We’re sharing 10 amazing places you have to visit in Arizona! Arizona has impressive landscapes that allow you to immerse yourself in nature. It’s a gorgeous state with healing and incredibly special energy.

Here are 10 places we love and the additional episode we have on each:

1. Sedona – Weekend Hiking Trip in Sedona
2. Saguaro National Park – Saguaro to Petried Forest Road Trip
3. Petrified Forest National Park
4. Lake Havasu
5. Scottsdale
6. Grand Canyon National Park – Day in Grand Canyon
7. Monument Valley
8. Page – American Southwest Road Trip
9. Bullhead City
10. Havasupai Falls – 4 Days Backpacking Havasupai Falls

In this episode we mentioned ice cleat crampons, ⁠these are the ones we recommend⁠.

Best Places to Visit in Arizona – Episode Transcript

0:35

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast. Today we are taking you to 10 of the very best destinations in Arizona.

0:53

Arizona is a sleeper state when it comes to tourism, I feel like, especially if you’re nature lover or outdoors person.

Of course, everyone really knows Arizona’s home to the Grand Canyon, but other than that, and maybe Sedona, AZ, there are lots of great places to visit in the southwestern state that has a good mix of scenic beauty, outdoor recreational activities, and it’s even home to three national parks.

1:18

Yeah, like Jamal said, I don’t think Arizona gets the recognition it deserves for all of its natural beauty.

I keep finding myself going back.

I actually have like a few hikes still on my list of places I want to visit in Arizona.

I have a little Arizona bucket list, but what’s really great about Arizona, especially from coming from Southern California, it’s very close in proximity, it’s a drivable distance and it also borders 5 States and Mexico, so it’s pretty accessible.

1:47

So I’m really excited to dive in to the list of 10 best destinations to visit in Arizona.

I think another thing that maybe people don’t realize about Arizona when you think of it, you think desert, but they have mountains there.

Like huge, major crazy beautiful mountains there.

2:04

And many of those mountainous destinations are on our list, of course.

But let’s dive in with the tips.

What do you need to know before visiting Arizona?

So my first tip is Arizona gets really hot in the summer.

Obviously there’s that desert landscape, but people don’t realize how cold it can get into winter as well.

2:22

It actually does snow in Arizona.

A lot of people don’t realize that, so just be aware of the weather situation.

Not only that, Arizona has this freak phenomenon that happens monsoon season where there’s crazy rains, crazy winds and it like comes out of nowhere.

2:43

And if you’re in the desert area when that happens, it’s prone to flash flooding too.

So just really be mindful when you’re taking your trip to Arizona to really know what season you’re going in, what you can potentially expect.

I mean, I would never recommend going to Arizona in the summer.

2:58

I would only go in spring, fall, and winter.

I actually prefer going in winter because I like hiking when it’s nice and chilly outside.

I mean, I don’t know if any of you squatties have been following the news as of late, but I feel like the last two years I’ve seen news stories of Arizona, more particularly in Phoenix, being so hot that trash cans are melting on the street.

3:17

So, I mean, that’s how hot it gets.

And a lot of people, summer season go to the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon’s hot, you know, especially when you hike down below.

But funny enough, like you were saying earlier, Kim, lots of places are really forest at the top of the Canyon at the Grand Canyon is a forest, but doesn’t mean it’s not hot.

3:34

But you get in there and out of those trees, it becomes deadly hot.

So I agree with Brittany, avoid the summer unless that’s really your thing.

But because Arizona has a lot of desert, you are going to be sun exposed no matter what season you go in.

So do you wear sun protection and always bring in more water than you think you need if you’re going hiking?

3:54

And then for anybody driving into Arizona, it does border a ton of states, does border Mexico.

So just know there are several different border checkpoint type stops along the roadways here.

There are usually dogs there.

Usually they just ask you a couple questions and you drive right through.

4:11

So let’s dive right into these ten places in Arizona to visit, kicking off at #1 fan favorite Sedona AZ.

Sedona is so beautiful.

I love Sedona.

It’s actually probably one of my favorite places to visit.

How many times have we been in Jamal?

Like three times.

4:26

We’ve definitely been three times.

Oh, and I went with Kasha once, so I’ve probably been four times.

I’ve only been once and I actually drove myself from Phoenix on these windy roads.

I was so proud of myself for being able to do it because I do not like driving on windy roads.

4:42

I was knuckling the steering wheel along these roads.

Semi trucks were passing me, but when I finally got to Sedona, it was just like a relief.

They have energy vortexes there.

The vibe is good.

The Red Rock Mountains, so beautiful.

4:58

It was worth that drive.

Yeah, and for anyone who doesn’t know where Sedona is, Sedona is about two hours north of Phoenix.

It’s known for its beautiful, weathered, eroded red sandstone formations, and at sunrise and sunset it just glows that beautiful orange and red hue.

5:15

And it’s so beautiful because there’s some green vegetation around it.

Definitely one of my favorite spots to visit in Arizona.

Sedona is really beautiful.

It’s a town that reminds me a lot of Zion National Park, kind of with those red rock formations and everything like that.

5:32

So I really do love Sedona.

One thing that I do want to go ahead and say, and you kind of touched upon it, Kim, when you said it has the vortexes or is it vortexes or when it’s plural, I don’t really know.

But point being, it is.

And I say this in an endearing way, kind of a little bit yuppie because it is a spa retreat and really expensive place sometimes, right.

5:54

So if you’re gonna go there, just keep in mind that it can be a little bit expensive in Sedona, but very well worth it because the nature that’s around you is some of the most beautiful that you’ll see.

Yeah, Kim actually went for a yoga retreat.

So there are yoga retreats out there.

There are Wellness spas.

6:10

We’ve mentioned the energy vortexes.

I’ve been to several of the energy vortexes.

Some of them you have to hike to.

Some of them are just right there off the side of the road.

But a lot of healing vibes in Sedona.

We actually have an episode on Sedona.

It’s episode 73, so pretty far back.

6:28

It’s all about hiking energy in Sedona since then.

I’ve been on a ton more hikes in Sedona since I’ve been back several times.

So if you have any questions specifically on Sedona and some of my favorite hikes DMS, I’d be happy to answer.

The best months to visit are March through May for full bloom, and then we’d probably say like September or November.

6:47

You get some of that fall foliage and the weather’s really nice.

Chilly in the mornings and evenings, but nice and warm during the day. #2 on the list is going to be Saguaro National Park.

I mentioned earlier that there’s three national parks.

Of course, we all know the Grand Canyon Saguaro happens to be one of them.

7:03

What is Saguaro National Park, Brittany?

Saguaro National Park is actually named after a cactus that grows in the park.

Obviously the Saguaro cactus, and they are huge cacti.

They can stand up to like 40 feet tall.

7:19

They can live up to 250 years.

They don’t even start growing cactus arms until they’re like 50 to 75 years old.

So standing next to one, you just feel so small next to it, it’s really crazy to drive through and see the cactus forest.

7:34

This is one of the parks that we have said if you don’t want to hike, you can still see it.

There’s a lot of pretty drives or walks, right?

Yes, they actually have two sections of the park that are separated and both of them have driving loops that you can go through if you wanted to.

7:49

You can just do the drive, or if you wanted to do any hiking you can also park and then do some of the offshoots, but you don’t have to.

To your point, Kim, we made a specific trip to go to Saguaro National Park one time.

Of course, do the drive through, do a couple of the hikes in the National Park, but Saguaro was actually about two hours South of Phoenix in the city of Tucson or I should say Tucson is in the middle of both sides of Saguaro National Park.

8:15

And so as a matter of fact, one time when we were driving through Arizona, we weren’t even doing anything in Arizona.

I think we were in New Mexico.

But on our way back driving, we just said, well, we have our National Park pass, let’s just go into the park and take a drive around.

8:30

So perfectly conducive to do nothing but drive and enjoy the scenery if you want it to.

And there’s a lot of mountains in this area.

So the western district is called the Tucson Mountain District.

It does have a denser population of the cacti, lots of really cool hikes there.

And then they have an eastern section.

8:46

It’s called the Rincon Mountain District.

Lesser cactus population, but it has the beautiful mountain backdrop against the desert landscape.

Really beautiful views and overlooks at this portion of the park.

You can even see native petroglyphs that are here.

So really cool aspect of that to see the Native American history and then being in this park from centuries ago in the petroglyphs that they have there on the rocks.

9:11

And I also want to mention that Jamal said there are three national parks in Arizona.

We actually have an itinerary for the three national parks.

So if you’re interested, it includes Saguaro in it.

And I would say the best time to visit Saguaro would be November through March due to its cooler climate.

9:28

But the Saguaro cacti bloom in late April through June.

So if you actually are on that tail end of what we’re saying of March, go in April, see the bloom, but avoid that time in June because it’s going to be really hot.

Yeah.

If you’re out there in the summer, you’re going to get really hot dehydrated.

9:45

And that actually brings us to a really good point before we dive into our next destination.

And we’re going to take a quick detour to talk about one of our favorite travel products, Liquid IV.

Liquid IV keeps us hydrated while flying, traveling, and exploring these Arizona destinations.

It’s full of electrolytes and hydrates you two times faster than water alone.

10:03

We use them while flying when feeling jet lagged after a long hike or a long night out in a new city.

They’re super easy to carry and keep stocked in your suitcase.

Carry on or day pack.

Liquid IV has always had their regular flavors.

They more recently came out with sugar free flavors that we love.

10:19

The Tangerine, Lemon, Lime, White Peach.

So good and you squaddies can get 20% off when you go to liquid-iv.com and use our promo code TRAVEL SQUAD PODCAST at checkout.

So destination #3 in Arizona that we have on our list is Lake.

10:36

Havasu.

Lake Havasu is a really fun place, so it’s about 3.25 hours away from Phoenix.

It’s pretty close on the border of California, and if you’re going to Lake Havasu, the word lake implies you’re going to be doing a lot of water activity, boating, fishing, if that’s your thing.

10:57

There’s also a ton of pools there, so you’re going to want to be in the water because it’s a very hot destination to be in, but it’s a good place spring through summer to go.

And I know earlier on in the episode we talked about not really going in summer because of the heat.

I feel like of the list of 10 that we’re talking about, this is probably the best place and maybe the place you want to go when it’s warm most days throughout the year is 100° plus.

11:20

So it’s really hot in this region of Arizona.

But at the same time, if you can kind of time it to be in the 90s versus the hundreds, you know, it might be a little bit better for you.

But this is that one outlier asterisk here for you, Lake Havasu, where you’d want it to be warm.

Because of course you’re going to get into the water, you’re going to swim, you’re going to take your boat out, jet ski, water, ski, the whole plethora of things to do out there.

11:43

It’s a huge boat gathering space.

It’s really popular and spring break, Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July.

Like if you have a boat, it’s a party out there on the lake.

I was going to say it sounds like a big party place cuz water boating.

11:58

Everyone wants to bring out their beers, alcohol, all of that.

So I know that there’s a few good bars and beach clubs to go to.

Yeah, so I went there over a spring break with a group of friends that were from Lake Havasu.

So that’s always nice when you have the house and they know places.

12:14

There were two spots that we went to that I really, really liked and both of them are along the lake.

So everything is very lake centric.

So even these bars and their pools were right along the lake.

You could see the lake, you can see the boats from these places.

The first one is Turtle Beach Bar.

12:30

This place is so cool.

It’s like a little mini bar resort, huge pool, Infinity pool actually that comes up on the lake.

An Infinity pool to the lake.

Yeah.

Wow, look at that.

Yeah, it’s really nice.

They sell these, Fuck it, buckets.

12:46

Fuck it, buckets.

I’m already sold by the name Fuck It, Bucket.

They’re essentially cocktails for a group of like three to five with these giant straws coming out of it, and everyone has their Fuck It bucket in the pool and it’s just a really, really good time there.

Damn, I need to go.

I’m pretty sure one of our friends got like detained in like a mini security area when we went I.

13:07

Feel like a lot of times when we’re not on adventures with you, Kim, because Brittany and I were not at Lake Havasu with you.

But when you went on the cruise, Jordan got put in ship jail.

Now you’re talking about at Lake Havasu, someone had a little bit of jail detention or whatever that was time out.

Yeah, so you guys get wild out there.

13:24

So fun little fact, Lake Havasu has the London Bridge.

It’s original London Bridge taken down in England and actually taken down stone by stone and rebuilt in Lake Havasu.

It is so random of a place to put it.

Yeah, I know.

13:40

You can see that it’s also part of the lake attractions and you can also see that it’s very close to Kokomo Beach Club, which is another bar that has a giant pool in it and everyone kind of sits along the benches within the pool, drinks their cocktails.

13:56

It’s right along the lake.

You can see the boats from there too.

It’s a really good time there.

And there’s a million other places like that in Lake Havasu.

Even their small local airport had a it was like a little area with an airport, restaurant and a pool.

14:11

There’s pools everywhere around here.

Wow, it’s a guess.

A good place to go for a pool party.

It’s a good time.

I recommend this one.

So #4 on our list is Petrified Forest National Park.

As we mentioned, we’ve already mentioned Saguaro, which is 1 National Park in Arizona.

14:29

Petrified Forest is #2.

It’s about 3 1/2 hours away from Phoenix, and it’s known for its rainbow forest full of colorful, beautiful petrified wood.

And if you don’t know what petrified wood is, basically it’s wood that has been fossilized and really now looks like rock and stone and crystals.

14:48

So you can just see these big pieces of wood really from trees, because this used to be an ancient forest at one time got covered by mud, dirt, the whole works, and now it’s literally crystallized wood.

And this whole National Park has a whole valley of this that you can actually see.

15:07

We actually have a whole episode on Petrified Forest National Park.

It’s way back in episode 61.

We went as a day trip because you can drive the entire park, which is about 28 miles from one end to the other, and it takes about an hour without any stops.

15:23

But there’s so many different stops and short little hikes and trails.

A lot of them are 1/4 to 1/2 mile and they just feature some of the largest, most colorful logs that you can see in the park.

Really beautiful fossilized wood.

15:40

But be sure not to take any with you.

You don’t want to take any of the crystals home.

It’s bad luck.

You want to leave it in the park, so don’t be tempted to take home any of these beautiful crystallized fossilized wood.

I remember when you first told me that you went there and you were looking at petrified wood and it just fell flat for me.

15:57

It was like, why?

But then you showed me the pictures of what it actually looks like, and I’m amazed and blown away that trees can turn into crystals.

Yeah, and they range in so many different colors.

Like some of them are lavender, some of them are red, orange, even pink.

16:16

So you can see a lot of beautiful crystallized colors here.

Not only just the wood, eventually depending on which way you enter the park and exit it.

So the way that we did going through where we exited, you’ll end at the painted Desert Rim Trail.

And then it just gives you this overlook of beautiful Badlands, which is a type of rock formation and geological feature and just the different colors and hues from lavender to rich Grays.

16:43

Red orange is just almost like the rocks were, but this is actually the dirt of the mountain itself and this beautiful view scape that you can see.

So it’s just really beautiful.

Not only the petrified wood, but just the beautiful landscape around it too was really impressive. #5 is an honorary mention for Arizona.

17:03

You can’t really talk about Arizona without talking about one of its biggest cities, Phoenix.

And within Phoenix or arguably next to Phoenix is Scottsdale.

Little suburb.

Right.

They’re almost one in the same.

In my mind at least.

They’re very, very close.

Scottsdale has a draw because of ASU being very close to it.

17:22

It’s a college town of sorts.

It’s a really, really fun place for Bachelorette parties, girls trips, spring break trips.

It’s a great place to party.

I’ll just say this.

So if that’s the vibe you’re looking for, I would highly recommend.

It has some really great nightclubs.

17:38

I’ve been to one called Club Maya, I think is very much still going cake, which was another really fun one I went to with Christina, a friend from our hometown that ended up living out there.

It was a great meeting up with her, great going out there.

It’s also a really great place for brunch, like bottomless Mimosa brunch.

17:55

It’s got a good vibe for that.

Like Scottsdale is a neighborhood isn’t that large, so you can roam the streets.

The vibe will be there.

They have pedicabs that will pick you up, that you can ride around when you’re kind of tipsy a little bit and makes the night a little fun.

Yeah, I did hear that there are some really good restaurants and brunch places in Scottsdale.

18:13

And I’ve heard like what you said, it’s a great place to have a Bachelorette party.

Actually had a Co worker from work saying that her daughter just celebrated her Bachelorette party in Scottsdale and they had a really good time.

And if you’re a big golfer, there’s lots of golf out there, too, in that region, That’s.

True.

Oh, and another thing in I guess Phoenix Scottsdale is the MLB spring practice sessions.

18:35

Yeah, spring training.

Spring training.

So if you’re into baseball or baseball men, it’s a great place to be.

Oh, they moved it from Hot Springs.

Yeah, they migrated over.

Decades ago from Hot Springs pretty decades ago.

So destination number six that we want to talk about in Arizona.

18:51

You guys all know this one.

It is the Grand Canyon.

Everyone knows the Grand Canyon.

It’s located in Northern Arizona, about four hours north of Phoenix.

We talked about this in episode 8.

So one of our very first OG episodes, the squad did a road trip from San Diego all the way to the Grand Canyon.

19:10

We almost hit a moose on the way in.

We were only like 2 to 3 miles away from our hotel, like 2 in the morning.

There was a moose in the middle of the road.

We had just paid off our car.

Jamal was like, Oh my God, I’m so glad we didn’t hit that moose one because we want to save the animal, but also we wanted to protect our car.

19:28

Yeah, and this was one of our first times really exploring Arizona as a squad number one, but even just in general exploring Arizona.

And like I said earlier, when I was kind of touching upon the Grand Canyon, we were driving through a forest.

Ergo, of course the moose comes out.

19:43

I was really so surprised that there was a forest here.

I really thought and had that misconception of the Grand Canyon.

You see the photos and it looks like a desert.

But now at the very top you have pine trees, the really thick, lush forest and so we had all that here.

19:59

But the once you get to the Canyon and go down then it just becomes this immense giant desert.

But.

Everybody around the world has heard of the Grand Canyon.

It’s approximately 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, carved by the Colorado River and such an amazing place to view nature’s glory.

20:18

You know, a lot of people focus on Grand Canyon Village.

And one of the times that we visited the Grand Canyon, because Jamal and I have now been through, I think twice now, we entered from the eastern side and we drove along the rim of the Grand Canyon.

And there’s a lot of different stops.

20:35

And every time you’re like, should I stop because like, am I getting the same view from a different perspective?

But you’re just so drawn to it.

And every time, like, you just get different views, Different parts of the Canyon see different layers of the rock formation and their erosion.

20:51

And it’s just so beautiful.

We’ve gone in winter both times, and both times there have been snow there.

And it just adds a different layer because you have this beautiful snow landscape dusking the top, and then you see all of the red layers underneath and it’s just so pretty and beautiful.

21:09

And as pretty as it looks at the top, you’re going to be amazed as you hike down into the Grand Canyon.

When we were there the first time, we hiked the South Kaibab Trail and we kept stopping and like, Oh my God, this is a better view.

Oh no, this is a better view.

21:25

But like every time you go in a little deeper, you just feel like you’re immersed in it more, and the views get more and more beautiful.

When you go to the Grand Canyon, if you do go in winter, don’t forget your ice cleats, crampons.

You’re going to want them for that hike there.

And if you happen to go to the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend one day at least watching the sunrise.

21:46

It was probably one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever.

Seen about every sunrise?

No.

Not every day.

The one in Hawaii.

The one in that other?

Utah National Park.

OK, we’ve seen a lot of really amazing sunrises.

Amazing sunrises and amazingly unique places, but sunrises just touched Brittanys heart a little bit.

22:05

She has a soft spot for that, but it was really nice to see it at the Grand Canyon.

That I will concede.

So we really loved it out there.

But again, Grand Canyon, world famous.

We all know it.

Probably the 1st place many people go to in Arizona.

But of course we’re making this mash up here.

22:22

Shouldn’t be the last place?

My last thought is if you do go in a warm month, be sure that you are bringing enough water, sun protection, and if you’re hiking down, just know that if you’re going down, it’s going to take you twice as long to get back up.

22:37

And of course, like I’ve mentioned, bring about water.

A lot of the hikes do not have water stations, So what you have is what you’re stuck with, and you do not want to get dehydrated while you’re at the Grand Canyon.

This is a good time to mention that we do have several different trip itineraries for you all to download on our website.

22:57

One of those is the National Parks in Arizona.

One of those is the American Southwest road trip, which takes you through the Grand Canyon.

And the cool thing about it is we’ve detailed our exact trips out with hike mileage, drive distance, places to eat, places to stay, so we can remind you again to bring the water that you need to bring.

23:17

We’ll be sure to link some of these in our show notes, but definitely check them out.

Like Kim mentioned, we do have the American Southwest itinerary and one of those locations is Page Arizona, which brings us to our 7th destination of best places to visit in Arizona.

23:33

It’s in Northern Arizona, just South of that Utah border, about 4 1/2 hours driving from Phoenix.

This place is really, really cool and really, really unique.

You might not need a ton of time there, but you definitely have to visit.

And why do you have to visit Page Arizona?

23:49

Two reasons, most importantly I would say is going to be Antelope Canyon and Antelope Canyon or slot canyons that have been carved by water and wind.

There are two sections, the upper and lower canyons.

One thing to note is if you are going to do the Canyon tours you need to make reservations.

24:07

This is on Navajo land so you have to make reservations with them and do guides.

The reason for that is people used to go in all the time without guides, but like you were talking about Kim earlier, crazy flash floods and rains and monsoons, when they happen and people are in here, they’re dangerous.

24:24

Lots of people have actually died.

It is very safe now.

You are guided, but just being in these narrow canyons and going through it and seeing these rock formations and the amazing colors of the desert, the Reds, the oranges, all the different hues, amazing Antelope Canyon.

24:41

It’s not just any other slot Canyon, It is a slot Canyon and then it’s like WAVY walls.

So when you get your pictures, it’s like a little mind warp.

When you’re in there of what it looks like, like you can’t see to the other side and it’s waving.

It’s orange and purple and red and light shining through from the top it.

25:00

It’s so beautiful.

Yeah, we actually went in December and we booked our tour.

And what was really awesome about what the experience we had was we were the only people on the tour.

It was just four of us and then our guide.

Who was our personal photographer?

25:17

And when we were waiting for our tour to start, they told us to wait outside and they how to sign up.

And you just look out and you just see this vast desert landscape.

And then she takes you to an area and you see a ladder and you have to climb down into the slot Canyon.

25:32

So really cool.

And then you, when you’re down in there, you look up and you can see the light beams coming from above and you’re just thinking like, wow, it’s so pretty.

And people actually do come to some of I want to see the upper Antelope canyons, more popular for the photography elements because there’s certain times of the day the light shines in so perfectly.

25:53

It creates these beautiful light beams and falling sand.

So a lot of photographers focus on the upper Antelope Canyon.

We did the Lower Antelope Canyon and although the light beams we do see them, they’re not the same, but you get like Kim said, the windy, striated walls from the sandstone and those deep beautiful colors.

26:14

It was definitely worth seeing.

And I would go back again and do both chores.

Me too.

Describing it verbally doesn’t know justice.

And of course we know the same pictures do it no justice.

But do yourself a favor and Google Antelope Canyon just to see exactly what we’re talking about, because these are some of the few pictures that you will actually look at.

26:34

And then be really amazed to wear pictures.

Do it the most amount of justice that it can, and it’s probably at this location.

And Jamal, you had said that there’s two reasons to visit Page, Arizona.

So Antelope Canyon was one of those reasons, but the other reason is to go and visit Horseshoe Bend.

26:50

This is a quick spot.

It’s a really cool bend in the Colorado River that forms a horseshoe shape.

It’s really, really cool to see this massive river take this turn, but it also makes for a really beautiful photo of you sitting on the edge looking out into it.

27:06

And how steep is that edge, Kim?

Pretty steep.

You don’t want to drop.

Down you don’t want to drop literally 1000 feet plus from the top to the bottom where you have this overlook of this big U shape of the Colorado River making that turn.

So Horseshoe Bend is a very popular spot.

27:22

So if you are doing the itinerary that we mentioned, the southwest road trip, you can stop here along the way on your way to Page Arizona to see Antelope Canyon coming from the Grand Canyon as we did.

So don’t be sure to overlook Horseshoe Bend.

27:38

Jamal, what is it called when there is that bend in the river and eventually it’s going to make the shortest path?

What is that called?

I know that there’s a term for that.

It’s an Oxbow lake, so when it makes that U, eventually, that’s too much effort of the water to make that path.

27:55

It wants to go straight, so instead of making that U-turn, it will eventually go straight.

It will cut that U in half and actually create a straight line and then you will have that leftover of where the water used to flow and it’s called an Oxbow.

Page, Arizona is also really famous because of Lake Powell.

28:12

We actually haven’t been, but it’s supposed to be a paradise for boating, water skiing, fishing, camping and hiking.

Looks really beautiful.

I do want to go visit.

You can rent houseboats there.

You can actually do boat tours.

There are some parts of the lake that you can only access by the boat tours and I would love to add it of one of my lists of places to go.

28:35

Houseboat would be an amazing vacation there.

I’ve done a houseboat one time on Shasta, and what a good time.

You’re on a floating mansion, literally on a beautiful lake.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

So #8 on our list is Monument Valley, and this has been on my list for quite some time.

28:53

We finally made the trip in March of 2023 and we went with Jamal’s sister Nashua.

She came out with us and we actually Rd. tripped it from San Diego.

And I want to say it took us about 11 hours to drive straight from San Diego.

But Monument Valley is a red sand desert region that borders Arizona and Utah, and it’s known for its towering sandstone buttes.

29:17

And it’s on Navajo tribal land.

And this desert scenic area frequents tons of Hollywood Western films.

Not only that, probably the most famous film that was ever filmed here that most people know is going to be Forrest Gump.

When he’s running and decides to turn around, he is in Monument Valley on the highway.

29:35

There you can see the rock formations in the background.

And when Brittany wanted to go on this trip, I said to myself, OK, like, I know Monument Valley.

I wasn’t necessarily really intrigued by it because it was just like okay, rock formations, whatever.

I don’t really feel like driving 1112 hours to just go out there.

29:51

But let me tell you something.

To see it in person is breathtaking.

Let alone watching it at dusk and sunset around that time when you just get the different color hues that come from the sky coming down on the rocks with their natural color.

Probably some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen without trees or anything around.

30:11

Yeah, really.

It like, it was really, really beautiful.

Yeah, what was really nice is by the time that we got there that evening, it was starting to sunset.

It was just more of a deep orange, red hue.

And we kept looking at the sunset thinking like, Oh my God, it’s so beautiful.

And then we woke up for sunrise the next morning and we’re like, Oh my gosh, this is even more beautiful because in the morning the sky is a little lighter.

30:33

It’s all more light orange, pink hues, really dramatic, pretty.

And then there’s also a 17 mile drive within the park and you can drive that and get closer up to some of the Sandstone Buttes.

30:49

And there’s a hotel in that area too.

I want to see.

It’s called the View.

If you are going, that is probably the place you want to stay because it’s closest to these formations and you can get really cool views of them.

We actually went on a weekend that there was a marathon going through the park, so we didn’t actually get to drive that drive.

31:07

So I would actually go back, but we did get to drive to the Forrest Gump Rd.

Take our picture where Forest is running.

The second place that I know of that you all have taken a Forrest Gump picture.

Oh, because Savannah was another one.

Following his.

Trail We’re not purposefully following Forrest Gump.

31:24

Let me tell you, he just happened to be in pretty cool places that we want to go and we happen to be there at the same time.

So from Monument Valley, that was our first stop on that road trip.

Then we went to the Grand Canyon, which we have already mentioned.

So you can pair some of these places together because Arizona, although it is a larger state, it’s also smaller.

31:42

It’s not as big as Texas, California.

So a lot of these things that we’re mentioning are pretty close in proximity.

Great Rd. tripping state. 9th best place to visit in Arizona is Bullhead City, AZ.

It’s a small town on the border of Nevada and actually borders Laughlin, NV.

32:00

So for all of you gambling lovers out there, you might know Laughlin.

My parents frequented in Laughlin a lot and they loved it.

And you can do tons of river cruises out there along the Colorado River and it’s loaded with casinos, not like Vegas or Reno level.

It’s a little bit smaller, smaller scale, but if that’s kind of your thing along with the desert nature, you’re going to get it in Laughlin and Bull Out City area.

32:21

Yep, and that’s exactly what you can expect.

You can expect river activities and casinos and just a damn good time, one I would recommend.

So when I went out to Bullhead City, a friend of mine’s father lives there.

So we had the boat situation, we had the house.

He was a local who knew all the good spots and he took us to this one called Bumbleberry Flats.

32:41

It’s a restaurant inside the Pioneer Hotel and Gambling Hall, and to an outsider looking in, it might not look like much, but you have to go there for their massive Bloody Mary.

It’s the best Bloody Mary I have ever had because on top it has beef jerky, hard boiled egg, chicken and waffles fried green tomato slider.

33:01

Wow, yes, that sounds really good.

It’s.

Really, really good.

There’s a restaurant actually in San Diego that has pretty well known Bloody Marys.

Would you say it tops that?

Farmer’s table we’re talking about.

The only reason I even cared about Farmer’s table was because I had this Bloody Mary.

So you had this Bloody Mary, and now Farmer’s table doesn’t even hold the candle.

33:20

I was hoping to find what I found there in Farmer’s table.

Didn’t compare.

Well, we’re going to have to go because we have not been to the Pioneer Hotel and Gambling Hall.

And when you hear something called Gambling Hall, you know it’s kind of like a local thing and not a really big commercialized thing, right?

33:35

I want to play some bingo.

Do they have bingo out there?

Oh, I’m sure they do.

I love me some bingo.

We haven’t played in so long.

We didn’t even mention when we were talking about Page Arizona how we stayed in that region and we did play bingo in the casino.

We did, and they go very fast there.

You know, I thought to myself, I want to stamp when we played Bingo.

33:52

I know we say this all the time when we talk about it, and that is a mistake.

If you have the option when you’re playing bingo to let the computer just get your numbers for you when they’re called, do that.

Because if you’re a novice to it like we are, oh man, we had drinks and I was just getting so flustered.

They go so.

Fast.

34:07

You had a freak out there.

I did have a freak out.

I had like 10 different cards in front of me.

I’m trying to win some money and then like you know, we specifically Bob Waters, she.

Warned us too that they go fast and we’re like, we can handle.

It I couldn’t handle.

It so I know that that Bullhead City is known for water activities.

34:24

Did you get on the boat at all?

We did.

We took the jet skis out.

We blew up these giant floaties and went out on the river.

But what’s funny is, you know, in the tips we mentioned monsoon season, they have these freak storms that come in and just come in hot.

And so one of the days we were planning to do a river day, we had our friends chain Ryan go out there with the easy up, get our spot because it gets really busy, you know, get all of our stuff and settle there.

34:49

And then we were going to continue to wake up, make breakfast, meet them out there, maybe just a couple hours.

Well, within that time span, a monsoon storm came in and the wind was going so insane just standing there.

Your hair is like flying around in a crazy thing above your head.

35:07

And we get to where we left Jane Ryan and they are taking cover under the easy up.

It’s collapsed down.

They’re holding it down, both of them.

This storm is just rattling them.

We have to go down there and save them and go back to the house and wait till the storm blows over.

35:24

And desert storms are dangerous.

I mean, some of that sand blows up and gets in your eye.

You’re just done for.

Yeah, I think the things going flying is one of the big dangers too.

Can you imagine?

Yeah, tents go flying and floaties.

So #10 on our list of best places to visit in Arizona is actually one we haven’t been to, but it’s been high on our list for years.

35:47

Kim actually mentioned this destination to me, I don’t know, probably at least seven years ago and it’s still been on our list and that is the Havasupai.

Falls.

This is one You’re also going to need to Google because the pictures of these gorgeous waterfalls, so it is a experience that requires backpacking.

36:07

I know it’s 10 miles to hike in.

They do have even mules to help pack in your stuff because you have to bring your food, your if you’re camping, your sleeping bag, literally everything.

They do have a lodge, but it’s not very big.

And you know, Kim is a Princess and when she wants to go backpacking, you know, it’s got to be a pretty amazing location.

36:30

Well, Kim is a water girl, so anything with water that intrigues, you know, definitely she wants to do that.

But you know you said Google it, Kim, And of course I’ve seen photos.

But when I say Google to you guys and squatties, I do it sometimes too to just receive the image.

36:46

And you said it and I googled it.

And one of the first things that comes up when you Google anything of course is people also ask related to the topic And then it says is havasu pie falls a difficult hike and it says it’s not easy.

So plan ahead prepare for heat dust and a long day.

37:04

So says REI.

So this is even the famous spot that the outdoor location and store REI is telling you.

Prepare.

It’s not going to be a single day adventure because it’s a long hike in and then there’s several different waterfalls to explore, swimming, lounge around in, relaxing and then a very long hike back out.

37:23

So you are going to be spending at least one night but probably more like two or three?

I actually think they’ve changed their permit reservations where you have to stay.

It’s at least two or three nights now, and the whole experience actually will be a little on the pricier side in terms of like a backpacking trip.

37:41

A lot of people thinking camping.

It’s going to be cheap, but you have to get your permit and you have to get all of your backpacking equipment.

If you don’t have any, like Kim, she’s a Princess.

She has no backpacking equipment.

I have no backpacking equipment.

There’s a lot of research that goes into it too, but some of the waterfalls there just look so beautiful.

38:00

Obviously there’s Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, 50 Foot Falls, and I’ve seen a lot of great things on Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls.

Some of them you have to go down ladders to get to.

And then of course if you’re going in the summer, that’s when the water is going to be warm enough to get into, but then it’s going to be hot hiking and at night.

38:20

So you have to take all of that into consideration, permit sell out like within hours or sometimes even within minutes.

So I have an announcement.

OK.

An announcement?

As of the day we are recording they opened up for the first time ever pre sale access reservations.

38:39

Usually tickets go on sale February 1st, but today in 2024 they have opened this new feature.

I just so happened to come across it from another Instagrammer that posted it and I noticed that yesterday so I did reserve for pre access resale tickets.

38:58

OK, so we’re recording this pretty early, so I’ll know in a couple of weeks if I will be able to purchase the tickets.

And how many people can you reserve for?

Four and you have to provide different options of dates that you want to go, but then it also gives you an option to pick any date available.

39:16

So I I selected several different dates in March and October because I figured it’s not too hot, but maybe it’s still warm enough to go in the water and then any date available, so we’ll just see what pops up.

So fingers crossed.

I feel pretty lucky because I just stumbled on that post and then registered and it could happen.

39:37

Also, the lodge would be, I think, a reservation fee of 2800 split between four people. 2800 Kind of like between four people.

For three nights.

OK, so that’s not too, too bad, but I did read that a lot of people don’t actually like staying at the lodge because it’s 2 miles away from the waterfalls.

39:55

And so then that also adds to like, OK, you’ve made it to the lodge, but it’s a pretty basic lodge.

And then you see you have to add on the hiking to get to where you want to go versus being at the campground, which is going to be a lot closer to the waterfalls.

It’s a trade off there, you know, a real bed.

40:11

Yeah, I know.

So who are you going with?

A real bed in the shower.

Yeah, exactly.

The shower.

Well, you’re going to be in the water, but still, So I don’t know.

I don’t have the four people at this point.

I just figured enough people are interested in this experience that I could probably find four people interested.

40:28

You will, you know if it’s in March.

Count me in, girl.

Full fingers crossed.

One bonus, one in Arizona, the wave.

We see this one come up on Instagram a lot because it’s very beautiful.

These orange and white striped, WAVY mountainous areas where you can get really great pictures.

40:44

We haven’t been yet.

I would love to go, but it does remind me a bit of in Page, Arizona, Antelope Canyon, that kind of vibe, as well as in Nevada, the Valley of Fire State Park.

Love Valley of Fire State Park when we were there.

I mean, you see the wave all the time.

I really want to make our way out there.

41:01

But it is in a remote location, is it not?

Of course.

Of course.

Yeah, you have to have a 4 by 4 vehicle to get there.

And they actually do recommend that if you don’t know how to navigate, you know, with just a map, probably don’t go.

It’s very remote, so you can actually hire guides to go with.

41:17

There’s a company called Dreamland Safari.

I’ve done a tour with them and other parts of the Arizona, Utah border.

They actually do a wave tour and they have like a guy that goes out there with you and does a hike with you and helps you with pictures.

So could be worth doing that, and it’s definitely been on our list for a while.

41:35

That sounds fun.

Let’s do that.

Well, squatties, thank you so much for tuning into our Arizona episode.

Make sure to keep the adventures going with us on Instagram, TikTok YouTube, Travel Squad Podcast and send us in your Questions of the Week.

If you found the information this episode to be useful, or if you thought we were just plain funny, please be sure to share it with a friend that would enjoy it too.

41:55

And as always, please subscribe, rate and review our podcast and TuneIn every travel Tuesday for new episodes.

Stay tuned for next weeks episode.

We have some more amazing adventures and tips in store for you.