St George Utah Blog - July, 2017

Swimming Pools and Patience

When we moved from the Salt Lake area to St. George, Utah this past spring we knew we wanted to have a swimming pool in our backyard.  After 3 crazy months we just had our first pool party in our new, beautiful swimming pool.  I am definitely not an expert on pools, but I will share with you my experience, as a first time swimming pool owner, who was involved in the entire process of building a pool.

First of all when we decided to build a pool we checked around and talked to everyone we could about what kind of pool we wanted and who should build it for us.  We were very impressed with several companies.  We had four different companies come out and give us bids in our backyard.  We decided we wanted a gunite pool after talking to our fabulous…

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Make Your Backyard a Fun Place for the Whole Family

It can be hard to tear kids away from their technology during the summer. Making the backyard a place they want to spend time can help get them up and outdoors all summer long. Here are a few fun home improvement tips the whole family can enjoy.

Fire Pit

A fire pit is a perfect way to get the family to gather together outside. You can use it to grill marshmallows with the kids or tell ghost stories until the late hours of the night. In addition to the fun it provides for the family, it is a great addition for entertaining guests year round in St George.

Sand Box

Adding a sandbox to your backyard can be as easy or elaborate as you want to make it. It can be as simple as building a base out of two-by-fours and filling it with sand. More…

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Ernesto’s Mexican Restaurant

I am always looking for Mexican food since I can no longer go to my favorite Mexican Restaurant - El Matador in Bountiful, Utah.  A friend suggested Ernesto’s Mexican Restaurant.  This restaurant is a locally-owned family business in a strip mall at 929 West Sunset Boulevard in St. George, Utah.  If you are driving around, you may not notice it.  Ernesto’s is a great place relax and eat delicious food. 

This is the mission statement at Ernesto’s:  We are committed to the spirit of hospitality and enriching relationships in a wholesome environment.   Their core values are to deliver a positive experience that exceeds expectations, deliver the freshest, best tasking Mexican food and to strive to enhance a culture of integrity and…

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Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area

Trail Tuesday took me out to the middle of the wilderness in the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area.  There are a couple of hikes from the developed campground, picnic/day use area, but you can also just explore the area and make your own hiking path.  The recreation area is close to the Interstate, but you don’t even notice it after you leave the road.  Soon you are surrounded by colorful, beautiful cliffs and rocky canyons.  The Virgin River runs right through the area.  I read that you should keep an eye out for bighorn sheep, but I didn’t see any this trip. 

There are two wilderness hikes: 

•          Virgin River Gorge Nature Trail
•          Sullivan Canyon Trail. 

The Virgin River Gorge Nature Trail is extremely short.  You…

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Before You Start House Hunting

Prepare

Decide on exactly what you want in a home as well as the things you are willing to compromise one. Deciding these things ahead of time will help you narrow down your choice. It is also important to decide exactly what you are willing to pay, so you don’t talk yourself into something out of your price range.

Educate yourself on market trends

House hunting can be overwhelming, and understanding your local housing market can be even more so. One thing you can do is look on real estate websites that offer price estimates. This can prepare you for what to expect to pay for similar properties. Also, look at reports that can tell you how many homes are for sale in your area. This will help you determine if you are looking in a buyer’s or…

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Celebrate July 24th in St. George

Come raise the flag, eat a hearty breakfast and watch the Dixie Celebration Parade at the Veteran’s Memorial Park located at 100 East Telegraph Street on Monday, July 24, 2017.   The flag raising ceremony begins at 7:00am, with breakfast following at 7:30am.  Breakfast is hosted by the Washington City Lion’s Club.  The cost is $5 per person or $20 per family, up to 5 individuals. 

The Dixie Celebration Parade starts at 9:00am.  The parade route begins at 300 North 300 East, then south to Telegraph Street, then west to 100 West, and then north to 100 North.   

There will be activities from 10:00am – 2:00pm at the Veteran’s Memorial Park and at the Willard O. Nisson Park, located at 300 West Telegraph Street.  Activities include wagon rides…

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Swig

You have never truly had a sugar cookie until you have eaten a sugar cookie from Swig.  Swig got its start in St. George, Utah in 2010.  According to the Swig website, Owner and Founder Nicole Tanner and her husband were brainstorming business ideas and they thought a drive-by drink shop near Dixie State University would be a great idea.  The name was inspired by a single question Nicole’s husband asked, “Can I have a swig of your drink?”  Since its opening, Swig has become very popular with residents of the St. George area and tourists who have heard about the joint.  Now locations for this fun drive through can be found all over the state of Utah with 15 locations and a 16th coming soon to Arizona soon.

There are two locations in St. George:

…

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Recycling Center in St. George

I recently moved from the Salt Lake City area to St. George.  A moving company packed up our belongings and moved all of our items down to Southern Utah for us.  We have spent the last four months unpacking our belongings and moving into our new house.  When we finished unloading everything, we had hundreds of boxes in all shapes and sizes to recycle. 

I went online and got mixed information.  Some grocery and home improvement stores in the area said that they recycle boxes on their websites, but when I called about it, they knew nothing about a recycling program.  Finally, I called Rocky Mountain Recycling Center.  They told me to bring any boxes I had to their recycling location and they would gladly recycle the boxes for us, at no charge. 

…

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Are You Ready to Upgrade to a Bigger House?

Buying your first home is a big deal, but that first home is rarely your dream home. After several years, you might start thinking it’s time to upgrade for more space, a nicer neighborhood, more luxuries, or all of the above. Here are a few questions to help you make the big decision before you call your real estate agent.

Can you handle a larger mortgage?

The most important question to ask is whether or not you can handle the larger mortgage that comes along with a nicer or bigger house. Create a budget for the potential new mortgage payment along with all the other costs that come with a new home such as possible HOA fees or higher electric and gas bills from heating and cooling a larger home. If you can make it work—you can proceed to ask…

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Rowley’s Red Barn in Washington

My dad lives up in the Ogden area, but he owns a condominium down here in St. George.  He visits often and spends most of the winter months down here in the sunshine away fro the snow.  He recently came to town and invited me to join him on an outing for ice cream.  We ended up at Rowley’s Red Barn in Washington.  I ordered a scoop of cold banana nut ice cream, on a hot day, and it was delicious.  Then I had a wonderful time walking around the Red Barn – Country Spoon Store – to see all the things they had to offer. 

They have jams and jellies, fruit concentrate, dried fruit, chocolate covered fruit, nuts and mixes, candy, popcorn, juice and gift baskets.  They also have a large selection of…

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