As I wrote in my last post about Arches National Park, the landscape there is truly humbling—an otherworldly mix of rock and silence that puts things into perspective. But the awe doesn’t stop at Arches.
Just nearby is Dead Horse Point State Park, where the vastness of the canyons opens up in all directions. Standing at the overlook, you’re once again reminded how small we really are against millions of years of geologic time.
I didn’t make it to Canyonlands National Park this time—something for the next trip—but instead headed toward Capitol Reef National Park. The drive itself felt like a journey across Mars, with rust-colored cliffs and winding canyons framing the road on both sides. One particularly scenic stop along the way was Goosenecks Overlook, offering a sweeping view that’s hard to put into words.
Another unexpected highlight of the trip was some light off-roading. I had been planning to explore a few trails off the main roads, but many of them were covered in sharp rocks, and with no run-flats, no spare tire, and a tight schedule, I didn’t want to risk waiting hours for AAA.
Eventually, I found a stretch of soft, sandy terrain and decided to give it a go—and it was an absolute blast. The Quattro all-wheel drive handled the dunes with ease, and at no point did I worry about traction. My only concern was ground clearance on some of the sharper drop-offs, but to my surprise, I never once scraped the undercarriage. There’s something uniquely satisfying about being able to leave the pavement on a whim in a road trip–ready car and dive into the dirt—comfort intact, adventure fully unlocked.