Our adventures have been a little sparse lately…or at least not nearly as much or as far as we would normally go. We have had a series of unfortunate events the last couple months, nothing terrible just a bunch of bumps in the road. But finally it seems that we are turning a corner as those bumps have worked themselves out and at least for now we seem to have a smooth ride. Through all the bumps we have been looking forward to our first week away of the year. And there is no better way to kick off the year’s travels than with a visit home to Utah to see family and reconnect with our roots. This visit would take us from the very south part of the state up to the very north part of the state in the space of a few days.
The Las Vegas Strip
Our week started by flying into Las Vegas. There is no question that you have landed in Las Vegas because the airport is full of casino machines throughout every terminal. The airport is so close to the Strip that you can easily see the lights and buildings from the terminal windows. Thousands of people visit the Las Vegas Strip every year for the shows, the casinos, the themed hotels, the weddings, and just the sheer energy so unique to this city.
My aunt picked us up at the airport and took us on a whirlwind tour of the Strip. We saw one of the newest additions to the city- the giant sphere of screen that can the pictures every few minutes. When we first saw it, it showed a bunch of fish in a bowl. Then it changed to a bunch of bubbles floating around. By the time we go next to it, it had changed to a giant basketball.
Vegas has never really been my scene, but I always enjoy walking through the different hotels and seeing the immaculate theming. A walk down the Strip takes you around the world in a day and every hotel feels like you have stepped into a different world. Each of them is filled with restaurants, shops, galleries, and open areas that makes it feel that you could be content to just spend the entire day there. Vegas really is a place where anyone can be anyone and alter egos and daydreams can become reality.
While this trip didn’t allow for time to really wander through the hotels or to visit the Old Strip over on Fremont Street, or see the fountains at the Bellagio, it was still so fun to drive through and see the buildings and the bustle of crowds experiencing this iconic part of the city.
After our quick trip down the Strip, we hit the road to make the 2 hour drive into Southern Utah to the beautiful city of St. George. When the flat desert of Nevada started to give way to the beautiful red rocks of Utah, we really started to get excited for this visit home. The next morning we looked out on the lovely view of St. George in the early light where we saw a few hot air balloons glide across the sky.
Pioneer Park & the Narrows
Our day in St. George started at a favorite part of the city at Pioneer Park where massive rocks are just begging for visitors to hike, climb, and explore. All over the park we could see people climbing up and standing on the top looking out over barren land. With plenty of trails to hike, rocks to climb, and holes to hide this park is the perfect place to play.
The most popular spot in the park is a slot canyon fondly called The Narrows. The trail takes you between the rocks, with each step the space getting narrower and narrower. For those young enough or small enough you can actually keep going all the way up through the rocks to end up on top of the rocks on the other side. Not wanting to find out too late that we were not thin enough to go through, we turned back around to enjoy the path widening out to the park.
We loved climbing around the rocks and sitting in the holes. The views of the valley from on top of these rocks is beautiful and the rocks themselves seem otherworldly. No wonder this is such a favorite place to come for so many.
Desert Rose Labyrinth
After climbing the rocks, we were ready for something a little more peaceful and so we visited the Desert Rose Labyrinth for a meditative walk. Centuries of people have found spiritual enlightenment in the deserts of the southwest. The labyrinth was created to be a spiritual journey of letting go and moving on. The idea is that as you walk the path you turn inward to find the things that you need to let go of. By the time you reach the center you have come to a place of greater understanding and healing. And then as you leave you are transformed and go forth better than before.
The Labyrinth is best done in silence as it encourages you to connect with your inner self to find those things that are holding you back and what you need to let those things go. Throughout the path are sculptures and pieces representing parts of that journey.
The labyrinth itself is a giant circle of rocks with a path around and through the circle until you arrive at the center. It is not a spiral towards the center but an intricate maze of twists and turns taking you through to the center. It is common to see people laying down rocks along the path to represent the things that they are letting go.
The sign at the end had a quote from Dr. Lauren Artress that read “There are many ways to describe a labyrinth. It is a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit and a mirror for the soul”. This labyrinth was created to be a place of peace and introspection drawing on ideas of past civilization. Here in the deserts of St. George, this labyrinth seemed perfectly suited to help connect with the land and to connect with a different plane of understanding.
Gunlock State Park
From the Labyrinth we continued down the road until we reached Gunlock State Park. This park has an entry fee of $10/vehicle. The fee was well worth the beautiful views from all over the park. We walked up the rocky path inbetween the red rocks. It always amazes me to see the many different layers of rock and the formations created by wind and water.
We reached the top of the trail where multiple waterfalls were flowing down the red rocks. The mix of water and rock was so beautiful. Even though the park was busy, there was plenty of space for everyone to climb from rock to rock and look out over the landscape. The waterfalls come from a nearby dam that when overflows gives water to the park and then continues to the valley below.
I always love to visit state parks, and to get to visit a new state park in my home state was pretty great. The mix of clear water, red rocks, and blue skies was just an incredible combination and we spent a lot of time seeing the park from every vantage point that we could.
The Taffy Shop
Our last stop of the day was at The Taffy Shop where visitors can not only buy bags of taffy, but actually make their own taffy as well. There are a few times every day when you can join the class, the cost is $18/person. We took our stations at the tables getting excited with the trays of flavors, colors, and wrappers that were set before us.
Each person was given a small tub of taffy base and we were instructed to twist and pull the taffy as much as we could. They recommend 1000 pulls but sore arms will quickly draw your attention from any number that you may have been able to count to. Then you add the desired flavors and colors to taffy. It is the coloring that makes it sticky so go easy on the color.
When your taffy is ready, you take it over to the cutter where it will come out in the round pieces ready to be wrapped in wax paper and put in a bag for you to take home. There were tons of different flavors of already made taffy to purchase, but we were more excited to enjoy the ones that we had made with our own hands.
It was so fun to discover new parts of this area in Southern Utah. From the streets of Las Vegas to the incredible red rock parks and sweet filled fun of taffy, there is certainly something for everyone here. It was a fantast beginning to a week of family, activities, and just being home again.
If you enjoyed these places, then you may also be interested in these:
Dead Horse Point State Park- Utah
Fremont Street Las Vegas- Nevada
Making Goo Goo Clusters- Tennessee
Thanks for joining me through the red rocks of Southern Utah. May you find your way through the narrow places to where the sky opens up before you.
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