Roadtrip USA: Albuquerque, Sedona, Grand Canyon
Important note: This entry is part of a series covering our recent USA Road Trip. It is not written as a guide, but more as journal entries, since – you will notice if you bother to read them – we barely spent a day in each place we visited, except for New Orleans (two days). It is simply impossible (and unfair) to each town or city, for us to make any judgements whatsoever, without spending enough time to properly explore many, if not all, that they have to offer. Nevertheless, if you decide to continue reading – buckle up – we hope you enjoy the ride.
I’ve lumped Albuquerque, Sedona and Grand Canyon* in one post due to the limited amount time we spent in each location. In addition, as you’ll find out eventually, we did not actually get to see the Grand Canyon, which was the highlight of this leg of the trip, due to unfavourable weather conditions (again!). I think it’s safe to say that the next time we try to visit the Grand Canyon, it will definitely NOT be during the winter months!
Table of Contents
Albuquerque, New Mexico
It took us about 6 hours to get to the Econo Lodge – our accommodation in Albuquerque for the night. We arrived a little after 1pm, just in time for lunch, but were unable to check in because the rooms we booked were not ready yet. So, we decided to walk to the Old Town to grab a bite and to explore.
Little Anita’s Mexican Food – We found Little Anita’s in the Old Town, which serves Mexican food. Portions were massive, and they serve pretty good frozen margaritas.
A stroll around the Old Town – Walking around the Old Town felt like we were in a theme park of sorts. Lined with restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops, we killed time exploring all the little nooks and crannies. It’s a very touristy part of the city, and we loved it.
Econo Lodge Old Town – We returned to our hotel and before calling it a night, we had a few drinks.
Click here if you’d like to check out the overview of our epic USA Road Trip!
Sedona, Arizona
Another journey of about 6 hours and we were in Uptown Sedona in Arizona. Sedona is famous for its amazing landscapes, containing world-famous rock formations, such as Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Devil’s Bridge, and, not too far away, Horseshoe Bend, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Uptown Sedona – Before exploring these iconic sights, we decided to stop by Oaxaca Restaurant for lunch. Servings were big, and we left the restaurant energised and ready for a mini road trip to see some gigantic rocks.
Big ass rocks – There’s no shortage of majestic views all over Sedona. We made sure to stop at as many viewpoints and lots of pictures.
Chapel of the Holy Cross – It’s hard to miss this one-of-a-kind chapel, which was completed in 1956 and voted by Arizonans to be one of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona.
Sedona Village Lodge – Our accommodation was cosy, with a separate bedroom containing two queen beds, a living room with a fireplace, and a bar.
Grand Canyon
A little mishap – The following day, on the way to our hotel near the Grand Canyon, we were caught in a fierce snowstorm which made the one and only road to our hotel virtually impassable with our Grand Caravan. We lost traction and almost ran off the road. But for the kindness of a couple of locals, who helped us steer the van onto the other side of the road in the opposite direction, we might have been stuck on the road for hours in the storm.
Chevron – We decided to drive in the opposite direction (primarily because we had no choice), find a gasoline station, regroup, and decide on where we were going to spend the night, as well as our next steps moving forward. The closest was a Chevron with a Burger King and a gift shop, somewhere in Cameron, a little town with a population of less than a thousand.
At the station, we called our hotel at the Grand Canyon and told them we’d have to cancel, since it was impossible for us to get there. After that, we called several hotels nearest to us, but despite several attempts, we were unable to book a room since everything was fully booked. Reluctantly we decided that we would sleep in the van for the night, then head straight for Los Angeles first thing tomorrow morning.
Overall Impressions
Although we were disappointed at failing to see the Grand Canyon, getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, and deciding to cut the trip a few days short, we came away with lots of great memories. And after several days on the road, we were quite eager to get back some sense of normalcy.
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