Tag: Travel Blogger

After two amazing days in Bryce Canyon National Park, we were so excited to head to our next stop, Under Canvas – Lake Powell Resort & Glamping.

If you missed the previous two posts, start here to see our trip overview with links to separate posts on each portion of our trip.

Travel day: Leave our AirBnB in Tropic, UT and head toward Page, AZ.

Itinerary:

If you find yourself driving between Mt. Carmel and Glendale, you have to stop at The Shop Coffee Co. They are more than just coffee and have fresh baked goods, salads, açaí bowls and more. If you’re looking to book a tour via UTV, Jeep, horseback, or canyoneering slot canyons, East Zion Adventures is also located within the coffee shop and can help you take your adventures exploring to the next level.

With coffee in hand, we made our way to Belly of the Dragon. While it’s not much of a hike, it is a really neat place to stop. You can say, “I’ve been there.” It’s a manmade tunnel carved under the highway and is used for drainage from the upper canyons.

We hiked all the way through and then explored a trail that was on the other side before making our way back toward the entrance of the Belly of the Dragon. You could hike as much as 4 miles on the trail to a slot canyon. See map, here.

Next stop, The Kanab Sand Caves. You’ll see signs along the highway as you near the parking lot which is just off the highway.

When we parked, a local was nearby unloading his UTV. We talked to him and had a lovely conversation. He gave us confirmation on which way we needed to hike to get to the sand caves but also told us there are other sand caves located just down the road that aren’t touristy. In conversation, he invited us to join him, his son, wife and grandkids on their UTV adventure after we toured the caves. While I do regret not taking him up on their offer, they were all so incredibly kind, we ultimately decided we wanted to spend more time at Under Canvas since we would only be staying there for one night.

After hiking the 1.2 mile trail, you do have to scale a pretty steep rock to get to the sand caves. If you’re curious, check out the photos shared on AllTrails. I highly recommend shoes with good grip.

After checking out the popular Sand Caves, we did drive down the side road to visit the other sand caves the locals told us about. They were hard to get to as the trails are not very clear but we made it. The views were amazing. Our local friends told us we would see remnants of an old Disney movie that was filmed there, The Apple Dumpling Gang. Sure enough, we saw the old tracks and weathered set props on the side of the mountain.

Tip: travel with an open mind and talk to the locals. We have always taken this approach when we travel and love to take the advice of the locals which has always lead us to hidden gems.

Next stop: Downtown Kanab. Kanab is a popular destination for those who are visiting Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. In fact, my parents stayed in Kanab and drove into Zion on their trip. It’s only about a 30 minute drive to Zion. We could have easily spent more time in Kanab as there are so many things to do. Most popular attractions are Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Buckskin Gulch (UTV or 4-wheel drive vehicle required to get there), Little Hollywood Museum, Toadstool Hoodoos, Old Prairie Ghost Town, and Moqui Cave. Check out the best 10 trails and hikes in Kanab on Alltrails.

We stopped at Wild Thyme Cafe for lunch and enjoyed the outdoor dining area. It’s a small batch kitchen where everything is made from scratch. We would recommend eating here, although it was a pricier lunch spot.

Walking distance from Wild Thyme Cafe, I stopped in Asana Juice after lunch to get something for the road. We met the owner and she helped me pick out a fresh juice. There were so many other options on the menu ranging from juices, smoothies, açaí bowls, fresh salads, toast, seasonal soups and protein bites.

As much as we were enjoying our leisure day, we were anxious to get to Under Canvas and to see if it lived up to all the hype. Spoiler alert, it did.

Kanab, UT > Under Canvas Lake Powell – Approximately a 55 minute drive.

We arrived and immediately saw the allure for the glamping experience UnderCanvas is known for.

There are designated parking spaces for your vehicles. From there, they load up your luggage on a golf cart and a staff member drives you to your tent. They have handicap accessible tents as well if that’s an accommodation you need.

This particular location has it’s own slot canyon and area to hike and explore. After we checked in, we set out to explore the property.

On this particular day we felt like we needed a nap before dinner. We made our way back to our tent and had the best breezy nap with only the screens zipped.

Under Canvas has a restaurant on property, they offer complimentary s’more kits at night, and will provide warm blankets to you while sitting by the fire pits. Their common areas were designed to encourage you to meet and talk with others, which we loved. We had the best time getting to know other couples visiting.

Horseshoe bend is a popular area to watch the sunset at night but we decided to stay on property and saw a beautiful sunset over the canyons.

The night got cool enough to light the wood burning fireplace in our tent. We kept it on long enough to cut the chill in the room while we stargazed from the porch. On the dates we were at Under Canvas it was shortly after a new moon so a few planets were visible.

I grew up camping with my family and it was often in lieu of hotel stays. Our time at Under Canvas was both nostalgic and also nothing like the camping I was accustomed to. Adam is not a big fan of camping but our experience at Under Canvas was one he loved and was grateful I booked. It also lead him to looking up all of their locations across the country to investigate for a future trip.

Checkout was mid-morning which allowed us to have a slower morning. Sad to leave our perfect little glamping rental, we had more places to visit and a scheduled tour at the Upper Antelope Canyons.

On the road again and stops along the way:

Scenic viewpoint overlooking Wahweap

Scenic overlook of Glen Canyon Dam

Horseshoe Bend

Scheduled tour at Antelope Canyon with Adventurous Antelope Canyon at 11:05AM.

One important thing to note about our tour time is that we actually had an extra hour with the time change from UT to Arizona. We also booked one of the more popular times as the light in the canyons is ideal.

We had the best experience and were in awe of the amazing beauty behind the canyon entrance. From the outside, you’d never guess the slot canyons were inside, shape shifting formations that have been given names by visitors. Your guide will point them all out to you on the tour.

Below are some of the highlights for us:

Our week was full of adventure, long hikes, great food and amazing experiences. When planning the trip, I knew we would both love time to relax poolside, possibly book a spa appointment or play golf so we added a 2 night stay in Scottsdale, Arizona at The Boulders Resort & Spa. We love the Scottsdale and Phoenix area and always welcome the opportunity to go back. I booked our stay though a 3rd party site and got a really great deal plus Adam had points with Hilton that we applied making our stay very reasonable.

Our room was a little chateau with beautiful views of the foliage and surrounding areas.

The property had a hilly and scenic nature path that we ran daily before spending the remaining hours of our days poolside.

The first night, we made reservations at The Spotted Donkey Cantina which our resort shuttled us to and from via golf cart.

On our second night, we went to The Henry in Phoenix that had been recommended to us by friends who’d recently been. It was a meal we both still talk about. The ambiance was also idealic.

Look at this outdoor space.

I was happy to discover they have multiple locations in the US and am hopeful someone will open a location near us in NC in the future. If you’re reading this, maybe it’s a sign it could be you.

Our return flight out of Phoenix was around 2PM which gave us another leisure morning before a long travel day back to RDU.

Our Southwest adventure was a trip we will remember forever and one in which we talk about taking the boys to when they are older and physically able to hike longer trails day after day. We were also reminded of how much we love traveling, just the two of us. Before kids, this was always a priority. Traveling as a couple and as a family are equally as important experiences.

Advice: book the trip. Don’t wait. Experience new adventures. You will recharge and gain new perspectives for this beautiful world we live in.

Here’s a brief look back on the destinations we visited:

Don’t miss the posts on Valley of Fire State Park, Zion National State Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park.