2022 Christmas Road Trip
This content was automatically generated by gpt-4o-mini (No human review). The original post is in Chinese.
During the 2022 Christmas holiday, we took our car for a road trip to Utah and Arizona for the second time. This was our third Christmas/New Year period traveling in the national parks of the American Southwest. Since we had been here a few times before, I didn’t spend much time planning this trip; it was mainly Cuihao who did the planning. Additionally, we invited good friends to join us this time, which significantly increased the number of photos taken. The trip lasted a total of 6 days, with the first and last days mainly spent driving, and the 4 days in between for sightseeing: 2 days in Zion, 1 day in Page, and 1 day in Bryce.
Uploading photos to the blog is not very convenient, so friends who want to see travel photos can follow my Facebook account.
Day 1 Driving
On the first day, we set off quite late because I fell ill the day before and hadn’t packed. So, I spent several hours packing in the morning, and we didn’t hit the road until noon. Before we left, we entered the lottery for Angels Landing. To increase our chances of winning, the four of us submitted four applications, and when the results came out in the afternoon, all four of us won. We started our journey from Irvine and drove to St. George, which took about 7 hours. Along the way, besides eating and refueling, we also passed by a Liberty Sculpture Park.
Here’s what I posted on my social media when we set off, truly feeling “especially homesick during the holidays”:
The Christmas holiday begins [Fireworks] and I’m reluctantly starting a new trip. Just yesterday I was sick in bed with a runny nose, and today I’m setting off. Honestly, I really wanted to just lie down at home, but if I don’t go anywhere or do anything during my 11-day holiday, I would feel stressed, so I decided to stick to the original plan. For this trip, I hardly spent any time planning (because I was too busy in the weeks leading up to it); Cuihao took care of everything, and I spent about 4 hours packing [Facepalm]. I always end up packing a lot of things that I probably won’t need because having many items gives me a sense of security. Before I zip up my suitcase, I always stuff in a few more pieces of clothing… Cuihao says I’m like the safety officer at home; for instance, I brought Tylenol, a thermometer, an antigen test kit, and a sleeping bag (even though we’re staying in hotels this time)! Sigh, that’s just who I am—very anxious, and it even affects those around me. I wish I could relax a bit more.
Another reason I don’t want to stay home is that I would have to cook for myself [Facepalm], which is quite a hassle. I really envy those friends who can go home or even back to their home country during the Christmas holiday to reunite with family; I also wish I could go back home. Every holiday that’s meant for family reunions, I end up traveling because I feel “homeless.”
Day 2 Angels Landing Hike
On the second day, we were at Zion National Park, and we completed the Angel’s Landing Trail. This was the most dangerous trail we have ever hiked. The length and elevation gain are not too much, and overall, it was not physically demanding, but it is really perilous. In many places, there are cliffs on both sides, so you need to be very careful. Most of the time, you have to hold onto the chains tightly, and you must not step into thin air. Looking back at the photos, the scenery on this trail is quite nice.
Regarding gear, the Angels Landing hike can be quite hot. As long as the weather is good, you will be exposed to the sun the whole time, and since there is elevation gain, you need to bring enough drinking water (in winter, it is recommended to bring 1.5 to 2 liters per person). You don’t need to wear too many layers. Be sure to bring microspikes; otherwise, the icy and snowy surfaces can be slippery. You must also bring gloves, as it is more comfortable to hold onto the chains with them.
The picture below shows the itinerary planned by Cuihao, which is basically consistent with our actual itinerary.
Day 3 The Narrows Hike
On the third day, we were still in Zion National Park, and we hiked The Narrows (Bottom Up). We hiked for a total of 5 hours, reaching Floating Rock before turning back, covering about 6.5 miles round trip. This was my first time hiking through water, and the deepest water we crossed was below the hips. We rented dry pants, water shoes/socks, and walking sticks from Zion Outfitter to hike in the stream water, which was around 5 degrees Celsius. The advantage of going in winter is that there are fewer people, but the downside is that the water is quite cold, so you must rent gear. If you fall and your clothes get soaked, there is a risk of hypothermia. After renting the gear, only my feet got wet; everything above the ankles stayed dry. Inside the dry pants, I wore two pairs of pants: one thermal pair and one fleece pair. My feet were a bit chilly at first, but it was fine once I started walking. The canyon walls on both sides are very high, and since we were in the stream all day, we were not directly exposed to the sun, so it’s better to wear more clothes (thicker than for Angels Landing), and you can bring less water (about 1 to 1.5 liters in winter).
On the day we hiked, the Narrows Flow Rate was about 65 cubic feet per second (for more information on the water flow in the Narrows, you can refer to the Zion Guru website). In some places, the current was quite strong, so we had to be very careful while walking. Among the four of us, only one friend slipped while crossing the river and almost fell. Fortunately, she was wearing a dry bib and dry bag, so only the sleeves of her clothes got a bit wet. This shows that a dry bib is worth it; additionally, each of us had a dry bag (I have many because I do sea kayaking).
Day 4 Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
On the fourth day of our trip, it was relatively relaxed as we visited Antelope Canyon Lower Antelope Canyon Hiking Tour and Horseshoe Bend Horseshoe Bend. Both attractions were extremely crowded (very reminiscent of domestic tourist spots), and they are purely for photography. At Lower Antelope Canyon, we spent the first 30 minutes just waiting in line, making little progress. The guide told us that it gets even busier in the summer. In the end, it took us an hour and a half to walk the last kilometer. This means that a one-hour tour actually took an hour and a half to complete, so if you need to catch a flight, be sure to allow extra time. As for Horseshoe Bend, the viewpoint offers a truly great view, and the $10 parking fee is definitely worth it.
Day 5 Bryce Canyon National Park
On the fifth day of our trip, we revisited Bryce Canyon National Park. We had been here before on January 5, 2020, but that time we only stopped at some viewpoints for sightseeing and photos without hiking. This time, we brought ice cleats, which made it easy to hike on the icy and snowy paths (microspikes were the biggest contributors to this trip). We hiked the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail. We also watched a film at the Visitor Center to learn more and bought some souvenirs. Additionally, we specifically returned to the spots where we took photos three years ago to take new pictures for comparison.
Day 6 Driving Home
The weather during this trip was very nice, with sunny and partly cloudy days for the first few days. It wasn’t until the fifth day on the way back to the hotel that it started snowing/heavily raining, and the first half of our return trip this morning was also filled with heavy rain/hail/fog. It wasn’t until we got near Las Vegas that we finally drove out of the clouds, and on the way back to Irvine, we even witnessed a spectacular sunrise that lasted for 30 minutes. The total drive home took 7 hours, with both of us taking turns driving twice; I drove for a total of 3 hours, while cuihao drove for 4 hours.
Travel Summary
The most fulfilling part of this trip for me was hiking Angels Landing and The Narrows, and the hiking scenery in Bryce was also quite impressive.
Regarding the lottery, for The Wave lottery, we applied for 7 groups over 3 days and didn’t win any, wasting $63 on entrance fees without being able to go. For the Angels Landing lottery, we applied for 4 groups in one day and won them all, wasting 12 spots for $54. It’s a classic case of the dry dying of thirst and the wet drowning.
As for accommodations, on the first day of this trip, we stayed at Days Inn by Wyndham St. George, and for the next 4 days, we stayed at Travelodge by Wyndham Kanab (highly recommended). The advantage of staying in Kanab is that it is located between Zion, Bryce, and Page. Considering that both Angels Landing and The Wave require a lottery, our itinerary needed to be quite flexible, adjusting based on the lottery results and the weather.
Expenses
This trip cost nearly $900, rounded off to about $150 for gas, $250 for 5 nights of accommodation, $150 for food, $300 for tickets/tours/lots/rental equipment, and $50 for other expenses (like souvenirs). Compared to previous trips, we saved on airfare and car rental, and accommodation was also very cheap; we spent more on tickets and tours before.
Itinerary Map
Travel in the Past 3 Years
In the past 3 years, Cuihao and I have visited 22 national parks, with a total of 10 trips (8 of which were over 4 days). The chart below records each trip, including the dates and expenses. It shows that the trips in 2020/2021 were budget-friendly, as we saved a lot by camping. In the last 3 trips of 2022, we didn’t camp at all, especially in Hawaii and Yellowstone, where we spent a lot of money. However, the three trips during Christmas/New Year in the national parks of the American Southwest were very economical (including this one). The travel experience and happiness are actually not related to how much money was spent.
Some people ask me how I manage to spend so little money. Here are a few ways we save money:
Sleeping in the car (2020 Grand Canyon, 2021 Alaska)
Camping (2020 Grand Canyon, 2021 Yosemite, 2021 Alaska, 2021 Hawaii)
Renting cars and booking hotels through school/company websites for discounts (almost every time)
Using airline credits to buy tickets; for example, if a flight is delayed by 4 hours, you can call to request a voucher for future ticket purchases
Traveling with friends to share costs for car rentals, tickets, and hotels (New Year 2020, Alaska 2021, Yellowstone 2022)
Cooking for ourselves/boiling instant noodles/bringing snacks/eating at fast food places, dining out less (almost every time)
Finally, I wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2023 is here!
