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Arizona

USA

By Yes Mom I'm Alive

DAY ONE

We arrived in the late afternoon to the kitschy Grand Canyon Deer Farm in Williams, Arizona. After paying $12 for admission and $5 for a plastic cup filled with deer feed pellets, we entered the fenced enclosure. In the distance, a small herd of white-tailed deer grazed on grass.

Jeff shook the cup of pellets to get their attention.

Shake shake shake

A dozen white-tailed deer raised their heads and began to march assertively walk towards us. Soon we were surrounded on all sides by a hoard of deer desperately trying to grab the cup from Jeff's hands. I felt a tug from behind as a deer nibbled on my dress. Another went for Jeff's shoelaces. Slowly we were backed into the fence, laughing nervously as the deer closed in on us.

In a hail mary pass, Jeff tossed the remaining pellets in the opposite direction. The deer scattered after the feed.

Jeff went back inside to get another cup of pellets. We repeated this same loop three more times until it was time to get back on the road.

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

GRAND CANYON

This was my first visit to the Grand Canyon National Park. When we walked up to the rim, I looked out and down at the canyon and began to cry! No picture can prepare you for seeing it with your own eyes; the Grand Canyon just does not translate in pictures. Which is convenient for me, because we arrived late to the park so I had very little time to take any pictures before the November sun set.

Arizona

Arizona

DAY TWO

We woke up at 6:15 a.m. for sunrise because that is what you're supposed to do at the Grand Canyon. We got lost trying to find the Yaki Point and just missed the climax of sunrise – but all the same we got there!

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

GRAND CANYON EAST RIM

We spent the rest of the morning driving east along the South Rim, stopping at various view points. Dense clouds muted the canyon colors and high winds made stepping out of the car quite unpleasant. However, even in unideal conditions the Grand Canyon is majestic.

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

A Note

When we visited in November 2017, visitors only needed a $12 permit from the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation to self-tour the canyon. However, due to its increased popularity, the only way to access the canyon is with a tour guide through Waterhole Canyon Experience.

WATERHOLES CANYON

After finishing the South Rim drive, we headed north two hours to Page, a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Powell. Our first stop was to Waterholes Canyon, a classic Arizonian slot canyon just a few miles outside of town. The canyon would retain large pools of water whenever the Colorado River floods, hence the name.

When we entered the canyon, we had the option to head west or east. At the fork, a kind citizen scrawled in chalk with an arrow pointing west: "Dead cow this way. Very bad smell!"

So east we went!

The canyon widened and narrowed several times over the 2.5 mile trail-less hike. While not a technical hike, a few sections of the canyon required some acrobatic maneuvering to pass through. Occasionally we came across metal ladders in the canyon, left to help hikers climb over tall canyon walls to access the next section.

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RETURN

At the near-end of Waterholes Canyon, we popped out by scrambling up a low-slope wall. We walked back to our car along the rim to the canyon, which made for a much quicker return.

Arizona

Arizona

HORSESHOE BEND

Horseshoe Bend is just a mile away from Waterholes Canyon, so after our hike we decided to stop there to wait for sunset.

Arizona

SOUTHWEST SUNSET

We left Horseshoe Bend when the sky turned gray, assuming there would be no sunset. When we pulled up to our hotel, we saw what would've been an incredible sunset over Horseshoe Bend had we just stayed 10 minutes longer! Instead we enjoyed it from the parking lot of the Comfort Inn.

Arizona

A Note

When we visited Coal Mine Canyon in November 2017, no permit was required. Now visitors must purchase a permit ($12 as of early 2020) from the Navajo Parks and Recreation office in Cameron or on the Navajo National Parks website. To visit the canyon floor you need a Hopi guide to escort you, as the canyon floor is on Hopi land.

DAY THREE

After far too little time in Page, we drove south to Coal Mine Canyon, a colorful wide ravine on the northeastern edge of the Navajo Reservation. The canyon is also known as "Honoo Ji", which translates in the Navajo language to saw-tooth or rugged area.

Coal Mine Canyon is surprisingly under-popular given the vivid colors and hundreds of hoodoos that rival Bryce Canyon National Park. I was amazed we were the only two people visiting that afternoon.

We walked along the rim for a few hours, exploring the few fingers that extended into the center of the ravine.

There are no trails at Coal Mine, per se; just a few fingers you can walk onto from the rim. From every angle you can see eroded spires, with horizontal layers of red, orange, black and white colored sandstone.

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SEDONA

It took us 1 hour to drive the last 11 miles into Sedona. I knew Sedona was popular, but I didn't know it was takes-1-hour-to-drive-11-miles in bumper-to-bumper traffic popular. We went to Airport Mesa for sunset, grabbed a margarita at a downtown cantina, and then called it a night.

Arizona

DAY FOUR

We left Sedona and finished our driving loop by heading back south to Phoenix.

We made it many hours ahead of our flight home, so we decided to bop down to Lost Dutchman State Park to get a look at the Superstition Mountains. A short trail took us through clusters of saguaro cacti, some standing nearly 30 feet high. I regret we didn't have more time to explore this area (a major theme for our entire whirlwind visit to Arizona).

Arizona

ITINERARY AND ADVICE

ITINERARY

This itinerary is perfect if and only if you want to rush and barely have time to enjoy the places you came to see. I hope you don't, and you won't follow exactly what we did. Add one or two more days to your trip, or cut out one or two of our stops!

DAY ONE

Arrive mid-morning to Phoenix International Airport. Pick up your rental car.

Drive north on I-27 to Williams (2.5hrs)

Stop at the Grand Canyon Deer Farm

Continue driving north on Hwy 64 to the Grand Canyon National Park (1hr)

Take the free park shuttle to a viewpoint for sunset. Hopi Point and Yavapai Point are often recommended, but any spot you can enjoy the setting sun in peace will be memorable.

Check into the Bright Angel Lodge

DAY TWO

Wake up early and drive east to Yaki Point for sunrise

Continue driving east along the rim, stopping along the way at scenic viewpoints

Leave the park and head north to Page (2–3hrs, depending on seasonal road closures)

Head immediately to Waterholes Canyon

Note: When we visited Waterholes, we only needed a permit from the Navajo Nation's Park & Recreation office to self-tour the canyon. Due to its increased popularity, the only way to access the canyon today is with a tour guide through Waterhole Canyon Experience.

Drive 2 miles down Hwy 89 to the Horseshoe Bend parking lot. It's a short hike to the viewpoint.

Enjoy sunset at Horseshoe Bend

Stay at the Comfort Inn at Lake Powell ($60/night in the off-season!)

DAY THREE

Leave Page, driving south towards Tuba City (1hr)

Visit Coal Mine Canyon (directions)

Note: When we were in Arizona in 2017, no permit was needed to visit Coal Mine Canyon. Now visitors must purchase a permit ($12 in 2020) from the Navajo Parks & Recreation office in Cameron, Arizona or on the Navajo National Parks website.

Get back on the road and head south to visit Sunset Crater (1.5hrs)

Continue south to Sedona (1hr)

Drive to Airport Mesa for sunset ($3 for parking)

Check into the Star Motel (about $170/night in the off-season)

Note: We stopped in Sedona for one night because it was a convenient middle-distance from Page to Phoenix. I would not do this again. Unless you plan to stay and hike in the surrounding area, stopping in Sedona is not worth the expensive hotels or traffic!

Grab dinner at the only place without a 2-hour wait, such as 89 Agave

DAY FOUR

Continue south back towards Phoenix (3hrs)

Take a short hike at Lost Dutchman State Park

Return to Phoenix International and drop off your rental car

Take your early evening flight back home

Arizona

RECOGNIZING TRIBAL NATIONS

There are 22 distinct native tribes in Arizona, and over a quarter of the state is reservation land. Each tribe's land is a sovereign nation with its own government, laws, and rules for visitors. Do your research and honor what is requested of you when visiting these spaces.

Here are some suggested readings before a visit to Arizona:

Map of Federally Recognized Tribes in Arizona

Sacred Native American Sites Are Not Your Playgrounds

Grand Canyon Area Tribes

Native American Tribes & The Grand Canyon

Native Americans Throughout Time in the Grand Canyon

Protocols for visiting Navajo Nation

Footnotes

Canon 6D. Alternating 17–40mm f/4L and 70-200mm f/4L

FootNotes

Canon 6D. Alternating 17–40mm f/4L and 70-200mm f/4L

© 2026 Yes Mom I'm Alive

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