Roadtrip 1: Phoenix, the Grand Canyon and Vegas!

So this roadtrip seems like a very long time ago now, but I've had so much uni work that I had no spare time to write my blog. It seems a bit late now but I needed to post something about this trip as it was such a memorable part of my semester. There will be several more posts after this to catch up.

On Veteran's Day weekend we had some extra time off uni so we went on a roadtrip; we could finally see some more states, Arizona and Nevada. This meant that I had been to four by the end of the weekend, hopefully I'll have visited many more by the end of the year. Our first stop was Phoenix in Arizona, where we stayed overnight at a Hilton resort. The next morning we went to the botanical gardens. It was interesting to see the desert scenery and all the cacti; very different from coastal California. There were also some cool glass sculptures on exhibit which added to the experience.

Here's some photos from the visit:

Massive cactus:

The gang:

Contemplating life in the desert:

Posing in the desert:

We then drove onto the Grand Canyon. Who knew so many hours in the car could be so fun? We spent a lot of time singing our hearts out. These were some of the best and most memorable moments from the weekend. We arrived in time to see the sunset, which was so beautiful. It's still so surreal to me that I've seen one of the most famous natural wonders of the world, and it didn't disappoint. It was an amazing experience, and I'm glad that I got to see it with such great friends.

Our beast of a car:

On the road with some bikers:

The Grand Canyon:

Me and my aussies:

Sunset: 

Shoutout to Sara! Selfie fun in the hotel room:

The next morning we got up early to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise. As you can see by the photos this was an unforgettable sight.

Perfection:

After getting breakfast we hit the road again to Las Vegas, Nevada. When we got there we spent some time in the Fashion Show Mall (we went to Topshop and yes I was very excited about finally getting some English clothes). Then Sonnee and Sara and I walked down the strip to see all the hotels. Not being 21 in Vegas is a bit strange but as we were only there for one night and there was so much to do, it didn't really matter as we had a great time just seeing the sights. Partying in Vegas will have to wait for now!

The Venetian:

Caesar's Palace:

More selfie fun with Sara:

Caesar's Palace with Sonnee and Sara:

The Bellagio fountain show:

Veteran's Day weekend = required photo with military:

The next morning we went to take some photos with the Vegas sign and then we headed back home to Long Beach on another entertaining drive.

Car bonding times with Steph, matching hats:

 

More posts to come!