Akshay and I spontaneously decided to join a couple of our friends for a Fourth of July Utah road trip. And when I say spontaneous, we literally booked our flights 1 week before the trip. Click to read more about our adventures in Utah!
Even though we only had a week, Akshay dedicated a lot of time to researching essential items to pack for our trip. The only debate that we had was on me wearing cargo zipper pants. And that was definitely not an argument he was going to win!
We are not experienced hikers, but here are some “obvious” necessities we recommend:
1. Water! Trust me, we saw people either empty handed, or holding small 8oz water bottles. It was literally 115 degrees when we visited back in July, so I don’t know what those people were thinking! Most people use CamelBak hydration packs, but I ended up carrying 2 two liter water bottles in my backpack, which lasted me the entire day. Also, most of the parks have water fountains to re-fill your water packs.
2. Snacks: Bring a lot of high carb snacks. We brought enough to feed an entire army! My personal favorites were the sesame sticks and beef jerky. Akshay, on the other hand, loved the Clif Shot Bloks and Clif nut butter bars
3. Sun Bum SPF 50 Sunblock: Best sun block I’ve ever used. We were in the sun all day, and I probably got darker when I went to Napa a week later than I did in the 4 days I was here.
4. Hiking boots: This one is more of a preference. We saw a ton of people wearing sneakers, and they seemed fine. Personally, I felt the hiking boots were a lot sturdier and more comfortable. I really wanted to splurge on some stylish hiking boots, but then I reminded myself that I would probably wear these only once in my life, so I compromised with some REI ones! (Akshay’s note: REI is splurging for any reasonable human being.)
Our friend, Adam, pretty much took care of all the logistics. He created Google docs, booked hotels, ordered the rental car, and really did everything he could to make our trip absolutely amazing! We flew into Las Vegas, Nevada because it’s actually closer to the national parks than Salt Lake City is. I swear it was an actual Utah road trip after we landed in Vegas! We were in Utah from Friday night to Tuesday morning and we covered a lot in such a short period of time. It really was a perfect trip!
1. Zion National Park (2 nights): I loved Zion! The views were phenomenal from every direction you looked, even outside the park. Also, it was so easy to access! We used the free shuttles that were available. Two days is plenty of time to get a flavor of Zion. We explored multiple trails including the Emerald Pool, River Walk, and Angel’s Landing. When we got to the chains of Angel’s Landing, Akshay and I were very perplexed at how these flimsy metal chains were our only protection from death. We decided to not become a statistic and turned around. Also, I’m clumsy. (Akshay’s note: yes, she is.) My favorite part of Zion was sitting outside on the patio of a restaurant, sipping a nice, cold, well-deserved beer, and enjoying the glorious views. 
2 Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend (day trip): This was not part of our original Utah road trip itinerary. However, since everyone knew I secretly wanted to go, we committed to the 2 hour detour and made our way over to Arizona at 5 in the morning. Be aware that Antelope Canyon is very touristy, and about $50 a person. It was worth the experience only because we were in the area. Horseshoe Bend, on the other hand, is amazing! It’s a super quick walk to the viewpoint, just over a mile each way. This one is worth going back to one day. A bit scary if you’re afraid of heights!
3. Bryce Canyon (1 night): Compared to Zion, the mountain structures, which are called hoodoos, are way more interesting here! Only difference is you don’t have as many beautiful views while in the town. On the plus side, Bryce seems to be way less crowded and much cooler in temperature than Zion was. If you’re rushed for time, there’s also a scenic drive that will hit some highlights of the park. We kept it fairly light since this was our last stop. However, we still managed to do a slightly strenuous sunset hike and get a pretty good view!
I really loved the spontaneity of this Utah road trip. It was a very refreshing experience especially because I was planning everything to the T for our wedding. To other brides (or grooms), I can’t emphasize how important it is to plan some get-aways or day trips as frequently as possible. It’s healthy to detach a bit. I planned a couple of trips after this one, which may have been a bit of an over-kill, but as I sit here 8 weeks after the wedding, I have zero regrets! Anyways, hope the photos, if not anything else, have inspired you to put these destinations on your bucket list!
