Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Escalante is a small city with less than 800 people, located in the central southern part of Utah. It can be overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Escalante offers a unique and awe-inspiring experience for adventurous travelers.
Panguitch is a small city with less than 1,800 people in southwestern Utah located near Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Panguitch is a Paiute word meaning “big fish” because of the local trout. Our main reason for staying here was to see Bryce Canyon.
Wire Pass is about an hour’s drive east of Kanab, Utah towards Page, Arizona. It is a spectacular area to hike with stunning slot canyons.
Springdale was settled in 1862 and has a population of less than 1,000 people. Located just outside of Zion National Park, it only has an area of 4.6 square miles. Springdale is mostly a tourist town with plenty of restaurants and shops.
Golden Spike National Historic Park is located just north of the Great Salt Lake at Promontory Summit, Utah. We were in route from San Diego to West Yellowstone and weren’t sightseeing at all, but had to check this site out because of the historical significance.
Last Updated: July 31, 2026
Desert bighorn sheep are one of the most thrilling wildlife encounters in the American Southwest. Found throughout rugged canyon country from western North America to northern Mexico and Baja California, these remarkable animals have evolved to thrive in terrain that seems almost impossibly steep. We love photographing them because they occupy dramatic rocky ledges with sweeping desert backdrops, are surprisingly tolerant of patient observers with long lenses, and their massive curling horns make for extraordinary portraits. Zion National Park in southwestern Utah is one of the best places in the country to find them — and on this January 2021 visit, we had an encounter we will never forget.
