We had no idea what to expect when we rolled into Utah's Dixie.

Our first stop blew us away. Red Hills Desert Garden is Utah’s first desert conservation garden. The nearly 5-acre garden features 5,000 water-efficient plants, a 1,150-foot stream stocked with native and endangered fish species, a replica slot canyon and prehistoric dinosaur tracks found onsite dating back 200 million years.
With 5,000 plants, I showed great restraint in the photos I'm posting!

Some names are just too perfect.


This is a place to come to learn. Many residents have enhanced the beauty of their landscape, decreased maintenance requirements and reduced water use by incorporating the water-wise landscaping techniques shared throughout the park.





 This desert garden is an oasis. What an amazing morning.
A brief explore of 52-acre Pioneer Park, a rock climber's paradise, allowed us to enough red dirt on our boots to make us happy.


I was mesmerized watching these big guys devour another insect. Carpenter ants are known to be one of the largest types of ants, and are rampant in Utah. This type of ant can reach up to 1 inch long. Wow.



We hit several thrift stores and the biggest unique find were these two pennants. Anyone of a certain age in Southern California remembers these two, now very defunct amusement parts. Marineland (1954-1987) had the longest life. Lion Country Safari was in my childhood town of Irvine from 1970-1984. So wild to see these vintage souvenirs here in St. George.
I loved this frozen-in-time storefront. Thomas Porter Durrant purchased a photo shop on the main floor of the Arrowhead Hotel from Mr. Rollins in November of 1955.
Durrant moved the Dixie Photo Shop to this location in 1964 and ran it until his death in 1999. To look in the windows, it was like the store was a sealed time capsule. So very, very cool.
All throughout St. George, history mingles with art. Some historic and some modern.
The Art Around the Corner Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts, enriching the community, and bringing fine arts to the heart of historic St. George. The Foundation’s flagship project is the Art Around the corner Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, a collection of sculptures from nationally renowned artists. The show changes each spring, with approximately two dozen pieces installed annually.
And here's Steve, hanging out with Brigham Young. For those who don't know, Brigham was an American religious leader, politician, and settler. He was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. He founded Salt Lake City and he served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. He's a very big deal in Utah.