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Because the St. George area is located between the Rocky Mountains and the desert southwest, it features the distinct landscapes of both. It has forested mountain ranges and high plateaus, along with rugged and starkly beautiful red rock desert.
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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

A store that can help your health



This Dixie Nutrition Store was built last fall, and is the second one bearing the same name in the St. George area. It is a wonderful large health food store containing all kinds of herbal, and other types of nutritional supplements. They also have health books, special health foods, fresh organic produce, and many other specialty items. Stop in and meet the friendly staff, who are highly knowledgeable in the field of herbs and nutrition.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Part 2 of 2...Slick Rock Park



[Slick Rock Park is located on Riverside Drive between 2250 East and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. It is a small park that sets back in from the road and has the feeling of seclusion from the traffic].


















Friday, August 15, 2008

St. George Area Towns and Neighborhoods

This post is quite lengthy. It contains information about each of the neighboring towns around St. George and a link to a website where you can find more information on each town. Use the 3 maps at the end of this post to locate the towns and their roads.

Apple Valley
Apple Valley started out as a housing development between Hurricane and Hildale on SR-59. However, they grew concerned in 2003 over possible annexation by one of the neighboring towns or the possible construction of a truss factory. The town of Apple Valley officially incorporated in October 2004. It is very picturesque with the beautiful desert scenery that makes nearby Zion National Park attractive to people from all over the world.

Children in Apple Valley attend Three Falls Elementary, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School. In 2004 it had a population of 650.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Valley%2C_Utah

Bloomington
Bloomington is a community that is located in the southern part of St. George city and is on the west side of Interstate 15. Bloomington was originally established as a development around the Bloomington Golf Course. The Virgin River follows a winding course through the community and is crossed by Man O' War Bridge. Part of the community

Elementary students attend Bloomington Elementary and eventually feed into Dixie High School (a few miles away) through Dixie Intermediate School and Dixie Middle School. Bloomington, Christensen, and Petroglyph parks are also in Bloomington. Bloomington Park has 24 acres which includes three ball parks, volleyball court, basketball court, picnic area, and a playground.

Central
Central is a small community about 26 miles north of St. George on SR-18. Many people live here who enjoy the opportunity to enjoy a rural open space area while enjoying the amenities of St. George nearby.

Students from Central attend Enterprise Elementary School and Enterprise High School.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central%2C_Utah

Enterprise
Located 40 miles north of St. George on SR-18, Enterprise is an agricultural town. It produces products like potatoes, alfalfa, and hay. In fact, the hay from Enterprise is shipped all around the world.

Children in Enterprise attend Enterprise Elementary and Enterprise High School.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise%2C_Utah

Gunlock
Gunlock is located about 21 miles northwest of St. George. It was established on the Old Spanish Trail so that the residents could trade with people traveling on the trail. The name "Gunlock" is the nickname of the community's founder, William Hamblin, who was a gun expert. Each year Gunlock hosts its own rodeo.

Children from Gunlock typically attend Red Mountain Elementary, Lava Rock Intermediate School, Snow Canyon Middle School, and Snow Canyon High School.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunlock%2C_Utah

Hildale
Hildale is an interesting town in that it is home to a clan of polygamists along with its sister city, Colorado City, Arizona. It is south of Hurricane and Apple Valley on SR-59 just 20 minutes away from Pipe Springs National Monument.

Children from Hildale attend Three Falls Elementary, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildale%2C_Utah

Hurricane
Hurricane is a rapidly growing town located about 19 miles northeast of St. George. It is on Highway 9 which connects with Interstate 15. It was originally settled at the turn of the century when a canal was eventually built to support a town here in Hurricane. Now the area has many orchards and turf grass farms. It also welcomes millions of people a year who travel through the town to visit Zion Canyon in Zion National Park.

Children attend Hurricane Elementary School, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School. The town hosts many recreational leagues covering many sports for all ages, and Hurricane is also home to Sky Mountain Golf Course - a scenic 18 hole and par 72 course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane%2C_Utah

Ivins
At the foot of dramatic 1,500 foot red cliffs, Ivins is truly a beautiful place to live. It is also home Tuacahn Center for the Arts which brings Broadway to the desert and Red Mountain Spa which offers luxurious pampering and rejuvenating recreational activities. The town was not settled until the early 1920s after a canal was finally built in the area during World War I. Ivins is a few miles northeast of St. George and is near Snow Canyon State Park.

School students in Ivins attend Red Mountain Elementary School, Lava Ridge Intermediate School, Snow Canyon Middle School, and Snow Canyon High School. Ivins has one park with many amenities, two mini-parks that offer a few amenities, and two parks devoted to the natural landscape.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivins%2C_Utah

La Verkin
La Verkin is just north of Hurricane on SR-9 on the Virgin River. The La Verkin Fruit and Nursery Company which incorporated in the late 1880s, and helped bring people and money to the town. Today it is a growing town since nearby Hurricane is rapidly growing.

Children in La Verkin attend La Verkin Elementary, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Verkin%2C_Utah

Leeds
Located 17 miles northeast of St. George on Interstate 15 is Leeds. It was established in 1867, but really began to grow a few years later when silver was discovered in nearby Silver Reef. Today the town enjoys a peaceful existence near the Quail Creek State Park and other points of interest like Silver Reef ghost town.

Children here attend La Verkin Elementary, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds%2C_Utah

New Harmony
About 40 miles northeast of St. George is the small bedroom community of New Harmony. This area is known for its orchards that produce delicious fruit. Of note, it was the first settlement and county seat of Washington County when it was established in 1852.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Harmony%2C_Utah

Pine Valley
Pine Valley, about 35 miles north of St. George, is a picturesque community with uncharacteristic green pine trees and meadows. This is a favorite place for Southern Utahns to visit since it is so green and unlike the desert landscape of the rest of the region.

Students from Pine Valley attend Enterprise Elementary School and Enterprise High School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Valley%2C_Utah

Pintura (formerly named Bellevue)

http://www.lofthouse.com/USA/Utah/washington/pintura.html


Rockville
Rockville is just west of Springdale and the mouth to Zion Canyon in Zion National Park on SR-9. It was originally settled in the 1860s by early Mormon settlers who were trying to set up cotton growing areas here. Now, it is a bedroom community that welcomes millions of annual visitors who come to see Zion National Park.

Children in Rockville attend Springdale Elementary, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockville%2C_Utah


Santa Clara
Santa Clara began when Jacob Hamblin and other Mormon missionaries built a cabin in the 1850s on the Santa Clara River to work with the Paiute Indians and travelers going to California during. Now, Santa Clara is a prosperous community whose borders with St. George are now almost indistinguishable. It is also near Snow Canyon State Park.

Kids in Santa Clara attend Santa Clara Elementary School, Lava Ridge Intermediate School, Snow Canyon Middle School, and Snow Canyon High School. Santa Clara is also home to the Archie H. Gubler and A, B & Pony League ball fields and the Santa Clara Arboretum that has a beautiful cactus garden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Clara%2C_Utah

Silver Reef
Silver Reef is about 18 miles northeast of St. George and has an interesting history. It was a silver mining town after silver was discovered here in the 1870. The silver mining industry brought many businesses here, and historic building still stand. People from all over the area come here to visit this ghost town.

Springdale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springdale%2C_Utah

St. George

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George%2C_Utah


Toquerville
Toquerville is six miles northwest of Hurricane, and is a pleasant little town.

Children attend La Verkin Elementary School, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toquerville%2C_Utah

Veyo
Veyo is a small community about 16 miles north of St. George on SR-18. The community was established in 1914 after a canal was built to bring water to the town. Just north of Veyo is Brookside. The community has several businesses despite its small size and out-of-the-way location.

Students from Veyo can either attend Diamond Valley Elementary School, Desert Hills Intermediate School, Dixie Middle School, and Dixie High School or Enterprise Elementary School and Enterprise High School. Veyo has a park that families can enjoy together.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veyo%2C_Utah

Virgin
Virgin is a few miles east of Hurricane on SR-9. It welcomes millions of people each who travel along SR-9 on their way to Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. Access to Kolob Canyon in the national park from the south is only through Virgin. The town was settled in the 1850s as a farming community. Oil was even drilled here for a few decades.

Student from Virgin attend La Verkin Elementary School, Hurricane Middle School, and Hurricane High School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin%2C_Utah

Washington City
Just northeast of St. George is Washington City. It was originally founded as part of a cotton growing mission in Southern Utah by early Mormon pioneers in the 1850s just before the Civil War. Since then Washington City has grown like St. George and other Washington County cities. Currently, the city is enjoying an influx of retirees who find the mild winters here attractive.

Washington City children attend Washington Elementary School, Fossil Ridge Intermediate School, Pine View Middle School, and Pine View High School. Washington City also runs Green Spring Golf Course, two parks, ballparks, and a swimming pool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%2C_Utah

Winchester Hills, Diamond Valley, & Dammeron Valley
These three housing developments north of St. George along SR-18 flourished over the last 15 years. People who live in these developments want to live both near the natural scenery of Southern Utah while enjoying living close to the conveniences of St. George. Many of the residents own animals like horses and chickens. These developments are all close to the northeast entrance of Snow Canyon State Park, and a new community is developing surrouding The Ledges Golf Course just south of Winchester Hills.
Students from these communities attend Diamond Valley Elementary School, Desert Hills Intermediate, Dixie Middle School, and Dixie High School. Each development has a park for residents to enjoy with their families.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dammeron_Valley%2C_Utah

click on the following maps to enlarge slightly


Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Part 1 of 2 .... Slick Rock Park



Slick Rock Park is located on Riverside Drive between 2250 East and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. It is a small park that sets back in from the road and has the feeling of seclusion from the traffic.













Saturday, August 9, 2008

Washington County, Utah

http://www.washco.state.ut.us/

Washington County is located in the southwestern corner of Utah. The county was formed on March 3, 1852 by an act of the territorial legislature. Harmony, one of the only settlements in the area at that time, was appointed as the first county seat. The first boundaries of Washington County stretched nearly 600 miles - the entire width of the territory. As the territory was settled the county boundaries changed several times and the county seat was later changed to St. George.

Most of the early residents of the county were Mormon Pioneers and the area was agricultural. Today, Washington County is one of the fastest growing areas of the country, as declared in 2006. People are migrating here now to enjoy the mild winter climate, beautiful scenery, and comfortable lifestyle.

St. George is the largest city in Washington County. The County was named for the first President of the U.S., George Washington.

The county has a total area of 2,430 square miles and an elevation that varies from 2,178 to 10,194 feet. The 2008 estimated county population is around 143,000.

It has two National protected areas: Dixie National Forest and Zion National Park.

The major highways are: Interstate 15, State Route 9, State Route 17, State Route 18, and State Route 59.

In addition to the primary and secondary schools that compose Washington County School District, the county is home to Dixie State College of Utah in St. George, with a campus extension in the neighboring town of Hurricane.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Summer is winding down



Tuesday, August 12, school begins here in St. George again. Parents and children are busy doing the necessary things to get ready.

It hasn’t seemed like much of a summer this year. We usually always reach temperatures up to 115-120 but that has not happened, unless it plans to do so in the next two weeks. We have hovered between 105 and 110 for our highs all summer.

I am ready for the cooler weather. Our winters average around the high of 50-60. We receive no snow to speak of. Maybe once the whole winter it will snow for 15 minutes up to a couple of hours, just long enough to put down a skiff of snow for the kids to play in and maybe roll a small snowman. Then it is all melted in a few hours.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

St. George Area Chamber of Commerce




The Elected Board of Directors determines policies and plans of action aimed at maintaining and developing a community in which business and families can thrive.

Visit the Chamber's site at:
http://www.stgeorgechamber.com/


click on the following link to see their current online newsletter:
http://www.stgeorgechamber.com/BIZ%20NEWS/2008/7.29.08.html


click on the following link to view their newsletter archives:
http://www.stgeorgechamber.com/LocalBizNews%20Online.htm