Hello everyone and hello 2019! 2018 was a busy one for me, with most of my free time spent planning a wedding. If you were wondering why my Instagram name changed, that’s why! Between wedding planning and work, I really didn’t have much time for anything else… but I definitely made time for an amazing bachelorette trip with my girls.

After flying into Las Vegas, the four of us packed up our minivan rental and started on our epic road trip through Arizona and Utah. When I was planning out our road trip, I already had in mind all the stops I wanted to make… Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, and of course Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are both located in Page, Arizona which makes visiting both a no brainer. To visit the iconic slot canyons, you will need to book a Navajo guided tour. There are many to choose from, so definitely shop around, not only for prices but for times. I wanted to get the Instagram worthy sunbeam shot which occurs in the middle of the day, so we booked the 10:30 AM tour from Antelope Slot Canyon Tours. Be prepared to pay a little extra for these “premium tour times”. Antelope Slot Canyon Tours charges more for the 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM tours. Different tour companies offer different times which helps stagger all the groups. It can get crowded in the canyon but all the tour companies do a great job moving everyone along, as well as making sure you get the perfect shot (without any people in it).

Our guide was amazing. Not only was he very knowledgable about Antelope Canyon, but he also knew all the great angles to shoot from while inside. Here’s a little secret… to get those amazing sunbeams, our guide threw sand into the air and presto, sunbeams!

Antelope Canyon was such a cool experience and a must for any nature lover. If you are planning on going in the summer, definitely book way in advance. We went in August and started looking around February, and tours were already sold out especially for those prime time slots. Some advice before you go, definitely use the bathroom beforehand. The tour is 1.5 hours long with no bathroom breaks. You cannot bring any bags, purses, backpacks with you, but do bring some water. Wear proper footwear, you will be walking in sand. We saw a lady wearing heels, not sure if she didn’t get the menu or she thought she looked cute… either way, I can guarantee you she was uncomfortable. And of course, bring your camera! I mean look at this place!        

After our amazing Antelope Canyon tour, we grabbed lunch in town and then made our way to Horseshoe Bend. It is a quick 10 minute drive to Horseshoe Bend from most places in Page. We got lucky and found parking in the designated parking lot right when we pulled in. It was around 2:00 PM at this time, and it was hot. I’m from Houston and I know hot, but this was trapped in an oven hot. If you plan on going in the summer, be prepared. It will be hot, and don’t count on any shade to rescue you. Also wear sunscreen! 

From the parking lot, we started making our way up the sandy hill. I don’t know about you, but I hate walking on sand. It has to be the worse. Just when we are about to get to the top, I started getting excited to finally see Horseshoe Bend with my own eyes. We finally made it… and then realized that we still had a ways to go. It’s only about half a mile from the parking lot to the lookout, but with the heat and sand (and us forgetting to bring water cause we thought it was just over the hill), it felt much longer. 

Once we got to the lookout, it was breathtaking and oh so worth it. I have to say, Horseshoe Bend is massive… it is way grander in person. It’s hard to grasp its size in pictures, so when I say definitely bring a wide lens, bring a wide lens. The Pano feature on my iPhone also came in handy. With the heat and lack of water (and our drive to Utah), we didn’t stay long. We took in the scenery, took a few pictures, and then made our way back to our car. It’s a place where you can spend 10 minutes or an hour, it’s totally up to you. Either way, it’s Mother Nature at her finest.    

Bloglovin’ | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook