The Great 'American Southwest' Roadtrip!

Here is a possible rough itinerary for our roadtrip this summer. We can always take out or add places to see. Clicking on the destination names will take you to their official site to learn more about what to do, where to eat, fees, camping info, and more (open them in a different tab). The ideas for these destinations came from the book, "1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die". The quotes are also from this book.


Arizona.

Day 1:
Sedona

• Sedona is 7.5 hours east of Los Angeles. Also known as "Red Rock Country", it is a city in Arizona on the route to the Grand Canyon.

Meteor Crater

• About 70 miles northeast of Sedona, this is "the most well known, best preserved meteorite crater on Earth".

• Diameter of 4,150 ft.; depth of 575 ft.; ~22,000-50,000 years old

• "When a huge saucer-shaped crater in the high desert plateau of Arizona was first reported in 1871, it was thought to be an extinct volcano. However, the discovery of iron fragments in the crater in the 1890s led geologists to conclude that it was not of volcanic origin."
  

Day 2:
Grand Canyon National Park

• It is $12/person to enter, and $18/night to camp. Reservations are strongly recommended! Showers are coin-operated. The canyon is about one mile deep and 9 miles wide.

• "The Grand Canyon is considered one of the world's finest examples of arid-land erosion. The Colorado river and strong winds have sculpted these plateaus into a labyrinth of twisting ravines, stripping back successive layers of rock and revealing a window on two billion years of the planet's geological history. "

Day 3:
Antelope Canyon

(photo by my friend Mette Langer!)

• It will be a 4 hour drive northeast from the Grand Canyon to the Antelope slot canyons. Only a $6 fee. Pictures turn out best until 4pm.

• "The spectacular Antelope Canyon has been described by landscape photographers as 'a place of celebration for the eye, mind, and spirit.' This little-know sandstone canyon is a natural work of art where light, color, and shape intermingle in an awesome display of exquisite beauty that changes throughout the day."


• "The effect of light playing on the canyon walls is staggering. Strong orange and yellow colors brighten the upper reaches, but as the light diminishes, the lower walls turn to shades of purple and blue...The best time to visit is at midday, when the sun is directly overhead and single beams of light shine right down to the canyon floor."
  

Utah.

Day 3 [con't]:

Bryce Canyon National Park

• About a 4 hour drive northeast of Zion Nat'l Park, Bryce Canyon is famous for its 'Ampitheater'. $25 for our vehicle to enter, and $15/night to camp.
  

• "Bryce Canyon's landscape of brightly colored rock pinnacles, canyons, and ravines is a breathtaking spectacle. Here is a geological fantasyland of bizarre rock formations known as fins, windows, slot canyons, and tall totem-shaped hoodoos...The extraordinary rock formations were eroded by water, ice, and snow."

• "The best time to visit is early or late in the day when shadows are long and the colors appear to glow. "

• Within Bryce Canyon is "Thor's Hammer":

Wyoming.

Day 5-6:
Grand Teton National Park

• 11 hours north of Bryce Canyon is Grand Teton National (on the way to Yellowstone). $25 for our vehicle to enter.

• "The Grand Teton N.P. protects some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the United States....There is a profusion of wildlife. Among the large mammals regularly seen are bison, moose, elk, pronghorn [wtf is that??], beaver, and black bear. Grizzly bears are present in the northern part of the park...Bird species include bald eagle, osprey, white pelican, and trumpeter swan."

Day 6:
Yellowstone National Park

• Only 2 hours north of Grand Teton is Yellowstone, the first national park ever! Famous for its geysers, lakes, canyons, boiling mudpots, and hot springs. A couple cool spots within Yellowstone mentioned in the book are the Mammoth Hot Springs and Firehole River.

• "Yellowstone contains 3,000 hot springs and geysers--the highest concentration in the world--and none is more beautiful than the Grand Prismatic Spring, which Firehole River runs past."

• "Firehole River, in Yellowstone, flows through one of the most unusual and remarkable landscapes in the world...It begins as a series of small cold-water springs just south of Old Faithful geyser, and passes through a steaming land of geysers and hot springs which dramatically change its temperature and mineral composition."

California.

Day 7:
Lake Tahoe

• Get ready for our long drive to San Francisco! We can stop by Lake Tahoe to camp since it's on the way....and because it's beautiful. It's a perfect camping site and is even great for swimming. Lake Tahoe is about 14 hours southwest of Yellowstone.

• "Lake Tahoe is unquestionably one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Situated high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the clear blue waters of this pristine alpine lake are ringed by stunning snowcapped peaks...The clarity of Lake Tahoe is extraordinary--it is possible to see to depths of 75ft."
  

Day 8:
Walnut Creek/San Francisco

• Only a 3 hour drive to see our baby girls, Tara and Tanaz!! We should spend the whole day with them and head back to Los Angeles in the morning.

• It's approx. a 6 hour drive from San Fran to LA. If there's time, maybe we could stop by Malibu or Santa Monica on the way!