Adventures of Anna Abroad: Arizona Roadtrip

Sunrise at Mather Point (South Rim, Grand Canyon)

My friend Minja came to visit me for 5 days, so we decided the best way to catch up would be to road trip around Arizona. We had a roadmap, an iPod, a GoPro, a Subaru, no plan, and our only goal was to see the Grand Canyon. So naturally we ended up having an epic adventure.

Lower Antelope Canyon

We began in Pine for a nice relaxing start in a cozy town up North. Then we jumped into the Subaru and headed for Antelope Canyon. There, we enjoyed a private tour through the natural narrow corridors, and an extremely helpful photography course from our Navajo guide. Afterwards, we raced the sunset to horseshoe bend for 360 views of red rock and the Colorado River. We arrived at our lodge in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon by dusk, and recharged our batteries for the natural wonder. We secured a spot at Mather Point, just in time to beat the crowds and capture 20 minutes of sunrise footage. After reveling in the beauty of the snow covered trees freckled around the radiant pink and purple hues of the canyon walls, we headed South. We drove through Flagstaff, and stopped for lunch in Sedona with views of the stunning red rock formations.

We hit the road again after one night in Tempe, but this time guided by Groupon's wine deals. We wandered through the grasslands of Southern Arizona, with brief stops at the cozy Wilhelm Family Vineyard and the more trendy Hops and Vines. After tasting the delicious flavors of Sonoita, we settled into the hot tub at Walker Ranch, where we awoke to another memorable sunrise.

We finished the trip in Tucson at the Sonoran Desert museum zoo, where we encountered a mountain lion and various other desert dwellers. Then one final discovery walk through Saguaro National Park, with thousands of cacti of all shapes and sizes surrounding us, brought our reunion to an end.

Here's what our trip looked like through the GoPro Hero 3 plus...