# Returned from a Wonderful UT Vacation



## susieq (Jul 25, 2008)

Hi all,

Have just returned from a wonderful vacation in St. George Utah............ Have lots of pictures............Here's the first installment ~~ the Resort.

Sue


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## DaveNV (Jul 26, 2008)

St. George is my favorite place on the planet to vacation - except Hawaii.  If I can figure out a way to do so, we're going to move to SG within a few years.

Nice pictures!  Thanks for posting them.

Dave


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## bmann (Jul 26, 2008)

*Ssshhhhhh!!!!!!!!*



BMWguynw said:


> St. George is my favorite place on the planet to vacation - except Hawaii.  If I can figure out a way to do so, we're going to move to SG within a few years.
> 
> Nice pictures!  Thanks for posting them.
> 
> Dave


This is my home away from home (Villas at Southgate). I am also planning to stay more time here but I already have Villas at Southgate X 8.


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## KevJan (Jul 31, 2008)

:whoopie: I get to live here all the time (except when vacationing elsewhere)!


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## susieq (Jul 31, 2008)

KevJan said:


> :whoopie: I get to live here all the time (except when vacationing elsewhere)!






  LUCKY...LUCKY...YOU!!! ​


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## Kola (Jul 31, 2008)

susieq said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Have just returned from a wonderful vacation in St. George Utah............ Have lots of pictures............Here's the first installment ~~ the Resort.
> 
> Sue



Don't I need a password to log into your Photobucket  ?

K.


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## talkamotta (Jul 31, 2008)

While visiting Canada last week (Banff) I had a conversation with a local.  He said he drives through Utah every year to get to Vegas.  Down I15, as fast he can.  I told him I was from Utah and he couldnt figure why anyone would want to live there.  I asked him if he ever stopped to see any of the National Parks in Utah, (Zions and Bryce).  

He said "If you seen one mountain, youve seen 'em all".    

I loved the Canadian Rockies for sure.  They are absolutely beautiful.   Except in Banff they have "hoodoos"  No... Cant compare with Bryce. 

Its it nice we all dont like the same things?


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## DaveNV (Jul 31, 2008)

talkamotta said:


> While visiting Canada last week (Banff) I had a conversation with a local.  He said he drives through Utah every year to get to Vegas.  Down I15, as fast he can.  I told him I was from Utah and he couldnt figure why anyone would want to live there.  I asked him if he ever stopped to see any of the National Parks in Utah, (Zions and Bryce).
> 
> He said "If you seen one mountain, youve seen 'em all".
> 
> ...




Wow, that's like saying the Grand Canyon is just a ditch, or Old Faithful is a broken steam pipe...  People with no vision really amaze me.  Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Moab - the mountains there are unlike anything I've seen anywhere else in the world.  That guy probably measures his vacation satisfaction by the paint colors inside his hotel room...

Dave


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## eal (Aug 1, 2008)

Well, I live near the Canadian Rockies (which I love) but I also love to vacation in Utah - Park City, St. George, etc.  A few years ago we spent a day looking for topaz near Lynndyl and it was really fun, although the landscape was barren and uninteresting-looking at first.  

(Different strokes for different folks...)


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## talkamotta (Aug 1, 2008)

eal said:


> Well, I live near the Canadian Rockies (which I love) but I also love to vacation in Utah - Park City, St. George, etc.  A few years ago we spent a day looking for topaz near Lynndyl and it was really fun, although the landscape was barren and uninteresting-looking at first.
> 
> (Different strokes for different folks...)



The resorts you own, show that you like a variety of different places.  

We didnt stop in Calgary, but I have been there.  You sure do have a wonderful back yard.


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## susieq (Aug 1, 2008)

Kola said:


> Don't I need a password to log into your Photobucket  ?
> 
> K.



Sorry ~ you don't need a password.  But as I explained to Shaggy, I took _So-o-o many_ pictures, I created sub folders to manage them. In the process, I guess I broke some links. I'll post a link here as I finish each one. When they're all done, I'll put them all together under Travel Tales.  Enjoy:

http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/...t Southgate/?action=view&current=2d1b1264.pbw

http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn111/susie_que/Utah/Hoover Dam/?action=view&current=b2f0eeb1.pbw





talkamotta said:


> While visiting Canada last week (Banff) I had a conversation with a local.  He said he drives through Utah every year to get to Vegas.  Down I15, as fast he can.  I told him I was from Utah and he couldnt figure why anyone would want to live there.  I asked him if he ever stopped to see any of the National Parks in Utah, (Zions and Bryce).
> 
> He said "If you seen one mountain, youve seen 'em all".
> 
> ...




Bryce was my favorite!!!  This Country has so many beautiful sights to see ~ Guess beauty's in the eye of the beholder ~ I feel bad for people who can't find that beauty just below the surface. 

We're going to the Canadian Rockies next summer ~ can't wait!!

Sue


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## Jwerking (Aug 2, 2008)

*ORE at St George*

Wow, what a timely discussion, as I just confirmed a week into the ORE at St. George for the last week in May 2010 and was worried whether it would be too warm yet that time of year??  Thought I read somewhere that it can get well over the 100s in the valleys of the parks.  

KevJan - can you please comment on temps this time of year and provide any comments on the ORE resort as well - per the TUG reviews, it appears the 2 brs are relatively small.  

Also, how large is the resort - are my chances good for matching another 2 br unit for the same Friday checkin date with an ongoing search for additional family.  I am trading with a very high demand summer beach week. 

Sue - how far was the drive to Zion and Byrce?  Would you recommend just spending the night at Byrce since a day trip would seem very long?  I assume you flew into Las Vegas. 

Also, are there other timeshare resorts that would be closer to Arches and Canyonlands NP.  If not, I assume these parks are too far for daytrips from St. George - is that correct?

Thanks, 

Joyce


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## Werner (Aug 2, 2008)

Joyce, We were just did a tour of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in late May/early June.   There was still snow on the shady ground at Bryce (10,000') and Cedar Breaks and it had recently snowed at the North Rim (9,000').  Zion was cool in the shade and in the morning but the mid-day sun was burning.  We wore sweaters and light jackets in the morning, long sleeve shirts and jeans in the afternoon.  The Utah sun always feels hot yet it was very cool in the shade, downright chilly in fact.  Further east, around Grand Staircase/Escalante and Capital Reefs the temperatures were warmer but never hot but the sun still burned.  Even further east in the Canyonlands Park area the temperture climbed to the 90's on the rim of Horseshoe Canyon at noon.  I don't really want to know what the temperature was at the bottom but I drank 2 qts of water on a 3 hour hike.  

The moderate temperatures were a surprise but the best surprise was that the desert was in bloom.  Prickly Pear cactus were blooming all over the region, sage was in bloom, as were many other flowers.  Along Hole-in-the-Rock road in Escalante the purple sage flowers covering the desert floor were so thick the desert seemed to glow purple.  Everwhere across the region the desert looked green and lush.

Our timing was a bit of an accident and the blooms may not happen as dramatically if it doesn't rain during the winter but late May/early June may be the perfect time to see Southern Utah.  It can however be stormy at that time of year; we may have been lucky.

PS:  Make all reservations as early as possilble.  Southern Utah is a major destination for European and Oriental visitors.  The National Park lodges are almost always sold out to tour groups as soon as new dates are opened for reservations.  English is a second language at most restaurants and on most tours.  We made the mistake of assuming that going before schools were out would make getting reservations easy and had to do some scrambling to find places stay and still be within easy driving range of the major parks.

PPS:  There is a timeshare at Brian Head Ski Area that would give very good access to Bryce, Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon, Zion and the Grand Staircase region.  It is listed in II and often has openings off (ski) season.


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## Rose Pink (Aug 2, 2008)

Jwerking said:


> .
> 
> Also, are there other timeshare resorts that would be closer to Arches and Canyonlands NP. If not, I assume these parks are too far for daytrips from St. George - is that correct?
> 
> ...


 
None that I am aware of. Moab has many motels, condos and B&Bs but, depending on the time of year, rooms can be scarce. Here is a link to more Moab info: 
http://www.moab-utah.com/

It is definitely not a daytrip from St. George and not from Brian Head, either. I can't think of anywhere that would make a good home base for daytrips to all the many areas of southern Utah. It is just too big. Make Moab a separate week and then you can see Arches, Canyonlands, etc. If you have some extra days around your St. George stay, you could fly into SLC and rent a car. Drive down to Moab, see the parks, then drive down highway 6 to Blanding. Go northwest on highway 95 to Hanksville, then west on 24 through Capitol Reef NP to Torrey and highway 12 through the Escalante. That will take you to Bryce Canyon NP. You will see many areas of interest. Highway 12 is very dramatic, imo. After Bryce you can go to St. George and do whatever you want to do. Zions is inbetween but can be a day trip from St. George. Then, you can either drive up I-15 and back to SLC or to Vegas to drop off your rental car.


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## DaveNV (Aug 2, 2008)

Jwerking said:


> Wow, what a timely discussion, as I just confirmed a week into the ORE at St. George for the last week in May 2010 and was worried whether it would be too warm yet that time of year??  Thought I read somewhere that it can get well over the 100s in the valleys of the parks.
> 
> KevJan - can you please comment on temps this time of year and provide any comments on the ORE resort as well - per the TUG reviews, it appears the 2 brs are relatively small.
> 
> ...



Joyce, my last vacation to St. George area was the last week of May this year.  Daytime temps were in the high 80s to low 90s, which was just hot enough to remind me where we were, but not so bad as to be uncomfortable.  It was never too hot to be outside, but since it's desert sun, it's easy to get sunburned.  (But easier on California beaches, where the cool breeze is deceiving.)  Temps in Zion were perfect.

Zion is about a 45 minute, easy drive from St. George, and makes it a great day trip.  We stayed overnight in the Best Western in Springdale, right outside the park, to take advantage of the first shuttle bus into the park at around 5:30 AM.  We took it all the way to the end of the line, and hiked the easy trail to the start of The Narrows, in order to meet the sunrise.  (My partner is a great photographer, so it's an occupational hazard. )  The pictures were phenomenal, and we only saw three other people the entire time.  Definitely made it feel like we had the place to ourselves.

Bryce is further away, and worth its own separate overnight trip. The hoodoos of Bryce are amazing at sunrise or sunset, although they're beautiful anytime of day.  From St. George, it's an easy drive through Zion park to connect to the highway at Mt. Carmel Junction.  Bryce is north from there.

One small town on the east side of Zion that should be seen on te way to Bryce is Panguitch.  It'll give a very interesting glimpse into what life was like "way back when" in the area.

Gee, talking about it only makes me want to go back!  LOL!  Have fun!

Dave


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## susieq (Aug 2, 2008)

Jwerking said:


> Wow, what a timely discussion, as I just confirmed a week into the ORE at St. George for the last week in May 2010
> 
> Sue - how far was the drive to Zion and Byrce?  Would you recommend just spending the night at Byrce since a day trip would seem very long?  I assume you flew into Las Vegas.
> 
> ...





Joyce,

Lucky you ~ you're gonna love it! If you click on the first of my  two links above, that's the resort. (August 1 post) We have been in larger 2 bedroom units, but this was just fine for four adults ~ even the kitchen.  I wrote a review, but I guess it takes a while to get posted.

We did fly into Vegas, a very scenic two hour drive to the resort.  We landed there at noontime, way too early to check in.  So the four of us drove down to see the Hoover Dam, (the second link), about 30 - 40 min. from the airport.  We spent a little time there, and left for the Resort.  Zion Canyon was probably an hour away, and Bryce maybe two and a half. Up to you if you want to overnight in Springdale or not. We did the park in a day - ate breakfast in the unit,  took a picnic lunch, (We always invest in a styrofoam cooler if there isn't one there - we're only talking maybe $3, then we just leave it there.), and had dinner in Springdale - & saw the Cowboy Show afterward. Made for a nice day.  We didn't utilize the shuttle at all in Bryce, (too crowded), but the one in Zion we did - that one wasn't crowded at all.

Have fun plannin' that_ GREAT VACATION!!!_ :whoopie: :whoopie: 

Sue


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## Rose Pink (Aug 2, 2008)

susieq said:


> .... We did the park in a day...
> Sue


 
It depends on what a person means by "doing the park."  For some, it is riding the shuttle up to the top (you cannot drive it yourself) and riding the shuttle back down.  If you plan to get out and hike or climb, you could spend days, weeks "doing" the parks.

There is a separate entrance to Zion NP called Kolob Canyon that is north of St. George on I-15.  It is only about 30 minutes or so.  It is very beautiful and worth a look but you'll need to go another way (through Springdale) to get to the main entrance.

Another trip to consider is the Great Basin NP in eastern Nevada.  Google Lehman Caves.


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## wcfr1 (Aug 2, 2008)

You know, it's a good thing everyone doesn't like the same thing.

I live in Florida and it seems so many people liked it so much that everyone moved here. Now the Florida I grew up with no longer exists. 

Be happy some people don't love the natural beauty of Utah, that they don't wan't to move or visit there making it so crowded you can't enjoy it. 

Just hope it stays as pristine and natural as it is today.

Let's just keep it our little secret.


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## Jwerking (Aug 2, 2008)

Thank you everyone for all the great comments.  

I kind of did the south Utah parks VERY quickly about 4 yrs ago when I drove my college age daughter cross country from the Wash DC metro area to Los Angeles  for her to do a summer internship.  We drove hard until we got to Colorado - visited MESA Verde NP, stopped for literally a few minutes in Arches NP (I think), and did quick visits to Byrce and Zion.  We were able to stay in the park lodge at Byrce, but stayed outside the park in Zion.  We thought it was beautiful and really did want to go back and spend more time.  We must have done this in early May when college let out and I remember the weather being very pleasant - but a bit warm in the Arches area.  So, I am worried about it being too warm at the end of May - high 80s gets rather toasty for doing alot of hiking around. 

Joyce


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## shagnut (Aug 2, 2008)

I will be going next Sept (2010) sttaying at the new ts in St George. Susie & I are always going to the same places but a year apart. I stayed at the 4 Seasons in St George, my very first tts exchange (NOT THE 4 SEASONS)It was a real dump but I bought because it was only $500 and the mf's were $210 When we go up to Bryce I want to spend the night this time. shaggy


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## susieq (Aug 2, 2008)

wcfr1 said:


> You know, it's a good thing everyone doesn't like the same thing.
> 
> I live in Florida and it seems so many people liked it so much that everyone moved here. Now the Florida I grew up with no longer exists.
> 
> Let's just keep it our little secret.



Had to Laugh at your post ~~ DD lives in Largo, and says the same thing.  She _HATES _Snowbirds, and keeps telling me she's going to put a bumper sticker on her car, " When I get old, I'm gonna move North and drive _SLOW_."

Thanks for putting it all in perspective ~ we're all different.  Variety's the spice of life.  

Sue


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## Werner (Aug 3, 2008)

Jwerking said:


> So, I am worried about it being too warm at the end of May - high 80s gets rather toasty for doing alot of hiking around.



If you stay near the high altitude Southwestern corner of Utah, the temperatures are much cooler than in the east near Canyonlands and Arches.  Also, if you cover your skin with lightweight long pants and long sleeve shirts the high 80's are easily tolerable in the dry climate.  Unlike the east coast, even temperatures in the 80's feel cool in the shade because moisture evaporates so quickly.  We hiked the Angel's Landing trail at Zion starting at about 9:00 AM, were back down by 12:00 noon.  We had jackets on at the start, it was cold in the shade.  The final walkout was all in the noon sun and it felt hot on exposed skin but was comfortable walking.  Even if it doesn't feel hot, you are evaporating moisture so bring lots of water.

Zion Valley is the lowest altitude of the major parks in Southwestern Utah so everywhere else will be cooler.  If you go much earlier than late May you might be hitting some snowy or stormy weather, especially at Bryce and Cedar Breaks.  Actually Cedar Breaks doesn't even open until late May.  It takes until then get the road open.


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## grest (Aug 8, 2008)

We loved this area as well, and will definitely return...this despite the fact that we were there this summer in the hot hot heat..
Connie


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