On August 25, the National Parks Service turns 100. To celebrate, I checked off a major bucket list item in June by road tripping and hiking through the Southwest with two of my best girlfriends. We had a lot of territory to cover in two weeks. Here are a few highlights, from A (Arizona) to Z (Zion).

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
We started our journey on the north side of the canyon. 

This is probably one of the most photographed landmarks in the United States and photos just don’t fully do it justice. I’m still overwhelmed by the vastness and beauty of the canyons. Though it was formed millions of years ago, it is still being carved out by erosion, wind, etc. Amazing! 

We camped in the park for a couple of days and woke up one morning to find the elk pictured grazing right by our tent.

Over the next few days, we drove through the Southwest, stopping at various landmarks and venturing out onto the trails.

U.S. Route 66
A true American road trip is not complete without a drive down historic Route 66! If old car relics are your thing, you’ll find that on the roadside along with other fabulous Americana. Check out Fred Flintstone’s car behind me!

Sedona, Arizona
One step at a time, the reward at the end of the hike is always worth it—just check out the view!

Can you spot the Columbia gear I’m wearing? Hint: they were given out at last year’s All-Staff Retreat.

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Horseshoe Bend offers another awe-inspiring view that’s worth the hike! This is a major curve in the Colorado River.

Zion National Park, Utah
Back on the trail, we spent a day exploring Moab and cooling off in the emerald pools.

Monument Valley, Arizona-Utah Border
While camping out in the wild, you experience the simple beauties of life, like watching the sun rise…

…or playing with wild horses!

San Francisco, California
We wrapped up our road trip in San Francisco. After spending two weeks in the wild, I had to reward myself the best way possible—with some churned-to-order goodness! I ordered the strawberry white balsamic, and it definitely made me smitten.

What would the U.S. be like without these natural spaces? Whatever one’s political beliefs, America’s parks are worth protecting and it’s important to become educated on the ways that we can contribute to conservation efforts, locally and globally. Future generations will thank us.

Thoughts or questions? Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. To share your own adventure, e-mail [email protected].