I remember hearing about Salt Lake City many years ago when I attended a Broadway show called “The Book of Mormons.” After the show, I didn’t think much of where Salt Lake City was other than in one of those states in the USA, where I didn’t think I would ever travel. In the Winter of 2019, I was sent to Salt Lake City for a training. During my mentally strenuous activities in Salt Lake City, I remembered looking forward to being driven by the company and just looking in amazement from the car window, at all the mountains filled with snow caps. It was as if I was watching a postcard. I am from an island, and even when I lived in New York City, I have never seen snow on top of mountains. The thing about Utah is that the state is filled with mountains everywhere you drive! I remember thinking to myself that once I was done with my training, I will come back to Utah and explore it!
Now is my third time exploring Utah, but this time I have come during the summer. In Utah, summer’s are no joke when it comes to the scorching temperatures; we are talking about 90-100 degree weather. Since I had no exact plans during this 3-day trip, apart from finding some hot springs and a national park to hike, I hopped on the car rental from the Salt Lake City Airport and made my way down south.
Two hours away from salt Lake City on private property open to the public, you will find Meadow Hot Springs. Getting here can be a little rocky, and what I mean by that is I learned that in Utah, a jeep, SUV, or any four-wheel drive is necessary, if not a must! I always get the economy car, so while getting to the hot spring destination, I had to go as slow as 5- 10 miles per hour due to the rocks and holes you will find along the way. Keep driving; you will see plenty of dirt; you might even feel lost, but the GPS will find it.
Once you get to the hot springs, you will be surprised to know that there are three of them on the property. Every hot spring is unique as it varies in temperatures and size. The first one you will find is at the main entrance where most cars park. It is small, but deep and I found it to be one of the hottest! The second hot spring is medium-large in size, and it is excellent for children. The third hot spring was my favorite; it is less than a 7 minutes walk from the second one; it is large in size, deep, and not too hot. I would say hot enough for you to enjoy floating around for hours. This hot spring does have fish in it. Fishes small enough to take a bite at your toes and help you with your pedicure. It was the highlight of my hot spring trip to have these fishes give me a pedicure. Fun for the kids as they will enjoy the fishes around them. It is deep, so please, at all times, supervise the children.
Kanab City
After what was a long hot day in the spring, the journey continued down south for another 2 hours to Kanab City, close to Utah and Arizona. Kanab is where most travelers rest for their next day hikes to some of the parks around the border and area. You can find places to hike like:
The next day in the early afternoon, I began my drive to a place called: THE TOADSTOOLS
It is a 1.5 miles hike round trip. I noticed that the heat was intense, but I figured the water would get me through it. Halfway down less than a mile hike, I started feeling very tired and drained from the sun. I didn’t think much of it as I am an avid hiker, and I felt like 1.5 miles was easy, but with the sun, no matter how short a hike is, it is strenuous on the human body. It is an easy hike, it is kid-friendly, but I don’t recommend it during the summertime in Utah. Finally, at the end of the walk, I saw these rocks stocked up on each other, weird-looking rock formations and structures. Pretty amazing to see what nature and the years can create in a desert.
Not too short from where these rock formations were, I found a cool little area where I see many rock stackings that the public takes the time to make. I encourage everyone to balance rocks. It is fun and, for me, is part of a meditation process.
There are other parks around this area that you can visit, but due to the high temperatures and a fire taking place around the location, it was best to leave the site and find other last-minute, unplanned adventures. We made our way back upstate Utah close to Salt Lake City, and this time we planned on going to the Homestead Crater. The crater is a geothermal spring located in the Homestead property. Known to have formed over 10,000 years ago, the inside stays heated by the mineral waters, and below the surface, divers can descend 55 feet deep. This place was a nice place to relax and enjoy warm waters, and if you are into diving, you will love this place as it offers scuba diving opportunities and even training. Great for the family, inexpensive, and well worth the almost hour trip away from Salt Lake City.
When it comes to road trips, always prepare for any last-minute changes. Word of advice when it comes to visiting Utah in the summer is that it is extremely HOT! I didn’t think much of the heat, but you have to question your sanity when you are hiking in 100-degree weather. Plenty of water to bring, hats, shorts, glasses, snacks, and a positive attitude will carry you a long way during your Utah road trip!
Vamoosenomad 