Experiencing Arizona in 2020
My husband and I had this trip to Arizona planned for almost two years. We were supposed to go in 2019, but things came up and we had to reschedule for... 2020. If we only knew what the year 2020 would bring, though. We already had every detail planned out perfectly. Our hotel was booked, our flights and rental car were booked, and our destinations were all planned out. I spent A LOT of time planning out our trip. It wasn't a burden; I enjoy planning things out because I am particular about certain things.
Then, 2020 hit. A global pandemic. Lockdown after lockdown, all over the United States and all over the world. Long story short, National Parks were closed because of all the lockdowns occurring in each state. I was so distraught because the Grand Canyon had been closed for months. The last thing I wanted to do was reschedule our trip again. I know this might seem like such a small inconvenience, but 2020 had also brought many other challenges for me so I was thrilled to go on a vacation and just get away from the stress for awhile. I checked for updates each day about the opening of Grand Canyon National Park. Finally, about two weeks before our trip, the Grand Canyon opened with limited hours. A few days before our trip, it opened up with regular hours! We were so excited to hear this news and we decided not to cancel our trip!
In true 2020 fashion, we took all the necessary precautions and wore our masks in the airports and on the flights (and anywhere else that required a mask). The journey there went smoothly and our first day in Arizona was spent in Flagstaff (where we were staying) and in the Grand Canyon National Park. I absolutely loved Flagstaff and would 100% live there if I could. It was a 1.5 hour drive to the Grand Canyon from there, which wasn't bad at all considering the scenery along the way was breathtaking. Finally, we arrived at GCNP. We walked up to the overlook and I honestly got chill bumps all over my entire body. It was the most mind-blowing sight I had ever seen.
Grand Canyon National Park
We spent the entire day there and watched the sunset over the canyon... SO MAGICAL.
Sedona
We went to Sedona the next two days and spent the day there hiking, sight-seeing, shopping, and trying out new restaurants. If you have never been to Sedona, you need to go ASAP. It was definitely one of my favorite places we visited in Arizona. Here are the top 5 things you need to do while in Sedona:
- Visit Chapel of the Holy Cross
- Shop at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
- Hike Cathedral Rock
- Walk around, shop, and eat in the downtown Sedona area
- Visit Slide Rock State Park
Horseshoe Bend
This was about a 2.5 hour drive from our hotel in Flagstaff, but it was SO WORTH IT! This was by far my favorite place we visited in Arizona. It is located in Page, Az. Pictures aren't good enough- you have to see this place with your own eyes to understand how truly massive it is. The drive there was beautiful, too, so it made the trip worthwhile.
Bearizona
We passed this place on the way to the Grand Canyon and we were so curious about what it actually was. We decided to visit one day, and we ended up loving it and visiting twice during our trip! If you love animals and a unique experience, then you will love Bearizona! Also, can we just acknowledge how clever that name is?! You will see so many bears here, but you will also see a huge variety of other animals: wolves, deer, panthers, bison, goats, and the list goes on and on, seriously.
Thanks for reading this blog! Now, start planning your trip to Arizona!!!
