My boys, and I* have been road tripping through the American Southwest these past two weeks, which means I’ve been out gathering a ton of fun information to share with all of you, but haven’t had time to write about it in detail yet! I thought it might be fun to give you a sneak peak at some of the amazing things we’ve experienced during this summer’s adventure, all of which I plan to write about in more detail in the near future!
Dear Faithful Reader,
Don’t you just love receiving mail! I do! We’ve been having quite a summer exploring Nevada, Utah and Arizona! It’s been so hot out and we’ve been doing a lot of driving! The USA is a vast and unique place!! Here is a little sneak peak of our Southwestern Adventures!
xo, hilary
Next stop… The American Southwest!
Dear Faithful Reader,
No road trip would be complete without long stretches of endless road. We saw this sign from the road, but when we pulled off to explore further, things weren’t quite what they seemed. Snapped a few picks, but didn’t hang around long…
xo, hilary
Next stop… Las Vegas, Nevada!
Dear Faithful Reader,
Las Vegas with kids wasn’t something I’d ever planned on… I’ll be writing more about our experiences there, but I think I’m going with my first instincts on this one.
xo, hilary
Next stop… Zion National Park!
Dear Faithful Reader,
Zion National Park has hikes and walks which are suitable for all ages! We did both the Emerald Pools hike and the River Walk!
We saw waterfalls and a tons of wildlife! It was 108 degrees, so dipping our toes into the river at the end of the walk was a welcome reward!!
xo, hilary
Next stop… Bryce Canyon National Park!
Dear Faithful Reader,
We saw this strange object from a distance and wondered… what is that?! Turns out it was the Rock Stop! There are so many of these shops, but this is the only one we saw that was actually in the shape of a rock!
We just had to stop!!
xo, hilary
Next stop really is… Bryce Canyon National Park!
Dear Faithful Reader,
After high temperatures in the 100s for days on end, the cooler temperatures in Bryce Canyon were a welcome reprieve!!
We did a moderate hike through the hoodoos. There were even a few raindrops! It was a steep climb back up, but so worth it!
xo, hilary
The next stop…
ArchesCapital Reef National Park!
Quick Stops at Capital Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park
Dear Faithful Reader,
Have you heard of Capital Reef?
Although it doesn’t get as much press it’s pretty beautiful! Many people say it’s their favorite due to low crowds… we saw some petroglyphs that were 2500 years old!
xo, hilary
The Next stop…
Arches National ParkGoblin Valley State Park!
Dear Faithful Reader,
The road from Bryce Canyon to Arches was so LONG….!
We took Scenic HWY 12, which was probably my LEAST favorite road ever!
It was beautiful, but so curvy!!!
We stopped at Goblin Valley State Park
for a stretch and a restThe valley is filled with hoodoos, which one can walk among… it was hot hot hot!
Evning might have been a better choice…xo, hilary
Next stop… Arches National Park!
Dear Faithful Reader,
I was surprised by how impressed I was by the arches! Does that sound silly?
Unfortunately, the hike to the famous Delicate Arch was in the difficult category, but there are a number of family friendly walks and viewpoints throughout the park!
xo, hilary
The Next Stop… Mexican hat!
Dear Faithful Reader,
After a few days in Moab, it was to head to our next stop: Monument Valley! This is the stop that starte it all, but I’ll save that story for a future post!!
The drive from Arches to Monument Valley isn’t too long, so wedidn’t stop along the way except to snap a pic of Mexican Hat Rock and to see the Forrest Gump movie sign!
xo, hilary
Next stop… Monument Valley! Finally!
Dear Faithful Reader,
We all loved our visit to Monument Valley! There so much history in this beautiful place!
We had hoped for some stargazing and to see the sunset over the magnificent valley, but instead were treated to quite a summer storm, complete with lightning, rainbows, and hail!
All was not lost… I set my alarm for sunrise and was treated to quite a light show, the soundtrack was provided by frogs and crickets! I may have seen some bats!
xo, hilary
Next stop… Page, Arizona!
Dear Faithful Reader,
When I first considered this trip, I knew the Antelope Canyon slot canyons would have to be on the itinerary! These canyons are easilyt one the most unqiue places I’ve ever visited, and this city girl definitely had a moment when I realized where I willingly was!
Wanting to take photos, and to enjoy the moment I opeted for two tours in one day! It was the best decission! our guide was awesome and this experience was definitely a highlight of the trip!!
xo, hilary
Next up… Horseshoe Bend!
Dear Faithful Reader,
Horseshoe Bend is the most photographed location along the Colorado River and it’s easy to see why! The view of the bend in the River from 1000 feet up is pretty magnificent!
I’ve recently learned I’m not great with extreme heights, so I wasn’t able to get all the way to the edge fro a complete view, but hopefully you get the idea!
xo, hilary
Next stop… The Grand Canyon!
Dear Faithful Reader,
We’ve been on the road for two weeks, and we’ve seen some pretty amazing sights!
Today was our final stop The GRAND CANYON! We visited the South Rim, where our first stop was the Desert View.
We were pretty excited to see an endangered California Condor fly over the Canyon!
xo, hilary
Next stop… HOME (via Las Vegas)!
*Tim stayed home to hold down the fort!
Pin for later:
Misfit Vinegaroon
Really great post, I love it! Sounds like you guys are having an amazing time, very jealous! What has been your favourite part so far?
Hilary
Thank you! It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think Antelope Canyon is up there! We also loved Monument Valley!
Christine | The Journey of Christine
What a fun post! You seriously hit so many parks and sites I have been dying to visit! America really does have some beautiful landscapes! #farawayfiles
Hilary
Thanks! It was quite an adventure and I’ll be sharing more details in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!
Katherine
What a cool idea and a great post! I’m waiting for my dad to visit from Australia so that we can go to the south. I think he’d love it. #FarawayFiles
Hilary
Thanks!! I was feeling inspired! That sounds like a fun trip, has your dad been here before?
katy@untoldmorsels
So creative Hilary – love it! We did a trip like this when I was a teenager and I really dont think I appreciated it at all. I would love to return and do it all again thanks to your inspiring photos #FarawayFiles
Hilary
Thank you!! I definitely think it was interesting, but two weeks might have been a tad long…
Ruth | Tanama Tales
Hilary, you nailed this post! Love every single bit of it. What an epic road trip. I have been wanting to do something similar for ages. Can’t wait to read all the details (and see the pictures, of course).
Hilary
Thank you so much!! It was definitely epic!!! Stay tuned for details!
Jennifer Howze
You’ve really captured some of the parts that make the American Southwest so exciting — sweeping vistas, somewhat kitschy stops, national parks and a gigantic American flag painted on the side of a building! #farawayfiles
Hilary
Thanks! It was quite an adventure!
Clare Thomson
I’ve so enjoyed your amazing photos on Instagram, Hilary. I can hardly believe the extraordinary landscape of the United States – and I’ve never heard of a hoodoo before today! Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Hilary
It’s pretty amazing! It’s one thing to know about the variety of landscape, but seeing all that wide open space is another thing all together!!
California Globetrotter
WHAT A FRIGGIN’ ADORABLE POST! I love that you actually turned your pix into postcards! I may need to borrow this idea one day! You road trip looks and sounds epic! I still need to explore this region! I’ve only driven through a portion without stopping! 🙁 haha Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
Hilary
Thank you! What is it they say about imitation being the highest form of flattery?! You’re welcome to it!! It was definitely epic!!
fifi + hop
Seriously clever, Hilary! Love this!! I can’t believe how much you were able to see in 2 weeks…sound alike you have your work cut out for you, ha. Curious about the Vegas experience..#farawayfiles
Hilary
I’ll be writing about this in order, so Vegas will be first… hint, I don’t recommend it with kids. 😳
Sarah
Love your postcards.. what a fantastic idea!
Hilary
Thanks Sarah! I was feeling inspired!
Anisa & Katherine (@2travelingtxns)
Love this post! I have not been to Utah and I really want to go, so definitely looking forward to reading the details. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Hilary
Stay tuned I’ve got a gold mine of info after two weeks on the road… first up, Las Vegas!
Danielle
This is my dream trip!! How long did this take you?? Beautiful pictures and such a unique post! Thanks for sharing on #farawayfiles!
Hilary
This was two weeks! I’ll be sharing more details in the weeks to come!
joylovestravel
Wow Hilary, that’s my kind of road trip!! Sounds amazing, looking forward to reading all the nitty gritty details too!
Hilary
It was pretty epic! I’m just now working on stop one Las Vegas! Stay tuned!
baublesandknots
GREAT concept! Love the postcards! Looks like a fun trip with the kids!
Hilary
Thanks!!! It was pretty amazing!
Angie
Such great pictures and The Grand Canyon must have been a wonderful place to finish your trip. Lots of great inspiration here for an American road trip
Hilary
Thank you! It was a nice way to end an already spectacular journey!
Jessica @ Independent Travel Cats
The American Southwest has so many great attractions and scenic landscapes, glad you got to see some of the highlights on your road trip, looks like you fit a lot in!!
Hilary
We enjoyed ourselves! It was definitely a full itinerary!!
Kana
How fun! I love the style with postcards – and wow you went to A LOT of places! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hilary
We sure did, didn’t we! Thank you!
oregongirlaroundtheworld
What a fun concept for a post Hilary! You are so creative!
Hilary
Thank you so much!!
Michelle | michwanderlust
I totally agree!! Very original, and appeals to nostalgia in those of us old enough to remember when people actually sent postcards (remember when..?). This was a very entertaining read and I just loved the pictures. Antelope Canyon doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen.
Hilary
Thank you so much for your kind words! I do remember when… and I actually sent two postcards during this trip, I miss the days of receiving fun snail mail! Antelope Canyon was amazing and I’ll be writing about our incredible experience in more detail in the coming weeks! Cheers!
RobRob @TravelLatte(.net)
What a great post! Who doesn’t love getting a postcard? Great idea and a fantastic way to share your travels. You guys hit some of our favorite places, like Monument Valley and Bryce Canyon – such a fantastic road trip! Thanks for sending us postcards at #TheWeeklyPostcard! 🙂
Hilary
Thank you!! I definitely love getting postcards!! We loved Monument Valley and our hike through Bryce Canyon was pretty amazing!
Kim Carberry
This looks like such an amazing trip! America is such an amazing country. The postcards are a great idea. #mainylovessummer
Hilary
Thank you! It was a pretty epic trip!
Mainy
Fab idea with your postcards. Love the rock stop, what a quirky design.
Mainy
#mainylovessummer
Hilary
Thank you! It was very quirky!!
Lyn (aka) The Travelling Lindfields
I can’t remember the last time I sent an actual postcard. These look great.
Hilary
Thank you!