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Road tripping USA 2023

February - March 2023
  • Paula King-Foullie
A 43-day adventure by Paula Read more
  • Paula King-Foullie

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  • 36.9kkilometers traveled
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  • 43days
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  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Phoenix Airport

    Hello Phoenix

    February 15, 2023 in the United States

    Arriving in Phoenix on time, disembarking was quick and we made our way to the baggage claim. Once at baggage claim, a quick look at the monitor showed our luggage would be at carousel 3.

    Dave bags came out quick, but mine didn’t and we were starting to think mine had gone somewhere else but alas they must just have been in a different section of the plane.

    Air Canada broke wheels on 2 of our bags with the one with 4 wheels loosing a wheel and the one with 2 wheels having one hanging but it still working. Well Delta completely wrecked this bag and we have a big hole in the bag where the wheel has come off. We will try and get another bag at the outlet shops in Vegas at the end of our road trip.

    Once we got our bags, we headed to the skytrain to take us to car rental area which was about a 6min ride. Made our way to the Sixt car rental, paid for our car which was to be a Jeep Grand Cherokee however we got a Toyota 4Runner instead.

    Loaded our luggage (I need to learn to pack less but it’s so hard to know what you will need for such a long trip that goes from one side of the country to the other), a quick get to know the car and where everything was and we were off, our first time driving in the States for this holiday. Both Dave and I hate getting out of cities we don’t know and Phoenix is no better with 6 lanes at times, the navigation system speaking in miles and just both being stressed.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Such cheap prices
    80 proof

    Quick trip to Walmart

    February 15, 2023 in the United States

    We made our way to a big Walmart about half hour out of Phoenix to get some groceries, an esky so we can take packed lunches on our exploration days, a pillow for me (as I hate the hotel pillows) and a cheap toaster.

    Back in the car, to make our way to Sedona which was about 1hr 15min drive and on much quieter roads, thank goodness.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Our car for our road trip - so comfy
    View from our roomOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaOur room numberOur room at Hilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaView from our room

    Hello Sedona and road tripping

    February 15, 2023 in the United States

    We are staying at the Village of Oak Creek which is just south of Sedona and the complex is amazing as is the room.

    We arrived, unpacked and at 10.15pm local time (which is 12.15pm Boston time which we were used to) we got to have something to eat for lunch/dinner.

    Tomorrow is adventure time.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Selfie time
    Our rego numberOur part of the resortThe rooms in our part of the resortOur part of the resortOne of the poolsLooking out over the Village of Oak Creek from the lookout at the resortThe Village of Oak CreekLooking out over the golf courseThe ice on the sunset viewing seatBeautiful sceneryThe Golf Course at the resortAll the ducksAnother one of the poolsOne of the many spasThe stream near the poolOne of the walkways through the resortSleeping beauty

    Beautiful Sedona

    February 16, 2023 in the United States

    Our first night in Sedona was their coldest night on record this winter. It was pretty chilly when we got out of bed at around 8.30am. Dave tried to brave the cold to sit on our deck for breakfast but it was just way too cold.

    After a long hot shower, we set off exploring the resort we are staying in. It is a really beautiful resort with many pools, spas, a duck pond, golf course and a sunset viewing swing seat.

    Being on the go for the last week and a half as well as travelling so far in such a short amount of time, after our walk around the resort this morning I lay on the bed and before I knew it I had slept for 1.5 hours. Could have slept longer but adventure and exploration awaited.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Another selfie opportunity
    Courthouse ButteCourthouse ButteRed Rock Country trailCourthouse ButteTrail signsRed Rock TrailsSedonaAnother sign another photo opportunityRed Rock TrailsSedona landscapeCactus and snowClark's Market and PharmacyClark's Market and PharmacyOur new roomThe bathroomEven with a spaDining and loungeroomFake fireplaceKitchen complete with a male drinking a beer lol

    Exploring Red Rock Trails

    February 16, 2023 in the United States

    We went to Red Rock Country trails which encompasses Bells Rock, Courthouse Butte and Lee Mountain. The views, as you can see from the photos, are nothing short of spectacular. We walked about 10kms between the walk around the resort and the trails this afternoon.

    Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at a local grocery store to get some steak to cook for dinner. When we went to cook our dinner and the power went out. Maintenance came but he couldn’t get the power back on. So a change of rooms was in store for us which I wasn’t looking forward to until he said it was the adjoining room which had a connecting door. And what is even better, we got an unexpected upgrade to a king one bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, and one massive bath tub - I’m in heaven!!    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Red Rock State Park
    Views from our trip around SedonaDowntown SedonaThe not so Golden ArchesOne of the many statues in downtown SedonaBreathtaking views everywhere you lookSnowcapped mountainsDowntown SedonaThe only McDonalds in the world that doesn't have a golden MSedona Fire EngineBell RockBell RockViews for milesSnow and red rock - perfect combinationBell RockHilton Vacation Club Ridge on SedonaDriving through SedonaSedona Golf ResortMore amazing viewsViews for miles

    Exploring Sedona

    February 17, 2023 in the United States

    Sedona was always going to be a bit of our downtime part of the adventure as it is such a beautiful place just to sit and take in all the beauty. And as it has worked out, it was lucky that it was as my good old anxiety kicked in this morning, not sure why just all things new like driving on the other side of the road at night, having to move rooms and a few other things - yes only little things but that’s me 😂

    So today we went for a drive into downtown Sedona and looked at the shops, bought a few souvenirs before heading out into the back roads to have a good look around. Sedona sure has grown since we were here 6 years ago which is a bit of a shame as it was just a small magical country town but now is getting more like a city.

    Back to our room for a bite to eat for lunch and to decide what we would do in the afternoon. As Oak Creek Village has grown also since we were here last, we decided to go for a long walk around town and find a place to fly the drone.

    Back to the room to pack ready to head to the Grand Canyon tomorrow. A quick trip to fill the car up and back to do a couple of loads of washing and have some chill time.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Nothing more spectacular than snow capped mountains
    Love love Highway signsAwe inspiringWhat a spectacular way to enter ArizonaJust had to stop to play in the snowWelcome to ArizonaWelcome to the Grand CanyonOur cabin at the Bright Angel Lodge - childhood dream coming trueOur cabinThe smiles say it allAll the snow around our cabinThe timber beams were amazingNo words neededYou see something different each time you look out over the canyonNothing more amazing than seeing the Grand Canyon covered in snowAnother selfie opportunityThe icicles against the windowJaw dropping spectacularAll the snowThe icicle from the roof reached the ground

    Breathtaking Grand Canyon

    February 18, 2023 in the United States

    We got up around 8.00am today to pack the last few things into the car, have a quick bite to eat, take the keys back to reception to check out and then it was time to hit the road Grand Canyon bound.

    At around 10.30am, we made our way to I17 towards Flagstaff. We had to make a turn off the interstate outside of Flagstaff to 89A then onto I40. Well we took a wrong turn here as we thought surely we wouldn’t have to take the exit to Los Angeles but yep we did. A few re-routings on the gps and we were back on the right road.

    Much easier drive today as most of the way was only a dual highway. We stopped off at Tusayan which is the little township outside of the park for some lunch before making our way into the park.

    As it’s the President’s Day long weekend here, there were many people coming into the park so it took about half an hour to get through the pay station.

    It wasn’t long before we were at the Bright Angel Lodge hoping we could get an early check in as it was only 2.00pm and check in wasn’t until 4.00pm. We were in luck and we were soon in our cabin. The cabin is less than a 2 minute walk to the canyon rim!

    As it is a historical lodge, the cabins are very basic but have everything you need.

    We rested for a couple of hours before rugging up and going on an 8km walk around the rim in the gorgeous snow. The photos posted here are only ones I took on my phone. I will post more from my camera when I upload them.

    We got back to the cabin at around 6.00pm for a basic dinner of toast before resting watching a bit of TV.

    More exploration awaits tomorrow.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    Such a beautiful place to take selfies
    Looking out from our cabinYou can look at this view all day and see something different all the timeBright Angel TrailheadBright Angel TrailheadBright Angel TrailheadCan never have too many selfies to remember our amazing timeStrolling through the villageGrand Canyon Railway StationAll the snowThe iciclesUnited States MagistrateBut first lets take a selfieMagistrateRecord snowGrand Canyon Community BuildingThat viewJust spectacularBright Angel TrailheadBlue skies, red rocks and snow

    Relaxing …..

    February 19, 2023 in the United States

    And what better place to relax than at the Grand Canyon.

    We set off this morning walking away from the rim to explore the village. We came across many buildings we didn’t know were here including a courthouse. We walked passed the mules who don’t seem to be working at the moment as the trails down into the Canyon are way too icy. This, however, doesn’t stop all the people taking to the trails. My heart is in my mouth the whole time watching them as the trails aren’t wide at all with a sheer drop off and lots and lots of ice on the trail. My heart is also in my mouth when Dave goes too close to the edge of the rim.

    While we were out walking, we decided to take a short cut through the glorious white untouched snow. Oh my what a laugh, the snow was so deep that it came half way up my thigh! We then had a snow fight as the snow was so soft and fluffy.

    We came back to the room to get ready to go out to lunch. We saw that since we were here back in 2016, a burger place had opened so we thought we would try it out. What a big disappointment, our dinner tonight back in our room of 2 minute noodles for Dave and toast for me was a lot my appetising.

    Back in our room for some relaxation before heading out this afternoon for our walk around the rim. Oh my it had got a little chillier than this morning so I ducked back to the room to get Dave’s beanie and off we went.

    After 2 hours of walking and exploring the shops, heavy clouds started to come in bringing with it icy cold winds so we headed back to the room and had our dinner. We bought some chocolate treats for after dinner on our way home.

    We were going to walk to the rim tonight to take in the beauty of the night sky as they say it is spectacular over the Canyon, however with the heavy clouds we didn’t think it would be clear enough so we have put that off until tomorrow night.

    There is a free shuttle bus that runs all year round here in the village, so tomorrow we are going to catch the shuttle to have a look around the village plus it stops at their grocery store. As we head to Monument Valley on Tuesday, we will stock up on some groceries for that part of our adventure.

    Here’s to another amazing day tomorrow.    Read more

  • Paula King-FoullieTravelerRoad tripping USA 2023
    The ravens flying in the canyon
    Looking into the canyon you appreciate how old earth really isWe couldn't have asked for better weatherWhat you think is a touched up photos aren't, it is exactly how it isBreathtakingThe canyon just keeps going and going and goingSo close to the edgeThe sheer depth of the canyonSelfie timeThis would be a road used in summer timePeople watchingCan never have too many selfies to remember such an amazing timeOur beautiful cabinAll the snow at our doorstep has meltedGrand Canyon RailwayBeautiful place to stayGrand Canyon TrainGrand Canyon night skyGrand Canyon night skyDave was in heaven watching trains

    Exploring Grand Canyon Village

    February 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C

    Today is President’s Day in the US and we thought that everyone would be up really early to get the last little bit of exploring in before they had to head home and therefore not get a sleep in. We were wrong and we got the most wonderful sleep in, it was amazing!

    Today we planned to catch the free shuttle bus to the General Store to top up our groceries and that is what we did. The shuttle stops at many different places around the village so we got to see the lay of the land so to speak.

    The grocery store was quite large, a lot bigger than we thought. It also has a souvenir shop so we got a few souvenirs as well. The prices of the groceries were very hard to follow. Some things we thought would be super expensive were super cheap and vice versa. Anyhow, we are stocked up again to continue our adventure tomorrow onwards to Monument Valley.

    We got back to the cabin and had some lunch before going for a walk around the rim, taking time to just sit and take in the view and people watch. Each time you look at the view, you see something different and you really appreciate how old earth really is. What the photos don’t show is the sheer depth of the Canyon, it just goes down forever! Plus at times, you go extremely close to the edge which is heart stopping at times.

    We also ventured into the trees where there was some beautiful untouched white snow. Yep you guessed it the snow was extremely deep again and we nearly vanished. Another snow fight before making our way out the deep snow. Definitely a workout and so much fun.

    While we were sitting, we overhead people say that the Grand Canyon train was going to leave at 3.30 so we made our way down to the train track to watch it, Dave was in heaven and I am nearly deaf from how loud the horn was.

    We did a little more walking before heading back to the cabin. I read more of my book and Dave had a snooze.

    As it was such a clear day today, we ventured out after dark to try and capture some night sky photos. I got a couple of good ones.

    Grand Canyon is truly a magical place and one that has our hearts. If you ever get a chance to visit here, don’t pass up the opportunity, you won’t be disappointed.    Read more

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