When I was a kid I was never a fan of road trips. Being stuck in a car with three brothers playing punch buggy felt like another circle of hell as my parents passed out homemade sandwiches. I don’t know what was more squished, the bread or me in the backseat. I was wary when I was invited on a road trip to the Grand Canyon recently, but thanks to the encouragement of our wonderful Epifania editor-in-chief Nicole, I decided to make the trip. 

Preparing for the trip: It’ll be fun, promise!

Okay, so I can’t actually guarantee that it’ll be fun but here is how I prepared for the trip to make it as amazing as possible. 

Plan for personal time –

Being in a car with a person or persons for multiple days can be overwhelming for some. That is totally okay because everyone has different thresholds when it comes to social interactions. I talked to my road trip partner about how to give each other space in a car (one wears headphones or sleeps while the other drives), how to handle disagreements or misunderstandings (remember we both just want to have a good time and the issue is probably over lack of communication), and what triggers my anger (being hungry so I packed many snacks for both of our sakes and pre-planned stops for food so I knew what time I’d be eating next).

Start small –

It’s about 500 miles to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. With no traffic, that’s about 8 hours one way just to see the Grand Canyon. This seemed a bit excessive to me for just one location so I booked a flight from Burbank, CA to Ogden, UT with Avelo. The airline is brand new so I got a one-way ticket for $10. There are deals still going on so I highly recommend checking out the airline for dirt cheap flights. Starting in Utah allowed us to also visit Bryce Canyon and Kanab before arriving at the South Rim. This broke up the driving to more manageable sections of four to five hours before our next stop.

Pack for all types of weather –

The weather ranged from hot and dry to windy and at one spot the nights were a chilly 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This meant I had thermals and a thick sweater for one night, as well as hiking pants that converted into shorts, tank tops, flannel long sleeve button-ups, and lots of socks to switch out between hikes. I also packed running shoes, trail runners, and sandals. Most importantly I had a Camelbak with three liters of water, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and bug spray. 

Hit The Road: What To See

Ogden, UT –

We landed here and since there was a rental car shortage, we had to head to Salt Lake City Airport to pick up our car. While we weren’t here very long, locals recommended Burger Bar. There’s only one that exists and when people heard we were from California where we are spoiled with In-N-Out, they said it was a must-try. The burgers were so delicious we went twice. The patties were a tender and delicious plus, they had more than one type of meat. They have the regular “Big Ben,” but I tried the antelope and deer patties. My only recommendation is that you don’t get cheese on your burger because it smothers the unique taste of the meat.

Salt Lake City, UT –

We stocked up on food, snacks, and water as soon as we got our rental car. We packed ingredients to make sandwiches which included a loaf of bread with whole grains, flavored hummus in individual little cups, turkey meat, and spinach. The hummus helps break up the dryness of other ingredients while adding more protein to the meal without worrying about condiments like mayonnaise expiring. We also had cherries, protein bars, and beef jerky. I didn’t think of it at the time, but I would have also packed Emergen-C packets to keep our immune system high during all those hikes and changes in climates.  

Bryce Canyon –

It was a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon, totally manageable without getting stir crazy in the car. The best part was as we got closer to the canyon, the scenery morphed into some otherworldly landscape. We started at the Sunrise Point trail which led us to Queens Garden. That’s where we checked out Juliet’s Window which is a frame out of rock formations, it’s wind made and the continued erosion means it won’t be around for much longer. However, most of this hike was simply staring in awe of the hundreds of hoodoos protruding out the canyon. It’s such an alien-looking structure and the strong winds give the eerie feeling that the next gust will topple it all over like dominos. The hike is completely doable for anyone and you can always end it right at Sunset Point but, we kept adding to the trek every time we linked up with another trail. My favorite part was going up the switchbacks which were pretty steep for those who aren’t used to cardio. However, the view of the next hoodoos around the corner was breathtaking. 

Kanab –

The only way to describe this tiny town is that it reminded me of Radiator Springs from the Disney movie “Cars.” You’re surrounded by more breathtaking red walls of earth on your drive-in while you pass quaint shops and restaurants. It’s a tiny town for sure filled with hikers, not tourists so it seems locals were more receptive to the visitors in comparison with other towns inundated with tourists. We booked a hotel room during peak travel season and we paid the price because the room was terrible. It was clean to be fair, but the room was stuffy with no circulation and the air conditioner made the room loud and dry. But if you take a shower the place instantly turns into a humid sweatbox. Make sure to check the photos of the place and that it matches when you arrive. What we saw in the photos is not what we got and probably should have walked out but we were exhausted. Also, this place was right across the street from the local church, so we woke up to church bells at 8 a.m. When it came to dinner, our original choice needed reservations. Turns out because of the pandemic, you still needed to call ahead because they were short-staffed. This is impossible to do because it’s a road trip and we didn’t know when we would roll into town but I get their issue. Just FYI to call ahead to restaurants in this town just in case. 

Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch –

We moved on to this epic trail that took us from Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch. This was my second favorite experience and I hope everyone loves it as well. First off, when you arrive you need to pay a fee but that’s online.  You won’t get any service out there, so you need to pay in advance before you show up. The drive to even get to this hike is a pure dirt road. We made it with a little eco-car to save on gas but would definitely recommend an SUV if we had a choice. The hike is unassuming at first, but once you get into the canyon narrows part, the rock walls are so close I had to sidestep my way through. This is not for claustrophobic people but once you make your way, it opens up to massive rock formations and Native American cave paintings. You need to scramble over a few rocks and climb up and down a few ladders but everything is very manageable, and the views are unforgettable. 

Grand Canyon – 

We headed first to stay the night at Wander Camp Grand Canyon. The plan was to enjoy the glamping experience and wake up early to spend all day at the Grand Canyon. Wander Camp was a cheaper alternative to Under Canvas and ended up being a third of the price. However, the amenities were essentially basic camping but with an actual bed and not having to set up camp yourself. Another issue was that you need to get to the campsite before sundown because it’s impossible to navigate in the darkness since it’s in the middle of the desert. It got down to the forties at night but we were up and out before 7 a.m. because the sun was blazing down making our tent a sauna. 

When we got to the Grand Canyon there were a good amount of people around. Think tourists and groups of families with screaming kids. It took away from its title of one of the “Wonders Of The World.” Once I started hiking the rim, the groups faded away and the magic of the canyon took over. You can take a shuttle to each vantage point of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, however, the best part was quietly hiking the rim on your own because only a handful of people actually attempted to hike the whole thing. I definitely got a bit woozy at certain locations where the railing was scarce and the trail wasn’t clear, so a wrong turn led you right over the edge. I  hiked all day,  marveling at the view, and each spot gave you a different vantage point. The best part was watching the sunset as the retreating light danced along the canyon walls, colors changing from reds to purples. I did not get the chance to hike the Bright Angel trail which is a very steep and sweaty walk down to the bottom of the canyon.  My bad allergies turned into a cold and even hopped up on Airborne and Dayquil, I still wanted to do the hike. Luckily my friend convinced me to hike the rim and if I still had the energy, we would do the trail but I was dying. I’m an avid hiker but being sick, in the heat and blazing sun was not fun, and attempting the trail would have been a very bad idea. Park rangers actually advise against anyone but advanced hikers prepared with water attempt the trail. Even then, they have to start before 10 a.m. or else conditions get too hot since the trail has no coverage. 

Heading Home: The Long Drive

We caught one of the last shuttles and headed back to our car for our drive home, however, the most eventful part of the road trip was about to begin. We had an eight-hour drive back home and since I insisted on staying until sunset, we had to do it all in the dark. I had never driven through a national park at night and I never want to do it again. You have to keep an eye out for animals crossing the road and we had encountered deer during the day. At night, it was terrifying every time a coyote darted out in front of the car. I never hit one, but my nerves were frayed by the time we switched driving duties. I also had to deal with unnatural swarms of moths which reminded me of the “Mothman Prophecies” and freaked me out. It was a stressful drive at 1 a.m. so while we avoided any traffic, it was a bit unnerving. 

The Road Trip is a Success! 

After a dramatic drive through the dark Arizona wilderness, we arrived in L.A. at 4 a.m. exhausted and maybe a bit delirious but finally home. My bed never felt so comfortable. However, would I take on another road trip? Absolutely. There’s something whimsical about cruising through cities and towns, enjoying it for a day or two before the novelty of a new place wears off. At the end of it all, we had amazing stories to tell about the drive, the places, and the people with countless photos to share. Best of all, no one got hangry so I declared the road trip a success.