ARIZONA 2022: A National Park Road Trip - Pre-Trip

[Melbatb]

I can hardly believe it. After a very tense week, I am finally booked in for my flights to Phoenix tomorrow. I am off to see my boy who is currently studying in LA (on an exchange!). I haven't seen him since September as he flew from Hong Kong to Vancouver for Christmas and then to LA. To say I am excited is an understatement.

For those who haven't read my reports before, I am Mel, a 50+ year old travel fanatic who is very happy to be traveling again. This will be my first flight since going to visit my son in HK in November 2019.

This is yet another trip to see him. My husband and daughter are staying at home! O, our son, is a 20 year old Computer Science student. His home university is in Hong Kong but he has been lucky enough to be able to do an exchange term at the University of Southern California. He is loving it.

Next Monday is a bank holiday in California and as he only has lectures on Monday and Wednesday we thought it would be a good week to visit! Lots of plans were thrown around and we came up with a National park trip. Read on for details!

As I live in the south of France there was never going to be an easy way to get to Phoenix. Then when BA canceled their evening flight from LHR to my local airport just before I was about to book, it made it so much more complicated.

So I am flying with Lufthansa- Via Frankfurt and Houston. And back via San Francisco and Munich. It will be a long day. Lucky O has a 90m flight!

I have been able to check in after uploading my test and vaccine certificates. I have to say that taking my test this morning was stressful but thankfully negative. I have boarding passes for the first two flights and am checked in for the last one but need to get a boarding pass at the gate!

I have organised a SUV hire car via Andy at Florida Discount Car Hire.

O should arrive about an hour before me. He is bringing the toiletries as I only have hand luggage and he has hold luggage! Go figure that logic!

To make packing more challenging temperatures will range from -8c to 26c!

Our first two nights are in an airbnb in Phoenix. Hotels were hideously expensive! As I don't arrive until 6.30pm we will drive straight there and probably crash out🤣

The plan for day one is breakfast at Denny's, stock up on drinks and treats in the Target next to the restaurant then off to a rodeo. A new experience for both of us!

Day 2 will be a drive to the Grand Canyon via Oak Creek Canyon. I hope to do lots of stops and take lots of photos.

We have 2 nights at Yavapai Lodge near to the rim! The aim is to see at least one sunset and one sunrise plus a hike. But the weather may be against us as snow is forecast! We will make the best of it!

We will leave via the East Gate to Page. On our way there we will do the hike at HorseShoe Bend. We have 2 nights here.

The second day we have a tour to Lower Antelope Canyon. And after that I have some hikes we could do! We possibly could have just done one night here but I don't want too many one night stops.

We are then off to Monument Valley. I have booked the only hotel in the Park. On our way there we will go to the Mexican Hat and the Forrest Gump view.

Once checked in we will do the wildcat trail and hopefully see the sunset!

I am excited about this stay!

The last stop is Sedona. This brings us back towards Phoenix. There are lots of hikes to do - or we may just chill out!

We just have one night here. Though our flights home are not until the evening. Thankfully France stopped testing requirements for the return journey so that is one less stress! Everyone raves about Sedona so I am looking forward to seeing it!

I am all packed! Have triple checked documents and hopefully I am good to go.

I hope to do this live. I have my proper camera so am going to be taking so many photos! Going to be a very early start tomorrow though!

[Cutiepie]

Have a great time, I’m looking forward to following along

[app]

New Photo Added by Melbatb - 17 Feb 22 7:46 PM.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Really looking to following along Mel, and I’m so excited for you to be able to see your son after so long apart. I hope you’ve managed to squeeze some tissues in for when you see him for the first time 💞

The trip sounds so exciting too, I can’t wait to see the beautiful views and, hopefully, some fantastic sunrises and sunsets. Safe journey xx

[WIGGYSMUM]

Really looking forward to this , safe travels 🙏🏻

[P&S]

Have a fantastic time I will be following along with your travels

[FamilyDisney]

I love your trip reports and look forward to following. Have a great time.

[Melbatb]

Thank you everyone! I am a bit too excited to get to sleep ! Hopefully the flight to Houston will be as empty as it looked when I checked in and I will have a spare seat next to me🤞🏻So I can curl up and sleep!

[mick]

Have a wonderful time with your son
Looking forward to reading along as usual

Joan x

[YorkshireT]

It will be a great trip we have done similar many years ago. We also did Zion.
Sedona is beautiful well worth a few nights there.
There’s a mountain bike challenge called The White Line in Sedona, there’s no way I would do it though.





Then watch this mountain biking legend do not only the White Line but then ride his mountain bike down the side of the mountain where one wrong move would result in death - and he’s only 55!