St George

May 31, 2015

Art Community near St George

The community of Kayenta is a community designed sensitively to blend in with the desert landscape. All of the homes are in adobe looking in hues from chocolate to sand. The development is low density with native plant landscaping. We approached from St George passing through Ivins. Almost as soon as we entered the community we felt a kind of peace and tranquillity.

Also curiosity: how much do you think these homes sell for? Can you rent one on luxury homes for the week? It is hard to turn off the real estate orientation when you travel. You imagine yourself living there and of course wonder how much money it would take.

The first visit we stopped at the art village and most of the shops were shut. The Xetava Garden Cafe was open and I bought a coffee. It was free-trade, organic and a couple of other wholesome modifiers, including delicious. We wandered around looking at the chalk art on the ground from the competition from earlier in the week. I admired the driftwood horse and Carole admired the interesting garden benches.

The next visit we did some serious jewelry shopping. We browsed in several art galleries. And we ate lunch at the Xetava Garden Cafe. Carole enjoyed the waffles on the brunch menu and I had the tacos made with filet mignon. We both gave thumbs up to our choices. The service was excellent.

We also sympathized with this bubble of liberalism. We saw a poster for a marriage equality fundraiser and felt like cheering. St George is a lovely community with loads of friendly people. Seventy-five percent of them are Mormon and probably conservative. A friend shared how we could spot polygamist families and we saw at least one group watching the Triathalon. So we threw up a small cheer for the organizers of an event hoping for a long shot–or a Supreme Court decision.

May 29, 2015May 28, 2015

Gem of a Park: Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park is just the right size!

St George is centrally located making it possible to do day trips to Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. An Ironman Triathlon made driving to Bryce Canyon complicated and we could not shift our spa appointments. Locals raved about Snow Canyon State Park, so we decided to give it a go.

Jake the Snake at the Ranger station at the campground.

From the Inn at Entrada on the Northwest side of St George it is just a few minutes drive. You drive past the Ivins roundabout with the beautiful sculptures of mustangs and Paiute Indians. The entrance fee is a modest $8 per car and it allows access all day, so you could plan an early morning hike and then return after dinner for some stargazing from the rocks at Upper Galoot picnic area.

The ranger at the gate gave us lots of good information about the hikes in the park. She also mentioned that if we came across a tortoise, and if it pees out of fear, then we need to bring him to her or the ranger station so they can rehydrate the tortoise. Turns out the only wildlife we saw in the park was Jake the Snake in the ranger station.

The ranger station at the campground is also a gem. It has high quality exhibits and gift shop. Volunteers man the desk and offer good information about the park.

We went back the next day to hike a little. A group was setting up for a wedding, people were enjoying the campground, and groups of hikers and cyclists were enjoying the trails.

You can easily combine a half day at Snow Canyon State Park and a visit to Kayenta art village and the Xetava Gardens Cafe.

If you think Snow Canyon State Park looks familiar it is probably because it has been used as the setting for many popular films.

May 27, 2015May 27, 2015

Hymn to Zion National Park

All day I kept thinking of the lyrics from the hymn: We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful city of God.

Red steep canyon walls are the backdrop pretty much everywhere along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.

Zion is an awe inspiring sight. I thought maybe these Zion fans had never been to Yosemite. We are so blessed in the United States of America because we have so many truly special beautiful natural places. Zion National Park is among the best.

It was about an hour drive from the Inn at Entrada in St George. Highway 9 is very pleasant with small towns dotting the way. Go early in the morning for two reasons. First, the parking lots fill up quickly. Do not panic though because you can park and ride a shuttle from Springdale. Almost everyone moves about the parks on the shuttle buses or on a bike. Bring a daypack and remember water and sunscreen. Second, on the first of May it was 93 degrees in the afternoon. And it only gets hotter throughout summer.

The Visitor Center is a good stop to plan your trip. We got great advice from the volunteers and rangers.

The main Zion Canyon Visitor Center is on the edge of Springdale. It has a large selection of hiking gear and books just in case you forgot something. Even if you think you have your whole day planned, check in with the fabulous rangers or volunteers at the desk. They are full of useful information. Most importantly there are good bathrooms and you can never go too often if you are planning to hike.

We boarded the bus and laughed at the cute ads admonishing us not to feed the animals. Judging by how aggressive the squirrels are, I believe we should stop feeding them. The deer are also acclimated to crowds. Careful though, they are wild so admire from a distance.

We rode the shuttle bus to the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to hike the Temple of Sinawava trail. It was a relatively easy hike. Just right.

When we told colleagues that we were going to Zion National Park, they proved they did not know us very well by suggesting we hike Angels Landing Trail. Right, a trail that is so steep they provide chains to hang onto. They sell a t-shirt in the gift shop for those who finish! Or they’d say, “You have to do the Narrows.” Seriously? It requires a swimsuit and water shoes and you the water is above your waist on some parts of the trail. We were perfectly happy with the short and beautiful hikes we chose.

Next up was the lower Emerald Pools trail we started from The Grotto, ending at Zion Lodge.

The Zion Lodge on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in Zion National Park.

The Zion Lodge has accommodations, a couple of food options, and a gift shop. It is not one of the grand lodges of the National Park System, more Yosemite Lodge less Ahwahnee. It would be super convenient if you wanted to do some of the longer hikes. We got some refreshments and did a bit of shopping and then caught the bus to the Zion Human History Museum. We were 20 minutes from closing and this was enough time to take in the views from the patio and look at the exhibits.

One more short ride on the bus and we were back at the Visitor Center and our car. We were tired and extremely saturated with sun and beauty. It was a great day and we still had our stop at the Iceberg Drive-In to look forward to… milkshakes!

The view of Zion Canyon from the lower Emerald Pools Trail.

May 16, 2015May 16, 2015

20 Hours in Las Vegas

I met up with a college chum in Las Vegas, Nevada for a brief stopover on our way to St George, Utah. We live on opposite coasts so we like to meet up in the middle of the country for spa weekends. It is only a 2 hour drive from Las Vegas to St George, so an overnight is not required, but why not?

Unfortunately we were oblivious to “the fight”. It was only Wednesday and the boxing match was on Saturday. Who knew that people would already be pouring into Las Vegas for this event. It impacted our car rental at Hertz (we could not pick it up early).

We checked into the Cromwell Hotel. It is in a great location right on the Strip. The staff at the Cromwell did a super job. Dana, our bellman was outstanding including pointing out a “special” feature of the room. If the lights are off in the bedroom and on in the bathroom then the giant mirror on the wall becomes a window into the shower. Combined with the bordello decor we decided the decorator was a pervy man.

We changed for dinner then dashed through the smoke filled casino to the Strip and walked to the Mirage. We had reservations at Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak House. The restaurant is a calm oasis in the middle of the casino. The steak, asparagus, and potatoes were pricey and good (not great). We were enjoying a nonstop conversation. The service was attentive without interrupting.

The new ferris wheel, the High Roller, in the background.

We walked back to our hotel via the Cinq, stopping at Starbucks and Sprinkles for cupcakes. We wandered through the Flamingo. Carole had a go at the Batman penny slot machine in memory of her brother Timmy. Eventually we made it back to the Cromwell.

Our beds were comfortable but the noise in the room was odd. It sounded like a monorail was just outside. At first we thought we might be by the elevators, but we were not. Sleep came eventually.

The next morning I participated in a conference call while Carole collected the rental car. When she returned we went down for a late breakfast in Giada’s restaurant. It is the Cromwell’s main restaurant that also prepares room service. The menu was created by the chef of same name on the Food Network. Our food was delicious and the view of the Strip was even more amazing. Our wait staff all had charming Italian accents and provided excellent service. We would have lingered over lover coffee except we were anxious to get on the road to St George, Utah.

Extra notes: Carole introduced me to the podcast, Satellite Sisters. We listened to it on the Stitcher app on our drives. One podcast included a sister’s report on her recent trip to Las Vegas. She gives the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love show 2 thumbs up.

On the way home Carole stayed an extra night in Vegas before flying to East Coast. She offers: I went to Guy Fieri’s restaurant for breakfast this morning and had the French toast with maple candied bacon. It was delicious. The service was great too. I would go back there. On the way to the M&M store I stopped at the chocolate shop we saw at Paris Hotel and had the most delicious cup of hot chocolate I’ve had outside of Switzerland. Highly recommend going back there too.

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015

3 Funny Signs in Nevada

I am waiting at the McCarren International Airport in Las Vegas for my delayed Southwest flight. I enjoyed 5 peaceful days in beautiful southern Utah, so the jangling of the slots are a bit unnerving. I am looking forward to sharing with you the highlights of my St George adventure.

Today I am posting three signs we saw on the return drive from St George to Vegas. We found the first two funny signs in the parking lot of the Lost City Museum.

Here is the area they have provided for you to let your pony pee and poop!

Apparently people are unclear which recreational vehicles are allowed to park in RV parking.

We followed I-15 and then turned off toward Lake Mead to go the Valley of Fire State Park. We stopped in Overton, Nevada to check out the Lost City Museum. It is a nifty museum about the ancient pueblo ruins found in this area. Some have already been inundated by Lake Mead. This museum was created to celebrate the remaining. We spent about 40 minutes reading the exhibits and checking out the artifacts. ($5 admission)

We drove on to the Valley of Fire State Park. The rocks are red but I would not describe them as beautiful–more other-worldly. I could see them making a great set for a movie set on Mars. As we pulled near the self-pay station ($10 day use fee), we saw the third funny sign:

Is this a problem? We are as close to the middle of nowhere as you can get... — Is this a problem? We are as close to the middle of nowhere as you can get…

It was only another 50-60 minutes to Caesars Palace on Las Vegas Boulevard. The contrast with St George could not be greater! We dropped my chums luggage and realized that our spa weekend was over! Good times. Definitely look forward to returning again.