yonder-escalante
Southern Utah. A destination in itself where you can get lost in the red rocks and the wonders of all the hidden gems. This past week we found a new hidden gem.
Yonder Lodging.
Just right off of beautiful Highway 12 is a new lodging addition to the Escalante area & it’s a complete DREAM.
Yonder ins a place that brings together the of luxury to the Midwest vibes. They will take you back in time with their vintage cars lined up to watch a drive-in movie and concessions to devour while you take in the southern scenery. Sprinkle in their beautifully restored airstreams and modern cabins to bring you comfort in every way for a wonderful weekend stay.
Upon your arrival you will find yourself greeted by the Yonder staff, friendly and warm are the best words to describe them. Willing to help at a moment's notice, give you recommendations on seeking your day adventure or simply there to strike a conversation. Not to mention the staff dog, JoJo, who was technically the first to greet us & brought the charm of this wonderful place.
Once the host gave us a map of the area and explained the areas and activities we parked our car, grabbed a wagon and loaded our things to our new place to call home for the weekend and yes, to those wondering, it’s dog friendly.
The Cabins: Nothing short of perfect. From the glass walls to take in the scenery (this is where we watched a few desert storms roll in and talk about a view!) to the cozy sheets on the bed- it was all in the details and quality curated into this space. My friend and I seriously sat on the bed for a moment and admired the comfort of the sheets and mattress while Ember claimed her spot on the daybed. Perfect clean patios with chairs and an outside cooler. We actually spent a good time out on this patio conversing, eating our food and just taking in the Utah air. We were happy to see a fire pit as well and on our last day we had a campfire. You are able to purchase wood in the store and they provide complimentary matches.
The Bathrooms and Shower Facility: Why am I mentioning their bathrooms? There's a good reason. Spa-like rooms which were extremely clean, fully stocked and managed well. Also include fully equipped high end products (ever heard of the Dyson blower dryer before??). My best recommendation is to use the showers on the west end of the property. These showers are not only as beautiful as every other part of this location but they’re roofless! So take a nice peaceful private shower under the natural sunlight or starry night. All showers were private showers too!
Drive In: Thursday-Saturday you can find a drive-in movie to watch on the big screen. Take a seat in any of their vintage cars & make your way to the concession stand to give yourself some nice drive-in theater nostalgia. It was fun to see other families with kids enjoy the cars and the drive in atmosphere. Your stay comes with a bag of complimentary popcorn and you can also purchase other items including drinks, hot dogs and candy.
Lounge area: Perfectly clean, wide and spacious, outdoors but feels indoorsey. This is where they held their breakfasts with plenty of seating. Two giant fire areas giving the whole space a nice ambiance. We spent a great deal of our time here either getting creative with the watercolor paints my friend brought or relaxing and hanging out.
Pool area: What better way to cool down than with a pool in the desert! Dogs are not permitted in the pool area, and are not allowed to be left unattended so we decided to skip it and took our watercolors to the lounge area instead.
Store: Located right where you check-in, the store is where you can purchase items from clothing to drinks and everything in between. Forgot something at home? Chances are they will have it. Hungry and need a grab and go lunch? It’s all right there. We ended up purchasing the s’more package and firewood for a perfect around the campfire night, and let me tell you, these marshmallows just hit differently 10/10 recommend.
Other amazing things that they offer:
Drink Mixers: Check out the store for a pre-batched cocktail kit fully equipped with liquor of your choosing, unique botanical mixers, ice and garnish for a perfect afternoon treat!
Laundry: I can only imagine the laundry facility is as nice as the rest. This is card operated and on the east side of the property. I heard you can also pay to have your laundry done for you if needed!
Pool and Hot tub under the stars: As I mentioned earlier we skipped the pool scene only because we had Ember with us. Dogs are not allowed to be left unattended in your room. The pool & hot tub looked like the most perfect way to end a day full of adventures.
This place had so many great things to offer on-site, but what I think was really remarkable was how close it was to fun southern Utah activities. Talk with your host but here are some fairly close things to do:
Explore the hidden gem of Escalante itself!
Try finding the different slot canyons or explore Upper Calf Creek. Four-wheel your way along Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Drive the scenic route to Boulder (we take this way on the way home to Salt Lake). Hike to the red rock hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. Go check out Wide Hallow Reservoir for some water activities like boating or SUP with your dog.
FAQs we received about our stay:
Is there Wifi? Yes! It’s best to connect while near the lounge area but once connected we had no troubles inside our cabin. If we were staying here for longer- I’d spend my time at the lounge working. It has beautiful scenery and plenty of seats with room for your work items.
Is there a pet fee? Nope! Yonder welcomes all well behaved dogs. With a maximum of 2 dogs per accommodation. They will only charge a $200 fee if there is damage done to the property. Keep in mind that dogs are not allowed to be unattended on your stay & they are not allowed in the pool area so plan activities accordingly!
Do I need to bring food? We brought all of our meals and also ate their complimentary breakfast! You can most definitely purchase a grab and go sandwich or any snacks inside the store. During the breakfast hours they’ll also make you a toasted sandwich if you ask!
Last but not least a HUGE thank you to the Yonder Staff and team for letting us come down and giving us the best experience! We will 100% be back again.
xoxo, Madi & Ember
