If you hate Thai food, don't worry, you will love Benja's! It is THAT good. Go for the Drunken Noodles, St. George Fried Rice, the mango dessert with sweet rice and the sushi...the sushi will bring tears to your eyes. Literally sitting in your seat, crying like a BABY tears. Very popular so at times it can be hard to get a seat. Go early, late, get a reservation or head to Benja's second restaurant she opened last year by Red Cliffs Mall. It is not as well known and usually not as busy, but just as de-lish.
By the amount of trails to ride you would think people here must like to ride horses! Along Hwy 18 there are several places with large parking areas and fences designed for parking horse trailers and unloading. Pine Valley has an equine area to park and camp with a lot of lovely trails. Snow Canyon State Park has horse trails also. The many hiking trails all over the St. George area, for the most part, are horse friendly too. My late father-in-law use to say "There are more horses asses than there are horses." Why he always use to say it to me I don't know...
If you are going to run a half marathon you kind of want something to show for it. How about one T-shirt and two blisters? Sign me up! This year the race was held the first weekend in November and the weather was beautiful. If your not into running the Half there is also a 5K and some kids races. The Snow Canyon hill is steep so going down you are flying, but coming up can be...challenging.
What's the best part of a rodeo? Yup, the bull riding baby! Held the second week in September, the Annual St. George Lions Dixie Round Up Rodeo is used to raise money for worthy causes. In 2012, it will be the 78th year for this amazing event. To think eating a hamburger and watching cowboys walk around in wrangler jeans can help make this world a better place. Glad to do my little bit to help bring about world peace.
New York City did not invent graffiti. It was in pioneer times too! Of course I don't think anyone in New York is using axle grease, but that's what the pioneers had so that's what they used. This trail (how can they call it a trail when it's only .5 miles round trip?) in the Snow Canyon State Park takes you to a rock face with names written in 1881 by pioneers to St. George. It's easy to climb up to the names but a little steep coming down. Just slide to the bottom on your backside or crab walk down.
Explosions of cactus blossoms are possible in the spring if enough moisture falls out of the sky. To just walk through the desert and be surrounded by brilliant red, yellow and purple cactus blossoms could melt the hardest heart. Now don't take your worst enemy out in the middle of the desert and abandon them. The police are not going to believe any "I was just trying to make them a better person" story.
When the summer heat is on but you want to have a 5K race, what is a town to do? Run at midnight? Dude! The Midnight 5K has been held at different venues, including a golf course and the old airport runway. You are given a little head lamp to kind of see where your running and everyone gets a glow stick so you can just follow the bouncing lights ahead of you. That's just great till the guy in front runs over a cliff...
If you want to see someone before they become incredibly famous, attend the Miss Dixie Pageant held at the Dixie State College. Miss Alana Lee won Miss Dixie and then won Miss Nevada! In January she will be on TELEVISION going for Miss America!!
Would you rather be trapped in a closet with a polar bear or a beetle? I know, some decisions are boogers! Even if you are a bug hater like yours truly, you will adore this collection. The Rosenbruch Museum has a whole room devoted to creepy crawlies and butterflies. Prepare to be dazzled!
All the Beatles may need is love; but if you want to go sledding you better get a sled and a ride to Pine Valley. When you come into town, turn left at the first stop sign and the road will dead end at a parking area. Right across from where you park is a dam for the little lake there. The side of the dam is where everyone sleds. It is a fairly short run but pretty steep. Just enough for a few blood curdling screams and a great crash at the bottom.
If you are looking for a sassy piece of material to tie around your throat, beat it on over to Adrian's "tuxedo store" and your dreams will come true. If you have been feeling the need for some eye candy, buy the gold paisley tie in the picture instead of trying to get a cute girlfriend. She will end up costing you a lot more that a tie. Lou Costello "I'm going to marry an ugly girl." Bud Abbott "Why?" Costello "Because if she leaves me I won't care." Words to live by.
Go Hwy 18 to the main turn off for Snow Canyon State Park and then go just a little further. To the left is a little parking area. Walk straight ahead till you come to the white mountains, then go right. There is a small valley with pure white tropical sand. Could you imagine that any responsible parent would say to a child "Dude, do you think jumping off the mountain into the sand would be fun?" Really? Yeah....me either.
Come summer when it gets to the point that if you have to live through one more day of hot weather you are going to go postal, just load up the kids and head to Pine Valley. It may only be 30 miles away but it is like entering into a different world. Fish, camp, hike and ride horses in the cool, lush forest. The pioneers used to send the pregnant women to Pine Valley for the summers because of the cooler temperatures. Lucky!!!
A local heart surgeon was asked if because of the large retirement population in town did he do a lot of operations, and he replied that St. George was not called "God's waiting room" for nothing. Dixie Regional Medical Center was chosen as a Thompson Top 100 Heart Hospital and also has a certified cardiac rehab center. Is it not just great to know that after they saw your chest open they are going to throw you on a treadmill and make you run?
Take City Creek trail till it runs smack into the middle of Owen's Loop. Now, if you want a hideously boring hike, go left. If you want a freaking awesome hike, go right. Ok, here is the test...left or right, left or right? If you were not dropped on your head as a child and you choose RIGHT, you will see jaw dropping views of the whole city. Go early morning just as the sun is rising...
Why do people climb rocks? The same reason you eat your mother-in-laws cooking; the intoxicating thrill of cheating death! My son was coming to visit from college so I bought him a "learn to climb" lesson from an adventure company. The night before the climb we realized he could not go as he had just had a finger operated on. It was too late to cancel so I went in his place. The climb lasted several hours till I got "Elvis Leg", when your legs turn to jelly and get all shaky. Did my life flash before my eyes? Yes, more than once, but your never more alive than when facing death. I can not wait to do it again!
Is Dixie State College's football team tough? YOU put on full gear and run around outside in temps rocking over 100* and you will know the answer is YES! This years stats are a dazzling 10 loses and only one win but dude, we got ONE!! Normally when one packs to go to a football game its blankets, gloves and hot chocolate. Here you take sun screen, hat and water yet still run the possibility of getting sun burned and heat stroke. Its weird but its ours and we love it!
There are many beautiful photo sites in St. George. A very popular one is the grounds surrounding the LDS Temple. Of course in the spring and summer there are buds and blossoms, but don't forget winter has its own appeal. On one side of the temple is this old tree that I love to shoot all year. Don't always go for the simple, easy shots. There is beauty in nature all year round.
Matt Clark was in high school when a truck he was working on rolled over him, leaving him almost totally paralyzed. After lengthy physical therapy Clark was able to recover enough movement in his hands to weld. Clark is now a popular metal artist and has participated in St. George art festivals for many years. His art has been purchased by the city of St. George and also the Painted Pony restaurant, where it is on permanent display in down town.
We may not have an ocean but we DO have H2O! The lakes here may not be huge but they are big enough to tube your guts out. If you go to Gunlock during the week, a lot of the time you will have the lake to yourself. Evenings and weekends pick up some but everyone packs up early and any wind there may be has died down. Now its just you and a lake of glass...
This museum ROCKS! Amazing animals in their natural habitat, waterfalls and lightning storms. The admission price is a little steep, $8 for adults and $4 for kids, but so worth the money. The variety of animals from all over the world will blow your mind.
Back in the 1800's polygamists did not have their own T.V. show, instead, they got to hide in attics! On the run from the law, Benjamin F. Johnson, who was lucky enough to have seven mother-in-laws, hid out in the attic of this home. Now owned by lucky Ben's ancestors, this bed and breakfast boasts 13 rooms and is in walking distant to Ancestor Square and the Brigham Young Home. The inn does not give tours but by peeping between the curtains I was able to see into the dining area. The decor was all antique and wood; it was like stepping back in time.
Do people still bowl now days? YES! What awesome family fun. If your best throw is a mean gutter ball, go for it. Just make sure to only bowl with people who are worse players than you...if that's possible. If you can keep it in the lane without the benefit of a pad there are several bowling leagues to chose from. If Fred Flintstone can bowl, so can you!
What could be more fun than a day at the beach?!? Snow Canyon State Park has a huge sandy beach and families love to bring their buckets, shovels and picnic lunches there. What fun it is to build sand castles and bury each other! Now if we just had an OCEAN to go with our beach...
Vegas is just a hop, skip and hour and a half jump from St. George and its where to shop and see famous people. Evander Holyfield was signing autographs at Sketchers in the Miracle Mile. The line was shut down by the time I got there, so to drown my sorrows I went and bought some make up. ALL BETTER!
Dixie High School presents Les Miserables. Went to the school last night hoping to get some tickets. The show had been sold out for weeks but a lady at the door had four tickets that her kids were not going to use and gave me two of them. When I told her I would return with cash, she said to just drop the money off at the school any time. People are good.
This mom and pop joint has the best burgers in town, bar none. Its not fast food; you will have a wait because the fries are hand cut and the patties are hand made. Upping the cool factor, the onions are purple! The fry sauce can bring tears to your eyes, its that good. Get the Bacon, Pepper Jack cheese burger and an order of fries. No charge for the fry sauce so get an extra and pour some on your buns! HAMBURGER buns that is...
Asking if people in St. George like to golf is like asking if Santa likes Christmas. St. George has one of the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country and one course was named 7th best new course by Golf Digest. Here golf is played years round, slowing down some in the summer when the temperature starts hitting over 100*. What is great though is most courses offer killer deals during the time that only "mad dogs and englishmen" would dare to venture out. FORE!
When Brigham Young developed arthritis the winters in Salt Lake became painful so he began spending them in warm, sunny St. George. The home is filled with beautiful antiques though not many were actually owned by Brigham Young. The stool on the floor was for kneeling on when he prayed as his knees pained him from his arthritis. Tours are conducted when ever you show up. Just chill on the porch. Admission is free!
It may be the desert but we still have our water sports. When skim boarding the general idea is to stay ON the board, but it does take some practice. While holding the board, run a few steps, throw the board in front and then jump on the board. Not face planting is what your going for. After biffing it...a lot...you can do jumps, flips and riding rails.
A local heart surgeon was asked if because of the large retirement population in town did he do a lot of operations, and he replied that St. George was not called "God's waiting room" for nothing. Dixie Regional Medical Center was chosen as a Thompson Top 100 Heart Hospital and also has a certified cardiac rehab center. Is it not just great to know that after they saw your chest open they are going to throw you on a treadmill and make you run? 
Asking if people in St. George like to golf is like asking if Santa likes Christmas. St. George has one of the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country and one course was named 7th best new course by Golf Digest. Here golf is played years round, slowing down some in the summer when the temperature starts hitting over 100*. What is great though is most courses offer killer deals during the time that only "mad dogs and englishmen" would dare to venture out. FORE! 
