My love for a great road trip across America is well documented. As I sit here reminiscing about a trip to Zion National Park, it seems almost all my visits to America’s national parks have been the result of a road trip. This is perhaps a theme worthy of deeper exploration.  

My friend Tim had a plan. We would drive from Los Angeles to Zion National Park. Once there, we would spend a few days hiking and taking photos. After communing with nature, we would spend a night in Las Vegas before heading home.  

I am not the friend who often says the word “no”. In fact, I try to avoid it at all costs. If I can afford it and it doesn’t bring harm to me or anyone else, I am usually down for almost anything. This trip didn’t require a lot of convincing.  

Before the trip to Zion, I had been on countless photography and hiking trips with Tim. When I first moved to Seattle in 2011, I met Time and his partner, JR, through my work. It took some coaxing on their part, but when we finally made it work, we became fast friends.  

Instantly, Tim and I bonded over our love of photography, hiking, and a good old-fashioned road trip. With my good friend and roommate, Patrick, in tow, we would drive for hours snapping photos, crushing trails, and exploring Washington State.  

When Tim and JR moved from Seattle to Long Beach, CA, my partner, Brandon, and I weren’t far behind. With moving boxes still packed and in town for less than a month, Tim and I were on a road trip. Six months later, we found ourselves driving toward Zion National Park.  

After years of hiking and photographing the forests and vistas of Washington State, I was slightly ambivalent about finding beauty in the deserts of California and southern Utah. Shortly after my arrival, Joshua Tree National Park changed my mind. Zion cemented my belief that there is something strangely odd, peaceful, and beautiful about the desert.  

Zion is unlike any other place I have been. The park itself is compact and easily accessible. Cars don’t crowd the roads inside the park. Instead, shuttle buses drive guests to various points throughout the park. For anyone who has driven through Yellowstone or Yosemite, this is a welcome change.  

Shortly after our arrival, Tim and I placed our bags in our rooms. Within the hour, we had camera bags in hand. For hours, we hiked, snapped photos, and challenged ourselves to find unique angles. We were attempting to capture the park in ways missed by others.  

On this cool April day, the park was showing off. The reddish hue of the mountains was exploding with color. Green filled the valley with promise, and every vista stole our breath. In a couple of hours, we snapped hundreds of photos.  

The next day, I solo hiked up to an overlook. From the rim of the valley, I could almost see the entire park. Sitting there, rationing water, I felt both insignificant and small. When exploring nature, these are my two favorite feelings in the world. As you continue to read this series, this will be a common theme. As will my appreciation for the special places that comprise our national park system. It is an unoriginal thought, but I must echo it anyway. The park system is America’s best idea.

After another night in Zion, Tim and I drove to Las Vegas. The dissonance between these two locations was not lost on me.  

I didn’t know it at the time, but this trip and a road trip later in the fall up the coast of California would be my final trips with my friend. Tim died of a heart attack in early 2019. I was devastated to lose him. In many ways, I still am. At least, I have moments such as this trip. I will never forget the hours spent talking, laughing, listening to music, snapping photos, hiking, and exploring. Every day, I am thankful for the gifts of his friendship.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan