Living in Southern Utah.....

I have often considered why Darcy and I live in Southern Utah.  Neither of us were born in Southern Utah, although I wish that I would have been, my parents and older siblings all were born in Southern Utah.  I have always felt at home in the red rocks and dirt that Southern Utah is famous for.  Many of the most cherished memories of my childhood occurred somewhere in Southern Utah.

Living in Southern Utah isn't always easy, we don't have a large number of factories so employment can be an issue.  Shopping can be an issue as well, unless you are okay shopping at Walmart, or don't mind driving to Saint George to go to the mall.  There are stores here in Cedar City, but the selection isn't what it is in larger cities (outside of grocery stores), so that is a little inconvenient.

Now when it comes to dining or eating out we have lots of options.  We have a great variety from sushi and Thai food to the standard steak house.  Some of these I will include in separate more localized blogs.  We have some of the large restaurant chains, Chili's and Applebees and some more localized chains, like Cafe Rio, and Wingers.  We enjoy two multi screen theater complexes here in Cedar City.  There are also some great restaurants that are unique to Cedar City, Milt's, Rusty's, Ninja and the hamburger place at the Bowling Alley.

One of the things that Cedar City has spent a lot of money and effort on is on Little League Baseball, it has a baseball only Little League Park, as well as a soccer, softball and skate boarding park.  We have a new aquatic center under construction as well as a reservoir to add to the recreational opportunities.  We have a great hiking trail that follows Coal Creek into the Canyon.  There is skiing in Brian Head as well as snowmobiling on the mountain all winter long.

We have wonderful hiking and horseback riding areas.  There is an area set up for rock crawling in your four wheel drive vehicles.  There are a lot of camping, fishing, hunting and other outdoor areas.  There are miles of ATV trails many of the cities (like Cedar City) have designated roads inside the city limits that allow the riders to come in and get supplies or stay in a motel.  We do have a lot of motels rooms that are open year round.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't write about the Utah Shakespearean Festival, The Neil Simon Festival, the Utah Summer Games and all of the opportunities that having Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

The most obvious thing that we do enjoy is the natural beauty.  There is nothing man can build that can compare with it!  We are close to many National Parks and Monuments, the most well known is Zions National Park.  It isn't for everyone, but it is where we call home!

North View of Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Kanarra Mountain.

Along the road to Zions National Park.

Cedar Mountain looking towards Cedar Breaks National Monument.

These are but a very few looks at the beauty that we enjoy, living in Southern Utah.