what to do around
St George, Utah
Kish’s Note: Written by Justin, do not blame me for the sass present in this document.
Not Very Active Activities
At the Airbnb
Fun Fact #1, Justin tried to take Kish to an arcade bar on St Patty’s Day for their second date. It was at this moment he realized he was dating an introvert, and the excessively loud locale was a terrible spot for a date. They went and got food instead. This remains one of the worst ideas for a date Justin has had.
Justin will make sure to bring some and will spend way too much time explaining the options in person. But Jeffrey or Keith will be the ones to teach you the rules because it’s my wedding and I don’t want to teach.
You can also kidnap ducks with a UFO, and Kish will possibly join for this
Fun Fact #2, it’s a myth you can’t swim after eating. So feel free to eat all you want before swimming!
Away From the Airbnb
Highway 9 to Zion National Park
Just a short drive from the Airbnb is the Zion Canyon scenic drive. Drive east along Highway 9 towards Zion National Park and go as far as you want, admiring the beauty of southern UT. We highly recommend you go as far as the Mt. Carmel tunnel (approx 40 minutes) and if you can hold your breath the entire 1 mile of the tunnel your next drink is on us (drivers, please breathe).
Snow Canyon State Park
About 7 minutes from the house, the drive here will bring you by the Red Cliffs and into the red rock desert that southern UT is so famous for. Will there be snow? In the snow canyons? As of September 7th while I write this I have no idea, but it is unlikely.
Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
An indoor museum (perfect if the weather is bad) that preserves many of the dinosaur footprints and details on the ancient inhabitants of this area! Unfortunately, while you can see where they once walked, none of them are walking around anymore.
Open 10 am-5 pm
Friday-Monday
Price: $10 for adults, $5 for kids
St George Art Museum
“The St. George Art Museum collects, conserves, interprets, and exhibits art and artifacts from Utah and the West and invites visitors to engage with art and creativity through quality exhibitions from a variety of periods and cultures”
-That is from their website. I expect it to be like every art museum my mother has brought me to.
Open 11 am-6 pm
Friday and Saturday
Price: $15 per person
Wander Around Red Hills Desert Garden
A botanical garden is a great way to get to see desert plants (not very edible), desert fish (edible, but endangered, because deserts are not known for their fish), a replica slot canyon (perfect for those who want to see what a slot canyon looks like without risking flash floods), and more dinosaur tracks (still none living).
St George is a normal city, with normal shopping places. I don’t know, have you seen my fashion sense? I clearly rarely walk into any store. Talk to Kish or Taylor Barbo about what thrift stores are best but be prepared for a lengthy, shockingly opinionated conversation.
If any of the suggestions are unusual it’s likely because since I started dating Kish I have really started to go against the grain when selecting restaurants. (Kish is gluten-free)
Cliffside Restaurant
For what looks like beautiful views and highly-rated food! Entrees are $30 a plate so please donate to the honeymoon fund for bride and groom to be able to try it out and provide reviews.
Price: $$$ on Google
Red Fort Cuisine of India
I have actually been to the Red Fort in India and don’t recall them serving food, as it was mostly just an old stone fort (red stones! Who would have thought?) but with 4.8 stars this seems likely to be the best Indian food in St George. Remember you are in UT, so spicy means something else here (Utahns believe spicy means it has black pepper on it). If you are from a normal part of the country make sure to clarify if you want flavor in your food.
Price: $$ on Google
Black Bear Diner
American food with an outdoorsy theme, likely no bears present. Google Answers says they sell bear-themed suspenders, which is likely worth the trip.
Price: $$ on Google
Fairly Active Activities
At the Airbnb
There are actually no pickles involved.
There are actually volleys involved.
Away From the Airbnb
Any hike within Zion.
There is a reason Zion is one of the most famous National Parks. In my opinion, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the hikes in this park, they are all beautiful. Weather and how much time you have will greatly affect the length of the hike all hikes in Zion. They will provide you with paperwork when you get to the park.
The Narrows are a ton of fun if flooding isn’t happening (and heaven sounds like even more fun if they are flooding), Kish recommends you rent the boots and overalls, and Justin recommends you deal with the freezing water the way he would – by shivering nonstop and insisting he is fine.
Angels Landing requires a lottery permit and is rated as the number one most dangerous hike in America by Wildland Trekking. This is likely an over-exaggeration, just don’t let go of the metal chains or slip on the very smooth rock which gets smoother as hundreds walk across it every day. Be prepared to be tired afterward.
Emerald Pools Trail is an actual easy and short hike on this list (only a couple of miles) so this is a great one to see Zion without feeling the need to cry at the end of the day.
Red Reef Trail is an easy 2 miler with 200 ft vert (for those not fluent in outdoor speak, vert is how much elevation gain a hike has. 200 ft vert is pretty easy and your lungs will thank you). Great way to see the Red Cliffs Conservation Area
AllTrails time estimate – 51 minutes
Scout Cave Trail is 4.4 miles and 600 ft vert (repetition is key to learning new words) this is one of the highest-rated hikes in Snow Canyon State Park
AllTrails has no time estimate but think like a couple hours.
Santa Clara Petroglyphs is an easy 3 miler with 331 ft of vert (three times in one day, you get a new badge) unsurprisingly, this trail has a lot of petroglyphs.
Petrified Dunes Trail is technically a 1-mile hike, but it connects to a ton of trails so go as far as you like. It’s considered to be a great area for birding if that’s what you’re into. No word on what scared the dunes so much.
Tons and tons of options for who can take you on an ATV tour. It’s hard to tell who is better, I recommend you use this tool called Google and call places to see who has availability that weekend.
Ok, rant time real quick. Golfing should be illegal in South Utah. St. George is one of the cities expected to run out of water the soonest in the US. Yet, so many places list golfing as an activity to do while in St George. You know what you don’t see much of in the desert? Green grass. You know why? BECAUSE THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO GROW GRASS HERE. It’s not exactly a thrilling ‘sport’ to begin with, so please don’t further the destruction of the environment by providing money to the people who are wasting water. Ok, rant over.
If you want a harder hike in the area, please go with someone who has spent time in UT. The trails listed as “Hard” in this area often include technical canyoneering, or there is no trail to follow. We don’t want you to die at our wedding.
Very Active Activities
At the Airbnb
Please do not break any of Kish’s bones. Please be careful so that she doesn’t break any of your bones. (Kish here: the latter is more likely…if the first, well done. I won’t be too upset.)
Away From the Airbnb
All those hikes above? If you love pain you can just run them!
“Oh this hike isn’t so hard, we can run it!”
“I’m feeling sick so maybe only like a 10-mile bike ride”
“You want to get up at 4 am to hike 6k vert? And then hit the gym?”
-Don’t forget to log it on Strava.
St George is famous for its rock climbing! Multiple websites describe it as “a rock climbing Mecca” which is odd because I am very certain you are supposed to go around, not over the rock in Mecca.
Unfortunately, I am not actually fluent in climber so I’m not sure how to interpret the various places to go. Hopefully, if this is an activity you pick you are capable of finding a place at your skill level.
If you forgot your gear, there are rentals available at the “Desert Rat” because putting your sweaty feet in rented shoes is fun outside of bowling as well.
It might be too chilly for this, but I’m not here to tell you how to live your life. I don’t recommend falling in, but again, what do I know? Sand Hollow Reservoir State Park has all the water toys (except those cool jetpacks) you could want to rent! Only about 20 minutes from the Airbnb.
If you want a harder hike in the area, please go with someone who has spent time in UT. The trails listed as “Hard” in this area often include technical canyoneering, or there is no trail to follow. We don’t want you to die at our wedding.
Plan Your Weekend
Arrive on Friday
Please plan to arrive on Friday, March 29th. We'll be ready for you at 9:30 am and we'll gather for our first celebration dinner at 5:30 pm. Feel free to arrive any time during that window.
Itinerary
We've put together a detailed itinerary so you know what to expect. Don't worry, we'll have extra copies to hand out
Meals
We're providing all of the meals for the weekend. This should accommodate any allergies, but please be sure to let us know on the RSVP form.
Venue + Lodging
We are hosting our friends at our VRBO and ceremony venue. Click the link below for the address and room assignments.
Attire + Clothing
A reminder to bring layers along with some suggestions for what to wear during the weekend and at our vow dinner.