This November, I went on my first trip in 8 full months. After thorough research and planning, I felt comfortable taking a COVID-19 safe road trip with my two favorite gals. This time has brought about challenges for all of us and after months of texting and Facetiming, it was wonderful being able to reunite in person.

DAY 1

We began our journey from Sacramento - Las Vegas, taking only a pitstop in Bakersfield for lunch and gas. The duration of the drive was ~8.5 hours and it flew by thanks to great conversation, Ari’s new album, and an episode of one of our favorite podcasts (huuuuge Armcherries). We arrived in Las Vegas with enough time to check into our hotel prior to picking up the third of our trio from the airport. The night was rung in with takeout from Joe’s Pizza and Wings in our hotel room.

DAY 2

The day began with my dental gals taking exams as I took a GRIT Express class (s/o Uforia Studios’ new On Demand platform). In 30 minutes, I was able to squeeze in a full body workout before beginning my day. We decided to grab brunch from Urth Cafe that we quickly ate in our car before beginning the journey to the first destination on our itinerary.

Destination 1: Valley of Fire State Park

This gem was located a mere hour away from the Las Vegas strip and felt truly out of this world. We stopped at the Beehives to explore the rocks and soak in the Nevada heat.

Pro Tip: Be sure to carry 10$ cash for the entrance fee to this park!

Next, we went to the White Domes which was approximately a 1-mile hike. The weather was toasty, but we were grateful for this pseudo Antelope Canyon vibe to end our exploration at this park.

Beware of the windy drive out of the park! After 2 hours, we were engulfed with the breathtaking views of Zion National Park. There aren’t enough words to describe how incredibly magical this place is!!!

Destination 2: Zion National Park

There is a $35 fee at the entrance of the park. This permit is valid not only for driving through the car accessible areas of the park but also to enter the park by foot. Only one per group is required but be sure to keep this on you and not in your car, like we accidentally did the next day.

Pro Tip: If you’re planning on hitting any other national park, it is more than worth it to get the America the Beautiful National Park Pass. It’s $80 and can be registered under two names.

We ended our first night at the majestic park with Sunset at the Canyon Overlook Trail. This is one of the hikes that has a trailhead accessible by car. It’s an easy ~1-mile hike with spectacular views.

Our hearts were full as we picked up takeout from Bit & Spur, a bottle of wine from the local convenience store, and ate at our adorable accommodation, Bumbleberry Inn. We couldn’t recommend staying here more! It was surrounded by the canyon, had the Springdale shuttle pickup/drop off right in front, and gave free breakfast vouchers for Oscar’s Cafe.

Pro Tip: Switchback is the only place in Springdale where you can purchase liquor, of course we found this our first day there.

Be sure to check out the rest of the posts from this road trip adventure!

Days 3-4: 2 Days in Zion National Park, Day 4.5: Bryce Canyon National Park in a Half Day, Day 5: Page and Sedona in One Day, and Day 6: 1 Day in Joshua Tree