SANTA ANA, Calif. — When you’re from California, it’s easy to think that some of the world’s most beautiful and wild, rugged places are close to home. But the reality is that while the Golden State has plenty of incredible scenery to offer, both back in those "Wild West" days as well as right here and now, the landscapes found leading to it across America’s Southwest are some of the most spectacular to be found anywhere on the planet.
And while pioneers probably didn’t stop and take an extended visit, these days a road trip is a perfect way to see our favorite special spots in the Southwest.
Figuring out what to see on a Wild West road trip takes a bit of planning. Our version assumes you’ll begin in California and not try to do too much, so will only encompass our favorite spots in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Come along to see ghost towns, hoodoos, natural arches, sandstone spectacles, dark-sky stars and a really huge hole in the ground. We’ll even suggest a few places to sleep, eat and be merry as well.
