Hit the road Jack! California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada camper trip

jamiemcculloch8
5 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

In March/April 2023 I decided to go on a road trip I'd been wanting to do for so long! Starting out in Los Angeles in a rented camper from Roadsurfer I headed to Joshua Tree National Park. Having seen so much of this park in movies and TV shows over the years, I was intrigued to see if it had the real-life vibe that's portrayed on the screen. In short, it does! I spent three amazing nights under the ridiculously clear skies, enjoying the peace, quiet and tranquility that only places like this can achieve. Camping nestled amongst the rocks of the campgrounds is a magical experience in itself, but then you head off on foot into the maze of rock formations and it just keeps getting better! Have a look at some of the photos and you'll see what I mean!

From there, I continued east into Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. If I thought I'd already seen some decent scenery, I was in for a treat! The Grand Canyon really is like somewhere from another planet! The scale of the surroundings is mind-boggling! You feel so small! Parking up in amongst the trees of the campground gave a sense of being alone in the wilderness that I've not felt anywhere else. This was further embedded when, on my second morning, I awoke surrounded by snow in all directions! Luckily, despite living in Bermuda at the time, I'd packed my warmest clothes and thermals as I'd heard this could happen in March/April time. I'm so glad I did, as heading out for a walk along the canyon's edge with snow settled all around the periphery was truly a sight not to be missed.

After breakfast on my last morning at the campground, I headed for a tour at Antelope Canyon. Wow, wow wow! walking through this canyon at ground level was like nothing I'd experienced before. I've never been one for caving of any sort, so I was glad to find out that the canyon doesn't feel too claustrophobic at all. To be honest, there was a feeling of walking through the insides of some great, ancient best! I have to admit though, the whole time I did have visions of the movie 127 hours playing in my head! I was very careful not to slip at any time!

From there it was onwards and upwards into Utah and Monument Valley. Again, the scenery just got better and better. While planning the trip, I thought that Monument Valley would be the highlight, and I was so happy for that to be the case! It really is an awe-inspiring place to be in! Despite the fear of missing the early start, I booked myself onto a sunrise tour which included a 5am pick up from the campground, and it is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Watching the sun slowly creep up from behind the three buttes (West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Butte) with hardly anyone else in the vicinity was a sight to behold (I was one of only three on my tour!). The near four hour tour then just got better and better!

After what had been a truly amazing week and a bit, I dropped the rental van in Las Vegas (Roadsurfer do one way rentals) for a couple of nights of craziness and then headed home after what is still to this day one of the best experiences of my life!

Click the links below to find out more about the campgrounds I called home on this trip.

Joshua Tree National Park