St George Travel Vlog

We finished up our time in the Lake Mead area and headed toward St George, Utah. This was a strange week because we had plans for things we wanted to do, places we wanted to see, but time and weather didn't cooperate. We ended up scrapping most of what we thought we would do for things we hadn't even known about before getting into town!

First, we made a quick stop into Pioneer Park to scope the scene. It's a popular spot and there were people everywhere. But the place is big enough to spread out. The rocks there were amazing. We used to boulder/rock climb so the rocks here got us excited to dust off the crash pads and get back to it. We had hoped to be able to get out to do some climbing while we were in the area but the weather didn't leave time for that.

We did go into Snow Canyon State Park. There are lots of really neat things in there so we thought we could make a day of it. Well, we didn't do enough research before going because after we paid our $15 entrance fee, we learned that this state park is not dog friendly. ::sad face:: One thing we had wanted to see in the park was Jenny's Canyon. It's a super short hike so I tucked the dog in my sweater and we made our way to the canyon. The canyon does dead end pretty quickly but it's still pretty impressive. Not worth $15 but... if you don't have a dog with you, I'm sure the park could be nice.

So we left there a little defeated in search of what we might do next. We ended up at the Silver Reef Museum. They are running on reservations now because of Covid - we weren't aware of this - but they were able to get us in anyway. $10 for the family. We got an introduction to the area from a very animated gentleman dressed in period clothing. His story was loud and funny and full of interesting information! From there, we went into the museum where another gentleman walked us around pointing out fun things in the cases and telling how they would have been used. Then they set you out onto the grounds where you walk, with your paper guide, to different numbered markers to see how things would have been set up while things were in operation. This was apparently one of only two places in the world where they have ever found silver in sandstone.

We found a little outdoor shop in town where we could pick up a bouldering guide and Nick struck up a conversation with one of the men working there. If you want to know the best (least touristy) places to visit in a new town, talk to the locals! The guys at The Desert Rat pointed us in the direction of Red Mountain Trail. Said it's about a 9-mile hike, to amazing views. They said to skip the first overlook (where most people stop) and keep hiking. There was a point where we went "off-trail" where it could have been VERY easy to get mixed up and off course, so we left a trail of belongings to mark the path. Sweatshirts, jackets, hiking packs... We ended up on amazing rocks that led out to views of the canyon below! Wow! Definitely worth the work. It is a backcountry, unmarked trail - so if you decide to check this hike out, please do your research beforehand, have supplies with you, and be prepared to self-rescue.

Another random way we find things to do in a new area is our maps app. Find your city, zoom way in, and wander! This is how I found an aviation arrow. "Wait, what the heck is this thing on the map?!" Which leads to research. Which sometimes leads to a new adventure. There are 3 of these arrows pretty close together in St George. We made it to two of the three! The 3rd required a pretty steep climb and the winds had started to pick up. We decided it just wasn't worth the risk (steep drop off + strong winds = not great!). But it was really cool to see the two that we did. They were used in the 20s for airmail to help guide pilots across the country. They were only in use for about 9 years before newer technology took over.

Nick and the boys headed to the airport where there is a Warbird Museum. These small, privately run museums are usually the best. They have volunteers there - typically older gentlemen - who have a wealth of knowledge to share and tons of war stories. The boys learn something new every time we go to one of these places. These are always a treat!

Friday is moving day for us and we woke up to ... snow! Inches of snow! We weren't in a big hurry to get out of there so we sat and enjoyed watching it fall for a little while. Then we ran out of propane in the rig! Oops! So it was time to head out! Back on the road heading back to SoCal to have a project done on the RV!