is equally as incredible.
The best part of visiting Devil's Bridge was the encouraging group of strangers we met at the top; all supporting each other's fears and photography dreams. What a view.
With only 1-2 days here, I could definitely return to Sedona as there are so many incredible forests to explore.
Scottsdale Nightlife
After a few days of hiking and spending time in the great outdoors, we parked ourselves at a ranch resort in Scottsdale. A much needed vacation at a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert.
If cowboys, Mexican food and American Western culture is your thing, there is no short of this in the main old town. Great food and good fun is waiting for you there.
Side note: we ate a lot of tacos and a lot of churros at least 2 times in less than 24 hours.
