Grand Canyon & Sedona
A three day road trip from San Diego to the Imperial San Dunes, Sedona, and Grand Canyon National Park.
Tatooine - Imperial Sand Dunes
Just east of Palm Springs along the 78 lies a playground for off-road buggies and the sand people of Tatooine. Walking though this vast oasis, I could hear the babbling of jawas and screams of the Star Wars tuscan raiders in the distance.
The first leg of the journey included a 5:30am sunrise stop at California’s Imperial Sand Dunes.
Sand people always ride single file to hide their numbers.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
Grand Canyon National Park
I imagined the canyon being enormous, but there when my eyes caught their first glimpse I was in awe. I had no idea how vast the canyon was. Stretching 277 miles and nearly 5,000 feet deep - The Grand Canyon is endless.
The natural beauty goes far beyond what your eye can see. It’s simply breathtaking.
If you’re not into hiking, the rim trail meanders along the edge of the cliff on a easily passable bike trail. Dogs, bikes, and pedestrians are welcome. Several scenic view points are near the visitor center including Mather Point seen above.
Bright Angel Hike, Day 1
Day 1’s hike was along the western Bright Angel trail on the south rim. 3 miles in, 6 total round trip. The afternoon hike was mostly in the shade, temp. was a cool 35º along the steep and colorful cliffs.
Eager to see more, but losing sunlight and leg power, we opted to stop at the Three Mile Resthouse, and return knowing tomorrow had another full day of adventure and exercise. I’m still very curious what the Indian Garden is like.
Trails and directions in the canyon are marked by their class of difficulty and required round trip duration for the average hiker. Green (1-2 hours), Orange (4-6 hours), and red (6 to 12+ hours). The trail ratings correlate to how deep you traverse into the canyon. Climb and descent were consistent, but definitely put your athleticism to the test.
Ask for a hiking map when you enter the park.
South Kaibab Trail, Day 2 Hike
In the photo below, you can see the South Kaibab hike leading down past O’neill Butte towards Skeleton Point. Day 2’s hike was 3 miles in about as far as you can see the trial meander below. 6 miles total, in and out to Skeleton Point.
Landscape and views from the plateau below were sensational. So was getting up close and personal with O’Neill Butte. I was astonished to find an 82 woman laying waste to the trail as we descended down.
Day 2 was more fun with extra food, snacks, and intermittent rest stops. Views along the Kaibab trail were more scenic.
Sedona, Arizona
Clipping thought the endless straight-as-an-arrow-zona desert highway, you finally begin a climb the Arizona high desert. Rounding a bend along route-179, you are met by remarkable rock formations standing 5,000 ft tall.
There are more hikes in Sedona than you can do in a year!
Devil’s Bridge Hike
After an exhausting 12 miles of cliff hiking in the Grand Canyon, we opted for a lighter hike with a scenic photo op.
The pic doesn’t show it, but there’s about a 100 foot drop-off below the bridge.
Just outside the main drag in Sedona, Devil’s Bridge hike is one of the most sought Instagram photo ops in the area. It’s a light hike that most can traverse when it’s not too hot.
After a quick and mostly flat two mile hike along the dusty roadway, we turned to climb up from the agave and cacti oasis into the red rocks, to the devil’s bridge above.
I had a few people laughing at my toe point, knee bent, hand on the hip IG pose. I lost my photographer immediately to embarrassment, but I still feel came out on top and managed to salvage a few descent pics.
Views from atop the bluff were tremendous.
The legs were fully worn out and it was time to head back to the golden state from this stunning oasis. It was silly how many hikes were listed on the maps. Sedona is worth several more trips!
The desert highways were a marvel of their own. Clipping past cacti and vast desert plains, the pony galloped towards the distant mountains as the sun set quickly, creating a sensational silhouette.
I hadn’t reviewed the drive time or mileage until writing this post. 20+ hours and 1,200 miles later I returned home. To me, it felt like nothing. I guess that’s when you know road trips are your bag, baby 😉