For the remainder of 2020 and possible into 2021, domestic travel is going to be more popular than it has been in quite a while. No long flights, possibly no flights depending on where in the states you want to visit. I have friends that drove from Phoenix to Moab, Utah visiting 2 National Parks along the way. Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. If you have never been to Utah, the red and orange rock formations are incredible! And close to home! Around 500 miles each way if you only go as far north as Arches National Park. Since Infinity Travelaz is in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area; let’s discover some amazing places to visit close by.

Arches National Park

Arizona has 24 National Parks and Monuments. The most popular is the Grand Canyon, although only the South Rim is in Arizona. Walnut Canyon National Monument and Montezuma Castle National Monument are outside of Flagstaff. Canyon de Chelley and Monument Valley are in the north eastern part of Arizona. Many movies have been filmed at both parks. Sedona Red Rock Country isn’t a National Park or Monument, but well worth the time to visit. If you are into boating, you may want to visit Lake Mead on the Colorado River. And just south of the Utah border and Lake Powell you can visit Antelope Canyon for some amazing sights and photo opps!

Antelope Canyon

Grand Canyon South Rim

Sedona Red Rock Country

Utah is one of the prettiest states to visit I have ever been in. I was blessed to have parents that loved to camp and travel when I was young. We visited 2 of my favorite Utah places a few times growing up. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Both are not too far over the Arizona Utah border. As mentioned previous, Utah is filled with red to orange hues that are just spectacular! The Coral Pink Sand Dunes outside of Kanab, Lake Powell north of Page, Arizona in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park and lots of other beautiful sites can be found in Utah. I have even floated in the Great Salt Lake outside of Salt Lake City.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Zion National Park

Colorado has to be my second favorite state to explore. How can you go wrong with the Rocky Mountains? So beautiful! There are 4 National Parks in Colorado, one of course is Rocky Mountain National Park. The others are Mesa Verde National Park with cliff dwellings and petroglyphs, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But one of my favorite places is the Red Rock Amphitheater outside of Morrison. Which is also just on the other side of the mountain from Bandimere Speedway where the NHRA Drag Races are held each summer. And of course, who can forget John Denver and his ‘Rocky Mountain High’? You’re singing in now, aren’t you? I am!

Great Sand Dunes

Rocky Mountain National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

To the east of Arizona lies New Mexico, nicknamed the Land of Enchantment for it’s natural beauty and rich history. White Sands National Park northeast of Las Cruces was a test missile range back in WWII. Today you can walk around this giant dune field comprised of gypsum. Further northeast from White Sands you will find Roswell, renowned as the site of the alleged 1947 UFO crash. Be on the lookout for Aliens as your walking around here! Head south and you will find Carlsbad Caverns National Park featuring more than 100 underground caves. If you go back to Albuquerque you can visit the Chaco Cultural National Historic Park. From there go north to Los Alamos and see the Bandilier Cliff Dwellings.

Bandilier National Monument

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Chaco Canyon National Park

As you may have figured out by now, I did a quick review of the Four Corners Region of the southwest. I remember actually visiting the Four Corners National Monument as a child. We thought it was great fun being able to stand in 4 states at one time. You can still visit it today, but it is a lot fancier than I remember it back in the day. The best part is if you want to travel close to home, you have 4 amazing states within driving distance with some amazing sights and lots of historical places to visit. 5 if you count California. I intentionally omitted California this time as it is a blog onto itself. (And it doesn’t touch the 4 corners.)

Are you ready to discover these gems? If you are the road trip type, we can arrange an RV rental for you. Or map out a route to see the sights and set up your hotels along the way. For a more restful and sometimes more pleasurable way to do it, we have great suppliers that can do the planning and driving for you either with a small group tour or customized private tour. However you want to travel, be sure to let Infinity Travelaz create the ideal plan so you can relax and enjoy the ride. We will chat soon about all things California. Until then, please stay safe and healthy.