Solotrips are fun in that you get to do whatever you want whenever you want. Naptime anytime. The only downside is not having a consistent photographer to take pictures of you. I loveeeeeeed Arizona and will definitely have to go back. There’s so much to do and eat.
For this trip, I booked 2 Airbnbs. One was in Paradise Valley and the other in Downtown Phoenix (for the next post). I took an Uber from the airport (prices are really cheap there). There are specific pick-up areas called “prearranged vehicles” that are basically designated just for Ubers.
Paradise Valley is a really nice neighborhood, and I chose it because I wanted to hike up Camelback Mountain as soon as I landed. My Airbnb place was right near the Echo Canyon trailhead.
This is where I stayed for 2 nights!
It was only 10AM and the parking lot was full already. Good thing I only had to walk from my Airbnb.
It was 90 degrees and sunny. Bring lots of water!!! The Echo Canyon Trail is very steep with lots of scrambling. It was a lot of fun and I met people from all over the country along the way.
There were stairs and then there were railings to hold onto…
Some wildlife.
This was not an easy hike, especially in 90 degree weather. But I loved it.
At the summit, you can see the city of Phoenix.
It took about an hour & a half to get up there (stopped to take pictures) and faster to go down. Be careful, as it can be very steep.
The next day, I took a Viator tour to Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
(The view from my Airbnb at sunrise)
Walked through some residential areas to go to the meeting place. The tour guide/driver, Robert, picked me up right on time at 6:40AM. The company that Viator used was Detours of Arizona. I didn’t want to drive 3 hours to the Grand Canyon and only had a day to spare, so this was a great way of seeing it (next time, I’ll go back to hike & camp).
Sedona first.
Robert gave us time to wander and showed us cool places to take photos. And then gift shops, of course.
This was half of my gigantic sandwich that was included in lunch. So tasty.
When in Arizona…
Next, we drove to the Grand Canyon.
We went along the South Rim and stopped at different spots to take pictures.
Definitely coming back to the Canyon. It sure is grand.
I loved living next to a mountain. On my last night, my Airbnb hosts gave me a homemade blueberry protein shake. They were both ultra-athletes and told me about the running routes nearby, so I took their advice the next morning.
The neighborhood was really something. Although it was hot, it wasn’t humid. “Paradise Valley” was aptly named. I felt like I was in Hawaii again.
Downtown Phoenix coming up next! To be continued…
life on macro. 