Photographing at breathtaking places throughout the country is one of our favorite ways to vacation.  When it came time to decide on this year’s destination, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon were at the top of our list, so we planned a four day adventure that would combine them all.  It’s no secret that we are fans of flying with budget airlines, and when we saw that we could book flights for $29, we were sold!

Following a late-evening flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas, we hit the road in our rental car the next morning for an epic road-trip out west.  We broke up the 4.5 hour drive with lunch at In-N-Out Burger before arriving at our first destination: the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.  After stopping in at the historic lodge, we explored multiple viewpoints along the Transept Trail.  We circled back to the car and drove the scenic Cape Royal Road to the Point Imperial overlook, capturing all the gorgeous views along the way.  We soaked up every second of the sunset before driving 1.5 hours to our hotel in Kanab, UT.

The next morning we arrived early at Zion National Park to snag one of the very few parking places by the Canyon Overlook Trail.  The stunning scenic hike turned out to be our favorite of the day, and watching the sun rise above the canyons was absolutely breathtaking!  After driving along the Zion Mount Carmel Highway, we jumped on the shuttle to our next stop: the Riverside Walk.  We explored the Kayenta Trail before stopping for lunch, and then set off to hike to the Emerald Pools.  We made it to the Upper Pool (our most challenging hike of the day), and when we arrived at the Lower Pool, we were thrilled to discover its waterfall!  After a long day of hiking in the sun, ice cream at the Soda Fountain and dinner at Don Beto’s was the perfect way to end the evening.

Day three began at Bryce Canyon National Park, which quickly became our favorite with Wall Street as its highlight!  We set off to explore the Queen’s Garden Trail, made it through the Navajo Loop, opted to skip the Peekaboo Loop, and finished out the hike by walking up the switchbacks to Sunrise Point.  After a quick picnic lunch, we drove along the Southern Scenic Drive stopping at each of the viewpoints along the way.  A few of our favorites included Rainbow Point, Yovimpa Point, Agua Canyon, and Natural Bridge. 

We finished out the evening with a 4 hour drive back through Utah, Arizona, and finally to our hotel in Nevada, catching an early morning flight back to MSP the next day. To anyone looking for an incredibly scenic experience for couples or families who enjoy exploring the great outdoors, we highly recommend the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park!