I talked about a bucket list in a pervious post. Let’s just say I was able to cross a few items off within the span of 4 days. My trip to Arizona was originally planned as a solo trip but having another person with me wasn’t too bad.
5:00 a.m. is when I rolled out of bed to get ready for my 7:15 a.m. flight to Phoenix, Arizona. When it came to booking a trip to Arizona, I had to think how I was going to get there and where to go. I’m not sure how many of you have been to Arizona but I needed a game plan going in. I, of course, looked at many blogs to see where to go, what to do, where to stay, etc. Talk about information overload. This is how I went about it:
Booked my Flight via Southwest Airlines
I was fortunate to fly straight from Baltimore to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. My flight was booked about 3 months before the trip, saved a few bucks!
Booked my Airbnb in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is right off of literally the most famous highway in the U.S (maybe the world). I decided not to stay in Phoenix (too far) or a resort near the Grand Canyon because the cost was lower in Flagstaff and also we got to stay in a beautiful town. The drives to other parts of the state where worth it. Couple of hours here and there, wasn’t too bad. Roll down the windows and just enjoy the scenery. Watch out for sand, dust, elk, humans, etc.
Packing for Arizona
Oh sweet mother of….packing for this trip was tricky. I’m sure there are people out there who can give better information on what to pack for a trip to Arizona-Grand Canyon. I googled what to bring. Here are a few items I managed to shove in my bag. Clothing (long sleeve, short sleeves, long pants, tube socks, waterproof socks, hats, glasses….yeah…..)
Hiking bag w/hydration pack
Hiking Boots
Knife
Flashlight
First Aid Kit
Cortisone
CHAPSTICK- My lips are still recovering
Lotion
Sunscreen
You get it, bring items that will protect you. Don’t forget a mask!
Renting a Vehicle
Rent a vehicle! Seriously rent a car, motorcycle, bus, RV, SUV, etc…just do it! We originally went with a car but upgraded to a small SUV, the extra 20 bucks a day was worth it. Renting from the Sky Harbor Airport was very easy. I also used discounts from my job, check your benefits for those!
Make your reservation online, a shuttle bus (located near baggage claim) will take you to the Rental Car Center from the airport.
Check-in and depending on what you asked for-go pick out a car (was so much fun trying to pick).
Once you pick your ride, hit the road!
From Phoenix to Flagstaff
The drive to Flagstaff was a scenic one once you get away from the city. We took Interstate 17. My first impression of Arizona is that it is a stunning state. The mountains were brownish/red (I’ll get to the green parts later) but so beautiful. There was also snow on top of some of the mountains too.
It was also Hades in Phoenix when we left. But, I like the dry hot vs. the southern humidity I’m used to. The wind can be a little vicious when driving too.
Prepare yourself for the altitude. Went up a couple of flights of stairs and my heart was screaming “What are you doing woman?!”.
Back to the trip, if you like driving especially with a scenic background going 75 miles per hour (watch your speed), this trip is for you. As we navigated further up the mountains, the temperature dropped 10 plus degrees.
With an elevation of 6,909, the city of Flagstaff was originally setteled by the Sinagua, Anasazi, and Cohonina Native Americans. The city is located in northern Arizona and lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau and within the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Our Airbnb was on Mt. Elden and it couldn’t have been in a better location. Another fun fact, Mount Humphreys is the highest point in Arizona and towers above Flagstaff at 12,633. I have no idea if you can hike that beast, have fun.
Flagstaff is a college town, home of Northern Arizona University and it has a lot to offer. I’d recommend walking around downtown, stopping by a bakery, looking inside of the Weatherford Hotel!
They even have ghost tours- Sadly I couldn’t do one :(.
Advice: pack clothes for the different climate changes in Arizona. Flagstaff hit around in the upper 60’s, low 70’s during the day. When night hit and we were stargazing at Buffalo Park, yeah I froze-40’s with whipping wind.
Route 66
“Highway 66 is the main migrant road. … 66 is the path of a people in flight. … 66 is the mother road, the road of flight”. -John Steinbeck
Had no clue we were staying right off of this highway. It shocked me and man was it a good shock! Route 66, I’m not sure I can launch into the history of this highway but I really wanted to have a Ford Mustang in that moment. Flagstaff, of course, offered many souvinerers for Route 66, managed to snag a key chain.
Places to Eat
Alright, Flagstaff has variety of restaurants, however, my friend and I only ate out once in Flagstaff. Our lovely Airbnb host cooked us food so we didn’t have to eat out as much, saved money! If you are a sushi lover, we went to Karma Sushi Bar & Grill. The restaurant is located right off of Route 66! The inside is sleek and clean, would recommend.
Stargazing
Our first day mostly consisted of traveling and settling in. We were able to get out to Buffalo Park to watch the sunset and see the stars appear. During this time I stepped on a cactus, complained, and was cold. I was also terrified of bears because you know it was PITCH BLACK and I couldn’t see in front of me. Other than my paranoia and lack of weapons, it was really peaceful. I don’t get to see many stars in the city and took for granted the times I could.
Going to be honest, stargazing bores me BUT, it is beautifully boring (don’t hate me).
First Day was overall good and exhausting.
Next: Day 2, Grand Canyon.
-Rachel
Photo by Richie Nolan on Unsplash.com
