Road Tripping: Leaving St. George, Utah

Well, St. George, it's been lovely. We didn't get to partake in too many of your bountiful offerings due to our limited time available, but what we were able to see was lovely. From the giant, creepy spider statue and flinging-babies statue adjacent to it in the Historic District, dipping our feet in the water in the park, greeting the velociraptor and enduring parking challenges nearby in the shopping district, to hiking among the beautiful red stones and posing on a giant boulder overlooking the city, it was fun. It's not too hard to see why people are moving there in droves. It's easily accessible to other, larger, cities like Salt Lake City or Las Vegas, but it absolutely feels like a small town. Families gather in the public spaces and let their kids splash around together in the water, ice cream men roll up on mountainside parks with sweet treats to cool off the family, it seems pretty sublime. We did see someone getting battered about the face while sitting next to the road when we were driving through their downtown area, so obviously, it's not all picture perfect sitcom-worthy bliss, but it's nice. I'm sure if we spent more time and dove more in-depth into the area and the recent population growth explosion it's been experiencing, we'd hear some fascinating stories. Any city that experiences the kind of rapid growth that St. George has will undoubtedly undergo some degree of growing pains in the process. Each municipality and governing body deal with it differently, which can lead to a city's thriving or declining. For the time St. George seems to be on the up and up, and I imagine that as populations continue to become more mobile it will likely continue to experience a surge in traffic. 

Not only is it a hot spot for young families looking to settle down somewhere quaint, but Dixie State University brings droves of youth from nearby towns looking to glean and education with a side of independence. Many of the graduates I talked to from Mesquite mentioned that they were planning to go to DSU for their post-high school education, which makes sense. It's not far down the road so they can easily make a trip home to visit their families, but it's far enough for them to feel their first bit of freedom. It's not hard to imagine that some of these starry-eyed young dreamers will meet some other lovely youth and fall in love, and potentially end up settling down in the area. Storybook romance, right? The cycle continues. The force has balance. 

Yadda yadda. Anyway, we weren't looking to put down roots here, not this time. We packed it into the van again and started rolling out, with our end destination being home with a few side quests along the way. Join our adventure!

Road Tripping: Further explorations of Pioneer Park in St. George, Utah

I mentioned in my previous post that Pioneer Park has 52 acres of land to explore- which is quite a lot of space! We didn't have that long to explore, so we didn't get too far from the car, but we tried to take in what we could. After checking out the overlook and making myself thoroughly uncomfortable by waddling closer to the edge of a large rock with a steep drop than I feel comfortable with, we returned to less frightening environments. What's scary about a dark tunnel going into the mountain, after all? I guess it depends who you ask... for all we know there could be trolls, scorpions, rattlesnakes, homeless people (who aren't necessarily threatening but might make some people really uncomfortable), Droogs, the possibilities are endless! Lucky for us, we didn't encounter anything frightening other than my camera running low on battery. Womp womp. These things. We still managed to get a pretty good amount of photos, but when it was time for Antho to get a fancy tunnel photo shoot my camera started flashing the low-battery indicator which caused a bit of grumbling from Antho. Sorry, buddy, next time. 

This park seems like an ideal place to bring your mountain bike if you're into that sort of thing. We found this nice paved route for biking on, but I expect there's plenty more unpaved routes to take that we simply didn't have the time to find or explore in this venture. While it does get up to the 100's during the summer, there were still people out getting their pedaling fix during our walk. Downhill is really nice, after all, as you get your own breeze from the momentum to cool off from the exertion of getting to the top of the hill... unless you just drive to the top and save your workout for the end. Whatever works for you, guys. I'm not here to judge, I'm just trying to say there are so many freaking options out here! There were picnic tables for those who want a more casual snack outside, and there were dudes with their remote-controlled ATVs playing among the rocks.  Lots of things to do out here!

     

Road Tripping: Pioneer Park in St. George, Utah

If you want to get THE best view of St. George, then Pioneer Park is the place to go! It's not much further up the road from where we were in the previous post, and the big rock overlook is easy to spot from anywhere in the city. Such a prominent landmark makes it easy to identify and locate, and if you get lost you could surely ask any local and be pointed the right direction. There's a bit of a trek to get to the viewpoint after parking, but it's nothing terribly arduous so don't worry if you're not in outstanding physical shape. If you can climb some stairs, you'll be okay. If you struggle with a narrow stairwell, then be forewarned, the route to the top of the rock is a roughly defined stairway in stone that could be slippery or a little difficult if you have mobility difficulties or it's just rained. No rain fell on us this day, so we're grateful for that, and we were able to get a photo together near the edge of the large rock thanks to a friendly couple who happened to pop up to take in the view around the time we did. We traded phones and cameras for photos, an even exchange. 

I don't know if you can tell from my body language or not, but I was ready to be away from the edge. Despite working at the Stratosphere tower on the 108th floor for years, I'm not too keen on heights, especially out in the open like this with the wind blowing my hair about. We got our photos and took some for the other duo, then went back to our hike where we were less precariously perched near the edge. There's a lot more to the park than just this big rock look out point, after all! It's a pretty massive park, with 52 acres full of hiking trails and biking paths. We'll definitely have to make a point of it to explore the area more in depth next time we find ourselves out in the area. The colors in the stones remind me of home, Valley of Fire and Red Rock, but all the trees and greenery add a lush contrast to the usual views we get. It's not that Vegas and the nearby areas don't have greenery, any trip out to Mount Charleston to admire the bristlecone pines and aspen will quickly affirm that we, too, can have forests, but these are different. While landscaping choices are going to divert from the traditional Fremont Cottonwoods or Honey mesquite, the fauna is going to be subtly different from what we're used to in our stretch of desert. 

It's always a good idea to try to get a new perspective whenever possible. This was a nice glimpse of the city and we enjoyed our visit. We'll definitely make a trip back out this way at some point in the future, perhaps when we can spend more than a day exploring all that it has to offer. With so many miles of hiking trails, and the nearby nature reserves, there's so much to see and we'll definitely have to plan an overnight van-stay. 

Road Tripping: Overlook hike in St. George, Utah

As I mentioned in my last post, St. George is located in a prime spot for outdoor enthusiasts. Not only are the somewhat mild (by Vegas standards) summer temperatures ideal for getting out and going hiking among any number of outstanding natural rock formations and national parks but the winter brings ample options not-too-far away for going skiing, snowboarding, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors. If you're not keen on snow, never fear! St. George averages only 8 inches of precipitation a year, well below the national average, and the mild winter temps mean it's unlikely you'd have to ever contend with too much snowfall, but if you're pining for the powder you won't have to travel far at all. Brianhead Ski resort is only an hour or so further north on the I-15 and has a ton of options for enjoying the snow, from tubing to ziplines, to disc golf! I have to admit that I've never gone skiing myself, but I know people who go annually as tradition and Brianhead has always been spoken of highly. This time of year, of course, it's not going to have much snow, and you're going to see a lot more mountains that look like this:

I mean, that's not a bad thing, right? That's actually quite pretty. Reminds me of some of the photos of Mars that have been sent back. I think it's absolutely fascinating how the same basic building blocks make the basis for life, the universe, and everything, just in an infinite variety of combinations. A little more heat or a dash more of one element or another and you have something else entirely, like exoplanet Cancri e, whose surface is made of graphite and diamond rather than the water and stones of our home. Nature is pretty cool in that regard. Endlessly creative. I guess you could say life, uh, finds a way. Deserts always provide proof of that statement in the virulent life that crops up despite the harsh environment, plants taking root in the most unlikely of crevices and making a life where they land. It's poetic, of course, which is why countless tomes and sonnets have expounded the merits of nature, and Japanese studies have shown the health benefits of simply strolling among the trees.    

So go on, get out there and take in some nature! Do it for your health! Most cities, at least that I'm familiar with out here on the Western side of the US, have ready access to the outdoors, and even our more landlocked neighbors have endless ways to get outdoors. I'm sure our East Coast, Midwestern, Northeastern and Southern friends all have their own amazing outdoor areas to explore during the appropriate times of year, I'm just not as familiar with them. I remember loving Ohio summers as a kid when I'd get to visit, and feeling like I was going to melt into a mosquito-drained mass of goo in the humidity of central Florida during the summers, but there were still so many awesome options for going out and being among nature. Plan accordingly for the seasons and climate of your region, then have at it. The world is a big beautiful place with a lot of stunning, less-seen corners we won't get to take in if we don't make a point of going out there and trying. 

And you never know, you might have a random ice cream truck show up when you're coming back down the mountain or something. 

More photos below~

Road Tripping: Drive out to overlook in St. George, Utah

Given that the city of St. George is situated in a region full of gorgeous natural stone formations, rich mountains and sweeping valleys, there are plenty of options for getting outdoors and exploring the bounty of nature. Having spent the better part of our day thus far looking at things that were highly landscaped and maintained, we definitely wanted to get out of the city and see something a little more remote. This did not prove difficult at all, as a quick search on our phone offered up directions to this spot. If you're having a hard time with the reception you can always go about it the old-fashioned way and try to make your way to the highest elevations. There were some seriously steep hills along the way, but Vanticore conquered them like the V8 monster she is. My cute little Volvo would have struggled up those hills with her four-banger engine and transmission going bad. Unfortunately, little Miss Svetty might have to be sold off soon because she's beyond the point that I can manage her repair needs. Alas. At least we have Vanticore, who is running strong as ever and made this drive out to Utah and back with no hiccups! So, up the hill we went, and the view was pretty awesome on the way. 

The city spread out beneath us as we wound our way up the hill. The sky had been bright and clear when we first woke up but the clouds had started to roll in little by little as the hours stretched on, so by the time we got to the end of this hike it was starting to look like we might actually get rained on if we didn't get vamoosing. Given the beautiful weather, we weren't the only people who went out to the park. Can't blame anyone. Everyone we encountered was friendly, which was pleasant, too. You certainly meet a lot of people who are happy and having fun in Vegas, but there's the darker side of gambling addiction and alcohol abuse that you'll encounter if you spend any significant time in the city...after all, it's Sin City, so catering to people's vices can and will bring out the worst in people. It's a nice reminder for us that other cities don't necessarily operate that way, facilitating and attracting positivity and happy people. With so many options for getting outside and being active in gorgeous accommodating weather, it makes sense that the locals might be running on endorphins rather than booze or meth. But hey, who knows, we were only there for a short while and maybe the city has a seething underbelly of sin and debauchery we simply didn't find in our short stay!

There will be more photos below, but I split this outing into two posts (the drive up and then the actual hike) so as to prevent it from becoming too overwhelming with the amount of photos. Enjoy!

Road Tripping: Historic Downtown Shopping District St. George, Utah

Satisfied with our walk of the Historic Downtown area we hopped in Vanticore and prepared to move out, but we hadn't gotten more than a block before Antho shouted in excitement "A velociraptor!"

I don't know about you guys, but the sight of a wild, life-sized dinosaur is exciting enough to make us stop and find a place to park... the parking became a bit of an endeavor, though, as we learned the hard way that Vanticore is slightly taller than we'd approximated. After having the van for almost a full year, we finally found a parking structure too short to safely enter! We bumped her noggin in full view of a family, too, who watched with shocked surprise and covered mouths when we had to back away with a "scccccrrrrrrruuuuuuunnnnnn". Yikes. We made it out of the parking structure safely enough, and found a spot outside in no time. No real damage was done to the vehicle, aside from a minor scuffing of paint, and the cement building was certainly fine. We saw scuffs on her ceiling much taller than our own vehicle's clearance, so we weren't the first or the most brazen in our attempts to park there. 

 Once parked we were able to explore the area, and quickly saw that it was a continuation of the Historic Downtown. Ample art fills the streets, giving local artisans a chance to demonstrate their talents while classing up the place. There were some little cafes and many other shops, but we only really stopped into the one with the velociraptor. We spent a good amount of time admiring their shop, as they sold a lot of gems and minerals that I've been familiarizing myself with of late. My day job has me surrounded by gorgeous amethyst geodes and different stones, so I'm finding myself more excited and curious about them now that I have a bit more knowledge of them. Whether the stones are actually beneficial for your health or spirituality I'll leave up to you to decide on your own. Personally, I imagine it's a bit of a placebo effect- if you believe it works, it likely will. I see no harm in that, so long as you aren't trying to cure stage-4 cancer or something with a pretty amulet. Some things need a more aggressive approach, right?  

Whether they're miracles of healing or simply pretty rock formations, there's no denying that they're quite stunning. The prevailing theory for how these gorgeous things are formed is that they're created from pockets in lava or igneous rock, that collect mineral rich liquids that evaporate and leave the crystalline formations behind. Artificial instances of crystal creation can be done at home using sugar and water, but it takes time. Most of the good things in life do, though. 

More photos below! Enjoy~

Road Tripping: Hornets and flowers, St. George, Utah

Look at that big, bright, beautiful butt. Don't let the appearances fool you, though- it's got a terrible stinger on the end of it! And lucky for them (but not for us humans), unlike their cousins the bees who have to kamikaze and rip their own guts out when they sting you (making the majority of bees far more hesitant to sting unless absolutely necessary) hornets can happily keep stinging and stinging until they feel satisfied that any and all threat has gotten the message; "F**k off!"

Yeah, hornets are jerks. They're pretty awful, and because they know their stings come with an unlimited (or nearly) supply of ammunition they're not hesitant about using them and can get rather aggressive. Because of this fact, we had to be extremely cautious in our efforts to capture photos of them. We managed to get these without receiving any unwanted pokes or prods from the models, but we quickly ceased our photo shoot when they grew agitated. While pain is often equated with the price of beauty, we were in absolutely no need of pain on this particular day. 

I believe these particular beauties to be the European wasp variety, given their bright brown and yellow coloration and extra-large size. There's also yellowjackets in the area, but they tend to be smaller, about an inch or less, while these guys were well over an inch in length. Whatever their particular strain, their stings still suck so we noped out as soon as they got tired of our attention. I can't recall being stung by a hornet or wasp any time in my lifetime, though I've been stung by bees and know I had no allergies when I was a kid it's not a risk I'd like to take.  They are fascinating creatures, though, those insects. Personally, I like studying them from a safe distance, ideally. How about you?

Road Tripping: Historic District Water Park

When the sun is shining brightly in a crisp blue sky and the long, warm days of summer sweep in there are few things that can cheer the spirit quite like splashing about in some water. Whether it's going to Wet n' Wild or out to your nearest river with an inner tube and six pack, or even a sandy beach if you're coastal like that, there's something inherently pleasing to the soul about submerging in the cold waters. In this case, we weren't really submerging ourselves so much as splashing a bit, but we definitely made a point of it to get our shoes off and get our feet wet. I even made my way out to the fountain for a minute, but I felt self-conscious being the only adult in such a child-oriented area, so I got a quick misting and moved onward. There's tons of art in this park to check out, so we tried to take a moment for each one to appreciate the artistry and talent. Most are related to play and fun,  or fantasy and adventure, which makes sense in a park, though we found one that seemed a little suggestive? Maybe not. I was surprised to see it included in such a public area, but I'll leave it up to you to decide. 

There are three or so semi-distinct areas with running water open to the public in the park, though there may have been others we missed. They're all pretty close together, and as kids from a city afflicted by drought we were a bit surprised to see just how much water was running through the park. It wasn't an unpleasant surprise, and access to water like this makes any city much more livable and enjoyable in my experience. While it would be nice for Vegas to have more areas like this, it's not really realistic or responsible with our current climate situation. I'm curious to see what the future of Las Vegas will hold, but this post isn't about Vegas! The people we encountered were pretty friendly here, and when one little boy became fascinated with the areas we stopped to check out ("Oh, you're taking photos here? Must be special!") his mother laughed and apologized for his meddling. Families and flowers abounded, and it was overall a lovely pitstop on our trip through the area.  

Road Tripping: St. George Historic District Walk

💗Happy fourth of July, my fellow Americans!💙

🎆

 What better way to celebrate our country than by reflecting on one of our towns, so similar yet so unique to so many others throughout the USA?

 Our great big shiny arachnid friend is here to greet us all, as is toss-the-baby-statue! Okay, technically it has another name ("Flight time", which arguably isn't much better), but come on. Toss them babies! Aside from the potential nightmare inducing gargantuan spider and the baby-chucking statues, this little district in the St. George metropolitan area is quite lovely. We found parking right in front of the great big brick building and were able to explore the surrounding area on foot comfortably and readily. There's a giant guitar tucked away, along with a carousel, TWO different water-park play areas open to the public, and lots more art nestled in among the trees as well.

We also happened upon this little pavilion, in the public park, which warns against loitering. Antho astutely pointed out that there's no other real point to these little buildings but to loiter, unless you're specifically having a wedding or some sort of event. I mean, I get what they're really saying- they don't want homeless people congregating here and making their pretty little park look bad or something. We saw a guy posted up with a guitar when we were making our way back to the van. We're not bothered too much by that sort of thing, but given how many kids were scampering about I suppose some parents might get their hackles raised at the sight of a man loitering...in a public park...but I digress.  If you don't want to sit in the shade, there's a giant iron-wrought guitar to check out! It seemed like there was some sort of carnival or fair going on during the day we visited (and school had just let out for summer) so there were a lot of families out taking advantage of the great weather. Even so, parking was a breeze!

If you ever find yourself cruising down this particular stretch of the I-15, I'd recommend taking an afternoon to cruise around St. George. I don't know if I'd want to move there, though it's supposedly the fastest growing metropolitan area for 2018, but it's certainly nice to visit. There were a lot of super cute little restaurants around, too, so you wouldn't have to look too far for a tasty bite to eat to refuel before you hit the road again and resume your own personal adventure. There's plenty of hiking nearby, too, if that's more your jam. We weren't really prepared for anything too arduous, but this walk downtown warmed us up for a bit of a hike later on, so check back in a couple days for that post if that's more your speed. 

Road Tripping: St. George Historic Downtown Drive

Driving through St. George is pleasant, from our experience. We encountered minimal traffic and were able to find parking quite easily in the historic district. It's a lovely little area that, perhaps not all that surprising given its name, has a long history behind it that the locals are pretty proud of. These buildings comprise some of the very first to ever be erected in the area. Luckily for us, the area and significant buildings therein, are lovingly maintained. It's all been engineered to be eminently walkable, too, with parks and public art to make the journey more interesting. As a couple of Vegas kids, our hometown was in the high 90s or low hundreds by this point in both the year and the day, but the climate was much milder which meant the stroll was exquisite. It was warm, yes, but more like 80-something degrees, a level of heat that allowed many children to go scampering barefoot across the sun-baked cement at the nearby water parks without burning their little tootsies. I'm not sure what my favorite aspect of this area was, because there was a lot of nice things to admire. The public space was very well manicured and maintained, with little garbage floating around or lingering in untended corners... which, in most large cities, seems like an unavoidable sight. The mild climate allows a wide array of different plants and blossoms to flourish and it's noticeable in the gardens' cornucopias of color.  

One of the first things we noticed, aside from the giant sun-glistening spider standing above the roadway (one of many, many roundabouts in the city), was a bronze (I think?) statue of some older kids flinging smaller children. I know that it's meant to look like a rousing, carefree game of childhood fun but it also reminds me of that statue in Oslo, Norway, where there's a dude being attacked by babies. That's one of the cool things about art, though- it's always subject to interpretation. Just look up your favorite movie on Rotten Tomatoes to prove that point. What to one person looks like a game, is another person's "fling the baby!"