Planning Our Southwest Road Trip
Our wedding in April of 2024 was one of the best days ever. After photographing weddings for so many years it was fun to be able to plan my own, and have all our closest friends and family together to celebrate. As an artist and photographer, I had a blast choosing aesthetics, making decorations and curating a whole day to our (my) style. Lace, wildflowers, mountains and disco balls-that was the vibe. The day after our wedding we went to nearby Tuolumne County for a pre-honeymoon stay at Evergreen Lodge, and spa day at Rush Creek. Both incredible properties near Yosemite. But we needed to plan our MAIN honeymoon….. After finalizing a budget and how many days we could logistically be gone, we started talking about where to go for our honeymoon. We entertained Paris, Iceland and a couple other destinations, but our decisions are largely based on photography and accessibility. Additionally, we didn’t want to spend 1/3 of our time sitting in airports and on planes. It didn’t seem efficient and it is also hard on my body to sit for long periods of time. We settled on renting a camper and doing a road trip, and after more conversations about Montana, or Oregon or something totally different, we chose the Southwest. It is so different from where we live, would be incredible to photograph, and neither of us had really been there, which was another important factor to us.
Now, there are SO many incredible places to see in the Southwest, and we were a bit bummed to not be able to include things like Arches and Capitol Reef, to name a few. We only had so much time, and tried to choose places we could see had accessible trails, or that I would have little trouble navigating with my walker. We decided on the Grand Canyon’s south rim, Monument Valley, Petrified Forest and Zion. We flew from Fresno to Vegas, staying only one night before picking up our camper and heading out on our adventure.
Las Vegas History
We stayed one night in Vegas, and wanted to make sure we used our limited time in the city wisely. We made reservations to visit the Neon Museum and it turned out to be a great choice! Getting there was a a bit of a headache as the Formula 1 races were happening (which Tony went and watched later that night) and that really compromised the flow of traffic. But we finally made it, and it is truly such a neat stop! This outdoor museum displays the original and iconic neon light signs of old Vegas. This self guided tour is completely accessible with flat sandy walking paths, and we had the best time taking pictures with our phones (which is all you are allowed to bring unless you make a commercial reservation). The next morning we headed to the Indie Camper lot, I don’t know what I was expecting really, but I’m sure I never expected what we walked into.
Renting an Indie Camper
The Indie Camper building was large, dingy and sparsely decorated and felt like a very sketchy used car office. The staff seemed like they had no knowledge of campers, camping or the outdoors in general. Any questions we asked about how something functions were answered by “Watch a YouTube video”. So with zero knowledge, a hope and a prayer, we headed to the Grand Canyon in the camper. As a disabled person, the camper was not super friendly to navigate, I had to get boosted up into the bed (I’m 5’4), never used the shower because of a steep step into it and the toilet is in a small space and very low. Generally, if you have balance issues, a space that is never level is a challenge.
There was more than enough storage for the two of us, the cab is very comfortable, we slept great and made coffee and cooked most of our meals. I would suggest inspecting the kitchenware tub of supplies they provide, before heading too far from a store for last minute odds and ends. I think we had 2 spoons, 7 forks, 1 knife and a pan and one small pot. So if you aspire to be more creative in the kitchen, plan accordingly. They provided a literal trash bag full of mismatched and VERY well loved towels and bedding, which was also interesting. Overall Indie Camper was a positive experience, we got our deposit back, which was the main thing I was worried about. But the bedding, towels, kitchen supplies and overall instructions definitely were far less than expected.
Passenger Princess Views
Enjoying new views, listening to music and endless conversations with my husband were the main past time on this trip, and it really was lovely. Equally enjoyable were the beautiful views along the way. There is so much America to see, and I hope you’ll consider a trip in the states when the opportunity arises, rather than be in a hurry to jump across the ocean. You can love your country and not agree with the politics, speaking from experience!
Exploring the Southwest’s Most Iconic Destinations: Grand Canyon
This trip was almost exactly a year ago as I write this, so I feel a little lost on what to write. But I can tell you that the second I saw the Grand Canyon that I immediately burst into tears. I can’t explain it, it was just so big, beautiful and, well, grand. What can I say, it is hard to comprehend until you see it in person! We had an amazing dinner at El Tovar, and spent two days exploring the south rim. All the photos shared here were taken with a Nikon D3200 (yes, I know) and kit or prime lenses, depending. I had a sweet Fuji Xt3 set up, 2 bodies and ALL the primes lenses. I still went back to an entry level Nikon.
Petrified Forest: Exploring Hidden Gems
Speaking from personal experience, I feel like Petrified Forest may be one of the more slept on parks. I know that when planning the trip it was the destination I was least excited about. It ended up being one of the highlights in the end. Native ruins, ancient petroglyphs, fossilized trees and magic blue mountains-Petrified Forest National Park needs to be on your bucket list! Also, can we talk about how adorable the visitors center is?! It’s giving Fred Flintstone meets Wes Anderson, and the Herstory inside, the Harvey Girls, incredible. Seeing the petroglyphs was so amazing, and somehow reminds me how trivial my problems are. But Blue Mesa is the real MVP of this park. This fantasy landscape looks like something from a Dr Suess book! If you have the chance, PLEASE do not pass by this park!
Monument Valley: Old West Movie Set
Maybe the place I was most excited to see, Monument Valley is well known as the location of music videos and most of all, John Wayne films. One thing I was really hoping to catch on this trip was a light dusting of snow contrasting against the red rocks. At Monument Valley my wish came true! We arrived to a camp site just outside the park during the day, and photographed a spectacular sunset here. That night we experienced extreme winds, howling and rocking the camper all night. We woke up to a delicate dusting of white snow resting on the red buttes, and thick blankets of fog drowsily hugged the red monoliths. It was the perfect start to what would be a rich day.
To drive down into Monument Valley and get up close and personal to these beautiful formations, you have to have have 4×4 or AWD. Since our only vehicle was the camper, I booked us a tour with Get Your Guide the night before. I think it was about $30 per person for 2 hour round trip tour with a local native guide. Me, Tony and 15 other travelers climbed into the Ford van and drove down the bumpy muddy path. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny and endearing and we were able to get out at a few stops and take photos and walk about.
Accessibility, National Parks and Road Trips
If something seems like it’s missing from this post, it is. Zion National Park….I wanted to love this place so much. It was truly one of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen, it is also the least accessible National Park I have visited. My views were limited to what was visible from the shuttle parking lots. If there were any accessible trails, they were closed when we went. It was disappointing and frustrating, to make things worse it was packed like Disneyland and you could only take shuttles in. We unfortunately got on a shuttle with an unhelpful driver and very rude visitor. Sadly some people don’t have basic manners, so my Italian genes had to make a guest appearance. If you are able to hike and navigate steep and uneven surfaces, I am sure you would have the time of your life here it is truly stunning. If you have a favorite accessible national park, I want to hear about it! Accessibility is so important, and needs to be on the radar of our state and national parks. I am so grateful for the sights I saw on this trip, and for the accessible trails at Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest. Keep traveling and keep shooting. Cheers!
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