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Road Trip | Western US National Parks Free Travel 🚗

I took advantage of Thanksgiving to go on a spontaneous trip—no overplanning, just hitting the road! 🧳 Day 1: Bakersfield ➡️ Death Valley ➡️ Las Vegas Actually, we left the Bay Area the night before and drove to Bakersfield to stay overnight—so we could start bright and early the next day! We headed straight to Death Valley National Park and checked out its three most famous spots: Badwater Basin: This was the most (stunning)! From far away, it looks like a river; up close, it resembles snow—but when you step on it, you realize it’s all salt! The vast salt flats stretch as far as the eye can see, and it’s hard to believe such a unique landscape exists 🌨️. Artists Palette: The colorful rock formations (think pastels and earthy tones) look like a painter’s canvas—super photogenic! Zabriskie Point: Unfortunately, the sun sets early here, so by the time we got to the third spot, it was already pitch-black. We couldn’t see the famous sunrise/sunset views, but the quiet night vibe still felt special. After exploring, we kept driving to Las Vegas to spend the night—ready for Day 2! 🏨 Day 2: Red Rock Canyon ➡️ Hoover Dam ➡️ Grand Canyon Red Rock Canyon: We arrived early, but parking spots were already tight—so many people come here for rock climbing! 🧗♂️ The red sandstone cliffs against the blue sky are iconic; even just driving the scenic loop was amazing. Hoover Dam: This engineering marvel is so impressive! We took photos from two spots: the arch bridge and the dam itself—each angle gave a totally different view of its grandeur. Standing there, you can’t help but admire how it was built decades ago 🌉. Grand Canyon: We kept driving into the evening and stayed overnight inside Grand Canyon National Park—so we could beat the crowds the next morning! Day 3: Grand Canyon ➡️ Horseshoe Bend ➡️ Las Vegas ➡️ Home This was the busiest driving day—we covered so much ground! Grand Canyon: We woke up super early to explore while the park was still quiet. Words can’t describe how (magnificent) it is—layer upon layer of red and orange cliffs carved by the Colorado River. It makes you marvel at nature’s “handiwork” and feel small against the test of time ⏳. There are even rock specimens along the trails marked with their ages (from thousands to millions of years)—it’s like stepping through centuries! Horseshoe Bend: Next, we drove north to Horseshoe Bend—and wow, every spot here gives postcard-perfect photos! The Colorado River curves into a “horseshoe” shape, and there’s green moss on the riverbed below. We even spotted someone kayaking in the distance—such a peaceful contrast to the vast rock formations 🛶. Once we finished exploring, we decided to head home early to avoid Sunday traffic. First, we stopped in Las Vegas for dinner, then hit the road for the Bay Area. The drive ended up being over 8 hours—we got home around 3 AM, tired but totally worth it! 😴 Recommended Restaurants Bakersfield New Saigon Restaurant (Vietnamese Cuisine): Their phở is delicious, and the owner can speak Chinese—super friendly! After the meal, they even gave us complimentary homemade mango sago pudding 🥭. It’s the perfect light meal after a long drive. Las Vegas Hunan Rice Noodles: The braised beef rice noodles and spicy bamboo shoot & preserved pork hot pot are great! The bamboo shoots are imported from China, so they taste super authentic 🌶️. Da Dan Ge Xi’an Style: It lives up to its reputation—we had to wait in line even though we arrived early! The pork belly roujiamo (meat sandwich) and spicy beef noodle soup are chef’s kiss 🥟. Dongting Chun (Hunan Cuisine): No wait time! The grandma’s stir-fried vegetables go great with rice, the tealeaf mushroom & chicken stir-fry has huge portions, and the stinky tofu smells (and tastes) just like the authentic version from China 🤤. Kingman (A Small Town Stopover) Kino Kitchen (Vietnamese Cuisine): The portions are huge, but I wasn’t a fan of the spices they used—personal taste, though! It’s a decent option if you’re hungry on the road. #RoadTrip #WesternUSTravel #USNationalParks #DeathValley #GrandCanyon #HorseshoeBend

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Road Trip | Western US National Parks Free Travel 🚗

I took advantage of Thanksgiving to go on a spontaneous trip—no overplanning, just hitting the road! 🧳 Day 1: Bakersfield ➡️ Death Valley ➡️ Las Vegas Actually, we left the Bay Area the night before and drove to Bakersfield to stay overnight—so we could start bright and early the next day! We headed straight to Death Valley National Park and checked out its three most famous spots: Badwater Basin: This was the most (stunning)! From far away, it looks like a river; up close, it resembles snow—but when you step on it, you realize it’s all salt! The vast salt flats stretch as far as the eye can see, and it’s hard to believe such a unique landscape exists 🌨️. Artists Palette: The colorful rock formations (think pastels and earthy tones) look like a painter’s canvas—super photogenic! Zabriskie Point: Unfortunately, the sun sets early here, so by the time we got to the third spot, it was already pitch-black. We couldn’t see the famous sunrise/sunset views, but the quiet night vibe still felt special. After exploring, we kept driving to Las Vegas to spend the night—ready for Day 2! 🏨 Day 2: Red Rock Canyon ➡️ Hoover Dam ➡️ Grand Canyon Red Rock Canyon: We arrived early, but parking spots were already tight—so many people come here for rock climbing! 🧗♂️ The red sandstone cliffs against the blue sky are iconic; even just driving the scenic loop was amazing. Hoover Dam: This engineering marvel is so impressive! We took photos from two spots: the arch bridge and the dam itself—each angle gave a totally different view of its grandeur. Standing there, you can’t help but admire how it was built decades ago 🌉. Grand Canyon: We kept driving into the evening and stayed overnight inside Grand Canyon National Park—so we could beat the crowds the next morning! Day 3: Grand Canyon ➡️ Horseshoe Bend ➡️ Las Vegas ➡️ Home This was the busiest driving day—we covered so much ground! Grand Canyon: We woke up super early to explore while the park was still quiet. Words can’t describe how (magnificent) it is—layer upon layer of red and orange cliffs carved by the Colorado River. It makes you marvel at nature’s “handiwork” and feel small against the test of time ⏳. There are even rock specimens along the trails marked with their ages (from thousands to millions of years)—it’s like stepping through centuries! Horseshoe Bend: Next, we drove north to Horseshoe Bend—and wow, every spot here gives postcard-perfect photos! The Colorado River curves into a “horseshoe” shape, and there’s green moss on the riverbed below. We even spotted someone kayaking in the distance—such a peaceful contrast to the vast rock formations 🛶. Once we finished exploring, we decided to head home early to avoid Sunday traffic. First, we stopped in Las Vegas for dinner, then hit the road for the Bay Area. The drive ended up being over 8 hours—we got home around 3 AM, tired but totally worth it! 😴 Recommended Restaurants Bakersfield New Saigon Restaurant (Vietnamese Cuisine): Their phở is delicious, and the owner can speak Chinese—super friendly! After the meal, they even gave us complimentary homemade mango sago pudding 🥭. It’s the perfect light meal after a long drive. Las Vegas Hunan Rice Noodles: The braised beef rice noodles and spicy bamboo shoot & preserved pork hot pot are great! The bamboo shoots are imported from China, so they taste super authentic 🌶️. Da Dan Ge Xi’an Style: It lives up to its reputation—we had to wait in line even though we arrived early! The pork belly roujiamo (meat sandwich) and spicy beef noodle soup are chef’s kiss 🥟. Dongting Chun (Hunan Cuisine): No wait time! The grandma’s stir-fried vegetables go great with rice, the tealeaf mushroom & chicken stir-fry has huge portions, and the stinky tofu smells (and tastes) just like the authentic version from China 🤤. Kingman (A Small Town Stopover) Kino Kitchen (Vietnamese Cuisine): The portions are huge, but I wasn’t a fan of the spices they used—personal taste, though! It’s a decent option if you’re hungry on the road. #RoadTrip #WesternUSTravel #USNationalParks #DeathValley #GrandCanyon #HorseshoeBend

Bakersfield
Artists Palette
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