During my 30-day solo trip around the US, I went to Southern Utah for a few days by bus. I stayed in Las Vegas for a couple of days and then booked a shuttle to St George via the St George Shuttle which cost about 30 dollars one way. I got picked up at 8am from McCarran Airport and the journey took around 2 hours.
I chose St George as a base as I wanted to visit Zion National Park and at the time I went, I couldn’t find any affordable accommodation near the visitor centre so this was the closest town. The shuttle company goes a few times a day from St George to Zion National Park Visitor Centre which was quite convenient. Just make sure you check the time of the last bus back so you are not stranded.
I decided to couchsurf in St George with Isaac as my host. Couchsurfing is a website where you can find local hosts in the destination you are planning to go to and you can stay with them for free. The purpose is to meet like minded travellers and learn about different cultures (and of course to save money).
When I arrived at the house, I put my backpack down and Isaac asked if I wanted to go hiking with him up Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park. I of course said yes, so off we went in his car. As I mentioned before, I was planning to take the shuttle but since he offered to go together, we went in his car which took about an hour.
Angel’s Landing is one America’s most dangerous and extreme hikes. It is famous for its steep switchbacks and chains bolted into the cliff to provide secure handholds and the sheer drops. I’m not really afraid of heights but when I was at the final stretch of the hike, I definitely felt anxious and quite scared. But the views were absolutely breathtaking and it was definitely worth the hike. This is one of my favourite hikes that I have done in the US.
On our way back, we stopped at Meme’s Cafe where I basically inhaled a vegan meatloaf and mash potato as I was so hungry and tired from the hike.
The next day I went for a walk around St George town and then went to Red Hills Desert Garden. It was really interesting to walk around and see all the desert plants, red rock canyons and dinosaur tracks. It also had some swings overlooking the town and the view was beautiful as it was quite high up.
It was really hot so I found some shade and sat down for a bit to relax and drink water. While I was sitting there, there were a few other people nearby and I overheard someone talking on the phone about going to a lake nearby. When he hung up the call, I asked him about the lake as that sounded like a great idea during this heat. He was really friendly and actually offered to give me a ride there in his car. Turns out he was also a solo traveller, from Philadelphia, travelling around the States for a month in his car.
Once we got to the lake, we hung out for a few hours, went swimming, took photos and just chatted about our travels. The lake was in Quail Creek State Park and there were only a few people there swimming. We then went for dinner to George’s Corner Restaurant where I had a vegan burger and a local beer.
He was really kind and drove me back to the house as I had promised my host and his flatmate that I was going to go with them to watch the sunset. I had a quick shower and headed up Sugarloaf, a stunning viewpoint of the town up the red sand rocks. We watched the sunset, shared our funny travel stories and also took some photos and videos with their drone.
The next day I woke up early and took the shuttle back to Las Vegas where I had a flight to catch my next destination, Seattle! Southern Utah was one of my favourite parts of this trip and I would love to go back and explore its stunning locations.
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