The drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix is full of national parks and natural wonders. We intentionally did this drive over one-and-a-half days. We started on the afternoon of the first day. The first stop was the Church Rock hiking trail in Red Rock Park. It’s a relatively flat, 2.6 miles hike. We stayed overnight at Gallup and the next day, our first stop was Tee Pee Trading Post . ...
We started with the Wrigley’s Mansion . The mansion of the famous Wrigley’s chewing gum. The self-guided tour is free. And the paid tour costs 17$. Then head to Roosevelt street, the downtown area of Phoenix. There are lots of eateries and art galleries here. I would highly recommend having lunch here. Afterward, we drove to Papago Park. Phoenix Zoo is located here. Our goal was to do a small hike to Hole in the Rock . ...
Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah is a National Park consisting of three natural bridges. One can spend ~1-3 hours hiking nearby each of the bridges. The hikes are short and require ascent/descent. Even without the hike, one can drive around to see the views. While one can hike to the bottom of Sipapu Bridge, the Kachina bridge can only be seen from a distance. And that too after a hike. If you are short on time, skip this one. ...
Antelope Canyon is probably the most photographed canyon in the world. Located in the Navajo Indian preservation, only guided tours are permitted. We took a trip to Antelope Canyon Tours. The tour lasts about an hour, and it takes ~20 mins one-way drive to reach the canyon. There aren’t any hikes, just simple walks in the canyon. Everyone is crazy running around and taking photos, so it does become a bit hard to enjoy in the mad rush. Even then, if you are in the area, I would recommend booking a tour in advance to visit the canyon. ...
I did the 23.4 miles rim to rim day hike through Grand Canyon during the last week of November (Thanksgiving weekend) 2017. Unlike most hikes like Mt. Whitney , the hard part (ascent) comes later, and therefore, it is easy to get trapped. Be confident of your fitness level before you try this. What to carry There are multiple water stops, some seasonal, some permanent, check the current situation at the NPS website . The water supply comes from Roaring Springs, and it has high Chlorine content. I carried ~3L of water and 1L of Gatorade. I think the 2L of water is the absolute minimum to avoid the risk of dehydration. Also, get a hydration pack so that you are drinking more frequently and without stopping. Wear good trail hiking boots since many parts of the trail are rough. Carry protein bars and trail mixes for snacking. Cache the map of the Grand Canyon in Google Maps since there is no network connectivity inside the canyon. Carry a detailed list of the checkpoints you are going to encounter, along with the distance to track how well you are doing. You can download a sample tracking sheet from Grand Canyon hiking time tracking sheet , and you can see my full sheet under “My Journey” section in this blog post. About the Journey The road AZ 67 to the North Rim closes on the first snowfall, therefore, check it’s the current situation before leaving. The North Rim is less touristy, less accessible, and higher elevation than the south rim, therefore, start the hike on the north rim and end it on the south rim. There is precisely one trail to take on the North Rim, that’s North Kaibab trail. The total length of the trail is about 14 miles, and the elevation change is about 5800 ft. There are two trails one can take to go up the South Rim, South Kaibab trail or Bright Angel Trail, Bright Angel trail is longer but has lower elevation gain and has one water stop (Indian garden), therefore, take the Bright Angel trail while going up the South Rim. The total length of this trail is about 9.4 miles, and the elevation change is about 4400 ft. On average, it seems it takes anywhere between 12 and 15 hours to finish the hike. My Journey Download a copy of this sheet for your use here . ...