desert dust & wanderlust
Zion national park honestly felt unreal - the kind of place that makes you stop mid-sentence because your brain can’t decide if it’s real life or a movie set. The towering red cliffs and wild desert landscape have that classic American West energy, and it’s easy to see why this region has inspired so many stories, films, and road trip dreams over the years. We only had one day here during our road trip, but it was enough to convince us we have to come back. We drove through the park and hiked the Emerald Pools trail, and it was genuinely breathtaking from start to finish.
After the hike, we were ready to slow down a little so we headed to Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, Utah, just a few hours away. It felt like the perfect contrast after Zion; desert adventure first, then a soak and a deep exhale after all that sun and hiking.
The first thing you notice when you pull up is that Mystic Hot Springs is not your average spa situation. There are old school buses converted into rooms, peacocks casually wandering around like they own the place, and a quirky little “offbeat Utah road trip” vibe that feels straight out of another decade. It’s one of those places where you can tell people have been stopping through for years - like a modern day version of a desert rest stop, but with hot mineral pools and way more character.
What I loved the most is that every tub and pool is a different temperature so you can switch depending on whether you want a hotter soak or to cool off for a minute. There’s something kind of timeless about mineral springs - people have been using natural hot springs for centuries for rest, recovery, and healing rituals across cultures. Here, the mineral water comes up at about 168f and cools as it flows into the tubs landing somewhere around 92-102f, which is basically the sweet spot for the ultimate soak.
Even though this trip was short, Utah seriously surprised us - the landscapes are unreal and everyone we met was so kind. Next time we go back to Zion, we still have the SUbway and the Narrows on our bucket list (they were closed while we were there because of flash floods), so this definitely feels like a “to be continued”. If you’re planning a Utah trip just know you’re in for something special; the kind of of scenery that stays in your head long after you’re home.