Highway 12 stretches from Bryce Canyon National Park on the western end, through Dixie National Forest, Kodachrome Basin, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Box-Death Hollow Wilderness Area to Torrey and Capital Reef National Part at its eastern end. The brown government road signs highlighting areas and points of interest posted along this road read almost like a Top 10 list of the best places to hike, camp and sight-see in south-central Utah.
    
Every time I drive this stretch of road I notice something different.  This time we were struck by the unusually high number of rock shops, generally on the outskirts of each little town.  After passing dozens of these little stands, almost more ubiquitous than summer-time produce stands, we finally stopped at one outside of Boulder.  

There is just something nostalgic about a rock shop.  Our kids were so excited to sift through bins of polished quartz, each a prize beyond belief, picking the very best ones to bring home. It was just as I remembered doing as a kid on trips with my parents.  Granted, my husband and I joked about starting our own rock shop. After passing vast stretches of empty highway bordered by fields of red rock boulders we figured our inventory would be pretty easy to build up. But still, the magic was in our children’s eyes as the rounded quartz and sandstone tumbled through their fingers.

Toward the end of our drive, just south of Torrey, we pulled off at our last tourist shop of the day, The Flute Shop.  An avid tin whistle player, my husband was excited to see what kinds of flutes and whistles this funny little store might have.  Though the outside is weathered wooden planking and the hand-painted sign is fading, most of the merchandise was both unique and a bit pricey.  My husband tried out a few of the whistles and flutes, but at a few hundred dollars each we didn’t pick one up — not this time, anyway.
    
At a time when people are cutting back on driving, Highway 12 offers a rich variety of vacation opportunities in a relatively condensed space, making it a great, efficient destination.  From driving, picnicking, hiking, camping, and tourist-shop hopping, Highway 12 is a road magical for its own sake and for the sake of the monuments of natural beauty that it links.

IF YOU GO:
Take Interstate 15 south to Highway 20, which is just south of Beaver. This leads to Highway 89. Turn south, pass through Panguitch, staying on Highway 89 to the junction with Highway 12.

Highway 12 circles around through Tropic, Cannonville, Escalante, Boulder and finally to Torrey, near Capitol Reef National Park.

We took our kids on this three-hour drive. Click here to read more.