Travel: Why you need to visit Utah, America’s happiest state, and host for 2034 winter Olympics
From breathtaking canyons to charming towns, a thriving food scene and other unexpected delights, Utah — the landlocked state in the Mountain West sub-region of the Western US — has enough to make anyone happy
It’s a mountain of sand. Slippery, crumbly beneath the feet, and golden-hued. I am standing in sand, looking at another mountain of it, and seeing it all around me. Behind me are walls of sand, compressed and shaped by years of wind and sun, into an arch. The arch shields the tower of sand in a hidden cove in the heart of the Grand Staircase — Escalante National Monument in Utah USA.
The 200-foot Cutler Cove or The Great Chamber is a delight for the senses — visually stunning especially when framed against the blue sky, hearing the sound of the desert wind whooshing around me and feeling the biscuit-like, crumbly sand between the fingers. The Great Chamber is just one of the many breathtaking sights in Utah. Little wonder then that it was recently found to be the happiest state in the USA, according to WalletHub annual ‘Happiest States in America’ report.
The 2034 host for the winter Olympics
I spent a week in Utah and returned with newfound respect and wonder for this desert state, and an understanding of just why it deserves the title. Utah is home to some of the most stunning natural landscapes I have seen, from lava rock caves and sandstone cliffs to red rock canyons and towering hoodoos. There’s world-class hiking, across the seasons. It has five impressive natural parks. It is rich in Native American history. It is populated with small towns that look like they are straight out of a story book.
The 200-foot Cutler Cove or The Great Chamber is a delight for the senses — visually stunning especially when framed against the blue sky. Photo: Joanna Lobo
And, it will be the 2034 host for the winter Olympics. Then again, adventure comes easily to the region. Cutler’s Cove is accessible after an exhilarating, if dusty, ride on a 4x4 ATV into the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument. Nearby, a short hike takes me to Peek-A-Boo of the Red Canyon, a slot canyon in shades of red and purple and temperature a few degrees cooler than outside.
The Narrows and White Pocket
The Narrows is the narrowest part of the Zion Canyon, where the placid Virgin River is bound by walls that are a thousand feet tall. It’s a stunning hiking experience, especially in winter when the water gets freezing (not frozen). Armed with the right gear, I attempt to hike through these waters, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in my feet and focus on the soaring canyon walls dotted with icicles. My hike is fairly short but certainly gives me bragging rights.
At Bryce Canyon National Park are sandstone hoodoos, rock spires created by erosion. Photo: Joanna Lobo
There’s sandstone everywhere in Utah, each structure being more magnificent than the last. At Bryce Canyon National Park are sandstone hoodoos, rock spires created by erosion. Crimson in colour, and shaped uniquely, they stand silent guardians over those who trek into the park. When it snows, the white colour contrasting with the shades of red make for a captivating sight.
Perhaps the most stunning landscape is White Pocket, at the Utah-Arizona border. It’s not just white, though like a pocket it holds many treasures. The sandstone here is greyish white, streaked with rust and gold. It’s a vast expanse of rock formations with the sandstone streaks giving it the feel of waves, frozen in time. There are small basins that still hold water and hark back to a time when cattle trod these surfaces seeking a drink. In some places, I get to see the hoof marks, and even the print of what my guide calls a dinosaur footprint. Truth or legend? In a surreal place like White Pocket, I am inclined to believe the latter. Nearby, a short trek through juniper-laden scrubland takes me to the Maze Rock Art Site, which has rocks covered with distinct and numerous petroglyphs.
Kanab, where the Hollywood came calling in the 1920s
The base of most of my adventures is Kanab, whose proximity to Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments, Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument have earned it the title of Heart of the Parks. By itself, Kanab is a cute little town with just one main street. It is here that Hollywood came calling in the 1920s — specifically westerns — attracted to the quiet and gorgeous landscapes. Much of the history can be seen (and read) at the Little Hollywood Land Museum, and Parry Lodge, which was a motel that would house many of these stars and the film crew.
Kanab is a cute little town with just one main street. It is here that Hollywood came calling in the 1920s — specifically westerns — attracted to the quiet and gorgeous landscapes. Photo: Kane County Office of Tourism
Today, it has plaques sharing details of those who graced the place. On the same road itself, I find thrift stores, a rock shop, a cathedral, some mom and pop stores, and random cutouts of cowboys. My best meal here is at Sego, the restaurant at the charming Canyons Boutique Hotel. The food is New American, with small plates of rendang, foraged mushrooms, scallops, satay and elote fritters.
On the way out of Utah is another cute, historic town. St George City is one of the fastest growing in the region, with wide roads, surrounded by red cliffs and small, independent shops. One of them is Book Bungalow, an independent library whose every décor aspect has books, including the Christmas ornaments on the tree. There’s a cosy reading nook near a fireplace, a book curtain, a small children’s reading room with games, cosy bean bags and a lot of Harry Potter references, including an actual ‘cupboard under the stairs’. It’s a thrilling place for a reader and book-lover. Utah, truly, has enough to make anyone happy.