Road Trip Arizona in 4 Days

Where to Eat, Explore, and Grab a Drink

Where would you go if you had four days to explore ANY destination? For most people, that decision is easy-as for me, well that's another story because I have about 20 destinations and itineraries in my head at any given time.... but I'm not complaining...

I was in a dilemma with the exact decision, that ended up leading me to one of the most beautiful states and sites I have ever encountered. I feel like there is so much left unseen by travelers right here in the states. So, I am here to share some of my favs from Arizona!! Our itinerary consisted of Scottsdale, Grand Canyon, Page, and Sedona.

Highlight reel of our journey over the course of four days started with our flight into the valley of the sun, yes Phoneix! Jason was stationed here for four years at Luke Air Force Base and he has been adamant that he wants to show me "his state". With his knowledge of the area and some research we stayed in Scottsdale overnight. Scottsdale was somewhere I could live. Modern cozy coffee shops, views of Camelback Mountain for miles, palm trees, cactus on every corner and a cloudless blue sky-that's another obsession for another day, and recommendations if you're in the area and don't have time to hike.

Provision Coffee. I HIGHLY recommend. Between the options for indoor or outdoor seating, stone outdoor fireplace, a full bar, and their array of delicious cookies, we were SOLD. After quite the deliberation, I chose a Pomegranate Bourbon Espresso.

Sweet Dees. After passing multiple bake shops, we stumbled upon the cutest bakery that sold taco macarons, cactus shaped cake pops, and Mexican hot chocolate monkey cake! We arrived with 10 minutes to spare before closing, and they did not rush our decision and encouraged us to hang out to finish our treats. Another win!

Alien Donuts. Jason has an obsession with donuts, so we started a tradition, we find a local donut shop in every travel destination and take pictures of him enjoying them in front of the perfect views. The morning we headed out to the Grand Canyon, we found Alien Donuts! The sign outside the building said "Donut Stop Believin". I mean com on, Journey and Donuts?! Yes please. If you are around on a Friday, I suggest waiting to stop until then as we did because every Friday is "Fritter Friday", and they are large enough to share. My favorite was the old fashioned, Jay's favorite was the strawberry passion fruit, but we gave all of the specialties a try including flaming hot cheetos, all were a win!

With day two underway, we were on our haul to the Grand Canyon. Make sure to load up on snacks before leaving Phoenix, the only food you'll find between there and Flagstaff, is surprisingly McDonald's. Three hours down, views that had me feeling like I was in an episode of Outlander, and our donuts in tow, it was a gorgeous drive north and worth a stop! I recommend the 1.5 mile hike around the Lower Rim.

We went in January, the Upper Rim is typically closed during the winter months due to road conditions, so make sure to plan ahead. Take the scenic drive north to head to Page next. You will drive your last two hours through Navajo Nation. The only pull off area is mid-way through the drive, so be well prepared. The entire drive to Page there were pop up markets open daily to purchase authentic jewelry, rugs, and pottery.

Page, what words are there to even describe this gem. Unique. Gorgeous. This destination peaks in the summer due to the activities available on Lake Powell.

Antelope Canyon. Tips for your visit: book as early as possible, make sure you bring cash for a tip and book with Chief Tsosie Tours requesting Leonard's Tour and the peak time for the sunlight is at 10am. The amount of tours available is overwhelming and the decision to go to Upper canyon or the Lower canyon was tough.

After discussing with the locals and reading up, the best choice is to go to Upper Canyon. The price ranges from $86-180/person depending on your plans. You can only access Antelope Canyon with a Navajo guide. They will shuttle you in and out and the tour lasts approximately 90 minutes. When we were in the canyon Leonard our tour guide, did not rush us, offered to take our photos, and even gave us camera tips for the best lighting!! He is one of only four natives that play the “triple crown flute”. This is a hand carved, wooden flute that at the end of his tour he will play a tune for you. It really was the best and authentic tour experience! We were the only ones in the canyon and when we were leaving, the competition tours were coming in giving their tourists time limits on locations within the canyon, this is something I felt would have hindered our experience and I was again glad with our decision to go with a less known tour company.

Horseshoe Bend. I have looked at pictures of Horseshoe Bend online for years, longing to have that Instagram worthy photo on the rocks feeling like I was on the edge of the world. It was only $10 to enter for

parking and only a short 10-minute hike from the lot. The views went on for days, the curve in the Colorado River was larger than I could have ever imagined. There are also areas to hike down to the Slot Canyons. The crowds this time of year were small, and they are starting to build a fence to encourage others to not climb out on the ledge of the bend. That being said, there were plenty of work arounds to get the perfect shot! This is a MUST see if you are going to Page!

Final Stop on this journey was Sedona. Let me first say, this is going to be my end game in life. I will own a home on the side of a mountain and Jay and I will wake up each morning sipping our coffee watching the Sunrise reflect off of the red rocks. This town gave me the exact feeling that I have been searching for since going to Colorado for the first time, minus the idea of multiple feet of snow in the winter months. We stayed in at Sky Rock Inn Sedona, it is a new hotel that was still in the renovation process during our stay, but WOW. Make sure when booking a resort or hotel, you pay the upcharge for the mountain view, or a private patio like we did.

The Devil’s Arch. One of the most recommended hikes when visiting Sedona is Devil’s Arch. It is listed as Moderate intensity and totals 4.2 miles round trip. We left and were well underway around 8:30 am. Any time later than that and you will risk walking over a mile to the entrance because parking at the trailhead is very limited. If you rented a jeep or another high clearance vehicle, you can drive past the trailhead off-road and park in another area closer and take some up to a mile off of your hike, but the lot can only accommodate 5-6 vehicles. It is free to enter, there is a rest area in the main parking area, and it is clearly marked all the way through. This hike was gorgeous and there were multiple scenic stops along the way for photos. If you have any fear of heights, this is not the hike for you, as the last half mile is mostly straight up. You will have to climb multiple rock flights of stairs, and the bridge itself is narrow in the middle causing some hesitation when walking out to explore. If visiting during cooler months, be mindful of wetness of rocks as it was slick in places. We could have sat at the top for hours just taking in the views.

Birthing Cave. What was described as “off the beaten path”, and the formation of the cave mixed with my labor and delivery background, it was a no-brainer we had to go check it out. Described as a moderate hike as well and a distance of only 2 miles, we were able to follow up Devil’s Arch with this hike and still finish before lunch time. The last quarter mile is also steep, leaving you in places using your hands to hold onto rocks as you finish your ascent. When coming up on the cave, it did initially look like the photos, but another hiker

we encountered encouraged us to climb to the “belly button” and snap a wide angled shot. The “belly button” we found to be a small natural formation in the cave that was the perfect spot to sit, if you could maneuver your way up, which was quite a challenge. Recommend the views from this quiet cave, we only saw three other hikers which gave the time to sit in awe for a while.

Mariposa. Last recommendation, if you only have a day to spend in this beautiful town, is securing dinner reservations at Mariposa. This is a Spanish Steakhouse that gives any customer the perfect sunset view, not to mention delicious start to finish. We got a reservation by the skin of our teeth. I recommend booking out as soon as possible and definitely try their Calamari and Elote Appetizers.

Finishing out our last leg of the trip we stopped for the night in Scottsdale before flying home to check off the last thing on my to do list, try a local craft beer! I recommend Scottsdale Beer Co. as they had an extremely large array of in-house brews as well as weekly features from other local companies. This was a one-stop shop if you are a beer connoisseur, not to mention their flatbread pizzas and homemade ranch buffalo chips were mouth-watering.

If you find yourself wondering what to do for a long weekend whether it be a girl’s trip, a romantic couple’s getaway, or even a solo destination, Arizona should be on your list. Comment below more recommendations or questions.