South Bound--Utah and Beyond!

We left snowy Jackson behind and started our migration off right. After a quick trip through Salt Lake to visit friends and run a few errands (and drink a few of Wade and Kristen's epic basement espressos), we picked up Marshall Miller and b-lined it for Southern Utah. We met up with a few fantastic people near Zion National Park (some old friends, some new) and 3 days of awesomeness ensued.

We caused a bit of trouble, hiked in the frosty pre-dawn cold, watched the sun rise on slickrock canyons, soaked in the La Quinta Hot Springs, chalked up the van, ate guacamole and crepes, drove aimlessly through the desert, boondocked, played with a helicopter, met a bunch of polygamists, pioneered some stuff, and had way too much fun for our own good.

   

But the more amazing the experiences, the more fleeting they seem to be. And so the time came to say bye bye for now and continue our journey South. The coast was calling. On the way to Cali, we almost completely avoided interstates and saw some rad terrain along the way. We passed by Lake Havasu and Lake Mead and stopped in the Valley of Fire and Joshua Tree. The weather was awesome, Rok chased lizards and red rock chipmunks, and we made lists of all the places we want to stop and see some day.

In the little town of Joshua Tree, we had a most unexpectedly fantastic dinner at The Natural Sister's Cafe. It took a bit of willpower to tune out the endless string of yoga yuppie catch phrases coming from the table next to us (free range meditation retreat organic goji berry shamanic pilates ayahuasca cleanse cayenne kombucha vegan soy latte free trade tempeh almond milk açaí muesli hoo ha), but the food was amazing and totally worth it. We boondocked alongside a bunch of sand-loving motorheads in a dry lake bed that night and awoke to a perfectly calm desert sunrise. Life is good on the road!