St. George, Utah.

Part of documenting where we have been entails learning a bit more about the places we are visiting beforehand. My hope is to stay ahead of the game and post something about these places before we actually get there. St. George is our first stop/shenanigan. It's a city in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Utah. Located in the southwestern corner of the state on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies in the northeasternmost part of the Mojave Desert, adjacent to the Pine Valley Mountains and near the convergence of three distinct geological areas: the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin. The city is 118 miles (190 km) northeast of Las Vegas and 300 miles (480 km) south-southwest of Salt Lake City on Interstate 15. Population: ~200,000. Just after I met Beau last year, we spent six weeks in St. George. Unfortunately, because the world was shut down, we did little more than pick up carry out there. I'm excited to go back and do some exploring.

The city was settled in 1861 as a cotton mission, but cotton never really took off in the area. There are nothing but gorgeous red cliffs for as far as the eye can see. There are several very expensive neighborhoods located on the top of those cliffs. Will have to drive around and get a few photos.

This is actually a beautiful shot of the old Mormon temple in St. George that Beau was working on restoring when he was down there working last year. Pretty cool. It is actually the first temple completed in the state of Utah in 1877, and therefore the oldest. Renovations continue, so we will snag a photo of the progress while we are there.

We are staying at the St. George/Hurricane KOA Campground. I have, of course, joined the KOA Rewards club, get 10% off any KOA booking, and already have about 3,000 points. No idea what I'm going to do with those points, but I'm sure it will be life-changing. Ha. I also joined Good Sam's version, which also gives us a 10% discount at any Good Sam RV park.

Things to see/do in St. George/Hurricane (link to Trip Advisor's list)

I have used Trip Advisor's list of what to see/do in St. George to come up with five must-see/do's...

1. Red Hills Desert Garden. High on the top of the red cliffs in St. George lies this little gem of a park/garden. There is an awesome plant guide to the one million different plants found in the garden on their website. Just click on the embedded link.

2. Pioneer Park - spread across 54 acres (21.04 hectares), Pioneer Park is a rock climber's haven due to its red rock formations. It offers spectacular views of the Red Hills Parkway, Zion National Park and White Dome. The Dixie Rock aka the Sugarloaf is a major attraction of this park. This parkland features BBQ pits, two covered pavilions, an amphitheater, a trail-head, hiking trails and picnic areas.

3. St. George Temple <---Lots of interesting facts about the temple if you click here. And while the St. George Temple is closed for renovations until 2022, I'm planning to pop by and see how things are coming along. lol. It's a gorgeous temple, well worth a walk around, and perhaps over to the park nearby, where my dogs will terrorize each and every passerby (they are not terribly civilized, my furry loves).

4. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area -

The approximately 45,000 acres of public land in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (NCA) are located in south-central Washington County. The towering Pine Valley Mountains and Dixie National Forest lie to the north, while the communities of Ivins, Santa Clara, St. George, Washington, and Leeds ring the NCA.

5. Kayenta -

The Kayenta Community, in southern Utah's red rock country, is a tranquil enclave surrounded by protected lands. A 2,000 acre master planned community of fine homes, custom building sites and community amenities, is located 7 miles west of St. George, Utah. Kayenta is a unique departure from the norm, focused on moderate land use, moderate-sustainable growth, and an appreciation for our magnificent natural setting. Nearby, residents find adventure in the southwest's abundance of places to explore. Zion National Park, Snow Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park are within view. While just beyond the horizon, adventure seekers will discover places like the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Las Vegas.