Exploring the Wild West in Style: Semi-Private Flights, Celeb Sightings, and Supai Adventure!

Day 0: Semi-Private Flex (and Famous Friends)

Ever wanted a travel experience that feels both VIP and down-to-earth? Enter semi-private flights. My adventure kicked off at Burbank Airport, boarding JSX for my first taste of semi-private luxury. If you’re not familiar, semi-private flying is like being famous without the autograph requests—well, almost. Here’s why flying semi-private is unbeatable:

1. No Security Circus: Forget the TSA lines! You breeze through check-in like a rockstar.

2. Exclusive, Not Overcrowded: With fewer people, you can actually feel like a person instead of a sardine.

3. Super Relaxed Atmosphere: Think lounge vibes in the air, with legroom, personal touches, and way more relaxed rules.

   
   

Best part? I had some celebrity spotting at the hangar—David Spade, Ian Somerhalder, and Nikki Reed were there, also hopping on flights. Rumor has it they were headed to Scottsdale, so who knows, maybe a vampire reunion?

The flight took off a bit late because of a certain VIP using the private runway in Las Vegas. Upon landing, my friends informed me that Air Force 2 was right there on the tarmac. Yes, folks, Vice President Kamala Harris was in town! Who knew you could casually cross paths with celebrities and political royalty on the same day?

Noodle Nirvana in Vegas

After landing, my friends swept me off to Magic Noodle in Las Vegas for some post-flight indulgence. If you haven’t eaten there, put it on your bucket list—it’s pure noodle magic with dumplings to die for. A steamy bowl of broth and the perfect noodles had us fueled up for the drive ahead.

Hitting Route 66: The Journey to Kingman, AZ

With bellies full of noodle soup, we piled into the car and headed toward Kingman, Arizona. The drive was about 1.5 hours, filled with epic playlists, laughter, and some road trip nostalgia as we caught up on everyone’s lives. Kingman was a quick pit stop for us to grab a second car and split up, sending one group to our first quirky stay of the trip: The Caverns Inn.

Checking in at The Caverns Inn: Ghosts of Route 66

The Caverns Inn sits off Route 66 and has serious retro charm, with old cars and a vintage gas station. Fun fact: Route 66 is known as the "Main Street of America" and once connected small towns across the country, inspiring countless road trips.

Recently acquired by the Supai Tribe, the Caverns Inn is getting a facelift, with a focus on adding authentic touches to the gift shop and making the diner even more welcoming. Plus, it’s home to the largest dry cavern in the U.S. These caves once served as a Cold War fallout shelter stocked with survival supplies for up to 2,000 people—just in case!

Cavern Discoveries: Over a recent burger and fries dinner, the friendly manager told us an archaeologist recently found two additional caverns that might connect to the Grand Canyon. How wild is that? They’re hoping to open this area by February 2025 with a brand-new elevator for easy access. We all joked about hiding out there if the apocalypse comes.

Retro Meets Reality: The Bunkhouse and Motel

With a group of eight, we split our accommodations: most of us stayed in the quirky bunkhouse at the back of the property, while the remaining three had individual rooms at the motel. The bunkhouse was basically a giant sleepover, complete with retro décor and a room full of "old artifacts." Among them? A Polaroid camera. Yes, they called it an artifact. Thanks, Caverns Inn, for reminding us we’re ancient.

The Supai Hike Ahead

After our fill of retro vibes, Route 66 nostalgia, and some epic nightcaps, we made sure our packs were ready for the next day’s real adventure: hiking into Supai Village from the Hualapai Hilltop.