• I spent over $900 to visit a gorgeous remote corner of the Grand Canyon region.
• Havasupai Falls is a series of stunning turquoise waterfalls located on the Havasupai Reservation.
• Before visiting, guests must reserve three-night camping reservations, which cost $455 per person.

When I came across an Instagram photo of waterfalls cascading over rocky red cliffs into turquoise pools, I knew I needed to learn more about this magical place and how I could get there.

A quick internet search led me to pursue my dream bucket-list trip at Havasupai Falls.

Havasupai Falls, which refers to a series of stunning waterfalls, is named for the First Nation tribe reservation where they're located — in a remote corner of the Grand Canyon ecosystem, outside the jurisdiction of the national park.

The first step in the journey was securing reservations

The first part of planning my trip was securing permits to visit Havasupai Falls.

Unlike other popular hikes like The Wave and Half Dome, which use Recreation.gov to issue permits, the Havasupai people manage their own permit process through their official website.

Havasupai management uses the term "reservation" instead of "permit" since the process involves reserving a physical space at the campgrounds. Reservations cost $455 per person for the minimum three-night, four-day reservation.

Through the Havasupai website, I created an account and accessed the cancellation and transfer list, which allows visitors to take over reservations made and forfeited by other travelers.

To my surprise, I was able to snag a reservation just 17 days in advance.

We packed up our car and headed out for our trip

My husband and I loaded our backpacks into our camper van in early February with everything we would need for the strenuous hike.

We waved goodbye to the comforts of our Las Vegas home and drove 2 ½  hours to our first stop: a required check-in at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn in Peach Springs, Arizona.

We met with a Havasupai representative who issued all the necessary paperwork after providing our proof of ID and printed reservation documents.

We were given trail maps and directions for the 60-mile drive through the Havasupai reservation to arrive at our starting point, Hualapai Hilltop.

Once there, we hoisted our 35-pound packs onto our backs and took the first nervous step to begin our adventure.

We began the 10-mile hike to our Havasupai campsite

We started the 10-mile hike to the campground at noon. The sharply descending trail dropped us through layer upon layer of colorful rocks, and had my legs shaking from effort even though I'm an experienced backpacker.

Admittedly, I was anxious about what was to come for the rest of the hike if this was just the intro.

My nerves gave way to excitement when the trail led us gently downhill through gorgeous, picture-worthy canyons before arriving in Supai Village.

As we walked into Supai Village, we saw signs stating that photography is strictly prohibited. The tiny village is an active community and a home-base hub for the Havasupai people, who cherish their privacy.

We hiked past wooden houses with grazing horses and burros lingering in side yards, nodding to the few hikers who had opted to stop to rest their legs.

The well-marked route led us out of Supai Village, with a bend in the dirt road quickly obscuring any sign of the community we left behind.

Our feet were officially tired by this time, but the remaining 1.5-mile hike to the campground gave us a glimpse of Havasu Creek, the legendary source of the blue-green waters.

After 9 miles of hiking, we encountered our first waterfalls

At around 9 miles into our hike, we encountered our first three Havasupai waterfalls — Fifty Foot Falls, Little Navajo Falls, and Old Navajo Falls — before arriving at a makeshift plywood bridge.

We crossed the bridge one by one and ventured on until we got our first jaw-dropping look at the cascading Havasu Falls.

Suddenly, we understood why Beyoncé filmed her "Spirit" music video at this unique natural wonder.

We grabbed a spot at the Havasupai Campground

After taking pictures of Havasu Falls, we headed down the steep path to the official entrance to the campground.

We slowly hiked through the long stretch of first-come, first-served campsites, designated solely by a picnic table nestled within the narrow confines of soaring canyon walls.

My insistence on finding the perfect place to pitch our tent paid off when we came upon a beautiful campsite in Havasupai.

We inched toward the drop-off into the canyon 100 feet below and realized we were looking over the edge of one of the most famous Havasupai waterfalls: Mooney Falls.

The highlight of our trip was hiking the Havasu Creek Trail

Time went fast during our four days in Havasupai.

Our favorite hike of the trip was on the Havasu Falls Trail, which stretches from Mooney Falls to Beaver Falls.

This "Goonies"-style hike was described by the Havasupai people (and the ominous waiver we signed) as being "extremely treacherous."

We descended stone tunnels and moss-covered wooden ladders to get to the bottom of Mooney Falls. But in the end, we saw a view worthy of all the pictures we could take, frame, and hang in our home.

The 2.5-mile trail led us past grazing bighorn sheep, through multiple river crossings and countless unnamed waterfalls.

Soon, we arrived at our turnaround point and Beaver Falls, a terraced work of art created by minerals deposited by Havasu Creek.

Before leaving, my husband and I vowed to return to Havasupai Falls

When our time at Havasupai Falls came to an end, we didn't mind the long 10-mile uphill hike to get back to our car or the over $900 we spent on this utterly unique adventure.

We begrudgingly trudged along like two kids who didn't want this one-of-a-kind trip to ever end.

We consoled each other by swearing that we'd be back again to see Havasupai Falls, a place we'd fallen hopelessly and insatiably in love with.

This story was originally published on February 28, 2024, and most recently updated on April 3, 2025.

• I've always dreamed of traveling to the Netherlands to visit the famous tulip festival.
• Instead, I visited Mount Vernon, Washington, during the height of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.
• I loved being able to see millions of colorful tulips without having to travel abroad.

The Netherlands' legendary tulip fields have always been on my bucket list.

Last year, the country's famous Keukenhof park saw over 1.4 million visitors from around the world. However, the trip has always been just out of reach for me due to the travel cost and timing.

That's why I was so excited to discover the largest tulip festival in the US was located in Northwest Washington, just a little over an hour north of Seattle.

After seeing the monthlong event referred to as "the Netherlands of the Northwest" by the festival's executive director, I knew I had to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here's what it was like.

I visited RoozenGaarde, which is the largest of the participating farms

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is made up of four of the region's flowering bulb farms, all conducting their own events and celebrations. Admission to each farm typically ranges from $13 to $20 per adult.

To avoid the heavy crowds typically found on weekends — and save a few dollars — I visited the festival on a weekday.

I started my journey at RoozenGaarde, which has about 200 types of tulips. I pulled into the busy parking lot and saw that a giant row of green hedges blocked the epic views I knew were on the other side.

I followed the signs to a ticket booth, which was perfectly situated for prime viewing pleasure, and my first taste of the beauty to come. I paid $15, plus tax, for my ticket, which did not allow for re-entry.

Once I stepped beyond the ticket booth, I saw a replica of a wooden Dutch windmill surrounded by vivid blooming tulips.

Behind it, I caught a glimpse of the gorgeous flowering tulip fields and the Cascade Mountain Range, which served as a breathtaking backdrop to the entire scene.

I headed straight to the fields to explore

Once immersed in the tulips, I finally slowed my excited rush to take in the beauty of the millions of flowers around me. I took a closer look at an individual tulip to see the surprisingly fine details of the petals and the coloring.

The entire field gives the impression of a 50-acre patchwork quilt with crisp rows of solid color ranging from yellow to purple, and bright Barbie pink to my absolute favorite: glowing red tulips.

Next, I stopped by the display gardens to see a shockingly beautiful array of landscaped blooming bulbs, expertly planted together to show potential buyers what they can recreate in their own gardens.

I gazed with absolute longing and wished I had a garden to justify purchasing a few bulbs.

I didn't end up traveling to the other farms participating in the festival

In the end, I started and ended my tulip festival experience solely at RoozenGaarde because I fully immersed myself in the endless fields.

Do I regret it? No, especially since the other three farms were significantly smaller but charged similar ticket prices as RoozenGaarde.

If you have time and don't mind paying the admission price for each spot, I highly suggest visiting all four participating Skagit Valley Tulip Festival farms.

They're all close to each other and worth the stop to complete a one-of-kind trip you won't soon forget.

This story was originally published on April 16, 2024, and most recently updated on April 1, 2025.