It’s not hiking or walking….but, a road trip can be an excellent slow adventure. I recently drove with friends to Death Valley and then on to St. George, Utah. We saw some amazing country, had a few excellent hikes, and caught up on life, politics, family, and books.
If you have not been to Death Valley, I recommend planning a couple of days in this vast and strange landscape. We stayed at the Furnace Creek Ranch. The Ranch provides very basic accommodations and all the necessities without a bit of luxury. We had an excellent breakfast at the cafe after watching a group of coyotes wander through the golf course outside of our room.
I recommend the hike into Desolation Canyon. It’s not on any of the maps or recommendations but you can easily find the trailhead by following the directions to the popular and crowded Golden Canyon and continuing on for a mile or so. Turn off to the left on an excellent (unsigned) dirt road and drive 1/2 mile to the end. Park and follow the trail to the left back into a colorful canyon. This hike will take only a couple of hours and at the end of the canyon you can climb up for some spectacular views.
We continued on to Utah via some relatively empty roadways fighting windy conditions. The unusual beauty of abandoned buildings, strange billboards, endless miles of cactus, and small glimpses of huge military installations, were the highlights as we drove through Nevada, Arizona, and into Utah.
The St. George area is known for amazing red rock formations which we enjoyed from the luxury of a friend’s newly built dream home. Zion National Park is only an hour away from St. George and it’s also a “don’t miss” place to enjoy nature.
There was nothing slow about our return trip. The meandering backroads we enjoyed on the initial journey were abandoned for the giant interstate highways and we made it back to Santa Cruz in 12 hours. The coastal views and climate were a welcome sight.