My parents came into town a few weeks ago, and during their visit, we took a few days to head to Page, Arizona, and back. My parents haven’t ever been to Arizona together, so they had a list of spots they wanted to stop. The Red Rocks in Sedona, Flagstaff, The Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lower Antelope Canyon. Originally, we had a plan that seemed to make complete sense. We booked hotels and Air BnB’s around our plan, and we were ready to set out for an adventure. We would leave Phoenix on Wednesday, spend the day at the Grand Canyon, stay in Page, Arizona and visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend the next day. Thursday night, we would stay in Flagstaff and then spend the day slowly making our way home through the snow and then to Sedona.

When the only rainy day on the forecast fell on the day we were to visit The Lower Antelope Canyon, we decided to play it safe and tweak our plans (tours are canceled on rainy days). Due to the weather, our trip may not make complete sense in regards to the order of the places we visited. However, so many things on this trip ended up being happy accidents!

The sites, company, and games were an absolute blast. There was no denying that! But the thing that surprised us the most was how amazing all of the FOOD WAS! EVERY SINGLE PLACE we ate completely blew us away. In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Here were our absolute favorite places to eat during our travels!

El Tovar Dining Room

This place is absolutely no joke. When you first walk in, you kind of feel like you are underdressed for the dining area. It looks fancy and the waiters dress very well. The menu has lots of great options and isn’t outrageous when it comes to price! In fact, we spent $20 less here than we did as a family at Chili’s the night before. THE FOOD WAS TO DIE FOR!

Every single one of us was beyond satisfied with our meals and I think it is safe to say my meal was the best food I have ever eaten! I had the El Tovar House Salad and The Caprese Sliders on Gluten Free Bread. After seeing the Grand Canyon five times in the year (thanks to our amazing family visitors) I am pretty sure I never want to go back. You know what? I would go back just to have that meal again… HANDS DOWN!

Historic Cameron Trading Post

When we left Flagstaff, Arizona early in the morning, we didn’t realize that there wasn’t going to be a lick to eat on the way out to Page. We figured we could get out of town and grab a bite to eat with plenty of time to venture out to the Antelope Canyon. As we left downtown Flagstaff, we soon realized that wasn’t going to pan out. We were absolutely starving and getting kind of hangry with each other as we came upon the gas station and Burger King on the side of 89. Being Gluten Free makes breakfasts at Burger King pretty unfulfilling and I was not about to eat food from the gas station. I so looked forward to a nice family breakfast!

As soon as I went to order my food, I saw a sign for the Trading Post just a few miles north of the Burger King. Reviews looked good and I knew I didn’t want fast food, so we gave it a try. SUCH A GREAT DECISION! This restaurant had a beautiful view of the Colorado River, wonderful service, and a traditional Native American menu, with a mix of American and Mexican cuisine. I loved that my eggs were cooked perfectly, my bacon was crispy, and they had amazing gluten-free bread. You must eat here if you have the chance! The fry bread is also to die for (or so my dad told me!).

Postino

This may be a given for a lot of people who have been to Arizona, but it is a must eat! Postino is in a variety of locations, including Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Everything we have ever gotten off the menu at Postino is to die for and better yet, pretty much anything can come gluten-free! This restaurant has such an awesome vibe, a great outdoor seating area, and amazing staff!

The food on our trip was unforgettable. Continue reading for pictures of each of our favorite spots and a quick itinerary of our trip!

Day 1

We spent time driving through Red Rock National Park, in Sedona, stopping to take pictures every ten seconds. When we were finished, we stopped off at Lover’s Knoll. I was excited to show my family where we photographed Tiffany and Anthony’s wedding last November! When we couldn’t keep our bladders from exploding any longer, we decided to stop into the visitor center in town to use the bathroom.

The guy at the desk handed me a map, asked if the Range Rover in the parking lot was ours, and suggested that we go to Schnebly Hill! We were planning on heading to Flagstaff, but I was pretty intrigued by the chance to go offroading, so we gave it a shot. Who am I kidding, I was also excited to see the Snoopy rock! You guys, this was such an awesome accident. Schnebly Hill is one of our favorite places to go now! There is a beautiful creek with little waterfalls, massive Red Rocks, and lots of fun.

Schnebly Hill Rd, Sedona

After our adventures in Sedona, we made our way up to Flagstaff where we got word that it was snowing! When we arrived, there were a few inches of snow, but it just wasn’t enough to satisfy our desire for snow and desert in one day! So we headed up to the Snow Bowl where it had been snowing all day! We ended our evening with seven games of Mexican Train and a few of Qwirkle! Currently, two of our favorite games to play!

Day 2

We woke up early in the morning to head out to the Antelope Canyon for our scheduled tour! This is the morning we stopped at the Historic Cameron Trading Post for breakfast. It was a great way to fuel our bodies for the mile-long hike through the canyon! It is also halfway between Flagstaff and Page, Arizona.

There are a variety of options for tours to the canyon, but the number one thing we can recommend to you is to CHOOSE TO SEE THE LOWER ANTELOPE CANYON! The lighting is beautiful throughout the entire day and provides you a unique experience that the Upper Antelope Canyon does not. We really wanted to see the Wave in Utah, but unfortunately, you need a permit that has a long waiting list, so this was the next best option. It was so breathtaking!

After the canyon, we traveled right over to the Horseshoe Bend! Currently, the parking lot is being redone and there are shuttles that take you from a large parking area down the road over to your destination! We highly recommend not parking on the side of the street because they were giving tickets left and right! This summer, there will be a brand new parking lot right at the Horseshoe Bend, and they will charge $25 a car to park. You can see updates here!

We did hear a little secret from our shuttle driver that we could go back for sunset, after 5 pm and park for free, without getting a ticket. You didn’t hear that from me, so please park at your own risk! There were TONS of people at the Horseshoe Bend, but it was an absolutely beautiful sight to see! My goal next visit is to rent a boat and spend the day on the water!

Of course, we had to stop for some sightseeing along the way!

Woman in the Wind

Getting a picture with the pirate!

Horseshoe Bend

Day 3

Our final stop for our trip North was the Grand Canyon. It absolutely is a sight to see. My recommendation is to enter through Desert View Drive. Drive past the lookouts and stop at a few (including the lookout tower), then go to the Visitor Center, walk around a bit, visit the Hopi House, eat at El Tovar Restaurant, and end your trip by taking the bus up to Hermits Rest to watch the sunset! If you visit during the winter months (December-February), you can drive your private vehicles up to Hermits Rest, which is even better! View the Map Here! 

I will always remember this trip with my parents. We played way too many games of Mexican Train, laughed until we cried, and took SO MANY pictures. We were gassed out of the car by Katlyn one too many times, stopped at more gift shops than I would like to admit, and even got matching Grand Canyon T-shirts. Now that… my friends, is what I call an adventure!