Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Page

Days 1 & 2: Sedona

We started our first whole day in Arizona driving from Phoenix to Sedona and hiking the Bell Rock Trail. Despite being less than 2 miles out and back, the unassuming hike quickly pushed me beyond my bodily limits. We found ourselves rock scrambling and relying on explosive leg movements to thrust ourselves up.

With water bottles depleted and legs spent, we ended up taking it easy for the remainder of that day by trekking a less demanding route back to the car. The next day, we opted for a longer hike, the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail, which took us through more diverse scenery and colors.

Days 3 & 4: The Grand Canyon

We kicked off our first full Grand Canyon day by hiking a hidden gem of a trail called the Shoshone Point Trail. The trailhead is in an unmarked parking lot, making it extra elusive to most tourists. It was a brief hike, but at the end was a secluded viewpoint where the canyons appear to extend endlessly. For a long while, we got to enjoy the whole spot to ourselves.

Lodging at the Grand Canyon that night meant more capacity for a challenging hike the next day. We explored the South Kaibab Trail toward a lookout appropriately called the Ooh Aah Point. It's an out and back trail, so the farther and lower we went, the tougher the ascent would be coming back. Along the way, we encountered switchbacks that were only daunting at first, but obviously proved to be more threatening when it was time to head back up.

Day 5: Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon and back to Flagstaff

After driving through Navajo lands, taking a break at a trading post for Navajo tacos, and technical car troubles, we finally made it to the small town of Page. We only spent one night there so that we could start off the following morning with a sunrise hike to the picturesque Horseshoe Bend.

With the time we had left in Page, we embarked on a group tour inside Antelope Canyon. Since the land belongs to the Navajo Nation, tours are only possible if guided by someone from the Navajo Tribe. There were multiple tours operating at the same time, so we were among the many crowds walking through the narrow and meandering paths.

The curving, winding paths coupled with the sunshine beaming through the opening above allowed for the texture of the sandstones to be on full display. These slot canyons are stunning, but are also known to be dangerous during the rainy season as they're prone to flash floods.

After our last planned hiking adventures in the desert, it was time to backtrack to Flagstaff, where we had stopped by a few days earlier on our way to the Grand Canyon. The airbnb we stayed at had instant access to a light hiking trail right in the backyard. We got our steps in, rewarded ourselves with pizza for dinner, and ended the night with amateur astro photography at a local favorite for stargazing: Buffalo Park.

Flagstaff is considered an "International Dark Sky" city. Its community encourages limiting light pollution after certain hours, all to bring joy to those who want to stargaze.

I'll admit that I didn't know much about Arizona beyond its triple digit heat and cacti. Phoenix is a diverse food mecca; Page is a portal to some of the most amazing geological wonders; Flagstaff isn't just desert that most people imagine all of Arizona to be. There's rich history and preservation work being done to make these special lands accessible.