The drive from Vegas to Utah feels like a long exhale. Almost liberating. The neon flicker disappears in the rear-view mirror, the roads empty out, the landscape opens up, the mind settles. At some point there is nothing left but red rock, dry heat and that endless expanse that means freedom.
Springdale, the small town right outside Zion National Park, is the perfect way in. A first surprise waits at Onyx Wood Fire Pizza: pizza creations only Americans could dream up. Pickles, okra, raspberries, dough, heat — mad, but it evidently works. Afterwards you roll along on an e-bike past steep rock walls, green trees and the Virgin River winding through the valley. You are in the middle of that American prairie vastness — and you feel freer than ever.
Utah turns out to be surprisingly open. Cities like Salt Lake City differ markedly from the conservative rural areas. Michelle, our driver, says Springdale is gay friendly. The town feels relaxed and uncomplicated.
The evening turns cool, dark and cosmic: out to Lambs Knoll for the stargazing tour. When the sun is gone, Zion does not shrink, it grows. Above you a sky opens that would be unthinkable in the city: dark, clear and full of stars. The desert becomes an open-air observatory. A young trio leads you out to your spot. Lying on comfortable bean bags you take in stars and planets and listen to the guide’s stories.
The next adventure waits at Zionic Adventures, where the gear for the Narrows is ready. Here hiking becomes a water act: stick in hand, feet in the Virgin River, canyon walls rising into the sky on both sides. It is cool, slippery, spectacular — and physically quite demanding. Inevitably you think of the adventurers who once explored this country without high-tech shoes, dry bags and shuttle buses. Roughing it through the Wild West, more or less.
And where to recover? At the Zion Canyon Hot Springs. Several pools at different temperatures, a generous adults-only area and the red rocks behind: so Zion does not only do dramatic. Zion can be rather romantic too.
Edelweiss presents the new cabin in its Airbus A350: contemporary cabin design, high-quality materials and a restrained palette create more room to feel good in every travel class. At every seat guests have up-to-date technology, with free high-speed internet from Starlink, 4K screens, Bluetooth audio and power supply.
This article was supported by Edelweiss and the tourism boards of Las Vegas, Utah and Arizona.
