Hey y’all! I went on a solo trip to Arizona a couple weeks ago, before starting my new job, and it was INCREDIBLE! 🤩 It was both fun and relaxing, and it totally restored my energy and got me right to start my new job. I had an amazing time, and would TOTALLY recommend this trip to anyone! If you want to find out what I did, keep reading…
Day 1
The morning of my flight was a struggle: I accidentally set my alarm to weekdays only (my flight was on a Sunday) and ended up waking up at 8:20, when I was supposed to LEAVE at 8! Luckily I had enough of a buffer that I knew I wouldn’t miss my flight, but I still had a super stressful morning rushing out of the house and dragging my suitcase in two inches of snow AND ongoing snowfall to get to the metro to the airport. By the time I got there I was BEAT!! I couldn’t WAIT to get out of that weather!
This was my first time flying since before the pandemic, so I’ll fill you in on my experience with that. The airport I flew out of (DCA) was relatively empty, and my Delta flight had every middle seat blocked off. My layover was in Houston, but my first flight got in so late that I legit ran to the next gate and almost missed my flight (luckily it was right across the hall!!) so honestly I have no idea how crowded that airport was. My second flight had middle seats blocked off as well (go Delta!)
When I got to Arizona, I was SOOO excited to get outside and feel warm weather!! ☀️ I took a shuttle to the rental car facility and got my new whip for the week (I went with Thrifty because the price was the lowest with my Delta Rewards AmEx perks). The car I rented didn’t look like anything special to me – it was a Ford sedan – but whewww that baby GLIDED!
I am talking 0-90 with barely a touch of the pedal and no noise whatsoever. She put my (beloved) Kia Soul to shame 😅
I drove to my hotel to check in, gawking at the beautiful scenery everywhere. I have been to Arizona four other times, but it never ceases to amaze me, and I had missed it!! I arrived at the Saguaro Scottsdale around 5pm, so it was already getting rather dark and I didn’t have a chance to really explore or take pics. However, when I got to my room and saw the view from the balcony was a lame ass STREET, I called the front desk and asked if they had any rooms available on the other side. They said yes, so I stood by the front door not touching anything (lol shoutout covid) until they brought me the key.
Y’all – when I tell you they UPGRADED ya girl! This view was SOOO much better!! It had a panoramic view of the ENTIRE pool, and the entire scene was just bursting with bright colors. So much better than a boring ass busy street! I think it’s ALWAYS worth asking for special requests when it comes to hotels and restaurants – as long as you are polite, there’s a good chance they will say yes, but the worst case is they say no and you don’t lose anything!
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I set my stuff down, showered, and headed out to meet up with a friend for dinner at a restaurant nearby. Once I got back, I was so ready to PTFO, but realized they didn’t even have a real blanket on the bed 😭 I didn’t wanna call the front again cuz it was already 11, but in hindsight I should have because I BARELY slept at all! I wore a hoodie and sweatpants to bed and was still freezing. SMH!
Day 2
Even though I slept like crap the first night, I was SOOO excited to wake up there the next morning! I got up and did my little morning routine, which includes coffee, breakfast, stretching and meditating. Once I finished getting ready, I headed out with my camera to shoot some content around the hotel, both for YouTube and for Instagram. Although I was disappointed that it wasn’t sunny enough to lay at the pool, I got TONS of content all around the hotel, so it didn’t feel like a total waste!
After I wrapped up shooting, I met up with my girl Josie to get lunch. She took me to Diego Pops which is SUCH a cute little trendy Mexican spot! We both got some drinks and tacos (my FAVE), and then shot a couple cute pics on the tropical wall outside.
We also shot a few pics at this brown wall by my car, since we both had the neutral looks going, and happened to run into a band of gypsies! I don’t even know how to describe what we saw – check out my Arizona Travel Vlog for more about that 😂
After we said our goodbyes, I grabbed an iced latte and headed down to Tempe to check into my AirBnb. I was FLOORED by how adorable it was!!! 🤩 It looked cute in pics, but the vibe was just immaculate in person! I loved the decor, of course, but I really loved how open and airy it felt, with so much outdoor space built in! Truly a luxurious AirBnb for my luxury solo trip! For the exact listing click here.
The rest of my evening consisted of running a couple errands (even on vacation lol) to get a few random thing at Target, pick up some groceries for the next few days (like yogurt and fruit for breakfast, coffee pods that were better than what they had, almond milk, a few snacks and a microwave meal for that night). I love having the flexibility to make some of my meals on vacation – especially breakfast – when I stay at an AirBnb versus a hotel. It feels more like home and is a great way to save some money! After dinner I binged a few episodes of Lupin (MUST watch!!) and called it a night.
Day 3
After a slightly better night’s sleep (the neighbor’s dog barked all night and woke me up several times -__-), I was even MORE excited to wake up in the AirBnb! It truly felt so peaceful to be there, and it was even more lovely in the morning light! I did my little morning routine there again, and had my coffee outside in the sun. HOW BLISSFUL!
Since the sun finally decided to come out on my third day, I was set on going to the pool. I decided there was no point in trying to go back to the Saguaro since I had already seen it (and taken a million pics there), so I decided to find another place instead. I ended up going to The Scott Resort and spending the day at their pool, enjoying some delicious ceviche, a couple cocktails, and the glorious sun all day!! 🌞 It was really starting to feel like a vacation finally!
After my pool day, I legit just bummed it at the AirBnb the rest of the day and binged more Lupin. I don’t know about y’all, but I am a pro at chilling alone at home, so on vacation I really enjoy it as well! I definitely enjoyed it last time I went on a solo trip (Palm Beach Dec 19) while I was still living with my family, but unsurprisingly I still love it now that I live alone!
Day 4
I woke up feeling super lazy because it was cloudy out, and took my time getting up and getting ready – which I would later kick myself for – before hitting the road for a daytrip to Sedona! It’s about a two hour drive from Phoenix, with STUNNING views the whole way up 🤩 I visited Sedona back in 2016, and have literally been DREAMING of going back lately, so this was the most exciting day of the trip for me!
I didn’t get there until almost 1 (hence why I was kicking myself), and ended up wasting another hour driving all the way to a trail that wasn’t even the one I was looking for, and then spending 30 minutes hiking out and back and then giving up on the trail. I knew I would regret sticking to that trail instead of cutting my losses and starting over at another.
I am SO glad I made that decision, because the other trail I went to (Cathedral Rock) had the SICKEST views!!! You could see the whole mountain right from the road, and it was just breath taking. My friend Alyssa, who recommended the trail to me, told me it was a pretty short but intense hike. I figured that was my best bet with the limited time I had – better to just hustle and get to the top!
The hike itself was pretty strenuous – there wasn’t really a clear cut trail, so you basically were just climbing up the mountain any which way you could find! Many parts required getting on your hands to pull yourself up the passage, which I found really fun and reminded me of hikes I used to do when I lived in San Diego!
The view at the top was unlike anything you will ever see – just so vast and beautiful and awe inspiring. Pictures really don’t do it any justice – the feeling of being up there and just experiencing the energy is unreal! I HIGHLY recommend making a trip to Sedona and going on this trail if you are ever in Arizona!!
After that I hit the road so I could get back before it got too dark, and ended up catching the most INSANE sunset in the mountains!!! It was literally this emoji 🏜 I didn’t get any pictures, cuz I was driving, but I did set up my tripod on the dash to get some videos of it – check out the vlog I linked before to check it out and see other views from the drive and Sedona!!
The rest of the evening called for some well deserved rest after a long day of driving and hiking! I definitely slept well that night 😴
Day 5
After my full day of exploring and road tripping, I was super ready for another pool day! I was delighted that it was hot and sunny again, which it wasn’t supposed to be originally, so I checked out of the AirBnb and headed straight to my last hotel to use their pool.
I stayed at Arrive Hotel for my last night, which is SUCH a vibe!! It is a brand new hotel located right above downtown Phoenix, with the CUTEST pool club attached to a bar/restaurant. It was practically empty, and I had SUCH a good day lounging by the pool 💦
Their menu had so many yummy treats it was hard to choose! I ended up getting the albacore tataki and “lazy daze” cocktail with mango and mezcal (check the full Lylo Swim Club menu here). The aesthetic was to die for and it was just so luxurious and relaxing!
I whipped out my tripod to snap some pics (it was holding me down throughout the trip!) and definitely captured that vacay vibe 🙌🏽
Around 4, I finally left the pool to go check in to my room and freshen up to meet up with my friend Josie one last time. The room I got was the cheapest option, the mini, and it was super cute! Unfortunately it did NOT have a balcony and the window had a view of a construction site, but I wasn’t too worried because I wasn’t planning on spending much time in the room anyway, with my plans that night and my flight the next morning.
Before heading out, I went back to the pool club to snap some cute pics of my outfit, cuz if you didn’t get a pic did it even happen??
I met up with Josie at a place in downtown Phoenix that I found earlier in the day, called Match, but they didn’t have the happy hour deals they mentioned on the phone and we weren’t super impressed with their bartender, so we decided to head somewhere else. However, they DID have a cute gift shop at the front, so I would recommend checking that part out!
We ended up going to Taco Chelo a few blocks away, which we liked much better! I wasn’t planning on eating at first, cuz there was ANOTHER taco place next to Arrive Hotel that I wanted to check out, but I couldn’t resist! I ended up getting a marg and two tacos, and had no regrets!
When I returned to my hotel room, I was chilling on the bed on my phone for a little while before I noticed a weird vibration coming from below the bed. I had noticed it earlier too, so I texted the front desk to see what was up. They looked into it and figured out that there was a generator below my room and offered to move me to the room right across the hall. I already had all my stuff laid out throughout the room and was already cozy there, but I really didn’t want ANOTHER night of bad sleep, and it was RIGHT across the hall, so I said fuck it!
I am SO glad I did, because the room they moved me to was slightly bigger, had a desk (which I used to finish journaling), and it had a BALCONY!!! I was sooo hype, because ALL I wanted for my last morning in Arizona was to sit in the sun and enjoy my breakfast in peace before going back to the cold crappy weather in DC. My wish came true, and I didn’t even plan for it!
Day 6
Just as expected, I slept GREAT my last night, and woke up excited to enjoy my last morning! I was definitely starting to get sad about leaving, but decided to just be in the moment and soak up as much of the sun and warm weather as I could before checking out.
Since this hotel didn’t have a coffee maker in the room, I went to the coffee shop next to the pool club to grab coffee (which I added my own almond milk to – another way to save money if you have a fridge!), and then sat down on the balcony to enjoy my breakfast. Before leaving, I made sure to snap a bunch of pics and videos of the room in the morning light.
Since I got gas for my rental car the night before, after checking out I went straight to the airport (a quick 20 minute drive), dropped off my rental car (which took two seconds – I just left the keys in the car and hopped on the shuttle), then got the airport and headed to my gate. My first flight was only about an hour and then my second (longer flight) was so empty that I had a whole three-seat row to myself! I was so excited to just settle in and relax for the flight home.
I started to reflect on the week I spent in Arizona and how I felt like myself again for the first time in SO long. I know the pandemic has thrown everyone for a loop, but almost four years since leaving San Diego and starting a VERY different life back on the east coast, I was really missing a lot of elements about that life.
Out west, not only is there so much more nature to enjoy (and better weather if you are in the southwest), but the lifestyle is really just so much different. I can’t fully speak for Arizona cuz I never lived there, but in Southern California people REALLY just love to enjoy life! Their daily routines are structured around doing things they enjoy and really just carpe-ing that diem!
I lived life to the fullest back then, and after four years away from that life (and a full year in a pandemic…ugh) I think I really just lost a lot of my joy for life and was feeling so depressed. I know I was not alone in that feeling, but I also knew that it was up to me to do something about it for myself! I felt really called to Arizona, and I am SO so glad I went. Now I feel inspired to travel more this year and create more opportunities to do things that light me up and bring me joy.
I hope this blog post inspired you to take a trip to Arizona or anywhere you have been dying to go, and also just find ways to bring spontaneous fun and joy to your everyday life! I have another blog post (and YouTube video) coming soon that is all about solo travel, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading ✨
