On the drive home from Arizona to Utah we made a few stops. We first got to the south side of the Grand Canyon around noon. We spend about 5 hours there taking the shuttle to all of the look out points and spending a good amount of time gawking at this view!
Nick and the kids had never been to the Grand Canyon and I hadn't been for about 10 years. I think I had forgotten how vast and amazing the Grand Canyon is. (Or maybe just didn't appreciate it as much when I was younger). The kids didn't care much for the Canyon, but it was so fun for me to watch Nick see it for the first time. I kind of love that he hasn't been anywhere, (he hasn't been east of Utah!) because it means I get to show him a lot of places that I saw growing up.
A little perspective of how huge it really is. And doesn't it look fake? Like a painting in the background.
A failed family picture attempt at the Grand Canyon. You know, just to prove that we've all been.
This sweet boy still falls asleep in our arms. <3
The Colorado River.
After the Grand Canyon, we drove to Page and stayed the night. We woke up early the next morning and were able to book the first tour at Antelope Canyon. (Which I at one point called cantelope island? Can we say pregnant brain!).
It's a little pricey ($35 each) for an hour tour through the canyon, but well worth it at least once. I was a little worried because I had read somewhere that the road to the canyon was really bumpy and not recommended if you are pregnant. They have a bunch of pick up trucks that you ride in the back of for about 10 minutes. I was able to sit up front and it wasn't bad at all. I would have probably been fine in the back as well. We had debated taking our kids, but in the end Grandma stayed at the hotel with them and I'm so grateful she did. They would have been way to crazy for us to really enjoy the quiet, beautiful canyon. (And they would not have cared about it)
They say the best light is in the afternoon, but I still feel like we got some really good pictures around 9 am. Our guide was great. He showed us where to take the best pictures, pointed out special rocks that looked like different things like the Taj Mahal, a Mummy, Abe Lincoln, etc. He would even take my camera at certain points and take pictures for me. (That was nice at first, but by the end I just wanted to take my own pictures). You will definitely want to research your camera settings beforehand to get the best photos. The lighting in there can be tricky, so if you know how to use your manual it's super useful.
This photo is of a dragon's eye. It's one of my favorite photos.
Love the light and texture of this photo above.
And some perspective on how high it goes.
We went to Horseshoe bend on our way out of Page. The hike was short and sandy. I didn't actually see it that well when we got to it. There was no railing so I was nervous about getting close to the edge. Nick took the picture above while I was screaming at him to stop getting so close. It is beautiful, but I was pretty disappointed that there was no railing or any good/safe lookout point.
The last stop on our way home was Bryce Canyon. We have been to Zions, but never Bryce's. It was my favorite. We were there only for an hour, but I would love to go back and hike through it someday.
I would highly recommend stopping at any of these places if you're ever road tripping from Utah/Arizona. We had such a good time and I'm amazed at all the places we saw in just two days. This trip was made possible by my mom and two sisters that helped with Kenzie and Benson the whole time. My mom is the best at making sure everyone is happy and gets to see everything (and is fed well, haha). I definitely got the travel bug from her. And she also has the National Parks pass this year so we're trying to get her money's worth by using it as much as possible. Next up, I'm dreaming of a trip through the Redwoods.
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