I'm calling this one the "Loneliest" trip, because it sure felt like I spent a lot of time alone. Of course, Route 50 across Nevada is famous for its "Loneliest Road" status, but I found places even more remote, like the Waterpocket Fold and San Rafael Swell in Utah, and the road to the Racetrack in Death Valley. If solitude is what you're looking for, this trip packs plenty of it into 12 days of driving, hiking, and thoughtful pondering on rocky ledges.

Unfortunately, I was hit with a nasty case of food poisoning on my first night in Las Vegas. On Day 2, I drove to Springdale, Utah, and collapsed in my motel room.