Arizona 2025

Our Arizona adventure officially begins at 12:50 p.m. when we land at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. After collecting our rental car and making a very quick hotel check-in in Scottsdale, we head straight to Pinnacle Peak Trail. Huge granite boulders, towering saguaros and sweeping views over the valley make this the perfect first hike.

After a refreshing shower, we end this beautiful but scorching day in Old Town Scottsdale, strolling among historic shops, saloons and the distinctive Old Adobe Mission while the Arizona night still holds at 32°C.

We leave Scottsdale early and drive south to Saguaro National Park, surrounded by an endless forest of giant cacti beneath the desert sky. Along the isolated roads, rows of rural mailboxes appear in the middle of nowhere, with no houses in sight.

We continue to legendary Tombstone. A sudden shower darkens the dusty streets and wooden façades, making the Old West setting feel even more authentic. After exploring the town, we stop for coffee in a former saloon—fortunately, with no gunfighters in sight.

Leaving Scottsdale behind, we drive north as the landscape gives way to Sedona's monumental red rocks. We visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross and then tackle the steep, technical Cathedral Rock Trail. The climb is demanding, but the panoramic saddle between the red spires rewards every effort.

In the afternoon we relax at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, wandering through shady courtyards, fountains, stone arches and local artists' shops—and enjoying a delicious cactus-shaped cupcake.

A full day is devoted to Sedona's wildest trails. The hidden turnoff to Subway Cave is not easy to find along Boynton Canyon Trail, but the striking tunnel-shaped rock formation makes the effort worthwhile.

The desert heat is relentless, although parts of the trail run through the welcome shade of Coconino National Forest. Along the way we are lucky enough to spot a beautiful Western Bluebird among the warm colours of the landscape.

We finish the day on Airport Mesa Loop Trail in time for sunset, watching the last light set Sedona's valleys ablaze. By then, after four days of Tex-Mex and barbecue, we are desperately craving pizza.

Before leaving Sedona we hike Soldier Pass Trail, encountering the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole and the Seven Sacred Pools, small basins carved into the rock by erosion.

We then drive north to Williams, a historic Route 66 town filled with vintage gas stations, neon signs and Mother Road memorabilia. Beyond town, the dense forests of Kaibab National Forest provide an unexpected mountain landscape.

In the afternoon we finally reach the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Walking along the rim towards Mather Point, the canyon opens before us in all its immense drama. We spend the night inside the park, only steps from the edge and beneath an unforgettable starry sky.

A deer and her fawns welcome us in the car park at the start of an unforgettable day. We devote the day to the South Rim and its viewpoints. After dinner inside the park, absolute darkness and silence reveal the true magic of a night without light pollution.

We wake early for sunrise at Mather Point, made even more memorable by a very photogenic squirrel. We reluctantly leave the Grand Canyon and follow Desert View Drive through Kaibab National Forest.

The trees gradually give way to arid scenery as we follow US-89 towards Page. Despite threatening skies, we explore the sculpted curves of Antelope Canyon X and stand above the vast Horseshoe Bend. Dinner at Big John's Texas BBQ, with live country music, provides the perfect ending.

Leaving Page in beautiful light, we reach Monument Valley beneath rain-heavy clouds. A sudden flash flood catches us in an open jeep and turns the tracks into streams. We return soaked to The View Hotel, where the extraordinary panorama makes us forget everything else.

We watch sunrise from the hotel terrace before leaving Monument Valley for the long 530-kilometre drive back to Scottsdale, where we spend the final night of the trip.

After our last breakfast, we pack and fly from Phoenix, connecting in Paris before landing in Italy the following day. The usual end-of-trip tear appears, but gratitude wins: we have seen extraordinary beauty and know this will not be our last journey.