Road Trip with AXiD by Annika Callaham

10 days, 7 national parks, 4 people, 1 van

I’ve always wanted to go out west and as broke college kids who wanted to visit as many parks as possible in 10 days, renting a van was the best option. The van was our new home where we would spend hours driving through the desert, cooking from our mini kitchenette, and sleeping in the rooftop camper.

We flew into Las Vegas and the adventure began. One of the most memorable moments that comes to mind includes hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, which is said to be one of the scariest hikes in North America, and I can attest to that. It was terrifying with thousand feet drops on either side of the trail, but it was 100% worth it. At Bryce Canyon, we hiked Fairyland Loop, a 9 mile trail around the rim and into the canyon, which was incredible and very unique. After living in Atlanta my whole life, I was thrilled when it snowed on our way to Arches. There ended up being snow on the ground for the rest of the trip, and it never got old. I’ll never forget when our van got stuck in the sand at Lake Powell, AZ and we had to call a tow truck to get us out. At the Grand Canyon, we hiked the Bright Angel Trail, which goes into the canyon (and the hard part - hiking back up). In total it was 12 miles, and along the way we saw some amazing views that made it so worth it. Another highlight was Death Valley, which is famous for being the hottest place on Earth. We were used to sleeping, cooking, and living in below freezing temperatures while wearing about 5 layers of clothing, so saying we were excited to be somewhere we could wear shorts would be an understatement. 

Looking back, I never thought I would miss living out of a van, but here we are. I’m so thankful I had my sister with me for this adventure. Whether it was huddling by the fire in 10 degree weather, singing to country music on the scenic drives, or watching a sunset from the top of a mountain, I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by my side.

“I’m so thankful I had my sister with me for this adventure.”