Several years ago, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, for a job without knowing a single person there. When December arrived, I didn’t have enough money (or time off work) to fly home to Florida for Christmas. It took almost a whole day to fly home, especially after the time change and layover. I tried to join a get together with friends, but that fell through. Everyone else either already had plans or was leaving town. I eventually came to accept that I would be alone on Christmas.
Hmm, now what? Having a traditional Christmas was no longer an option. I had already been living in Arizona for five months and I hadn’t been to the Grand Canyon yet. Or to that ski resort in Flagstaff. And I had just been given the perfect opportunity to go explore them. That’s it! I would go on a Christmas Road Trip Adventure!
As Christmas got closer, I became more and more excited about my upcoming trip. Some coworkers told me about a really cool ski resort in Flagstaff, and I hadn’t had a chance to go skiing since high school. They said lift tickets sometimes sell out, so I bought them ahead of time from a ski shop in Phoenix.
I booked a hotel with a hot tub and packed my ski suit and bikini in my suitcase. On December 23, I headed north to Arizona Snowbowl!
Ski suit? Check! Bathing suit? Check!
It was an easy, two hour drive straight up I-17. I checked into my hotel, then stopped at the store for a ski hat and some gloves. I woke up early the next morning and drove up the mountain to Arizona Snowbowl!
The view from the parking lot at Arizona Snowbowl.
I was so excited to go skiing! I went inside and rented skis and poles. They asked me if I wanted a skiing instructor. Pshhh! I already know how to ski! I politely declined, then suited up, headed outside, and got on the chair lift.
It was the most terrifying chair lift I had ever been on. There was nothing keeping me from jumping (falling?) out of the seat from so high up. I closed my eyes and held on tight as the chair swung back and forth. When I finally arrived at the top, I pushed myself off of the lift.
The view from the top of the mountain.
The views were gorgeous from the top of the mountain! I stayed up there for a while enjoying the view and taking pictures. I thought about all of the pictures my friends posted on social media of them selecting their Christmas tree, strapping it to the roof of their car, and decorating it. I decided to select one to be my Christmas tree. I looked over at all the trees. They were all so beautiful. It was so difficult to pick one. Finally, I saw one by itself in the snow in front of the mountain. That’s the one! That will be my Christmas tree! But I’m not going to chop it down and haul it away to decorate it. Nature already decorated it perfectly. I stood there for a minute, soaking up the views and enjoying the moment. Then I took a picture to show my friends.
My Christmas Tree
I decided to take it easy on my first run. I hadn’t been skiing since I was a teenager. There was no designated “bunny hill” at the Arizona Snowbowl, so I chose a green circle slope, which is the easiest level slope. When I was a kid, I sped down the blue square (intermediate) slopes like it was nothing. And I loved it so much!
This time, it was much more difficult. At first, I started going fast, and it was fun. But then I realized I couldn’t slow down and had very little control. There were lots of people around, so I didn’t want to hit anyone. I ended up jumping/falling off to the side of the path. When I landed, one of my skis fell off. As I started to look around for my missing ski, I realized I was stuck.
I reached for the ski and tried to snap my boot back into it, but it popped back off. A guy on a snowmobile rode by several times without saying anything. I wondered if anyone could see me. At least I wasn’t hurt. I felt like I was laying in the snow forever. Maybe I should take off my other ski and boots and walk down the hill in bare feet?
Eventually, he asked if I needed help. He helped me put my ski back on, then I got up and made my way to the bottom of the slope. I felt a pain in my hip as I tried to walk.
I decided to call it a day. Maybe I should have paid extra for those skiing lessons. I returned my equipment and went back to my car. I met some people in the parking lot and sold them my remaining ticket. Oh well, at least there’s a hot tub at the hotel.
When I got back to the hotel, I put on my bathing suit and went to the hot tub. I reached for the door to the pool area, but it was locked. On the website, it said the hot tub was open until 8pm. It was only 5pm. I went to the office, and they said the hot tub closes at 5pm. What a bummer.
I went back to my room and laid in bed. There was no way I could go to Grand Canyon the next day. I was in too much pain after falling on my hip. At this point, I was even dreading the two hour drive back to Phoenix.
I searched the internet to look for alternative plans. I found Meteor Crater Observatory – a national landmark at the site where a meteor hit. It sounded pretty interesting. But upon further research, it was closed one day a year. December 25. The day I needed to head back to Phoenix.
I decided to go to bed early and get some rest. In the morning, I checked out of the hotel and headed back towards Phoenix. Driving south on I-17 felt like a roller coaster ride. Zooming down the mountain, shifting into neutral.
I stopped at a rest stop in Sedona. I had heard a lot about that place. Lots of artist type people have been known to go there and have life-changing experiences after seeing the red rocks, or perhaps from the energy fields that radiate from the ground there. I enjoyed a picnic lunch from the rest stop. I could see the red rocks in the distance.
McGuireville rest stop picnic area with views of Sedona red rock.
It was quite a bit warmer in Sedona than it was in Flagstaff. I took off the hat, scarf, and ski jacket and wore just a sweater. By driving 60 miles south, it warmed up significantly!
When I got home to Phoenix, I ended the day in a bathing suit in the hot tub. It was so nice to finally relax and look back at my adventurous Christmas. Even though a lot of things went wrong, I had no regrets. It was something I really wanted to do. I got to explore places I had never been before. But most importantly, I learned how much fun it can be to go on solo adventures, even when nothing goes as planned. I was hooked on adventures! Especially since I hadn’t spent much time out west. Everything was new to me.
A few days later, I resigned from my corporate job, packed a suitcase, and drove to Las Vegas, NV, for a New Years adventure with a group of friends from college.
I already had another job lined up, but I was scared to resign. The people I worked with were nice. I felt like I was screwing them over. But going on my solo Christmas adventure allowed me to see that I needed to do this for myself. I needed to do what’s best for me.
Coincidentally, some friends from college in Florida were flying into Las Vegas for vacation/New Year’s Eve. My next adventure was right around the corner!
Have you ever turned a lonely holiday into an epic adventure?
Cross-Country Road Trip: Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
I didn’t really have a plan for what to do in Utah. I knew I wanted to see Zion National Park, The Wave, and some other hikes. On my way up, I drove through Zion. I thought about going in, but didn’t want to pay $30 near the end of the day with little time left.
When I got to the Cowboy Bunkhouse Hostel in Kanab, I met the Trail Boss. He gave me
The Cowboy Bunkhouse
lots of awesome ideas on what to see and where to go. He also informed me of a little known fact among visitors: you have to enter and win a lottery in order to hike The Wave, so that is out of the question. With his help, I was able to plan the best trip to suit my needs. I could have stayed for a whole month and still not seen everything. But it was the end of the season, and many places were getting ready to close for the winter.
Each trail was a long drive from the hostel. The parks and trails are vast and spread out along southern Utah and northern Arizona.
On my first full day, I went to Capital Reef National Park. A few miles outside of the park, I stopped at a visitor’s center. I was hoping to scope out which trails to hike. But instead, the visitor’s center employee threw a whole bunch of judgment at me.
“You drove all the way out here by yourself? You’re so brave! Your momma let you drive here alone? Jesus Christ, you need to call your mom, she must be terrified!”
Thank you for your unwanted opinion. But you don’t know my mom. You don’t know if she’s still alive, or what kind of relationship I have with her. I’d be lying if I said this encounter did not spoil my mood. Sure, she probably “meant well,” but perpetuating gender stereotypes is not always helpful. Sometimes it is dangerous.
Hickman Bridge at Capital Reef National Park.
Once I got inside the park, I was in complete awe. I’m very happy I got to experience this park!
On the second day in Utah, I decided I wanted to take it easy and just do a short hike. I headed out for the Toadstools at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The sign for the entrance was so small, I passed it a few times down the two-lane highway through a country road. I almost missed it! The trailhead was further from the entrance than I expected.
I almost got lost looking for it. Then once I found it, I almost lost the trail pretty early on. It was very narrow and on the sloping side of a roof! (Shown on the right.) That didn’t seem like the way I was supposed to go! I stayed around long enough for other hikers to come by, and they assured me that was the trail. After that, I made it all the way to the toadstools with no issues. Once I got there, it started to rain! The cover picture is me standing next to the toadstools.
My next trip was to Bryce Canyon. I was told if I only have time to do one hike, I need to
View of Bryce Canyon as seen from the rim
do the Navajo Trail, which is a 1.3 mile moderate hike. It starts at the rim of the canyon and goes inside on a narrow, winding path on the side of a cliff. It’s one of the best spots for spectacular views of the canyon. I set out about an hour before sunset. Plenty of time. Not too far into the trail, I spent a lot of time taking pictures. There views were amazing! But about half a mile in, I realized that the sun was setting. I needed to hurry back to the rim before dark! But I felt so exhausted. I gave myself a break and took a few minutes rest before what I thought would be a sprint to the end of the trail. After my break, I didn’t feel any more rested. I still couldn’t catch my breath! I knew I should probably rush to the end of the trail, but I couldn’t push myself. I was so out of breath! I kept going at a slower pace. Better than not moving at all. I just didn’t want to be out on the trail in the dark. I started to feel nauseous. Still out of breath, I tried to keep moving. But it was
Bryce Canyon as seen from the Navajo Trail
inevitable: I would be stuck on the narrow, winding trail on the side of a cliff in the dark. Once the sun set and darkness came over the trail, I realized something. I had altitude sickness. This was my first hike over 9000 ft. I can’t catch my breath, despite taking plenty of rest. And now I was in the dark on the side of a cliff. I didn’t panic. I was just fine in the dark. I just wished I brought my headlamp that was in my car! I decided to keep going in the dark, but if I had any sense of panic or if I couldn’t see where I was going, I would attempt to call for help. I wasn’t scared, but I knew I had to stay safe. I pulled out my almost-dead cell phone and used it to light up the trail. At this particular point on the trail, only one side was on a cliff; the other side was a wall. I stayed as close to the wall as possible. After about a quarter of a mile and a few hairpin turns, I finally made it to the end!
The next day, I was hoping to check out Zion. Then I would head to the Grand Canyon North Rim (the less popular side). But due to altitude sickness, hiking was out of the question for several days, even at lower altitudes.
Several friends recommended I check out Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It was only
The Wishing Fountain at Best Friends
five miles from my hostel, and didn’t require hiking. I signed up for a tour of the sanctuary. Since I arrived early, I had time for lunch in their all-vegetarian cafeteria. During the tour, we drove by the horses on our way to see the rescue cats. We got to go inside and pet all of the kitties! Then we drove over to where they keep the rescue dogs. They don’t allow people to play with the dogs, but they brought out one of the dogs for us to pet. He was so cute and sweet. I wanted to take him home with me! But I wasn’t sure if the rest of my hostels allowed pets. Or if I could afford to feed him.
When I left Best Friends, I headed south to Arizona. I drove through Glen Canyon. I stopped at a little pull-out on the side of the highway and took this video:
I got to my hostel in Flagstaff with every intention of getting right back into adventures. At check-in, I asked the people who worked there about Grand Canyon tours and Sedona trips. The first guy said he recently moved to Flagstaff and didn’t know the area. I asked a few others and they didn’t know either. Oh well, I could figure it out on my own. I used to live in Arizona, and this wasn’t my first trip to Flagstaff.
I went upstairs to my room. There were two bunk beds, a tiny fridge, and a sink. Two of my roommates were from Europe. They were friendly and chatted about their time in Flagstaff. I offered for them to join me on my trip to the Grand Canyon South Rim, but they already booked a tour. Everywhere I went since Las Vegas offered their own private Grand Canyon tour. They also had a list of third-party tours that they recommended, in case the in-house tours were full. Most of the tours were well over $100! Since I already bought my National Park annual pass, I got in free. My only expense was transportation, which was easy since I was driving. Many of those trips seem overpriced and don’t offer much for what they are. But I suppose if you don’t have a car, those tours might be your only option.
The next day, one of my roommates got very sick. The day after, the other one was very sick as well. They thought back to what they had eaten the previous days. The only thing they both ate was something from the hostel kitchen.
After two days in bed with the occasional trip next door for Pad Thai and Vietnamese Iced Coffee, I decided to get up and do something. Now would be a good time to start experimenting with homemade dog shampoo. I went into the hostel kitchen to make my first batch. At some point, I saw a huge rat run across the floor and hide behind the fridge. I went downstairs to alert the staff. Their response?
“This place has been infested with rats for years. There’s no way to keep them out. It’s ok, they won’t hurt anything. What, you mean you want us to get rid of them? How do you propose we do that? There are some stray cats outside. How about I let them in?”
Guests frequently cook food in that kitchen! Hmm, maybe that could explain why my roommates got sick.
I left early the next morning and headed to the Grand Canyon South Rim. It was nothing like what I expected. The Rim Trail was like a really wide sidewalk that is wheelchair accessible. It’s awesome that such a well-known trail at a National
Grand Canyon South Rim
Park is accessible. But the crowds were overwhelming. The South Rim is the Disney World of National Parks. Many of the visitors are not hiking enthusiasts. Nor even National Park enthusiasts. But once you get on the trail and see the Grand Canyon with your own eyes, you realize that no picture you’ve ever seen has done it justice. Spectacular views as far as the eye can see. I was not feeling 100% yet after getting altitude sickness, so I stuck to the Rim Trail. The guides at the Grand Canyon info desk suggested I also go on Bright Angel Trail, which is one of the trails that went down to the bottom of the rim.
You can’t hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up in the same day. And you have to leave early if you plan on going to the bottom. She said about 200 ft into the trail, there is a lookout point that is great place to stop and get spectacular pictures. Many people go to that lookout point and come right back. I stood at the Bright Angel trailhead and looked down. Those first 200 ft were very steep! Just the thought of climbing back up that hill was exhausting, so I passed on the Bright Angel Trail lookout point. Maybe next time. The next morning, I checked out of the hostel and headed to Sedona. I couldn’t wait to get out of that rat-infested hole of a hostel!
I planned on getting to Sedona early, checking out all of the sites, then heading to my AirBnB. I’d spend the night and then head to my next hostel in Santa Fe, NM.
It was Halloween! I found the touristy area of Sedona. There are lots of little gift shops and restaurants that span several blocks. I found a visitors center, and they explained that Sedona is famous for it’s vortexes. (Yes, they are called “vortexes,” which isn’t even a real word. Nobody calls them “vortices,” which is the correct plural form of vortex.) These vortexes are locations that have lots of energy. Supposedly, if you stand on a vortex, you can feel the energy from it. Many people have traveled to Sedona and had life-changing experiences. I wasn’t sold on the energy idea. But I figured they would be great places to take pictures. Maybe it would make more sense when I got there. I took a map with the vortexes labeled and set out. I went to the furthest one first, and figured I’d make my way back into town, have dinner, then go to the AirBnB.
I followed the map to the first vortex. It was on the side of a country road. I found two trailheads nearby. I parked and got out, looking for directions that said “This way to the vortex,” or “vortex here.” No signs of a vortex. Even the signs that explained the history of the trail made no mention of a vortex. I tried to use Google Maps, but I did not have phone signal. I found several other people who were looking for the same vortex, just as confused. How would I know if I found it? I decided to give up and move on to the next vortex. I ended up having a similar experience. No signs of a vortex. I decided to give up on the vortex scavenger hunt and head to the airport. The lady at the info desk highly recommended that I see the sunset at the airport. It had the best views in all of Sedona, she said. The airport at the top of a hill. Halfway up the hill, there are about four
View from Sedona Airport at sunset
parking spots. That’s the spot I where I was supposed to watch the sunset. All four spots were taken, so I decided to go all the way up to the top. On my way back down, I found a spot. The sunset photo op spot is a bit of a hike from the parking spot, on top of another hill. I walked around and enjoyed the views, then hiked up the hill.
I remembered there was a vortex at the airport. Again, no mention of a vortex. The place was crowded. I overheard people saying the vortex is at the top of the hill. I climbed up and saw the amazing views. I stayed up there for quite a while. As the sun began to set, I got an itchy feeling like I didn’t want to be there anymore. (Does that mean anything about the energy at the airport?) I grabbed some dinner from a nearby grocery store and headed to my AirBnB. Sedona Airport View:
My AirBnB was advertised as only 20 minutes away from Sedona. It turned out to be an hour away. It was on top of a large plateau that had no cell phone signal. My host didn’t seem to mind that I arrived late. Bonus: she had a cute dog. We chatted for a bit, and then she said she was going to bed. Shortly after catching up on texts, I realized I had left my bag in the car. I go out to my car and realize I don’t have my keys. Maybe I left them on the coffee table. I go inside and tear apart everything in the bedroom and the living room. No keys. Maybe I left them on the roof of my car? Or dropped them on the lawn? I went back outside. No keys on the roof. I got on my hands and knees, picking through the lawn using my cell phone as a light. No keys. I started to panic. I couldn’t call anyone because I had no phone signal. But I had a spare set of keys inside my car. Maybe I could call a locksmith in the morning? But I didn’t have any clean clothes or contact lens solution. I went to go sit in bed to try to calm down and figure something out. When I sat down, I realized it was an air mattress instead of a real bed. I hate air mattresses, and never would have booked had I known. But it was too late, and I couldn’t get ahold of anyone anyway. I started to feel nauseous. What if she took my keys in order to control me, to make sure I didn’t leave? I felt trapped. I just wanted to escape this situation, but I had no way out. There was nothing I could do until morning. I threw away my contact lenses and went to bed without showering, brushing my teeth, or putting on clean clothes. My best bet was to try to rest a little bit until morning.
In the morning, my host said “funny thing happened, I found your keys on the desk in my bedroom! I wonder how they got there?”
Not funny. I never went into her bedroom. Terrified and attempting to escape in one piece, I got some clean clothes, glasses, and a toothbrush out of my car and took a really fast shower. I made a quick smoothie and hit the road. I couldn’t get out of Arizona fast enough!
As soon as I got to Albuquerque, I contacted AirBnB and let them know about my terrifying experience. I ended up getting a refund.
I stayed at a hostel in Santa Fe. They had a lot of different tour options, including some free ones. I was given a tour of the property, and given my key. I stayed in a room by myself this time. The people at the hostel weren’t very social. I only ever saw other people during breakfast, and none of them acknowledged my existence. I slept in and then did laundry. It was good to feel safe again.
The people who worked at the hostel highly recommended Ojo Caliente, a hot springs resort just north of Santa Fe. I saw that they had a campground. Sweet! I can stay in my hammock and relax at the hot spring.
It turned out that none of their available campsites could accommodate my hammock tent. There aren’t too many trees in New Mexico. And even then, finding two that are sturdy enough and perfectly spaced for a hammock is rare. I decided to go to the hot springs and spend the night at an AirBnB in Albuquerque. My hot springs experience at Ojo Caliente was much different from my experience in Oregon. It was expensive to get in. Once I got in, I was given a robe, a towel, and a locker. I put my stuff in the locker and headed to the water. There are 10 different pools. Each one is naturally enriched with different minerals. Some are indoors, some are outside with a great view. There’s even a mud bath! It felt really good to finally relax after my bad experiences in Arizona.
I almost got lost looking for it. Then once I found it, I almost lost the trail pretty early on. It was very narrow and on the sloping side of a roof! (Shown on the right.) That didn’t seem like the way I was supposed to go! I stayed around long enough for other hikers to come by, and they assured me that was the trail. After that, I made it all the way to the toadstools with no issues. Once I got there, it started to rain! The cover picture is me standing next to the toadstools.
