For our 12th Anniversary, Matt suggested this roadtrip. It was perfect!

Diversity. From nights out in exciting cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix to the more intimate Flagstaff; from the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran desert to art and concerts.
Seasonality. While all of these locations were bustling, I know it could have been MUCH busier! In early October, most families have kids back in school and most snowbirds haven’t arrived yet, so we didn’t have to deal with long lines at the Grand Canyon or much traffic in the cities.

Logistics.
- Nonstop Flights To and From - From the Quad Cities airport we flew out on a Sunday to Vegas and the following Saturday home from Phoenix via Allegiant.
- One way rental vehicle. One-way rentals are not all that common, but Vegas to Phoenix incurs no extra fee for one-way dropoff. I like to rent from National when possible and typically always get a midsized SUV to easily accommodate luggage.
- Limited driving. The drive from Vegas to Flagstaff is only 4 hours and the drive from Flagstaff to Phoenix is only 2 hours. The day we went to the Grand Canyon we drove 90mins each way from Flagstaff, but compared to our West Coast roadtrip up Highway 1 with numerous 6+ hour days of driving winding roads, this felt very easy! For the most part, when we arrived at our destinations, our car was planted and we walked everywhere.

Days 1 & 2 - Vegas

Travel: 2.5hr flight Moline to Vegas via Allegiant

After an easy flight, we grabbed our rental car, made a couple of pit stops for supplies, and then headed to the hotel. Due to the price break we got for adding extra rental days, it cost about the same to rent the car as soon as we arrived and pay to park it for a couple of days at the hotel as it would have been to pick it up when we were leaving town on Day 3 and pay for rides to/from the hotel. It was nice not to have to return to the airport to get a car later. Again, trying to minimize the amount of time dealing with logistics.

__

This trip was planned around the fact one of our favorite bands was playing in Vegas (Night 1) and Flagstaff (Night 3), so we were on a bit of a schedule this first night. Fortunately the Brooklyn Bowl is literally steps from the hotel and features an onsite restaurant/bar (along with bowling lanes!) which kept us on track. Both the venue and hotel are on the The LINQ Promenade, which is a little district of restaurants and shops, so there are tons of other options as well.

Day 2 we had reserved just to explore Vegas. We had a great brunch at Hash House A Go Go, checked out the fall display at the Bellagio Conservatory, did a little sports betting, explored classic sights on the Vegas Strip, and checked out the party at the adult Go Pool (though it was a little too cold for us!)

On our 2nd night in Vegas we had no shows planned, so we had an anniversary dinner at the restaurant my dear friend manages, Yardbird. Though I had eaten there once before, I was blown away all over again. I think Matt would get on another flight to Vegas any time just to eat there again!

Where to Stay: Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino Everyone has their favorite places to stay in Vegas, for various reasons. I had previously stayed at Mandalay Bay and The Palms, but the Flamingo was definitely my favorite of the three. It was inexpensive, very centrally located to the things I wanted to do, and had some fun amenities onsite like the pool and flamingo habitat. Though I am normal a black and neutral girlie, I leaned into the fun pink vibe of the hotel. What can I say, I love a theme.

Days 3 & 4 - Seven Magic Mountains and Flagstaff

Travel: 30 min to Seven Magic Mountains sculpture and then 4 hours to Flagstaff

The Seven Magic Mountains art installation by UGO RONDINONE, located just outside of Vegas, has been a fixture of my instagram feed for several years now and I have always wanted to see it for myself.

The artwork speaks to the dichotomy between the natural surroundings and the artificial stimulus of Vegas, which you can see in the distance. Having just experiences the intense stimulus of Vegas ourselves, while heading into more natural landscapes of our trip, I really resonated with the art and it was totally worth seeing and experiencing for ourselves.

The drive to Flagstaff is full of interesting views as you pass the Hoover Dam and then make your way through the San Fransisco peaks and one of the largest pine forests on Earth. It culminates in a steep climb up to the city, which has one of the highest elevations in the US! It is a mountain town in a pine forest, surrounded by a desert, and it’s an International Dark Sky City. Truly one of the most unique places I have ever been.

On our first night in Flagstaff we were once again heading to a show so we had a quick dinner at Bigfoot BBQ. The pulled pork sandwiches were great, but I am still daydreaming about the mashed sweet potatoes. They were heavenly!

And we LOVED the Pepsi Ampitheatre at Fort Tuthill Park! It was such an intimate venue. It was easy to get around and you are surrounded by pines. It was 30 degrees by the time we were headed back to our car, so fortunately we had bundled up. This is a good time to mention that packing for this trip was a bit of a doozy, as we had to prepare for blazing hot days in Vegas and Phoenix and freezing nights in Flagstaff. But it was all part of the charm.

The next day we explored the city. Brunch at The Toasted Owl, some shopping, and - the highlight - hiking Fatman’s Loop. The hike was just a short drive from town and took about 90minutes. It had wonderful views of Flagstaff, alligator junipers over 900 years old, and some scrambling over a 500,000-year-old lava flow that has cooled into interesting boulders and blocks.

In the evening, we ate at Pizzicletta at Dark Sky Brewing. I’m lactose intolerant and don’t get to eat pizza out very often, let alone neapolitan style! The Marinara was made with cashew ricotta, so I could have it, and was absolutely amazing. This made me SO happy and the beer was great as well.

Where to Stay: We decided to stay in this Airbnb that was walkable to downtown while we were there so that we could spread out for a few days and just feel a little more like locals. It was tiny, but a great spot for the two of us. The walk to downtown was about 10 minutes. But be warned it is a pitch black walk as they are serious about limiting light pollution!

Day 5 - Grand Canyon National Park

Travel: 90 min each way from Flagstaff

I knew the Grand Canyon would be amazing, but I did not expect the emotional response I had to it. To be honest, the Grand Canyon was never super high on my bucket list. As a general rule, it’s the places more off the beaten path that tend to be most exciting and nothing about the Grand Canyon seemed like it would be off the beaten path. I am happy to admit I was wrong. The Grand Canyon ended up being quite a bit like any other park or trail in that walking even .25 miles away from the Visitor Center or main lookout will get you away from at least 90% of the other visitors. Despite the large crowds, we were able to have many private moments to experience the beauty of the Grand Canyon.

After finding parking, we headed to the Visitor Center and then out onto the Rim Trail. About 3/4 of a mile in we realized we had actually walked the opposite direction of what we intended to, but we were loving it and decided to just keep going. We stopped often to take in the incredible views. My favorite moment was when Matt spotted a tarantula on the move! It was the perfect nonthreatening situation to see one in its natural habitat.

We also made it to the South Kaibab trail and walked a bit of it. I have listened to several accounts of other hikers Rim to Rim hikes and I am hoping to someday do a Rim to Rim hike myself with a stay at Phantom Ranch at the bottom. So it was a little bit surreal to actual step foot on that trail myself!

After that, we hopped on the shuttle to go check out the geology museum which was really informative. Afterwards we were going to stop for a cocktail at El Tovar Hotel, but parking was impossible and we weren’t that hellbent on it, so we just drove around the village a bit and then started back to Flagstaff. Maybe when I go back to do that hike!

In the evening I met up with a friend that lives in Flagstaff. We went to Yucca North which had a free show going on and it was a great little spot for some live music and frozen margaritas.

Days 6 & 7 - Sedona & Phoenix

Travel: 2 hours from Flagstaff to Phoenix on Day 6 with Sedona as a midway point. On Day 7, a 35 minute drive to the airport and 2.5hr flight Phoenix to Moline via Allegiant

On our way out of town, my friend that lives in Flagstaff and works in Sedona made us promise that we would take 89-A south to Sedona (the scenic route) and not I-17. The route initially seemed like a normal highway and took us back by the Pepsi Ampitheatre and surrounding Coconino National Forest, but shortly after we turned a corner that opened up into Oak Creek Canyon and let me tell you our jaws literally fell on the floor! It was incredible. There were many resorts and trails and parks off of the route that I would love to go back and stay at so we could explore the area.

However, we were pretty underwhelmed by Sedona itself and did not stay very long at all. We stopped in a couple of shops and took a few mins to check out the landscape, but got back in the car pretty quickly to head the rest of the way to Phoenix. The drive from Sedona to Phoenix takes you through Sonoran desert, which means SAGUARO CACTI! These are THE classic cactus you would think of. They can be 40 ft or more and live 150 years. They were EVERYWHERE and I was totally in awe the whole drive.

After getting settled at our hotel, we headed out for a night in Phoenix. We had some yummy tacos and margs at fast casual Mexican restaurant Taco Chelo and then checked out the First Friday Art Walk, which is quite the massive event! We walked several blocks and then realized we probably hadn’t even seen half of it. With all of the people and high energy, it was a little overwhelming for us on our last evening, so we stopped in to Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. for a drink and then took in a final cocktail and views of downtown Phoenix at From the Rooftop (our hotels rooftop bar).

What I loved most about Phoenix was the art EVERYWHERE. There are so many murals, modern building designs, and interesting landscapes everywhere you look.

In the morning I stopped in a great coffee shop nearby called Kahvi and made sure to grab a last couple of cactus photos. Allegiant flights take off from the Phoenix Mesa Airport (not Sky Harbor), which was an easy 35min drive away. It is a small airport like ours in the Quad Cities and car drop-off to terminal was incredibly easy.

Where to Stay: The Cambria Hotel was reasonably priced, trendy, had helpful staff, and a great rooftop bar. The downside is that they do not offer parking, but even on a VERY busy night with the Art Walk going on around it, I was able to find free street parking not too far away.