Arizona

Antelope Canyon has long been on my list of places to visit. With my feverish sense of wanderlust and lack of patience, I found the soonest flight to Arizona that was within my budget. Fast forward two weeks later, and I’m hopping on a plane to meet my friend in Pheonix.

After staying the night in Pheonix, we hit the road Saturday morning to embark on a 3 hour trip north towards the Grand Canyon. Before reaching the Canyon, we decided to take a pit stop at Flagstaff to ease our hunger pains. After reviewing some food blogs online, I concluded that Diablo Burger would be just what we were looking for.

Diablo Burger is located downtown Flagstaff, where you’re sure to find a crowd of NAU students filling the bars. Diablo Burger specializes in hefty burgers made from local produce and meats. It’s been highly recommended to order their Blackboard Special–a burger made with in-season ingredients. Even though their Blackboard burger seemed appealing, the Senor Smoke was calling my name–onions, grilled avocado, sriracha mayo, grass fed beef sandwiched between a toasted english muffin. And of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without their herb seasoned belgian-style frites with a side of their special sauce. Talk about foodgasm.

 

After getting our fill at Diablo’s, we headed for the Grand Canyon. An hour later, we made it the visitor center and took a short walk to Mather Point, which gives an amazing view of the canyon.

After a day at the Canyon, we drove 2 hours north to Page, which is the main town outside of Antelope Canyon. There were vendors along the highway selling handmade Navajo jewelry and crafts. Right after I snapped a picture of the necklaces, I noticed serveral signs around the stand that said taking pictures of art was restricted. OOPS!

On Sunday morning, we drove 15 minutes to Lower Antelope Canyon, where we went on a 75 minute walking tour.

Walking through Antelope Canyon was an amazing experience. The curves of the arches and the pathway through the canyon were all created by the wind and water. The layers of minerals looked like strokes made by a paintbrush. The color of the rocks were a magnificent tangerine with hints of red and magenta. To embrace Mother Nature’s artwork was an overwhelming experience.

On our way back we had to stop in Flagstaff for one last meal. We decided to have dinner at Beaver Street Brewery. I had Steamed Mussels with Thai Curry Sauce, an appetizer that I’ll be dreaming about for months. For an entree, I had their woodfired Enchanted Forest Pizza: artichoke-olive pesto topped with portobello mushrooms. spinach, roasted red bell peppers, french brie, walnuts, and finished with Parmesiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil. It was amazing.

After our meal, we were back on the road. By 8pm, I was back on a plane headed to San Francisco. This was definitely a quicky trip, but I’m still glad I did it. Arizona is such a beautiful state. I’ve been to Arizona twice and I haven’t seen nearly half of the things that are on my bucket list. This short visit has quinched my thirst in the mean time, but I’ll stay hungry for more.