Southwest Road Trip

As we approach fall my favorite time of year, I'm going to spend some time reminiscing on one of my favorite fall road trips. Here on the west coast September and October are the perfect times to travel, gorgeous weather and shoulder season, so crowds are limited. A couple of years back I took a Southwest Road trip, I'm going to highlight some stops along that fabulous fall journey. Enjoy.

Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park

Day 1 - Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Spent a day hiking in Zion National Park, taking in the gorgeous views, cliche but it was breathtaking.  Finished the evening in Springdale, UT at Oscar's Cafe eating green chile enchiladas on the patio, enjoying the dramatic southwest sunset. Absolutely amazing.

Road tripping to Bryce Canyon from Zion

Day 2 - Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

The scenery here is as dramatic as ever, it's a must see. We finished the day at the Bryce Canyon Lodge for an afternoon glass of wine. We didn't stay the night because the rooms were sold out. Either way I'm a sucker for National Park Lodges and I make sure to stop in and see the lodge at each National Park I visit. I just love the old rustic feeling, it can't be beat.

It's a much farther drop then it looks here.

Loving It

Sunset

Sunset while driving home from Yosemite National Park. Gorgeous.

Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell Trail, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

We got a National Park Pass last year for our Southwest road trip and decided to get the most out of it and visit a number of National Parks in California. At $80 the pass is a deal if you plan on visiting several National Parks in one year.  Lassen Volcanic National Park had been on my list for some time.  Last year I did the driving tour of the park but this year I really wanted to come back to hike Bumpass Hell, the area with the largest number of hydrothermal features in the park. 

Hydrothermal Features

The hike is a moderate hike mainly because it’s situated at 8000 ft.  The beginning of the trail was easy, although I will say I was not prepared for how rough the small descent into the most active hydrothermal area would be.  The descent is not very long (about 100 feet) but because of the large amount of snowfall in the spring, there was still a significant amount of snow/ice on the trail.  Now, I’ll admit I’m not an avid hiker…I enjoy it but I am definitely an easy – moderate hiker, so take that into consideration.  The descent was very slow and daunting for me.  With my standard hiking shoes on each step was a slippery slope where I had to work to maintain balance and not fall 100 feet down the icy hill.  I admittedly was afraid although there were families around me with toddlers handling the trail just fine (crazy right?).  Depending on your hiking experience level be prepared with the proper shoes to hike in snow and ice if needed. 

Once I made it, it was worth it.  There are trails built to keep you on the path, the hydrothermal features can cause severe burns.  With the picturesque snow covered hills in the background, the white, blue and orange colors, and puffs of steam flowing into the sky, it felt like a different planet.  It was pretty amazing.  

Lassen Volcanic National Park has many other trails to consider depending on how skilled you are at hiking.  The park is gorgeous and well worth the trip.  It promises a fascinating volcanic history, pristine lakes, snow capped mountains and steaming hydrothermal features.  Bottom line, Bumpass Hell is a fascinating site to see.  Do it. 

Mt. Lassen National Park

*Details accessed from www.NPS.gov