St George Utah Blog - Retiring in St. George

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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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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Anasazi Valley Trail (Tempi'po'op)

Trail Tuesday took me out to the Anasazi Valley Trail, or Tempi’po’op, which leads to some spectacular ruins and some of the most well preserved petroglyphs in St. George and the Southern Utah region.    The trail leads to an Anasazi Farmstead that is fenced in by wooden fencing.  The ruins are fascinating.   Tempi’po’op means “rock writing” in Paiute.  There are dozens and dozens of petroglyphs and they are right out in the open for visitors to enjoy.  They are beautiful to look at.  I spent about a half an hour just finding petroglyphs and probably only saw a fraction of those on the plateau.   I hope that visitors will continue to treat this area with respect so that these petroglyphs last for many generations to come.    

TRAIL DETAILS

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Independence Day Celebration

Join the City of St. George for the 2017 Independence Day Celebration on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, from 6:30 am – 11:00 pm. 

Independence Day Parade

This fun parade will start at 7:45 am.  The Parade will go down Tabernacle Street toward Town Square.  After the parade, join your city neighbors for the singing of the National Anthem at Town Square, followed by a day filled with fun and games. 

Independence Day Celebration Carnival

The City of St. George has joined forces with Carnival Midway Attractions to offer a carnival with 16 different rides and 10 games.  The Carnival goes from June 30th - July 4th, but it is closed on Monday, July 3rd.   You can buy individual tickets, a mega pass or a wristband. 

        Carnival pricing…

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Make St. George Your Home

St. George is among the fastest growing cities in the United States.  People relocate to Southern Utah for various reasons.  According to the St. George Chamber of Commerce, “the excellent quality of life, the many breathtaking scenic areas, the temperate climate, the healthy lifestyles, the variety of beautiful gold courses, our outstanding school system, the Dixie State College education opportunities for all ages, and the growing business opportunities” are just a few of the reasons. 

St. George is a great area to live, play and work.  St. George is located within the Mojave Desert.  The desert climate contributes to generally clear skies, relatively mild winters and hot summers.  Residents and visitors to St. George enjoy over 300 days of…

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Fire Lake Park at Ivins Reservoir

I was driving to Gunlock Reservoir the other day in my swimsuit, ready to relax in the sun and to picnic by the reservoir when I saw a sign for Fire Lake Park, at Ivins Reservoir, on the side of the road near Kayenta.  I made a U-turn to investigate.  I found a wonderful surprise! 

I drove right up to a beautiful park with restrooms and a swimming area.  It was about 10:00 am and I was the only person there.  I walked around the swimming area to find a man-made spillway shooting water into the swimming area.  On the other side of the swimming area is beautiful Ivins Reservoir.

I found a place on the beach, put down my beach mat and enjoyed the park by myself for about a half an hour before several families came to enjoy the park with me.…

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Gunlock State Park

Trail Tuesday took me for a walk around beautiful Gunlock State Park, about 15 miles northwest of St. George, Utah.    According to  the Gunlock State Park website, Gunlock is named after William Haynes Hamblin, a Mormon pioneer who settled the Gunlock farming community one mile north of the reservoir.  “William Haynes Hamblin (nicknamed Will or Bill) was a good hunter and sharpshooter, and was skillful in repairing gunlock, which are the firing mechanisms for muzzle leaders.”  The park site talks about how the road next to the park is the “Old Spanish Trail used by horsemen and raiders from Sante Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles from the 1820s until the gold fields became the destination after 1849 and a shorter route was taken.”  Gunlock was…

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Goodreads

As a retired member of the St. George community and an avid reader, I used to carefully write down the titles of the books I read in a notebook.  I would file these notebooks away never to really be looked at again.  Then I came upon a website called Goodreads.  Goodreads is an incredible, free website for book lovers.  It is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations.  You can use the website from your computer or you can download the app and use it from your device.   You can sign up for an account by simply entering your name, email and a password.

The mission of Goodreads is “to help people find and share books they love.” To begin using Goodreads you select books that you have read, that you are currently reading or that…

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Kayenta - Ivins, Utah

Trail Tuesday took me on a unique adventure this week to Kayenta, in Ivins, Utah.  I had heard about a peace garden in the area and I set out to find it.  I found what I was looking for, but it actually is the Desert Rose Labyrinth, located just off the main highway, in the Kayenta Area.  Kayenta is about 12 miles from St. George.  I drove from St. George out through Santa Clara on Old Highway 91, but you can also take Pioneer Parkway to this beautiful community. .  

I found out that the Desert Rose Labyrinth was built by the residents of the Kayenta community in the spirit of peace and unity.  It opened in the fall of 2004 and visitors are welcome to walk the labyrinth from dawn to dusk, daily.  The Desert Rose Labyrinth is an eleven-circuit…

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Georgefest

Every First Friday of every month, Historic Downtown St. George transforms into a multi-stage outdoor concert venue and street market.  Georgefest celebrates the best of southern Utah and is nightlife you can get excited about.  St. George City closes Main and Tabernacle Street which then allows food trucks, artists and vendors to sell their goods.  This also makes room for a FREE Main Street Concert. The Georgefest Jazz Garden offers after-hours socializing for adults 21 and over.  Live music and adult beverage options are provided here.  The Jazz Garden is located at Green Gate Village on Tabernacle Street. 

Tonight, June 2, is June Moon Jubilee!

Free Main Street Concert

•          Opening at 6:30 pm – Crimson
•          Headlining at…

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