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South by Southwest

World class attractions are plentiful within just a few hours’ drive of Tempe. You can be in Las Vegas, LA or San Diego in half a day. The Grand Canyon is only four hours away and if you’ve adventurous, you can hit the beach in Mexico in just 3 hours. There are many other less known destinations as well. During spring break this year, I had the chance to check out a few: Jerome, Sedona, Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. The first stop on our four day trip was Jerome, an old copper and gold mining town about 100 miles north of Tempe. The city is nestled into the mountains at about a mile above sea level. The town is about a hundred years old and has a old western feel to it.  We grabbed a great bite to eat in town and checked out a ghost town about a half mile from the city. Later that day, on our way to Flagstaff we make a quick stop in Sedona, one of Arizona’s most popular destinations. The previous day’s snow got in the way of our hiking plans, but it didn’t subtract from the beautiful red rocks which surround the city. The snow made Snoopy look good too! (See picture below)

Next we drove up north to visit Antelope Canyon, definitely one of the trip highlights.  Flash flood waters and erosion created the beautiful canyon, which is located on Navajo land a few miles from Page (near the Arizona, Utah border). Because it is on Navajo land, you must be accompanied by a tour guide to enter the area.

After Antelope Canyon we spent a little time checking out Lake Powell before heading to Zion National Park, just inside the Utah border. With only a day to spend at Zion we chose take on the Angel Falls trail, a 5-mile trek up a steep mountain. The trek was full of thousand foot drop offs and breath taking views.

I had a great time checking out the Southwest and can’t wait to see more next year!

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