The Utah Desert – A Wild, Primeval Beauty

Utah is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the western United States, bordered by Colorado to the east, Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, Arizona to the south and Nevada to the west. Utah has a dry, semi-arid climate, so it is considered one vast desert. That may sound completely flat, but mountains, canyons and valleys are scattered across it. We reached Utah on a short flight from Texas, then began our dream road trip in an all-American Jeep. A romantic landscape opened up, perfectly framed and razor-sharp, as if we were stepping into a Hollywood film together.

Strolling around Salt Lake City

As Utah’s capital, Salt Lake City embodies the spirit of its people – sporty and living in harmony with nature. Its streets and buildings have a minimalist, modern look in monochrome tones that blend into the mountain ranges embracing the city from afar.

One fun detail is that streets are named with numbers and directions, for example 200 South, 300 South, 900 East and so on. If you are on 200 South and walk one block south, you reach 300 South. Every year Salt Lake City hosts a climbing competition, drawing many professional climbers who come to train months in advance. So this street-naming system only troubles people with no sense of direction, like me!

While exploring the city, you can enjoy an organ recital at Temple Square. The daily thirty-minute organ recitals open to the public are a century-old tradition. The architecture inside the Tabernacle creates a feeling of connection with the sacred.

A 25-dollar cup of coffee

On one of our wanderings, we stumbled upon Caffe d’bolla, tucked modestly inside the handsome Wells Fargo building in downtown Salt Lake City, along a small street leading to Gallivan Plaza. We assumed it was just an ordinary café, a place to rest our feet like any other, but as soon as we stepped in we noticed its character: the barista, who is also the owner, was deep in conversation with two customers at the bar.

The café has only around ten seats. In such a small space, every private conversation is shared naturally. I listened to John Piquet (the owner) talk expertly about different coffees; later, when it was our turn at the bar, we learned the café had been open for twenty years and was the first craft coffee shop in Salt Lake City. He suggested siphon-brewed coffee. The Kenyan beans came through crystal clear. Stories and knowledge from John’s vast experience followed one after another. The coffee cost 25 dollars, nearly ten times the price of a craft coffee in Saigon. Did we think it was worth it? Absolutely!

The untouched beauty of Antelope Island

If you want one piece of advice when visiting Utah, it is to rent a car and take a road trip so you can admire its spectacular roads.About an hour’s straight drive from downtown Salt Lake City brings you to Antelope Island. Covering 42 square miles, it is the largest of the ten islands in Utah’s Great Salt Lake. On the way, we drew closer to mountain peaks dusted with snow.

Even though the scenery along the road was stunning, once we actually entered Antelope Island we were still moved. Perhaps because I had never seen with my own eyes the primeval wildness of a landscape untouched by rough human intervention. Bison ambled about, looking gentle and pure, not at all as fierce as people warn. Fleet-footed pronghorn darted across the thickets. This is also home to mule deer, bighorn sheep, thousands of bird species and other desert animals.

The day ended with sunset over the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Not far from the shore, tall reeds swayed in the crisp, exhilarating air of late spring.

Rent a car from Enterprise. Book online and pick up and return it right at Salt Lake City airport.

Hiking in Zion National Park

Utah draws travellers thanks to five stunning national parks – Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion – known together as the Mighty Five, about five hours’ drive from Salt Lake City.Zion National Park is a nature reserve in south-western Utah, distinguished by the steep red cliffs of Zion Canyon. The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails along the Virgin River.

The first thing we did was hop on the free shuttle bus to take in the views, then chose a stop to start hiking. There are nine trails in total. The Upper Emerald Pool Trail is 1.6 km long; we followed the path along the cliff, stopping now and then to admire the towering red rocks formed millions of years ago as the Virgin River carved out deep canyons. At the end is a soft waterfall pouring from a gap in the rock, likened to a bride’s veil on her wedding day. A little squirrel scampered carefree around the feet of visitors who started as strangers and ended as friends. Before nature, I felt as small as he was.

Tip: Download the AllTrails app to find information about hiking trails in the national parks. Choose a trail whose length and duration suit your schedule and fitness. If you have the skills, stamina and time, you can take on challenging trails lasting several days.

Up the mountains, down into the abyss

Covering more than 1,300 km², Canyonlands has many deep canyons and chasms that create a unique landscape carved by the Colorado River. With its diversity everywhere, from sweeping grasslands to arid desert and great rivers, Canyonlands is a rich ecosystem for many animals, including birds and mammals such as mountain lions and pronghorn.

Island in the Sky is a huge mesa with a flat top and steep sides, from which you can easily take in a panoramic view. From the town of Moab, we went to Island in the Sky in the afternoon after a day lying in bed recharging the energy we had burned over many days. At first, I only wanted to drive around and look, but my travel companion coaxed me into walking again. On and on we walked, and beyond the tiredness was sheer astonishment at the scenery before us. Red and orange rocks of sand and limestone created brilliant colours. The footsteps of two tiny humans on those giant rock shelves seemed not to want to stop. Only now did I understand what “up the mountains, down into the abyss” means… literally.

Tip: Bring water and snacks when hiking in the national parks, as each park is vast and you could walk all day.

Greeting the sunrise beneath nature’s arches

As its name suggests, Arches National Park is bound to be a gathering place for countless arches shaped by Mother Nature’s skilful hands. It lies north of Moab in Utah, bordered by the Colorado River to the south-east, and is known for having more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches.The best way to fully enjoy the scenery here is on foot. Most trails, such as Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch Loop, Double O Arch, Landscape Arch and Devils Garden…, are flat, open and easy. Sunrise is the best time of all. The sun where we stood was not at all dazzling; in fact the early morning air was rather cold. But you will understand the pristine beauty I wanted to savour fully, arriving at first light, if you too stand here waiting for the sunlight to change the colour of the rock walls, transforming them from a dignified grown-up into a young man or woman with clear, bright joy in their eyes.

Tip: Arches gets quite crowded in peak season, so to limit traffic in the park between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., visitors need to book timed-entry tickets in advance (sometimes up to three months ahead). Either plan early or enter the park outside those hours.

_Published in Đẹp magazine, August 2023.