We chased the last bit of sunlight as Alex pulled into a small town off the Arizona highway. I felt half dead as I dragged myself out of the car.

We had spent longer than expected at the rental car center in the Las Vegas airport, and had to give up going to Zion National Park as a result. Day 1 of a four day road trip across Utah and Arizona proved to be a rough start. Already, we would only be seeing 4 canyons instead of 5.

Day two took us to the Bryce Canyon National Park, ascending over an endless amphitheater of hoodoos that appeared out of the thick distant fog. We were ill-prepared for the snowy trek across the park but delighted by the white blankets that laid in front of us.



Shivering after a cold morning in Bryce Canyon, we raced to Antelope Canyon where, back in the state of Arizona, snow turned into a wintery chill. In upper Antelope Canyon,  wind gushed by us as we drove to the slot canyon entrance. Inside, we stood mesmerized by the afternoon light and the shades of red and orange that painted the canyon. The canyon walls with all its beauty towered over me.

We could not embark on a trip to canyon hop in America without stopping by the Grand Canyon. As we pulled into the parking lot, I could tell something was different. Grand Canyon national park bared no resemblance to its usual appearance. Thick cloud and fog covered the entire canyon in a rare and strange weather phenomenon. I couldn’t see 20 feet ahead of me, let alone anything else. The canyon that I had driven so far to see had escaped me. Above the wall of clouds, a thin layer of the canyon peaked over the fog and taunted me.

Knowing that a trip always has its ups and down, we wore on.




On the last day, we made our way from Flagstaff to Sedona Canyon. We were ready to shed our layers of winter clothes for shorts and sunglasses. The last leg of our canyon hopping trip, Sedona brought us back from driving across dessert with no end in sight to a popular gathering spot that’s perfect for resting our feet.

My clothes were covered in dirt. The car was filled with empty coffee cups and granola bar wrappers. I was tired of smelling gasoline and even more tired of napping in the car. My neck yearned for a pillow. My heart yearned for another road trip soon.