Arizona/Utah: NO FILTER required
If you love the outdoors hiking through streams, seeing waterfalls, pine trees as well as cactus. And, if you love seeing a panorama of color from below your feet and soaring above your head. And, if you love taking in the outdoors, snapping photos and just relaxing in a lounge chair staring at the vista in front of you, Northern Arizona/Southern Utah is the place for you! Here every photo you take can legitimately say, “NO FILTER.” I’ve purposely have posted all (okay, most) of my photos without editing.
The area is full of national parks, each one is beautiful in its own way. Below is an overview of some of your options. They are out of order but I’ve included a driving map to lead the way.
Arches National Park: Arches is aptly named for its overabundance of rock arches, in fact the Park has more than 2,000 of them. Within Devils Garden, spans Landscape Arch, which is the longest arch in North America extending 306 feet. At its narrowest spot, it is only 6 feet in diameter. Double Arch is also worth a stop. It soars 112 feet above ground and is 144 feet across. In Arches, there is a road that traverses through the park with many places to park along the way and walks that are easily accomplished by beginner and those with children. More challenging hikes are also throughout the park and lead to some of the lesser visited arches. Stop by the Ranger Station ahead of time to pick up a pamphlet. Camping is available but fills up quick.
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend: I visited Antelope Canyon five years ago and it was crowded but not crazy. We went again last month, and that has changed. It’s testament to social media’s influence. Having said that, both are still worth a visit but be patient. There are people everywhere. These sites are located in Page, Arizona, along the Colorado River and near Lake Powell. Page was a sleepy little town but no longer. 
There are plenty of hotels to choice from and some decent restaurants. My favorite is a Mexican place called El Tapatio. The service and atmosphere is terrific and the food good. Horseshoe Bend is where the Colorado River makes a U-turn around an outcropping of rocks. We went during sunset but I think sunrise is probably less crowed. There is a parking lot with bathrooms and the walk to the Bend is short, about 1.5 miles round trip.
Antelope Valley has been made famous because of its two canyons that are divided into Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope Canyon. The colors of the sandstone rocks are orange and brown but a camera will change the colors depending upon how much light is hitting them, bright yellows for those with more light and deep purple for those in the shadows. Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo Indian land so you have to purchase a tour ticket to see them. I suggest you do this before you leave because they do sell out. There are a number of tour companies that are generally ran by just a few families.
In Upper Antelope Canyon, rays of sun shine through the rocks creating beams of light that are particularly cool. For this reason, we spend the extra money to do a photo tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. You need a DSL camera and you can take your tripod. The guide will help you with the correct camera settings and making sure people don’t walk through your photo. They also know the exact time when the sun will shine through the rocks and will throw sand into the light beam making it more prominent on your photos. For this tour, you will take a short ride to site and then walk through the Canyon.
The Lower Canyon offers tours too but because of the number of people and the ladders to go in, out and through the Canyon, tripods and backpacks are not allowed. Our guide told us around 2,000 people a day go through Lower Antelope so expect lines and crowds. Luckily, if you’re a photobug like me, you’re shooting up the entire time so you can easily crop people out. Ask the guides ahead of time to set your camera, this works even if you’re shooting with a cell phone.
Note: Most tours require cash so be prepared.
Bryce Canyon: Bryce Canyon has orange, white and red pinnacles called Hoodoos that soar throughout the park. If fact, Bryce has the largest collection of Hoodoos in the world. In the winter, the Canyon often showcases a dusting of snow and it can get quite cold. There is hiking, camping and a road that winds through it teasing you with a number of lookouts.
Bryce Point Sunset Point
Zion Canyon: Zion Canyon is one of my favorite parks. It doesn’t have the colors of some of the other locations but its green, has a river and pine trees. You have to see the Great White Throne and Checkerboard Mesa. We camped a few times here when I was a kid and I always have loved hiking through the woods and along the river. During peak season, you will need to park your car and ride the shuttle bus through the park. The shuttle buses are free and make many stops along the way. You can hop on and hop off as you like taking hikes in between.
Grand Canyon: Of course the Grand Canyon is the mother of all of the National Parks in this area and there are a number of ways to see it. You can hike the Canyon both along the rim and at the bottom. You can raft down the river (generally, you need to make reservations a year in advance for this), see it by train via Williams, Arizona, or drive through and stop along the way. I’ve driven along the south side stopping and taking short hikes which are always fun and also taken the train from Williams to the Canyon for the day. No matter which you choose, the Grand Canyon is awe inspiring and literal took my breath away the first time I saw it.
Flagstaff: You can’t write an article about this area without mentioning Flagstaff. We always stay here along the route. Flag, as the locals call it, has a quaint downtown with delicious food and a variety of hotels. Last time we drove though, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel has a fireplace and cozy furniture so we ended up not leaving for dinner and just staying here reading in the lobby and getting dinner at the bar. Another local restaurant I love in Flagstaff is Black Bart’s Steakhouse. It’s a restaurant that caters to tourist but unlike other tourist restaurants, the food here is really good here. They have waiters and waitress that sing on stage in between serving your food. A lot of them go to the local university and are really good. During the fall, Flagstaff has bright, yellow Aspens that dot the hills and it’s known for its skiing and snowboarding. 
Sedona: Sedona is the gateway to northern Arizona and 
southern Utah. Here the red rocks start to pop out of the ground giving you a glimpse of the beauty to come. People go to the Mesa Sedona Airport to view the sunset. It costs $3 to park but worth the view as you look down upon the town. Another place to visit here is the Chapel of the Holy Cross built in the side of the hill in 1956, the Chapel hangs over the cliff and you can walk through it. Additionally, Sedona has hiking trails and you can take jeep tours through the area. There are two state parks, Red Rock and Slide Rock.
Meteor Crater: A large hole in the ground doesn’t sound very exciting but we all agreed we really liked this excursion. The Crater is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep. Tours for adults are $18 and kids are $9. The price is really worth it as you walk around the Crater, the guide explains the geology of the rock, why they know it was a meteorite that caused it and how they proved it.
This trip never gets old and there is always something new to explore. Have fun!