Southwest Road Trip in 48 Hours

I went on a really quick 48 hour southwest road trip through Nevada, Arizona and Utah. As with all my trips, they aren’t really true vacations because the intent is to get content for my blog and social media. Regardless, they are always fun, whirlwind trips and I end up making lots of memories. This trip was definitely a good one that I won’t ever forget.

My friend Joel Schat came along with me and helped to document the trip. His photos and video are always amazing and I am so lucky to have a friend that is so crazy talented.  Follow him on Instagram.

Las Vegas Night Helicopter

We flew into Las Vegas on Friday afternoon, rented a Jeep (thanks, Avis!), checked into our hotel and then headed out to catch a doors off heli flight with FlyNYON to see the Vegas lights.  If you follow my blog you will recall that I went on a flight with them over New York City just a few weeks prior to this flight. I am addicted!!  🙂

You can see the footage from the flight in my Southwest Road Trip vlog, and it was so impressive to see all those lights from that perspective.

Antelope Canyon

The next morning we left early to make the 4 plus hour drive to Antelope Canyon. It is best to get there mid day for the tours so the light is streaming into the slot canyon. We went on the lower canyon tour, but there are also upper canyon tours. Definitely  book your tour as soon as you plan your trip because in peak season they fill up quickly. You can’t go into Antelope Canyon without a tour guide.

Just a PSA about time zones which really confused us…there are areas in Arizona that don’t observe daylight savings time. So when driving to Antelope Canyon you need to go through Utah, which does have daylight savings time. It seemed to confuse Google maps, too lol.

I had actually planned to go to Antelope Canyon on my last trip to Arizona, but the canyon was closed due rainfall. I am glad I made it this time because it was so beautiful.

This trip the weather was sooooo hot. Literally 105 to 115 degrees out. This Canadian girls isn’t used to that kind of heat! The struggle was real!

We loved the Jeep that we rented. It was way too hot to take the top fully off…maybe next trip.

You can see other southwest road trip blog posts about trips to this area at:

• Valley of Fire
• Zion National Park
• 4 States in 4 Days

Horseshoe Bend

After Antelope Canyon we drove to Horseshoe Bend for sunset. Once again, I had made it to Horseshoe Bend on my last trip but it was overcast but this time it was perfect.

The sunset was spectacular and I think these photos are my most favourite photos ever!

It was at Horseshoe Bend that I felt I was going to pass out from the heat. Way too hot for me.

My Southwest Road Trip Vlog

You can watch my Southwest Road Trip vlog below or on YouTube for better quality.

Bryce Canyon

Next stop on this southwest road trip was Bryce Canyon in Utah. After taking photos at sunset at Horseshoe Bend we drove through the night to get to Bryce Canyon to shoot star and sunrise photos. Sometimes when you only have a few days you need to skip some sleep to get the good shots. Joel and I took star photos on a trip earlier in the year to Oregon and I always love star photos! So crazy to see so many stars.

It turns out that Bryce Canyon is insanely beautiful, and I wish we had dedicated more time to spend there. I would love to spend a few days visiting Bryce Canyon on another trip to hike.

We rested for a tiny bit in the parking lot (lol) and then were up for sunset. This was my first trip to Bryce Canyon and it was so unique. It is amazing how a few hours drive can take you to such a different landscape.

Last Stop in the Southwest Road Trip

Next stop on our southwest road trip was back to Vegas to catch our flight home…which ended up being delayed several hours. Ugh…I hate that and it wasn’t how I wanted to end this trip. We didn’t get home until early the next morning and then I had to leave that day for a trip to San Francisco. I was sooo tired.

As I write this I am somewhat ashamed to say that it has been a month since this trip and my suitcase is still sitting in the basement waiting to be unpacked. I really need to get that done!

Thanks for always reading my blog! I love all your support and encouragement. Do you have any southwest road trip stops that I should add to my next trip?

This southwest road trip blog post is brought you in collaboration with FlyNYON.   I appreciate it that you support the brands that support me.