Local Hikes: Red Cliffs Recreation Area

One of our favorite places to take kids for a quick hike is just 15 minutes north of St. George at Red Cliffs Recreation Area. The hike is more of a walk, but there are plenty of rocks for the kids to scramble up, over and through. The stream that flows out of the little canyon is perfect for kids to play in. We always take the trail that follows the stream up the canyon to the larger pools of water. Our older kids like to use the rope and chiseled foot notches to climb further up stream. The kids often wear swimsuits or clothes to get wet so they can jump in the water (more of a late spring thru mid-fall activity.)

We’ve always used Red Cliffs as a quick get away, but plenty of people use it for camping, as well. There are camp sites with picnic tables; however, the space is limited, and it can be tricky to find a spot in the Spring and Fall. 

To get to Red Cliffs from St. George, take I-15 north to exit 22. At te end of the freeway off-ramp, turn right on Old Highway 91 (frontage road). Travel south 2 miles and turn right after passing the sign for the Red Cliffs Recreation Area. Continue under two freeway tunnels and follow the paved road for 1.3 miles to the campground. 

The exit is the Leeds exit. We know several people who love living in Leeds and the Silver Reef area. Give me a call if you are interested in learning more about the homes in this area.

Chris: 435-313-3963

Visit: www.whystgeorge.com

Unique Neighborhoods: Stone Cliff--Life with a View

Looking for a view? Living in Southern Utah, the views are limitless and if having a home with a view is important to you, you are in luck. There are views to be had around the valley. One great neighborhood for finding views, however, is atop the hill at Stone Cliff Neighborhood. 

I’ve never driven in through Stone Cliff without being impressed by the views. I was recently in one home that sat right on top and offered beautiful views in every direction: Pine Valley Mountain to the North, the red cliffs by Warner Valley to the East, the Arizona Strip to the South, and beautiful St. George and western horizon to the West. 

Stone Cliff is a gated community with an active HOA. It is made up of custom homes, many of which have been featured in the annual Southern Utah Parade of Homes show. Although Stone Cliff is well known for some of it’s featured multi-million dollar homes, there are a range of homes in the community that provide options for various life styles and budgets.

Besides the beautiful views, Stone Cliff offers a variety of ammenities that come with being a part of the home owners association. Members of the neighborhood enjoy:

• Community Pools (indoor and outdoor) 
• Security Guard on duty 24/7 
• Spa 
• Fitness Center 
• Clubhouse 
• Pickleball Courts 
• Tennis Courts

The neighborhood is zoned for the Desert Hills School cone site.

Call me for a chance to view some of the beautiful properties in Stone Cliff.

Chris at 435-313-3969

Or visit www.whystgeorge.com

Brian Head: January is New Skiier Month

picture from liftopia.com

Winter is one of the best things about living in St. George. I love that we can drive 1 ½ hours north and be on the ski slopes of Brian Head on Cedar Mountain and then return home and play tennis in the evening, often in shorts and sweat shirt. For those of us who love to ski or have our “snow fix” without shoveling walks or driving in slush, St. George is perfect.

In January, many of the ski resorts in Utah offer incentives to get new skiiers on the slopes. Check out ski utah for deals throughout the state. This year Brian Head is offering three lessons, three days of rentals and three lift tickets for $199, BUT you have to be a beginner to take advantage of the deal.

To get to Brian Head from St. George, drive North on I-15 to exit 75 at Parowan. Once you exit, the eastiest way is to simply follow the signs that lead you through the streets of Parowan and up the mountain. Generally, the roads are plowed and Brian Head is pretty accessible; however, when there has been a recent snowfall I would call ahead for road conditions. There is also a shuttle service from both St. George and Cedar City if you prefer not to drive up the mountain.

If you are new to skiing/snowboarding, you are probably going to be renting some equipment, as well. I have only rented at Brian Head resort, but there are some sports stores in Cedar City who rent equipment. Plan to be early to get your rentals so that it doesn’t eat into your ski time.

Go to Brian Head and have fun. It is a great place to enjoy the white fluffy stuff and then return to the warm, sunny weather of St. George.

Let our team help you with any of your real estate needs.

Call Chris at 435-313-3963

Or Visit www.whystgeorge.com

Virgin River Gorge - Interstate 15

There are plenty of gorges in Southern Utah but locals know if you say “The Gorge” you are referring to the strip of I-15 that cuts through the Virgin River Gorge just south of St. George. The Gorge is a strip of highway that basically follows the Virgin River where it has cut a beautiful canyon. The construction of this segment of highway saved travelers about 1-1.5 hours in their drive to Las Vegas from St. George.

I never cease to be amazed when I drive through the gorge. You can still see striations from the dynamite blasting that  was required to build the road in the early 1970’s. In fact, it was the most expensive stretch of rural interstate built in the United States. Besides the blasting and rock removal that took place in order to squeeze the road through the narrow canyon, the river, itself, had to be re-channeled twelve times during the project.

The canyon is still a popular place for hiking, camping and rock climbing. I always look to see if I can catch a glimpse of the bighorn sheep that make The Gorge their home. (Click here for link to camping info in the gorge.)

Besides the the fascinating construction and the beauty of The Gorge, locals also know that the road has quite a few quick turns and that auto wrecks there are too frequent and often deadly. If there is a place to obey speed limits, The Gorge is most certainly one of those places. Be careful as you travel with the other 23,000 other motorists that cruise through on an average daily basis.

We love Southern Utah (and in this case that part of Arizona that is just 10 miles to the south of us.)

Let us help you find your place in our beautiful country.

Call Chris at 435-313-3966

Or visit www.whystgeorge.com

Pay It Forward in St. George

I find myself asking, particularly at this time of year, how I can reach out to other people and make a difference in the world—even if it is just a small part of the world right here in my community. I especially like to look for opportunities where I can work along with my children and help them recognize the abundance in their own lives.

We are fortunate to live in a service oriented community where people are often quietly, anonymously reaching out to their neighbor; it’s one of the things that make me love living in St. George. But there is always more to do. There is always an organization in need of funds or service hours. I know the funds are sometimes what is needed the most, but I also like to get my children out there face to face with the people and the needs so that they can physically contribute to the well being of other people.

Here are some ways that you and your family can Pay It Forward in our commuity:

• The Basket Brigade: This is an organization that assembles Thanksgiving meal baskets for families that are in need. In Southern Utah, they meet on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to assemble and deliver the baskets. Three ways to help are: 1) Donate funds – each basket costs about $40 to assemble. 100% of the funds go to food purchases, 2) Assemble Baskets – this year they are meeting at Stephen Wade Toyota Builiding from 9am to noon, 3) Help deliver the baskets.  See their website for more information. www.utahbasketbrigade.com
• Utah Food Bank: Donate 1) Food, 2) Time, or 3) Money. You can actually volunteer time to work at the local Food Bank. They have some age restrictions but in order to accommodate families who want to volunteer they have created some specific “family shifts”. Check out their website for details. https://www.utahfoodbank.org/family-volunteering
• Dixe Care and Share: Donate 1) Food, 2) Time, or 3) Money. They, too, welcome volunteers and can get you involved with actually preparing and serving food at the shelter. Call them for specific opportunites. http://www.dixiecareandshare.org/care-share/
• Donation Party: I am surrounded be some really great teenagers who are more than willing to reach out and serve. I’m thinking that helping one of my kids throw a donation party (ie. bring 5 cans of food when you come to my house for the party) and then letting them take the haul down to Dixie Care and Share would be a great way for them to experience the holidays.
• Simply the gift of Time: We joined with another family on a Christmas day and went and played holiday music at one of the local care centers. Since then, we have had our own family member spend some time at a care center, and I realize even more the joy that music and youth and laughter bring to those care centers. You don’t have to wait to be asked just call and ask if you can come and play for 30 minutes.

I’d love to hear other people’s ideas. I’m sure there are a ton.

There is no better place to live than our Southern Utah. I love the red rock. I love the outdoors. I love the weather. But when it comes down to it, the thing that makes Southern Utah such a great place to live is the people who live here.

Let us help you with your real estate needs. Our team buys and sells throughout Southern Utah.

Call Chris at 435-313-3966

Or Visit www.whystgeorge.com

Southern Utah Football – Region 9 - Dominates 3AA Football

High school playoffs are down to the semi-finals, and our Region 9 boys have dominated the scene.

The playoffs have been fun to follow as we have watched our local high schools pick off their opponents securing all four spots in the semi-finals.

Last Friday night, we saw Dixie High School turn their game around against Stansbury. Unbelievably, they were down 42-14 half way through the 3^rd  quarter and managed to turn the game around. At the end of regulation time, they were on top, 49-42. (I’m thrilled for Dixie, but it is the kind of come back that you can’t help but shake your head and mutter “poor Stansbury”.) Talk about the come back of the season!

Hurricane Tigers took down their nemesis, Juan Diego. Those two schools have quite a history over the past six years, and whether you are a Hurricane fan or not, if you are from Southern Utah, you have to smile when they take out Juan Diego.

Desert Hills defeated Bear River to secure their spot in the semi-finals. They are the defending state champs and this year’s Region 9 champs. They are marching forward as a solid, cohesive team and are eyeing a second year state championship.

And Pine View High School finished off Cedar High School (another of our Region 9 schools) last Friday night. Lead by BYU bound quarterback, Cody Wilstead, they, too, have their eyes on taking state with the possiblity of repeating last year’s final match up of Pine View versus Desert Hills High School.

Despite the teams all being from Southern Utah, the semi-finals and the finals will be played in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles football stadium at the University of Utah. (A widely debated topic here in the South.)

The Games:

• Dixie versus Pineview, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 13.
• Desert Hills versus Hurricane, 6:30 p.m., Friday, November 14.

Good luck to all the players and teams.

We buy and sell real estate in all of the schools’ neighborhoods. Let us help you settle in the right spot for you.

Call Chris at 435-313-3966

Or

Visit www.whystgeorge.com

St. George Ranks in Money Magazine

Picture courtesy Money Magazine

Ranked #47 in the nation.

We say it all the time. Southern Utah is beautiful. We love it, and we can give you 101 reasons that it is a great place to live, but we are biased. We know we are. The red sand is between our toes and there is no other place we’d rather call home.

But take a look at a more quantitative, non-biased opinion.

Money magazine evaluated factors such as population size, median income, cultural diversity, education scores, economic opportunity, housing affordability, crime, health, arts & leisure, and ease of living. Click here to read about the criteria factors in greater depth. St. George ranked number 47 in the nation. The article summed up St. George’s attraction saying:

Stunning red-rock cliffs frame this sunny metropolis, which is located midway between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Dry summers, mild winters, and short commutes add up to an overall ease-of-living score higher than any other place in the top 50.

Terrific weather and low cost—the median home price is just over $200,000—has attracted many retirees to St. George. But top employers such as SkyWest Airlines also draw folks still in their working years.  St. George’s population has grown 50% since the turn of the century, and the downtown is now peppered with new cafes, shops, and upscale restaurants, plus historic buildings that date back as far as the 1860’s.

Not surprisingly, the region is also a hotbed for outdoor adventures. There are several award-winning golf courses in town, and Zion National Park is less than an hour away. (Link to article.)

The word is spreading about the treasure that is Southern Utah.

We can help you find a home so that you can put roots down in the red sand of Dixie as well.

Call Chris 435-313-3966.

Or Visit: www.whystgeorge.com