Where To go in the Middle of Nowhere - A Guest Post by Conor Sinnott

Where To Go In The Middle Of Nowhere by Conor Sinnott

In the past few weeks, I have visited multiple deserts in the South West and West areas of the US. In doing so I have acquired a list of sorts of the best places to go when in this part of the States. Going in blind is dangerous: dodgy mexican restaurants, suspicious motels and scares of complete seclusion are afoot if unprepared so please indulge me in telling you some of the best places to go.

Death Valley, CA

Death Valley is an unsung hero of the Californian national parks, though that is somewhat excusable with some areas having an average temperature of around 51oC. Having been in that kind of heat, where you must squint your eyes and grit your teeth just to walk a few feet, I can tell you that hiking in Death Valley, though spectacular in its views, is risky (hence the name). If you are to do any form of a hike around Badwater or the dunes, do what we did and get there early in the morning: that way you’ll also have more of it to yourself. Places like Badwater I would highly recommend, not only for the intrigue in the formation of the salt flats but also the eerie and complete silence brought about when still. A great day trip.

Sedona, AZ

Sedona is a very interesting place. With its inhabitants listing such names as Madonna, Johnny Depp and Nick Cage, it’s a surprisingly subdued place with very little noise or disruption. Going for hikes in the red rock landscapes is a truly unique experience: not only for the structures and topography but also for the nature and wildlife up in the mountains. If just for a day, stop by Sedona, buy one of their ridiculously overpriced yet delicious sandwiches and go mountain biking.

Zion, UT

You may notice that in this list, the Grand Canyon does not appear. That’s because of two reasons: firstly that it really isn’t that great. If you’ve seen a stock image of the Grand Canyon then I’m telling you the actual Grand Canyon is only 10% more cool- and that’s not accounting for the 100% more loud children and bustling mobs of tourists blocking your view. The second reason is that on the way to the Grand Canyon we found Zion National Park and it is so much better. Not only are you inside the smaller valleys and canyons but also its so serene, it would be a shame if you missed this place.

Seligman, AZ

Seligman is a tiny place, famous for being the birthplace of the famous Route 66. It has a weird history of roadtrippers fleeing the dustbowl, leaving behind a collection of quirky diners and eccentric boutiques. I have to recommend Westside Lilo's Cafe as even though it is opposite the ever-enticing Roadkill Cafe, it has some incredible fried chicken and the people there are lovely. Seligman is certainly not a day trip - a serendipitous excursion at most - but it is certainly worth going.

Joshua Tree, CA

What makes Joshua Tree so spectacular is the combination of dense plots of spiny trees and piles of boulders that form peculiar mountains and plains devoid of life. Much like Death Valley, it can be rather unsettling when driving for an hour through a rocky terrain encompassed by giant mountains with no other life in sight, but scaling the enormous boulders and hiking into desert forests was such a unique experience it should be recognised.

Thank you sofia for letting me write on your blog -

(to contact conor on instagram - @conorbach)