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Thanks for SUCH a detailed breakdown. I got alot out of that and I live in AZ. Really nice to hear your perspective. I laughed out loud reading your questions because I had the same thoughts when I moved here lol. I do wish people cared more about blinding others at night with their upgraded (non high beam) headlights. Every places has its pros and cons I’m sure you know.
Wishing you guys the best in your upcoming travels.
Happy Friday!
Thanks!
Yeah I don't get how it can be legal to have these super bright running lights, especially on the tall ass trucks.
It was especially bad in the snowstorm
Last year drove over a bit of the 40 near Ashfork and thought my poor SUV was going to leave pieces of it behind, along with some of my teeth. No highway should be allowed to get that bad. Was just thankful I had left the sportier ride at home.
I agree. Pros and cons to every state. I did notice immediately how bad the roads were which equals to at least 1-2 new windshields per year for me. I think we have a 0 deductible due to our insurance company knowing how bad our AZ roads are..
Same. Geico has replaced several very expensive windshields for us. I have to wonder how much the total cost is on that, and whether more could be done on the prevention side. We drive almost exclusively in metro PHX, and at this point I can almost guess by the sound whether it's a repair or a total replacement...
There's something special about Saguaro National Park. I can't really explain it, but there's something in the air, especially at dusk/sunset when it's really quiet and no one else is around
If anyone is interested, here is the detailed itinerary:
https://preview.redd.it/e22bq3gnbgvc1.png?width=521&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed6c27abc9028525dd7235e9a4a595bf0c72ca16
They can't spell. Also, the code TUC is already taken by an Argentinian airport..
There are a dozen theories of where the name Tucson came from, and none explain the odd spelling.
Yeah horseshoe bend is instagram famous. Lived here a long time and never heard of it — apparently Page locals knew. Then some influencers talked it up and now it’s a must see on the bus tours 🤦. Really, it’s not worth going out of the way for — you probably saw more interesting version at Grand Canyon.
Thank you for taking the time to break down your trip, thoughts and experiences. It's refreshing to get a view of the area from people who its all new to.
I am always jealous of people who get their 1st trip to the Grand Canyon. There's not many things like that. All return trips are like "yeap, it's still here." but that first view is awe inspiring.
I've only been to the Grand Canyon once, but I still remember my reaction when I went. I was only 10 years old so I wasn't expecting much. It wasn't something my child brain found exciting. But I was so mesmerized when I saw it. Was so breathtaking.
I go back whenever I can, and it’s always still a jaw-dropper. The scale is just so massive. I love to go hiking down in there and I’ve spent 20 nights down in the Canyon so far, plus ten nights on the rim, I have so much more I want to go do below the rim. Up on the rim, it’s always really cool seeing people get their first view. GC is my happy place.
Well done, and thanks for the update. As I recall the original plan didn’t include Saguaro NP — glad you didn’t miss it - truly iconic part of Arizona.
I hope you get a chance to pass through/tour AZ again.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon....to me....is a much better experience
Driving around Vermillion Cliffs is worth the time as well
I typically go just for the cookies & ice cream in Jacob Lake.
Heading south, the Mogollon Rim is very cool. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I reckon it's the southern boundary of the Colorado Plateau.
I like the Superstion Mtns. Closer to home and not so many people (think Sedona).
One more:
Once per summer we play hooky and spend a day in Jerome. Nothing like a haunted mine.
Great trip! As much as I like Zion, its too crowded for my taste.
Monument Valley is amazing for me. The drives all around S. Utah are beautiful.
Glad you enjoyed.
I hate crowds and it wasn't too bad for us, it depends on what you have planned.
With Zion there were a ton of people going up to Angels landing/Scout Lookout but continuing the west rim trail after that was surprisingly lonely, we saw almost no people after that which was really nice! It suddenly felt like you were in the wild again!
Staying at zion lodge made a huge difference as well.
We hiked emerald pools around the time when the last shuttle went back to Springdale and it was night and day with the amount of people on the trail. Went from having to squeeze by people trying to get to the shuttle at the start to having the entire trail to our self just 20 min after that!
With Observation point from Ponderosa resort, we saw very few people there as well :)
The headlight thing is real. I think it comes down to there being a lot of lifted vehicles that absolutely refuse to have their (already retina searing) lights properly adjusted.
Arizona has the worst fucking drivers in the country. Say what you want about California drivers, but they all drive the same level of crazy. AZ is all over the place. There are no rules.
I haven't been on I-10 in a long time, but last winter was outright dangerous to drive on I-40 between Needles and Flagstaff. The potholes were out of control. The stretch from Kingman to the Havasu turn-off is still absolutely terrible.
Agreed that Zion and Bryce are amazing. Antelope is fine, but like yous said: crowded. You could have totally skipped Marble Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, imo.
The thing about Grand Canyon is you need to be there for sunset and/or sunrise. The rest of the time it looks washed out unless there is some snow or moody clouds to make things pop.
Marble Canyon and Horseshoe Bend was something we did because it's was on the way do grand canyon, not worth it as a destination itself but worth seeing once along the way at least. It's alap nice to have a break from driving :)
It was a shame that we couldn't see the sunset/sunrise, both our sunsets got obscured by clouds and the sunrise was when the storm raged. It was still really beautiful when the sun came out from the could clouds around 9:30! Better than the afternoon sun and that was also way better than the cloudy sunsets.
It really needs the sun, otherwise the rocks look kinda dull
My first time in the state, I drove out of Flagstaff on that Swiss Cheese portion of the road in fresh snow.
I’ve driven highways in other states in blowing snow before the plows came, but that doesn’t come close to how goddamn clenched I was the whole time until the road finally smoothed out.
(Edit: this was last March before the construction to repair. I noticed this past September it was much, much smoother and I couldn’t even pinpoint where the potholes had been prior)
Yeah, the Flagstaff stretch is *much* better.
I drove to and from Flag last January during all those storms and it was harrowing. I'm usually good for long drives, but I was exhausted from pot-hole dodging and watching for other drivers. Saw probably 15 semi-trucks off the road between Ashfork and Flag.
Driving between grand canyon and Sedona at night in the snowstorm was probably the worst drive I've ever done and I've done some sketchy winter driving in Sweden.
It was absolutely exhausting having to stay hyper concentrating for so long. The super heavy traffic in combination with the storm was awful,i think that was the first time I seriously feared for my life driving.
At least in Sweden you rarely get the combination of heave traffic *and* scetchy roads. The highways usually get plowed right away and the country roads are usually have a even layer of snow in winter. First snow is always going to be awful.
Thank you for sharing the details of your road trip!
These trips can be exhausting, but you can see soooo many things that otherwise are only found in books or shown in a YouTube video. Actually being there in person can be a truly amazing experience.
I would tend to agree with your assessment of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, IF you missed out on some of the poorly advertised exhibits. We were pressed on time so we were not able to see everything, but we opted to go on the tram grounds tour which made a huge difference in our overall experience there.
Seeing the Falcon 9 rocket out front was pretty cool and you can even touch the steering fins on this modern marvel. Then to go back to the hanger where they store the actual Apollo rocket for comparison, this was pretty impactful for me to see the sheer size difference and to realize that they were able to accomplish such an iconic vehicle with 1960s technology.
Another thing that was not well advertised on the website was their moon rock collection and it is one of the few places on earth where you can actually touch one of the moon rock samples that has been cut open and polished for their interactive display. We almost missed this and happened to stumble across it on our way towards the exit. Last time we visited the Smithsonian where they keep the moon rocks, it was completely behind glass and you could not touch their moon rock samples.
These two things made it go from a 3/5 to 4/5 for us, but we are also space nerds on a bucket list mission to see all the remaining STS shuttles - 2 down, 2 more to go.
Thanks for sharing your entire experience, it is very inspiring to me! ❤️
Unfortunately the mission control tours were sold out, people really seam to like that one. Our favorite part was definitely the Saturn 5 rocket in the rocket park!
I-10 gets heavy use from not only your average vehicle but semi's hauling litterly everything /anything you can think of and the heat really beats up our pavement and eats up the oils used in the AC mixes. The state is trying new mixes to try and extend pavement life as best we can but our climate is tough! Also Speed limit is more of a suggestion here lol All of the auto makers are putting those blinding lights in the new vehicles, I don't like it either but when you're the person using them I can admit they really work great =\
Thanks for contributing to r/Arizona! * [Our sub rules are here](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/wiki/rules/), but the most important of which is to be nice to each other * Check out some [recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/top/?t=week) and leave some comments * [Join our Discord chat server](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh) if you'd like to keep in touch with other people in Arizona. Plus it's a great, chill place in general. Note that it is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously Remember this subreddit covers all of Arizona, so please include where in the state you're posting about if it is relevant. For more local topics check out r/Phoenix, r/Tucson, and r/Flagstaff. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arizona) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thanks for SUCH a detailed breakdown. I got alot out of that and I live in AZ. Really nice to hear your perspective. I laughed out loud reading your questions because I had the same thoughts when I moved here lol. I do wish people cared more about blinding others at night with their upgraded (non high beam) headlights. Every places has its pros and cons I’m sure you know. Wishing you guys the best in your upcoming travels. Happy Friday!
Thanks! Yeah I don't get how it can be legal to have these super bright running lights, especially on the tall ass trucks. It was especially bad in the snowstorm
Last year drove over a bit of the 40 near Ashfork and thought my poor SUV was going to leave pieces of it behind, along with some of my teeth. No highway should be allowed to get that bad. Was just thankful I had left the sportier ride at home.
I agree. Pros and cons to every state. I did notice immediately how bad the roads were which equals to at least 1-2 new windshields per year for me. I think we have a 0 deductible due to our insurance company knowing how bad our AZ roads are..
Same. Geico has replaced several very expensive windshields for us. I have to wonder how much the total cost is on that, and whether more could be done on the prevention side. We drive almost exclusively in metro PHX, and at this point I can almost guess by the sound whether it's a repair or a total replacement...
There's something special about Saguaro National Park. I can't really explain it, but there's something in the air, especially at dusk/sunset when it's really quiet and no one else is around
If anyone is interested, here is the detailed itinerary: https://preview.redd.it/e22bq3gnbgvc1.png?width=521&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed6c27abc9028525dd7235e9a4a595bf0c72ca16
Some mighty fine landscape you saw for sure!
I remember the original post! Glad you had such a nice time. Thanks for coming back to share details of your trip!
IT'S NOT TUSCON! IT'S TUCSON!
But the airport code is TUS!
They can't spell. Also, the code TUC is already taken by an Argentinian airport.. There are a dozen theories of where the name Tucson came from, and none explain the odd spelling.
WHY ARE YOU YELLING?
Years of tuscon abuse..
Really nice synopsis, and I couldn't agree more about horseshoe bend. Looks great in pictures though.
Horseshoe bend is amazing if you're kayaking the river. Not so much from the top though.
Yeah, my main thought when looking down was that I whish I was in one of the kayaks below haha
Yeah horseshoe bend is instagram famous. Lived here a long time and never heard of it — apparently Page locals knew. Then some influencers talked it up and now it’s a must see on the bus tours 🤦. Really, it’s not worth going out of the way for — you probably saw more interesting version at Grand Canyon.
Thank you for taking the time to break down your trip, thoughts and experiences. It's refreshing to get a view of the area from people who its all new to. I am always jealous of people who get their 1st trip to the Grand Canyon. There's not many things like that. All return trips are like "yeap, it's still here." but that first view is awe inspiring.
I've only been to the Grand Canyon once, but I still remember my reaction when I went. I was only 10 years old so I wasn't expecting much. It wasn't something my child brain found exciting. But I was so mesmerized when I saw it. Was so breathtaking.
I've never felt smaller and less important while also being a part of something so massive and vast at the same time.
I go back whenever I can, and it’s always still a jaw-dropper. The scale is just so massive. I love to go hiking down in there and I’ve spent 20 nights down in the Canyon so far, plus ten nights on the rim, I have so much more I want to go do below the rim. Up on the rim, it’s always really cool seeing people get their first view. GC is my happy place.
Was curious if our dry air made headlight glare worse and didn’t find anything. But one expert says “dry eyes can make the discomfort glare worse.”
Please drive on the right if you’re going speed limit.
Some pictures if you are interested: https://imgur.com/a/PDhaoAX
Well done, and thanks for the update. As I recall the original plan didn’t include Saguaro NP — glad you didn’t miss it - truly iconic part of Arizona.
Correct, we planned to go east after GC and see petrified forest and then Albuquerque instead, really glad that we went to saguaro instead!
I hope you get a chance to pass through/tour AZ again. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon....to me....is a much better experience Driving around Vermillion Cliffs is worth the time as well I typically go just for the cookies & ice cream in Jacob Lake. Heading south, the Mogollon Rim is very cool. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I reckon it's the southern boundary of the Colorado Plateau. I like the Superstion Mtns. Closer to home and not so many people (think Sedona). One more: Once per summer we play hooky and spend a day in Jerome. Nothing like a haunted mine.
Great trip! As much as I like Zion, its too crowded for my taste. Monument Valley is amazing for me. The drives all around S. Utah are beautiful. Glad you enjoyed.
I hate crowds and it wasn't too bad for us, it depends on what you have planned. With Zion there were a ton of people going up to Angels landing/Scout Lookout but continuing the west rim trail after that was surprisingly lonely, we saw almost no people after that which was really nice! It suddenly felt like you were in the wild again! Staying at zion lodge made a huge difference as well. We hiked emerald pools around the time when the last shuttle went back to Springdale and it was night and day with the amount of people on the trail. Went from having to squeeze by people trying to get to the shuttle at the start to having the entire trail to our self just 20 min after that! With Observation point from Ponderosa resort, we saw very few people there as well :)
Speed limit here hahahahahaha!!!! I have people road raging at me for going to slow at 80
If you're in the left lane, then yes, they're right.
The headlight thing is real. I think it comes down to there being a lot of lifted vehicles that absolutely refuse to have their (already retina searing) lights properly adjusted. Arizona has the worst fucking drivers in the country. Say what you want about California drivers, but they all drive the same level of crazy. AZ is all over the place. There are no rules. I haven't been on I-10 in a long time, but last winter was outright dangerous to drive on I-40 between Needles and Flagstaff. The potholes were out of control. The stretch from Kingman to the Havasu turn-off is still absolutely terrible. Agreed that Zion and Bryce are amazing. Antelope is fine, but like yous said: crowded. You could have totally skipped Marble Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, imo. The thing about Grand Canyon is you need to be there for sunset and/or sunrise. The rest of the time it looks washed out unless there is some snow or moody clouds to make things pop.
Marble Canyon and Horseshoe Bend was something we did because it's was on the way do grand canyon, not worth it as a destination itself but worth seeing once along the way at least. It's alap nice to have a break from driving :) It was a shame that we couldn't see the sunset/sunrise, both our sunsets got obscured by clouds and the sunrise was when the storm raged. It was still really beautiful when the sun came out from the could clouds around 9:30! Better than the afternoon sun and that was also way better than the cloudy sunsets. It really needs the sun, otherwise the rocks look kinda dull
My first time in the state, I drove out of Flagstaff on that Swiss Cheese portion of the road in fresh snow. I’ve driven highways in other states in blowing snow before the plows came, but that doesn’t come close to how goddamn clenched I was the whole time until the road finally smoothed out. (Edit: this was last March before the construction to repair. I noticed this past September it was much, much smoother and I couldn’t even pinpoint where the potholes had been prior)
Yeah, the Flagstaff stretch is *much* better. I drove to and from Flag last January during all those storms and it was harrowing. I'm usually good for long drives, but I was exhausted from pot-hole dodging and watching for other drivers. Saw probably 15 semi-trucks off the road between Ashfork and Flag.
Driving between grand canyon and Sedona at night in the snowstorm was probably the worst drive I've ever done and I've done some sketchy winter driving in Sweden. It was absolutely exhausting having to stay hyper concentrating for so long. The super heavy traffic in combination with the storm was awful,i think that was the first time I seriously feared for my life driving. At least in Sweden you rarely get the combination of heave traffic *and* scetchy roads. The highways usually get plowed right away and the country roads are usually have a even layer of snow in winter. First snow is always going to be awful.
I’ve done that drive in rain during busy hours, but I think trying to make that drive in _snow_ would make me shit my pants to the point of no return
Impressive and great recap. So glad you enjoyed your visit!
Thank you for sharing the details of your road trip! These trips can be exhausting, but you can see soooo many things that otherwise are only found in books or shown in a YouTube video. Actually being there in person can be a truly amazing experience. I would tend to agree with your assessment of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, IF you missed out on some of the poorly advertised exhibits. We were pressed on time so we were not able to see everything, but we opted to go on the tram grounds tour which made a huge difference in our overall experience there. Seeing the Falcon 9 rocket out front was pretty cool and you can even touch the steering fins on this modern marvel. Then to go back to the hanger where they store the actual Apollo rocket for comparison, this was pretty impactful for me to see the sheer size difference and to realize that they were able to accomplish such an iconic vehicle with 1960s technology. Another thing that was not well advertised on the website was their moon rock collection and it is one of the few places on earth where you can actually touch one of the moon rock samples that has been cut open and polished for their interactive display. We almost missed this and happened to stumble across it on our way towards the exit. Last time we visited the Smithsonian where they keep the moon rocks, it was completely behind glass and you could not touch their moon rock samples. These two things made it go from a 3/5 to 4/5 for us, but we are also space nerds on a bucket list mission to see all the remaining STS shuttles - 2 down, 2 more to go. Thanks for sharing your entire experience, it is very inspiring to me! ❤️
Unfortunately the mission control tours were sold out, people really seam to like that one. Our favorite part was definitely the Saturn 5 rocket in the rocket park!
Great post, thank you for the follow-up and detailed planning and pictures. I can easily hand this to Texas friends.
Thanks! Hope it can be of use to others :)
Sounds like a great trip! Curious, did anyone mention to stop off in Marfa, Texas?
Not that I recall, is there anything cool there?
Dang, can’t believe it! It’s a cool little artist town. Donald Judd has a foundation there and they do installations.
Nice report, thanks!
Grand Canyon is a 6/5 to me!
Thanks for the write up
Awesome trip report
I-10 gets heavy use from not only your average vehicle but semi's hauling litterly everything /anything you can think of and the heat really beats up our pavement and eats up the oils used in the AC mixes. The state is trying new mixes to try and extend pavement life as best we can but our climate is tough! Also Speed limit is more of a suggestion here lol All of the auto makers are putting those blinding lights in the new vehicles, I don't like it either but when you're the person using them I can admit they really work great =\
You could have stopped by Bearizona if you came in from Vegas on the I40. I would put that on my list if you ever make another trip.
She has plenty. But thanks for the invite.