From The Pumpkin Patch

Utah is the kind of place that reminds you of how vulnerable we really are. That may sound like a bad thing, but I actually think it’s beautiful.

History is burned into the mountains, the rocks and the sand – from the contrasting sediments to the ancient Anasazi carvings scored into stone thousands of years ago.

The desert is dry and unforgiving, and even many of the tourist attractions carry some element of danger. I felt a lot closer to nature in Utah than I could ever get in London, and I think we all need to be reminded of that connection sometimes – particularly after the events of the last few years.

Utah may not be the first American state that springs to mind when planning an overseas trip, but it’s actually been on my bucket list for a while.

Our wonderful friend Koye is a Utah native, and my husband and I jumped at the chance to visit her and explore this beautiful part of the world.

So this past March, we flew into Las Vegas and began our Utah adventure in St. George before road-tripping across the state. We travelled through Salt Lake City, Moab, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Tropic and Zion National Park before heading back to St. George.

We also ventured into Nevada and drove along the Extraterrestrial Highway, which was easily one of the coolest experiences of my life.

I’d heard so many good things about Utah, but I can safely say that this trip blew all of my expectations out of the water.

In total we stayed in America for six weeks – far longer than the two weeks we had originally planned! I couldn’t possibly list all of our adventures in one post, so I decided to highlight some of my favourite memories of our trip.

Are you ready for some travel inspiration?

Anasazi petroglyphs

During our trip to Utah I saw so many amazing sights that I had never expected to experience during my lifetime, and the Anasazi petroglyphs were one of them.

The Anasazi were an ancient Native American tribe that mysteriously disappeared between the 1100s and 1300s, leaving behind mere traces of their existence.

The most well-known of these are the rock-carved petroglyphs, giving us a glimpse into their lives all those years ago. Luckily, many of them are located in St. George!

These petroglyphs were carved into the rocks over a thousand years ago, somehow managing to stand the test of time. I particularly love the animal carvings as well as the intricate patterns, and it almost felt as though I had travelled back in time as I stood in front of the ancient etchings.

We visited both the Anasazi Petroglyph Trail and the Bloomington Petroglyph Park, and it’s definitely a must-do if you ever find yourself in St. George.

Dinosaur tracks

I’ve always been obsessed with dinosaurs, ever since I was a little girl. I blame Jurassic Park!

I love everything to do with these ancient creatures – reading about them, watching documentaries and films about them and of course visiting museums to see their fossils and tracks up close.

So when I learned that I could actually view dinosaur footprints in their natural habit, away from crowds and museums, I jumped at the chance!

It was a swelteringly hot day, and as we hiked through the desert to reach the tracks I could almost see these huge creatures striding across the sand searching for food and shelter.

At first glance, the dinosaur tracks looked like a sheet of stone. They blended in perfectly with their surroundings and you could be forgiven for completely missing them.

But when I bent down and studied them closer, the stone came alive with tracks and footprints. Real dinosaurs!

The lack of signs and barriers made it feel even more special, like we had just stumbled across a historical artifact. It made it so easy to imagine what it must have been like millions of years ago, and the landscape appeared untouched even after all this time.

I made sure not to walk over the tracks, but I couldn’t resist placing my hand inside the hollows created by actual dinosaur feet. What an amazing experience!

We also visited the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, a museum that has been quite literally placed over the site of a dinosaur excavation dig. I had the best time examining fossils and tracks and chatting to the friendly staff, and could easily have stayed there all day.

If you’re a fellow dinosaur fan, I highly recommend visiting Utah – particularly St. George!

Arches National Park

One of the destinations that I was most looking forward to on this trip was Arches National Park, situated just outside Moab. I’d heard many good things about it, and the photographs that I’d seen online looked magnificent. So, I knew I wanted to check it out for myself!

It was even more amazing than I had imagined.

We hiked to the Delicate Arch, a huge freestanding arch made from sandstone. This is probably one of the most popular attractions in Utah, and for good reason.

Here I am standing underneath it, just to give you an idea of the scale. Trust me, it’s even more beautiful in real life.

These natural arches are formed over thousands of years due to erosion from wind and water, and are made from sandstone dating back to the Jurassic period.

The hike to the Delicate Arch took about an hour – it was tiring, but definitely doable. There were a couple of points that could have been a little dangerous in bad weather, but we were lucky enough to hike on a sunny and clear day.

Once we made it back to the car we drove through a few more areas of the park, each as stunning as the other. We saw the Double Arch, where the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed, and caught a glimpse of the famous Balanced Rock.

Arches National Park truly is an incredible place, and I can’t wait to go back and explore it even more on our next trip!

Corona Arch

We also visited the Corona Arch (no relation to that nasty little virus!) as we waited for the crowds to die down at Arches National Park.

This is another huge sandstone arch in the middle of the desert, accessible via a fairly easy hiking trail. There were a few slippery areas and we had to use a rope at one point to pull ourselves up the rocks, but it’s nothing that most people couldn’t handle.

The trail took us over a railway track that carved its way through the towering red rocks. We thought it was abandoned and spent way too long taking photographs on the tracks, only to realise our mistake later on when we heard a train whistle in the distance. Oops!

It was so much fun to hike through the desert, taking in the alien landscape and watching the sand stain my shoes a fiery orange. I had never imagined that I would get the chance to explore that type of environment, but I’m so glad I did.

I saw my first desert chipmunk, an adorable little critter that moves as fast as lightning. We also saw countless lizards in various shades of brown and orange, but thankfully no snakes!

And of course, the Corona Arch was absolutely magnificent. I think the photos speak for themselves!

Bryce Canyon

The people of Utah are very proud of their state, and I was often asked which location I found the most beautiful. It was a difficult choice, but my answer always came back to Bryce Canyon.

There’s something about the white snow resting on the orange rocks, the unusual shapes formed by the hoodoos and the cosy vibe of the surrounding forests that makes it one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited.

Just take a look.

Formed by erosion over millions of years, Bryce Canyon was once entirely underwater. Now it’s a beautiful place to take a hike, spot deer and chipmunks or simply admire the view.

A short drive away from Bryce Canyon is Tropic, where Koye lived for most of her life.

I think Tropic must be the tiniest town I’ve ever visited, with a population of just 530 people. But despite its small size, it left a big impression on me.

Koye’s family own a motel on Main Street, and they were kind enough to let us stay in one of their cosy wood cabins. How lovely is that? We were also invited to a big family lunch as well as their annual Easter picnic, and I can’t stress enough how friendly and welcoming everyone was.

It turns out that homemade American food and great company really hits the spot!

We even spotted real tumbleweed rolling down the road, which I had always thought was invented solely for Saturday morning cartoons.

Now, if you want to experience the most delicious pizza you’ve ever had in your life then I highly recommend eating at The Pizza Place in Tropic. Don’t even bother going anywhere else. Seriously, it’s that good.

I feel so lucky to have met such wonderful people and to experience a way of living that is so different from my own. I always learn something about life whenever I travel to a new country, and this trip was no exception.

Salt Lake City

One of the highlights of our trip was attending no less than four basketball games in Salt Lake City!

My husband and I are both huge Utah Jazz fans, so this was a dream come true.

We had great seats close to the court with a view of the Jazz bench, giving me a chance to spy on all the players and try to make out what they were talking about. It felt surreal to be sitting in the Vivint Arena surrounded by screaming fans and seeing my favourite players in real life, and I had to pinch myself a couple of times to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.

The atmosphere was electric, particularly during the playoff games, and I even appeared on the big screen twice dancing like a crazy person!

Of course, we did more than just watch basketball.

Although the Salt Lake Temple was closed for renovations, we took a stroll around the area and met two Mormon missionaries who were only too happy to answer my countless questions. I found it fascinating to speak to people with such different views and life experiences, and I’m so glad they approached us.

They even unwittingly gave us a new catchphrase that we used for the rest of the trip: ‘We LOVE God!‘ I promise I’m not making fun of them, I think you just had to be there!

We also visited a retro video games arcade (where I drank a root beer that was bigger than my head!) checked out Donovan Mitchell’s sock store in City Creek and even found ourselves on a snowy mountain in Park City.

I have such fond memories of our road trip there, driving through the desert and blasting ‘Salt Lake City‘ by the Beach Boys over and over again. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and something that I will never forget.

St. George

Dwarfed by those towering red rocks, St. George might be the most beautiful city I have ever visited.

We spent the majority of our time here, and I couldn’t be happier about that. It’s as different from London as you can possibly get, surrounded by sandy deserts and home to a strikingly white Mormon temple.

Although they do live amongst several varieties of tarantulas, snakes and scorpions, so the grass isn’t always greener…

Everyone seemed so friendly and relaxed, and who could blame them? The sun shone almost every day, the temperatures were comfortable and the quality of life seemed much higher than it is here in the UK.

I was a little apprehensive about the possibility of coming across a desert creepy-crawly, and my fears became a reality when we discovered a scorpion in the garage!

Luckily it was small and we got rid of it quickly, but it was just as horrifying as I had imagined.

I love checking out the supermarkets whenever I visit a new country, as it’s a great way to see all the different types of food and snacks. As a result, I was introduced to my absolute favourite supermarket in the world – Harmons!

How can I describe Harmons? Everything is laid out beautifully, with the most tempting displays of fresh fruits and vegetables alongside piles of different cheese varieties and the cutest hand-drawn chalk signs. It’s impossible not to fill up your basket every time you walk in!

I couldn’t believe how many snacks they had for sale, and how huge the portions were – you could live your whole life inside Harmons and never run out of new things to try.

It may sound strange, but Harmons is definitely one of the things I miss most about Utah. The supermarkets here in England just don’t do it for me any more!

We had so many fun days exploring St. George – hiking in Snow Canyon, spending hours in Barnes and Noble, swimming in the outdoor pool, completing what felt like every escape room in town, playing arcade games at the Fiesta Fun Center…

Oh! Speaking of the Fiesta Fun Center, this was my first interaction with traditional polygamists. They’re easy to spot, as the women wear long prarie-style dresses in various colours along with intricately braided hairstyles.

While polygamy is not technically legal in Utah, it is no longer classed as a felony and is instead seen as a infraction on a similar scale to a traffic violation.

I couldn’t help but stare at them a little, as it’s a culture that I’ve never experienced before and something that seems so alien to me. I hope they didn’t notice!

Honestly, I would move to St. George in a heartbeat. Does anyone have a green card that I could borrow?

Restaurant recommendations

We ate so many delicious meals during our time in Utah that I couldn’t possibly list them all. I have to admit, my jeans were feeling particularly tight by the time we arrived home!

However, there were definitely some restaurants that stood out from the rest. If you ever find yourself in Utah, make sure you pay a visit to at least one of the below locations.

• Angelica’s Mexican Grill, by far the best Mexican food I’ve ever eaten. You have to try the chicken street tacos with extra-spicy onions!
• George’s Corner Restaurant, a very American-themed restaurant serving delicious sandwiches and fries.
• First Watch, an amazing brunch place with healthier options and delicious juices that I still crave every morning.
• Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain that I’d always wanted to try. It definitely lived up to the hype, particularly the spicy chicken sandwich.
• Chipotle, a popular fast-food Mexican restaurant that became a staple throughout our trip as we rarely eat there in the UK.
• Popeyes, a fried chicken fast-food chain that is far superior to KFC. So bad, but so good!
• Wood Ash Rye, a beautiful restaurant that uses high-quality and seasonal ingredients resulting in a delicious and ever-changing menu.
• Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, for when ice cream just isn’t hitting the spot. Seriously, this stuff is amazing.
• Ernesto’s, another delicious Mexican restaurant with the best homemade salsa and sizzling fajitas.
• Jimmy John’s, a sandwich chain with generous fillings and the biggest pickles I’ve ever seen!
• Maverik, a chain of gas stations with the best selection of snacks and surpisingly delicious turkey sandwiches.
• The Pizza Place, for the best pizza and cheesy breadsticks I’ve ever tasted!
• Kneaders, offering delicious sandwiches and soups with artisan breads and local jams.
• Swig, a drive-through soda shop in St George – I recommend the Buttery Beer made with root beer, butterscotch and vanilla creme.
• Rylu’s Bistro, an adorable cafe with a healthy, homegrown and seasonal menu that changes regularly.
• Valter’s Osteria, a fancy Italian restaurant in Salt Lake City frequented by NBA players.
• Sakura, for the best sushi and sashimi in St George!
• Olive Garden, a chain of restaurants offering unlimited soup and breadsticks. We had to visit before seeing Sonic 2!
• Pizzeria Limone, a pizza restaurant in St George. Make sure you get the sliced pear and pistachio pizza!
• Bahama Bucks, a very cool shaved ice restaurant. I chose a violet-flavoured scoop with gummy bears, and now I need to go there every day.
• Oscar’s Cafe, a Mexican restaurant just outside Zion National Park with the most hilariously huge portion sizes.
• Spitfire Smokehouse, a BBQ restaurant in Moab serving hush puppies and homemade root beer.
• Black Bear Diner, where I had the most delicious and decadant breakfast burrito of my life.

Oh, and a special mention to these Flipz White Fudge Peanut Butter-stuffed pretzels, which I bought on a whim at a random store in Moab and quickly became addicted to.

Sadly I never saw them again after that day, even though I checked at every gas station and store that I could find. Until we meet again…

Our magical trip across Utah wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful friend Koye as well as the hospitality and generosity of her lovely family.

We had the most wonderful time thanks to her thoughtful planning, and she was kind enough to let us take over her home for six weeks! Koye must have driven for hours during our trip, but she never once complained and always made us feel so welcome.

We are so lucky to have such a selfless and kind friend, and we hope to repay the favour when she comes to visit us here in London next month!

So, those were the highlights of my first (but definitely not last!) trip to the beautiful state of Utah. What an adventure.

It felt so good to travel and see new places again, and I’ll never take that freedom for granted. So, where to next?