VEGAS > UTAH > ARIZONA > ROUTE 66 > PALM SPRINGS > SAN DIEGO

VEGAS > UTAH > ARIZONA > ROUTE 66 > PALM SPRINGS > SAN DIEGO > LA

In 2016 I planned my dream road trip for my 30th. Am I planning on doing the same trip again but with a few more places added on ... ? Yes I am ! So I thought I would share my 2016 trip route and a few recommendations. These ARE 2016 iphone photos but.... still beautiful none the less !

Keeping this one top line for anyone who needs help planning a route! Planning a roadtrip like this can be daunting and does take a lot of time and research BUT it so worth every moment.

This is the route we took -

Starting in......

LAS VEGAS

Hotel - The Cosmopolitan - could not recommend this hotel enough. We asked for a view of the Bellagio fountains and the hotel very much delivered with a bath that overlooked the whole strip & fountains.

Recommendations - Old Downtown / The Neon Museum / Welcome to Vegas sign / Freemont Street/ Arts District

After 3 days in Vegas we picked up our car from Alamo ( 100% recommend Alamo - we have never had any issues & the service is always amazing ) and set off to Zion.

ZION NATIONAL PARK

We stayed over near Zion National Park in an old horse wagon so that we could spend a full day there. We hiked Angels Landing as this was before any permits were needed and it was a truly unforgettable experience. We set off around 8am so that we were already coming back down the hike when it started to get hot. We are so glad we did. If you can spend any time in Zion at all please do. I would not say I am a hiking kind of person but you just forget about the distance and the uphill climb when you are there. It feels like another world

Recommendations - Angels Landing / The Narrows

BRYCE CANYON

We just had two brief stop offs here the next morning. We watched the sunrise here over Sunrise Point and I would say set your alarm, get up, get coffee and get there for sunrise. You will never ever forget it. We then moved onto Inspiration Point where more crowds had begun to gather. However at Sunrise point there was only us and 2 other people !

HORSESHOE BEND

LAKE POWELL

We rented Kayaks from somewhere close by and they strapped them to the top of the rental car safely for us so we could take the Kayak onto Lake Powell. INCREDIBLE. We stayed with others and also steered off the beaten track so that we could explore on our own.

ANTELOPE CANYON

We booked onto Lower Antelope Canyon & although you are on a tour with other people it is really easy to get pictures of yourself alone in the canyons. We did the lower tour of the canyons.

MONUMENT VALLEY

Hotel - The View Hotel - we treated ourselves to one night here. We wish we had stayed two. Our balcony overlooked THAT iconic Monument Valley view and I could have stayed there all day and just looked out. At night we got thunder and lighting and to see that over that iconic landscape was unforgettable. After dark we could hear what we assumed was Coyotes as we got comfortable in the really lovely rooms. Forest Gump Point/ Tour

We booked onto a tour to see the Navajo lands and I honestly think i will do the same tour again next time. It is truly beautiful to hear about the lands, hear music and drive across the landscape.

HOLBROOK

Hotel - Wig Wam Motel

Stop at : Jack Rabbit Trading Post / Two Guns Ghost Town / Meteor City Trading Post/ Meteor Crater

WINSLOW

FLAGSTAFF

From Flagstaff we visited the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We actually visited twice - once at sunset and once during the day. Its a really quick and easy drive. Flagstaff has a lovely town and a lot going on so you can easily spend a few days here !

GRAND CANYON