USA Road Trip Recs: Cedar City UT

Recently I decided to go full digital nomad for the next several months and headed out from LA to my NxTSTOP for August until October: Colorado. To get there I packed up the car and drove over the course of two eight hour days. My stopover on day 1 was Cedar City, UT, which surprisingly (for me at least!) had some cool stuff to do for an 18-hour "layover." Here are three ideas for you. 

Late Afternoon / Morning Hikes

Within about 5 minutes drive of the main town area are several easy and very scenic hiking / mountain biking trails.

We took our dog Maya to the Southview Trailhead since it was pet-friendly. The trailhead area was well marked, had plenty of parking, and nice bathrooms. This was a very easy hike/walk with slow inclines and switchback trails running up to the top (about 1 mile). So, I simply hopped out of the car in my Airway 2 pants and Superlite Dad Hat, and away we went. 

Food

When you get off the 15, skip the plethora of fast food spots and head to Main Street where there are a bunch of nice little cafes and local restaurants. For breakfast we went the The French Spot which had the biggest macaroons I've ever eaten, tasty tarts (see the small apple tart below), and other savory treats. Outdoor seating is available there too. 

Festivals and Farmer's Market

I was not aware, but Cedar City touts itself as Festival City USA. While we didn't have time to enjoy the current Shakespeare Festival (yes, you read that correctly!), we did head to the Farmer's Market, which was awesome. While it's only on Saturday, there are many specialty vendors selling leather handmade goods and crystals, for which Utah is famous. Definitely worth checking out.