A Week in the American West: LA, Vegas & Arizona 🌵✈️

This Christmas, we chose to spend the week exploring Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Arizona. It wasn’t a non-stop sprint, but we did cover some long drives—and every view was absolutely worth it. 🚗💨 For the middle part of the trip, we joined a small tour group (since we didn’t rent a car). If you prefer driving yourself, you can easily adapt this route! 🌧️ Day 1: Hong Kong → Los Angeles We arrived to rare LA rain ☔️—so our Santa Monica plans were washed out. Ended up cozy at the hotel and dined at La Boucherie with floor-to-ceiling views of the glittering city at night. 🌃✨ ☀️ Day 2: Beverly Hills + Lakers Game Morning in sunny Beverly Hills (everything was closed for Christmas, oops 🎄). By 3 PM we were lining up at Crypto Arena for the epic Christmas game—so fun and lively! 🏀❤️ Afterward, ordered the famous Sun Nong Dan (delicious but huge—we couldn’t finish!). 🛣️ Day 3: LA → Las Vegas ~4-hour drive with a stop for In-N-Out 🍔—amazing first bite, but quickly rich. 🏜️ Day 4: Vegas → Grand Canyon + Horseshoe Bend Drove ~3 hours to the Grand Canyon (holiday crowds + some traffic). Weather shifted constantly, but the sunny views were breathtaking. 🌄 Another ~2 hours to Horseshoe Bend for sunset—pink-purple skies made the long drive totally worthwhile. 🌅💜 🌀 Day 5: Page → Upper Antelope Canyon → Lake Powell → Vegas Book tickets in advance! A local guide leads you through the stunning sandstone waves and helps with photo tips. 📸⏳ Short stop at Lake Powell (wish we’d taken a boat tour!). 🔫 Day 6: Vegas → LA Morning in Vegas trying shooting ranges—a new and thrilling experience! 🔫 Back in LA by afternoon, revisited Sun Nong Dan (friends say add cheese—it was good but not as magical the second time). Evening stop at Erewhon for their famous smoothie—coconut was nice, peppermint was not for me. Their chocolates & hand creams make great souvenirs though! 🛍️🥥 🛫 Day 7: LA → Hong Kong Brunch at San Laurel in the hotel—beautiful and tasty! ☕️ Weather turned gray again… my blue skies and beach time never came 🏖️😅 Grabbed long-awaited Crumbl Cookies before heading to the airport. 🍪 All in all, a beautifully balanced week—chill moments mixed with epic nature. If you love landscapes, this route will fill your heart. 🥰🌄 #AmericanWest #LosAngeles #LasVegas #GrandCanyon #AntelopeCanyon #HorseshoeBend #TravelDiary #RoadTrip #NatureLovers #HolidayTravel #USATravel #ScenicDrives #MemoriesMade