America's Southwest, an Epic Road Trip

There’s something deeply liberating about setting off on the open road with nothing but red rock, wide skies and space ahead of you. Our Head of Product, Jonathan, took on a self-drive journey from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City to uncover what this stretch of the American Southwest has to offer. With the route carefully curated and every stop supported by brilliant local guides, it turned out to be a journey of enormous contrasts – from surf to snow, neon to silence – and some of the most astounding landscapes I’ve ever seen. 

Starting in Style: Los Angeles
The journey began in Los Angeles, staying at Shutters on the Beach, a classic coastal retreat right on Santa Monica’s iconic stretch of sand. From my room, I could see the Ferris wheel lights and silhouetted palms of Santa Monica Pier lit up, a scene that feels lifted from so many movies. It’s effortlessly Californian in feel – wood-panelled walls, sea breeze on the balcony, laid-back but smart service. An ideal place to arrive, reset and exhale.

Anyone who has been will tell you that Los Angeles is a vast, sprawling city and spending a day with a guide is more than worth it. Aside from being able to take so much in, it’s great fun to get the stories that go along with all the famous landmarks. 

Santa Barbara + the charms of Montecito

The next morning, it was time to hit the road as I drove north along the coast to Santa Barbara. The drive itself is part of the charm, with glimpses of the Pacific and the Santa Ynez Mountains beyond. Santa Barbara blends its Spanish heritage with a notably elegant atmosphere – think whitewashed buildings, terracotta rooftops and beautiful little courtyards. This is home to some stunning hotels, with El Encanto, perched in the hills above town, being one of the best. It’s peaceful, set among citrus trees and hummingbirds, with a stunning terrace that looks across to the ocean, the perfect spot for a sundowner at the end of a long drive. 

One of the highlights here was the food – Santa Barbara has a genuinely exciting culinary scene. I enjoyed lunch at a local seafood spot on the water and, that evening, tucked into locally grown produce and wine from the Santa Ynez Valley. One thing I couldn’t resist was the chance to explore Montecito, just a short drive away – all eucalyptus-lined lanes, discreet estates, excellent coffee shops and lots of blacked-out Range Rovers. It’s easy to understand why those who can have moved here. 

A Night in Las Vegas
From Santa Barbara, it was time to head inland. The terrain changes quickly – the coast gives way to arid hills, then hard desert. This is a glorious road-trip drive with stunning views and little to interrupt it, save an almost compulsory stop at Betty Sue’s 1950s Diner! Eventually, the beauty ends with the brutal sight of Las Vegas rising in the distance. I know that plenty of people love it, but it’s not for me. The Strip, three days before the F1 was due in town, was noisy, seedy, relentless and slightly absurd after the calm of the coast. Still, it made a convenient overnight stop, and I was glad to have experienced it, but really not sad to get up early and leave in the morning. 

Valley of Fire State Park
Just an hour’s drive out of Vegas is Valley of Fire State Park, and it couldn’t be more different. This place is extraordinary – brilliant, red sandstone, narrow slot canyons and ancient petroglyphs etched into rock walls by indigenous people thousands of years ago. I wandered through a trail of wind-worn formations and found complete silence among the rocks with no one but the bighorn sheep for company. It’s often overlooked in favour of bigger-name national parks, but I think it’s one of the Southwest’s true gems. 

Springdale + Zion National Park
Day One: E-biking
That afternoon I reached Springdale, the small town that sits right at the entrance to Zion National Park. It’s surrounded by towering cliffs and has a charming frontier-town feel. I stayed in a simple but stylish lodge, and the next morning set out on an e-bike ride into Zion with an excellent guide, also named Jonathan, who had moved here some 30 years ago to escape a life in Manhattan. 

With no cars allowed on the main road through the park, cycling is a serene and exhilarating way to see it. I set off just after sunrise – the light was catching the canyon walls, casting deep shadows and golden hues. You glide beneath towering monoliths, stopping often just to look. That quiet access is what makes it so special. 

Day Two: Trekking to Scout Lookout
The following day, Jonathan and I set out for the climb up to Scout Lookout. The trail is steep and at times dramatic, with a final stretch of switchbacks known as ‘Walter’s Wiggles’. The reward? A panoramic view down Zion Canyon, with the trail to Angels Landing just beyond. At more than 1,700m, the air is crisp and thin, but the sense of achievement – and the sheer scale of the scenery – makes every step worthwhile. You could easily spend many days exploring Zion and I really only scratched the surface, but what a surface that is! 

Amangiri or Camp Sarika?
From Zion, I drove east through the wild desert, eventually arriving at Amangiri. It’s everything an Aman property should be – minimalist, sculptural and completely in tune with its surroundings. Built into a protected valley of sandstone, it’s as much a design statement as it is a retreat. 

For something a little different, Camp Sarika is just nearby. Also operated by Aman, these stunning canvas-tented pavilions offer complete privacy, with plunge pools, firepits and uninterrupted desert views. Waking up to the rising sun glowing across the rocks, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional raven, is a memory I’ll hold onto. 

From here, I visited the famous Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado River loops gracefully beneath sheer cliffs, and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes – surreal, rose-hued mounds perfect for a morning of quadbiking. 

Bryce Canyon + Stone Canyon Inn
The next leg took me up to Bryce Canyon, climbing to more than 2,400m. By this point, I’d entered the very start of winter. The first snows were settling lightly on the high ground, adding a quiet stillness to the already surreal hoodoo spires. I stayed at Stone Canyon Inn, a rustic but well-placed base with access to more off-grid trails. 

I hiked three routes over two days: the Navajo Loop, Peekaboo Trail and a much lesser-known canyon tucked behind the rim – a deserted track save the two people I passed at the start. The cold air was bracing, but the clarity and quiet were otherworldly. At the end of the day, I found myself at Sunset View and, rather tired from the hikes, stayed on as everyone else left until I was the only one there. By this stage, it should have been dark but the sky was lit up by one of the most stunning night skies I’ve ever seen. With the Milky Way in full view I headed back to the lodge feeling smug that no one else was there to see but me. 

Capitol Reef + Canyoning with Freedom to Explore
From Bryce, the road twisted east through towns like Escalante and Boulder, along Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 – one of the most beautiful stretches of road I’ve ever driven. This ever-changing and dramatic scenery is everything I imagined a Great American Road Trip would be. En route, there is a stop for an easy self-guided hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls – a hidden green ribbon of life in the desert, where water cascades into a fern-lined pool. It’s around 3 miles in each direction, but utterly worth it to stretch the legs and see something different.

Arriving in Torrey, I checked into Cougar Ridge, a warm and surprisingly luxurious lodge with amazing hosts. 

My day in Capitol Reef National Park was a real standout. This park receives a fraction of the visitors compared to Zion yet is no less spectacular. A day canyoning with a guide who had total freedom to read the conditions and decide where to go is really a must if you are up for an adventure. We rappelled into slot canyons, scrambled through narrows and spent the whole day deep inside the kind of wilderness you rarely access without local expertise. 

To Moab 
The final stretch of the drive took me into Moab, a spectacular last drive across vast plains between mountain passes. This small adventure town has a rugged, welcoming feel – the perfect base for the parks to come. 

Canyonlands + Arches with Blaine
I spent a glorious day exploring Canyonlands and Arches National Parks with Blaine – a historian, geologist and expert 4WD guide rolled into one. He took me deep into the Canyonlands. With concession rights, he really can visit spots that few people reach, and we saw no other people for hours on end. With my background in archaeology and Blaine’s incredible knowledge of the region, we couldn’t have been better suited to each other. With stories of the ancestral Puebloans who once lived among these cliffs, the impact of modernity on the region there was so much to discuss. Oh, and we just had to visit the spot where the ending for Thelma and Louise was filmed. 

My original plan had been to explore Arches on my own, but it turned out Blaine was free, and so the 4WD was pointed in a new direction and we headed out again to some of his favourite tracks. A series of short hikes to spectacular viewpoints, finding hidden dinosaur footprints and learning more about the history of this region reminded me yet again how good it is to have an excellent guide. 

The Final Stop: The Lodge at Blue Sky, Salt Lake City
The final drive north took me into the snowy foothills outside Salt Lake City. I ended at The Lodge at Blue Sky – now one of my favourite hotels in the world. The entire property was under a blanket of snow, with the pool steaming and elk roaming the surrounding hills. My suite looked out over a white-dusted valley, and the sense of quiet luxury was absolute. Amazingly, this wilderness is just a 40-minute drive from the airport, an ideal spot for the start or end of a long journey. 

I spent my last day riding with the lodge’s expert wranglers, winding through snow-covered trails with hot cider by the fire waiting at the end. 

This is a journey that offers everything: sun, snow, solitude, scale and serious style. You pass through forgotten towns, dine at both desert firepits and Michelin-level restaurants and walk trails where you might not see another soul. It’s a route that changes with the seasons and leaves you changed too. We, at cazenove+loyd, can tailor every element – from timing each hike to the light to matching you with the right guide. It’s one of the most richly rewarding journeys I’ve ever made.