DFW
Starting point of the trip. I kinda overbooked myself lol so we ended up leaving around 8PM CST after a surprise birthday party. Poor planning on my part haha.
North AmericaLatest trip
Seven-day road trip to the Grand Canyon
A seven-day drive west from DFW, with wide-open highways, memorable stops, and a Grand Canyon sunset waiting at the end.
Photo by ShirleyThe route I took
Loading map…
TRIP
Grand Canyon
7 daysA seven-day drive west from DFW, with wide-open highways, memorable stops, and a Grand Canyon sunset waiting at the end.
Lubbock
We made it to Lubbock around 3AM and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn using our credit card points so technically free lol. If you want to learn more about credit, see the Tips & Products page. We ended up not having to pay for hotels this trip.
White Sands National Park
Stopped at White Sands National Park. Literally felt like you were transported into a different universe.
Tuscon
We drove to Tuscon, Arizona which was a 9 hour drive. We didn't do much there. We did stop at this cute little coffee shop. I had their Matcha there which was pretty good.
Phoenix
We stayed at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows, which was completely paid for with the annual hotel credit. You guys must try Din Tai Fung, I believe it's based in the west coast mainly. I legit screamed when I found out they had one in Phoenix. They just had opened in late April 2026. They are known for their Xiao Long Bao but my favorite dishes there are:
Cucumber Salad Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons String Beans with Garlic Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Sesame & Mochi Xiao Long Bao Sea Salt Cream Dip
We stopped at Bearizona as we were heading up to the Grand Canyon. It's a cute little drive thru safari park.
Grand Canyon
We stayed about 15 minutes from the Grand Canyon area for 3 days. Honestly, it was better since we read the Grand Canyon village gets crowded. The day we arrived, we head to the Desert View. I was just in awe seeing it in person, it makes you realize how small you are compared to the world. The next day we had breakfast at the Grand Canyon Village Market & Deli, which we recommend. For dinner, we ate at the Desert Lounge + Grill located in our hotel.
Albuquerque
This was mainly a stop for us to head back to Fort Worth. We ended up trying going to Sawmill Market, which seemed liked one of those indoor get together food courts. I had the poke at Notorious P.O.K.E. and the Kulantro Pho from Kulantro (I highly recommend the Pho there). Later in the evening, we drove around to go see the Breaking Bad House. It's pretty cool to see it in real life compared to the show. Please do respect the owner's privacy and don't go near the property. They have a fence and signs everywhere mentioning it.