If you’re anything like me, you’ve been feeling the itch now more than ever to get out of the house and explore.  Recently, I was able to take a road trip to explore all 5 national parks that Utah has to offer.  This was somewhat of a sampler platter of each place and left me wanting and waiting to go back!  I knew from my last Utah travels that the colors and rock formations were out of this world, but this trip exceeded all of my expectations.  This is a bit of a long-winded post, but I wanted to share some of the high points of each park and some tips that will hopefully help you if you ever find yourself planning a trip to Utah!

Zion

Our first stop on the road was to Zion National Park.  I have to say that we pretty much started the trip off with the most adventurous/challenging part, which ended up probably being my favorite memory.  First off, Zion has a TON of different sites to see and we really only scratched the surface of what there is to do there.  There are plenty of hikes ranging from difficult to easy and everywhere in between.  The most popular hike in Zion is probably Angels landing which is known to be difficult and pretty scary as you are required to scramble rocks and walk a very narrow ridge line.  We didn’t do this hike, but from what I’ve heard it’s best to do it on a less busy day of the week if you do feel like it’s something you want to tackle!  I also got some info from friends who had recently been to Zion that the Watchman trail is amazing and often overlooked by tourists.  As for my experience at Zion, we decided to take on the Narrows.

The Narrows are an out and back hike mostly through water and can be as easy or difficult as you want to make it.  The hike starts out on about a mile long path on land before getting to the water.  You can turn around at any point and head back the way you came.  We decided to hike for about 4.5 hours out and back.  This hike is super unique in that you’re submerged and wading through water for a good portion of it as the Virgin river snakes through the canyon.  The super iconic portion of the hike is called Wall street and what you’ve probably seen pictures of.  Here, the canyon gets very narrow and rays of light peak through making for a truly remarkable sight.  I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like the Narrows and have never done a hike like that!

Some pointers of mine for doing this hike would be that you should definitely rent the footwear and hiking sticks that they offer at Zion outfitters outside the park.  The neoprene socks and shoes they gave us kept my feet warm the entire time even though the water was extremely cold.  The hiking stick was also a life saver, as we all came close to eating it more than a few times!  I’d also suggest bringing lots of water and layers.  Even if the weather is supposed to be hot, it’s still going to be chilly in the water.  My last tip would be to do your research on the shuttle buses ahead of time.  Tickets for the shuttle sell out really quickly!  Overall, highly recommend this hike…you will not be disappointed!

Bryce Canyon

The highlight for me in Bryce Canyon was running into friends from LA that we had no idea were in town at the same time.  We ended up doing a hike together that had some incredible views and watched a beautiful sunset over the canyon.  We decided to do the Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail.  This hike starts at Sunset Point and is labeled as moderate.  The views of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon were the most memorable part for me, looking like something out of a movie set.

Capitol Reef/Canyonlands/Arches

Our trip to Capitol Reef may have been my favorite sunset of the entire trip.  This park is one of the least known about and visited of all of Utah’s national parks, which is why it ended up being a favorite of mine.  We arrived at Capitol Reef just in time to hoof it quickly to the top of a view point that gave us an incredible sunset with no one else in sight.  Canyonlands also provided a beautiful sunset view after a day of hiking.  If you’re traveling to Arches National Park, the hike to delicate arch seems to be the thing to do.  We didn’t have time for a long hike, but even the view from far away was pretty cool.  Overall, I’d definitely love to take a trip back to all of these places to get to spend more time in each.  Leave me a comment if you have any questions on planning a similar trip or have been to any of these places!

Hanoi, Vietnam : What I found to be the most challenging part of my trip also happened to be the most beautiful and rewarding. Vietnam was everything that my Anthony Bourdain dreams had prepared me for, yet I wasn’t prepared at all.

Our first stop was Hanoi, a bustling city with so much character that it’s a little bit intimidating. The cab ride from the airport to our air bnb found me face out the window following the tons and tons of mopeds racing down the street and weaving around each other.  If I had one suggestion to give before visiting Hanoi, it would be to watch YouTube videos on how to cross the street. There are no stops signs, no crosswalks, and not even any lanes for that matter. It’s a total “every man for himself” mentality when it comes to both driving and walking around the neighborhood. With that being said, nobody wants to hit you. Walking with confidence will get you where you need to go.

I could go on and on in detail about about each spot we went to in every city, but I figured it would be more beneficial to show you!

Train Street

This street just wide enough for a train to pass through is lined with homes and a few shops and bars.  We sat outside on tiny chairs and drank cold beer until it was time for the train to come, at which point you have to stand in the doorways to not get run over.  It’s terrifying and incredible all at the same time.

Pasteur street brewing Co.

We were looking for a place to get out of the heat after visiting the John McCain memorial and ended up spending a couple hours at this brewery.  This was one spot that provided some calm and relaxation from the outside chaos.

Hoi An, Vietnam: If you’re traveling to Vietnam or Asia in general for the first time and are a little bit intimidated about where to go, Hoi An is my suggestion for you. There is so much charm and culture to this city, but it’s still clearly a destination for tourists.

Hoi An was where we finally felt comfortable enough to rent a moped and go riding down the streets exploring. We took a day trip to the beach and even had our own custom-tailored suits and dresses made. The work ethic in Vietnam is insane, as shown by our clothing that was hand-made for us in less than 24 hours.

Hoi An is also where I found my favorite food of the trip…Banh Mi from Madam Khanh otherwise known as the Banh Mi queen.

Vietnam, Ninh Binh: My favorite stop on our trip was Ninh Binh. It was hot, humid, difficult to get around and out in the middle of nowhere, but was by far the most gorgeous scenery. If anything made me feel like I was in another country, it was this place. The landscape, food, and people all had such character that it made the overwhelming humidity fade to the backdrop.

The most memorable part of our trip for me was something that we almost didn’t even do. It was over 100 degrees out with 80% humidity and it took every ounce of me to not just go back to our bamboo hut (did I mention we stayed in a bamboo hut?) and lie down. After we ordered a meal that should’ve suited at least 5 people, I came to my senses and we decided to take a boat ride down the Tam Coc River. We had, what appeared to be a very frail and elderly man rowing our boat with his feet for an hour and a half. We went between cliffs and underneath caves, and saw some incredibly interesting people along the way.

My biggest take away from this experience was to take. the chance.  Yes. it would’ve been much easier to back out of the adventure and choose comfort, but how much would I have regretted not going on that boat ride?

Here are a few things I’ve been obsessed with lately!

SNS Powder manicure: I’ve been a ride or die gel polish girl for a long time, however I finally caved and tried the dipping powder method after being asked for the hundredth time. This is a GAME CHANGER. Yes, it costs $5 more where I get mine done, but it lasts twice as long and has much less wear and tear on your nails.

Satin Pajama set by Nasty Gal: I didn’t realize how much I was depriving myself of such comfortable sleep until trying these out! Aside from how cute they are, the softness and comfort is next level.

Bondi Sands Tanning Mousse: I’ll never stop trying tanning products until I find the perfect one, but this comes pretty close. I ordered this mousse on Amazon after a blogger that I follow recommended it and haven’t stopped using it since. The product gives a really nice dark bronze that isn’t orange looking and can be applied before going out. The smell of it is more sweet than the normal spray tan smell, so it doesn’t bother me to put it on right before I’m headed somewhere.

Boscia Rose Facial Spray: I use a facial spray every morning/night and multiple times throughout the day depending on what’s going on. This stuff works as a great pick-me-up for my skin. I also use it as a cleansing toner after I remove my makeup.

TIU Rose Kambucha: No matter how hard I’ve tried I’ve just never been a fan of kambucha…until now. This drink tastes like a mixture of rose and sparkling water and the health benefits are great!

Rosemary Bath Fizz: I happened to stumble upon this product at a cute shop one day and decided to give it a try. Pour it in the tub while you’re filling it with water and the aroma is amazing. Something about mint and rosemary is just so refreshing and relaxing at the same time.

I love any chance that I get to explore somewhere new, and this last trip was no different. An 8 hour drive through Utah and Arizona may not sound terribly exciting, but it was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever witnessed. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from traveling more often is that it doesn’t necessarily matter how far you travel, it just matters what you make of it. While there are so many places on the other side of the world that I can’t wait to explore, there are also amazing sights to be seen close by. Don’t wait for a long-term vacation from work to get out there, just pick a spot and go. I’ve lived on both coasts, driven across the country and I can confidently say that whether it be a day trip to an hour from where you live that you’ve never been before or a long drive somewhere completely random, there are crazy cool things to find anywhere if you just take the chance and do it!

Our drive took us from a short-lived stop in Las Vegas, back and forth through Utah and Arizona to Monument Valley. As most travels go, ours didn’t go exactly according to plan. We missed the sunset in Monument Valley, but ended up seeing some amazing sights under the stars in the freezing cold.

We stayed the night in Page, Arizona where we got a feel for the incredible charm and hospitality of the locals. One bar patron offered us a ride home from his son picking him up, while later on a Pizza Hut employee graciously unlocked their doors to make us an after hour meal because everything else in town was shut down.

The sunset filled drive back from Arizona to Nevada was breathtaking with every turn leading us to stop along the road for pictures. Sitting in a car for hours can seem daunting, but I’ve learned that my saving grace other than staring in awe out the window is podcasts. We just about finished the entire series of “Up and Vanished” on our drive. I’m a sucker for anything true crime so leave me a comment if you’ve got any good ones!