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There are seasons where adventure comes easily and seasons where life seems determined to slow everything down a little. The last few months had felt more like the second kind for us—a series of small setbacks and unexpected bumps in the road that made travel and exploring feel farther away than usual.

But little by little things began settling back into place, and through all of it we had one thing to look forward to: our first big trip of the year.

And there was no better place to begin than a return trip home to Utah to reconnect with family, revisit familiar landscapes, and spend time in the state where so many of our roots still remain. Over the next few days we would travel from the red rock landscapes of southern Utah all the way to the mountains of the north, beginning our journey in the sunny desert city of St. George.

1. Arriving in Las Vegas
2. Exploring Pioneer Park & the Narrows
3. A Quiet Walk Through the Desert Rose Labyrinth
4. Exploring Gunlock State Park
5. Making Candy at the Taffy Shop

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Arriving in Las Vegas

Our trip began with a flight into Las Vegas, and there is absolutely no mistaking when you have arrived there. Slot machines fill the airport terminals, flashing lights greet travelers before they have even collected their luggage, and through the windows you can already see the towering hotels of the Strip rising out of the desert.

Because the airport sits so close to the famous Las Vegas Strip, it does not take long before you are swept into the energy that makes the city so recognizable. My aunt picked us up from the airport and took us on a whirlwind drive down the Strip so we could take in some of the sights before heading onward to Utah.

One of the most fascinating things to see was the massive Sphere, the giant curved screen that changes images every few minutes. When we first spotted it, it looked like a giant fishbowl filled with swimming fish. Moments later it transformed into floating bubbles, and by the time we drove closer it had become an enormous basketball glowing against the desert sky.

Las Vegas has never fully been my scene, but I have always loved the creativity and spectacle of the city. Walking along the Strip feels a bit like traveling around the world in a single afternoon. Every hotel creates its own atmosphere and story, from elaborate architecture to themed restaurants, shops, galleries, and entertainment spaces.

Even if you never stepped foot into a casino, you could spend days simply wandering through the hotels taking in the details and the sheer scale of everything around you.

This visit was brief, so there was no time to explore places like Fremont Street or watch the famous fountains at Bellagio, but it was still fun to experience the movement and energy of such an iconic city before continuing on our journey.

After our quick drive through Las Vegas, we hit the road for the two-hour drive into southern Utah toward St. George. As the flat Nevada desert slowly gave way to Utah’s towering red rock landscapes, our excitement for the trip home really began to grow.

The next morning we woke to soft early light stretching across St. George and watched several hot air balloons drift quietly through the sky above the city.

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Exploring Pioneer Park & the Narrows

We started our first full day in St. George at a favorite place in the city- Pioneer Park.

The park is filled with massive red rock formations that seem to invite visitor to climb, scramble, and explore every corner of the them. Everywhere we looked people were hiking trails, climbing to the tops of the rocks, and sitting out on ledges overlooking the desert valley below.

Between the winding trails, hidden crevices, and smooth sandstone formations, the whole park feels like one giant natural playground.

One of the most popular spots in the park is a narrow slot canyon trail affectionately called “The Narrows”. The farther you walk into the canyon, the tighter the walls become until the rock seems to close in around you. For visitors small or adventurous enough, it is possible to continue squeezing all the way through and emerge on top of the rocks on the other side.

Not wanting to discover too late that we might be a little too wide to make it through comfortably, we decided to turn around before the narrowest section and instead spent our time climbing around the surrounding rocks and exploring the small pockets and hidden spaces worn into the sandstone.

From the tops of the rocks, the views stretching out across the valley were beautiful. The landscape around us felt almost otherworldly with its layers of red stone, desert plants, and wide open sky. It was easy to understand why so many people love spending time here. Pioneer Park perfectly captures the adventurous outdoor spirit that makes southern Utah feel so special.

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A Quiet Walk Through the Desert Rose Labyrinth

After spending the morning climbing across the rocks at Pioneer Park, we were ready for something a little quieter and more peaceful. So we made our way to the Desert Rose Labyrinth for a slow meditative walk through the desert landscape.

There has long been something about the deserts of the American Southwest that draws people toward reflection and spiritual connection. Wide open skies, silence stretching across the land, and the stark beauty of the desert all seem to encourage introspection in a way that feels different from anywhere else.

The Desert Rose Labyrinth was created as a place for that kind of inward journey. The idea behind the labyrinth is that as you follow the winding path, you begin turning inward and reflecting on the things you need to release or move beyond. By the time you reach the center, the journey becomes one of understanding, healing, and transformation before carrying that renewed perspective back out into the world.

Unlike a spiral, the labyrinth is made up of an intricate pattern of twists and turns that gradually guide visitors toward the center. The path is lined with rocks, sculptures, and symbolic pieces meant to represent different parts of the journey. Along the way, it is common to see small stones left behind by visitors as symbols of the burdens, worries, or experiences they are choosing to let go of.

The labyrinth is meant to be walked slowly and quietly, allowing space for thought and reflection. At the end of the path was a quote from Dr. Lauren Artress that perfectly captured the feeling of the place:

“There are many ways to describe a labyrinth. It is a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit and a mirror for the soul.”

Set among the red rocks and desert landscapes of St. George, the labyrinth felt perfectly suited to the environment around it—a peaceful place meant for stillness, contemplation, and reconnecting both with the land and with yourself.

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Exploring Gunlock State Park

From the labyrinth we continued farther into the desert landscape until we arrived at Gunlock State Park. The park has a small vehicle entry fee, and it was absolutely worth it for the scenery waiting beyond the entrance.

As soon as we arrived, we began climbing along the rocky trails weaving through the red sandstone formations. One of the things I always love most about southern Utah is seeing the layers of rock shaped over thousands of years by wind, water, and time. Everywhere you look the landscape feels sculpted and textured in a way that seems almost unreal.

As we climbed higher along the trail, we reached one of the most beautiful parts of the park where waterfalls cascaded down across the smooth red rocks. The contrast of clear flowing water against the deep orange and red sandstone was stunning. The waterfalls are created when the nearby dam overflows, sending water spilling through the rocks before continuing down into the valley below.

Even though the park was busy, the wide open landscape gave everyone plenty of space to spread out, climb across the rocks, and take in the views from different vantage points. We wandered from spot to spot, stopping constantly to admire the mix of blue skies, bright desert stone, and rushing water surrounding us.

I have always loved visiting state parks, and there was something especially meaningful about discovering a new park in my home state. Gunlock State Park felt like such a perfect example of the beauty of southern Utah with its combination of desert landscapes, red rock formations, and unexpected pockets of water cutting through the stone.

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Making Candy at the Taffy Shop

After a full day of exploring red rock landscapes and state parks, we ended the evening with something a little more playful and sweet at The Taffy Shop.

The shop is known not only for its wide assortment of homemade taffy flavors, but also for giving visitors the chance to make their own taffy during hands-on classes offered throughout the day.

We took our places at the tables where trays of flavors, colors, and wax paper wrappers were already waiting for us. Each person was given a container of warm taffy base and instructed to begin twisting, stretching, and pulling it over and over again. The staff recommended around one thousand pulls to properly work the taffy, though sore arms quickly distracted us from trying to keep count for very long.

Once the taffy had been stretched enough, it was time for the fun part: adding colors and flavors. We quickly learned that the coloring makes the taffy extra sticky, so a little goes a long way. After mixing everything together, we carried our finished taffy over to the cutting machine where it emerged in perfectly sized bite-sized pieces ready to be wrapped and bagged to take home.

The shop had shelves filled with all kinds of ready-made taffy flavors available for purchase, but there was something much more satisfying about eating the candy we had made ourselves. It was such a fun and unexpectedly memorable way to end our day in St. George.

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As the sun set over the red rocks of southern Utah, it felt like the perfect beginning to a new year of adventures. From climbing through sandstone formations at Pioneer Park to quiet moments at the labyrinth, waterfalls rushing through Gunlock State Park, and ending the day laughing over homemade taffy, our time in St. George reminded us why this part of the country will always feel a little like home.

Southern Utah has a way of making you slow down and appreciate the beauty around you. The red rocks, wide open skies, and endless desert landscapes feel both peaceful and adventurous at the same time. After a season that had felt full of delays and detours, this trip felt like a much-needed reminder of how good it is to get back out into the world exploring again.

And this was only the beginning of our journey through Utah.

Thanks for joining me through the red rocks of Southern Utah. May you find your way through the narrow places to where the sky opens up before you.

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Follow along for more adventures near and far!

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