PLACE DESCRIPTIONS AND COMMENTS |
ST. GEORGE, UTAH With about 50,000 residents, St. George is the largest town in Southern Utah and home to the most commercial and cultural activities in the area. There are many good choices for lodging and eating. Pioneer Park is a fun place for sandstone climbing on the north side of town, and Pine Valley Mountain is the city's backdrop. The large white Mormon temple in the center of town is one of several interesting historical buildings.
A small town of about 6,000 people in scenic surroundings 20 minutes east of St. George and 25 minutes west of Zion National Park. There are two comfortable though not luxurious motels in the center of town. There are only a few choices for eating out in small-town Hurricane.
A real city and visitor destination, with a million residents and dozens of major hotel-casinos and entertainment centers. Set in the desert between Mt. Charleston and Hoover Dam / Lake Mead, Las Vegas has the closest international airport to our school. Most visitors come for the casino gaming, but the new Las Vegas also includes shows with famous stars, good eating at reasonable prices, even amusement parks and themed entertainment experiences. We can arrange hotel and transportation services for you in Las Vegas as well as show you interesting places in and around the city.
One of the most beautiful American national parks, Zion is a 700-meter deep canyon of red and white sandstone with the Virgin River running through it. There is a fascinating visitors' center, and there are many scenic hiking trails and places for picnics. The park is only 25 minutes' drive from the school and offers many hiking and camping possibilities.
The most famous American national park, a deep and colorful canyon carved out through the centuries by the Colorado River. The scenic and less-visited North Rim of the canyon is only about 2-1/2 hours from the school.
A gorgeous set of pinnacles and crevasses cut into the colorful sandstone face of a lovely canyon by the forces of erosion. Hiking and horseback riding are possible activities. Definitely worth a visit, a couple of hours' drive from school.
SNOW CANYON & TUACAHN AMPHITHEATER
This is a red sandstone canyon only a few miles west of St. George. A nice place for picnics or short hikes. Just outside the canyon is found the Tuacahn Amphitheater, where each summer the outdoor musical drama "Utah!" is performed.
This tremendous gorge cut through the mountains by the placid Virgin River was used as the route for a modern interstate highway, the most expensive highway in the world at the time it was built. Located in the northwest corner of Arizona only 15 minutes from St. George, the gorge is a great place for short hikes, picnics, and even rock climbing and rapelling.
The many lava-capped ridges in the area are a testimony of the area's volcanic and seismic past. About 20 minutes northwest of St. George there are several small cone volcanoes from which all the lava flowed. And the naturally heated Veyo Pool proves that the earth is still sending up heat from deep below Veyo.
This 3,000-meter snow-capped mountain lies about 45 minutes north of St. George and can be seen from just about anywhere in the area as an imposing background to all the red sandstone. A nice place to enjoy fresh air in the summer and informal snow fun in the winter.
MORMON PIONEER HISTORICAL SITES & GHOST TOWNS
The State of Utah and many surrounding areas were settled by Mormon pioneers in the last 150 years. These pioneers arrived from much more "civilized" places and tamed the desert, making a flourishing refuge where they could practice their religion. Old church buildings (including the impressive white temple) and stores and homes are still in use in St. George and surrounding towns, and interesting ruins are found in ghost towns scattered around the region.
A pretty redrock canyon with a cool stream running through it, a nice place for picnics. There is a hiking trail which can be enjoyed by everyone for the first couple of kilometers and which can be followed all the way back into the canyon by experienced hikers who are not afraid to get wet. This park is only about 20 minutes' drive from the school.
Most people on the I-15 freeway drive right past the turn-off for Kolob Canyon, not realizing that a short drive up the side of the mountain leads to a very beautiful canyon with redrock cliffs and some very scenic hiking. This is a part of Zion National Park but separated from the main canyon. It is located about a half-hour north of the school.
The largest sand dune in Southern Utah is located in a very scenic redrock area about 10 minutes north of Kanab and a little over an hour's drive from the school.
The striking scenery of Southern Utah has often been used as a backdrop for Hollywood movies, especially Westerns. There are a couple of old movie sets from famous American series like Gunsmoke which can be visited about fifteen minutes east of Kanab (1-1/2 hours from the school).
A very scenic and large man-made lake in Southeastern Utah on the Arizona border. The Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge are very impressive, and the lake itself offers rental boats and many opportunities for water sports. Located about 2-1/2 hours east of the school.
Native Americans inhabited many areas across the American continent when the white men arrived and began driving them from their traditional lands. Especially in the Eastern United States, many Indian tribes were relocated to reservations in Oklahoma and other places. The largest reservation in the country is the Navajo Nation, located mostly in northeastern Arizona but also extending into Utah. There are many social and economic problems on the reservation, but it is also interesting to see how the Navajo have developed their culture.