Tuacahn, Amphitheatre
Tuacahn Theatre brings live theatrical plays, concerts, festivals, and the state's first charter high school for the performing arts.
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| Photo courtesy of the Tuacahn website |
THRILLER
Halloween we went to the show for Marc's birthday - Oct 29th.
The show was filled will music from past spook times but also present. Absolute fabulous dancing routines with famous music. The clown and the show was filled with humor!
Oh - and murder!
Every year, a competition for best costumes from the audience!
From left: a young female child as a Ninja; the host; Edward Scissorhands; a St. George resident; and "Russell" in the movie UP.
And the winner was: Russell
Runner up: Edward Scissor hands
And the winner was: Russell
Runner up: Edward Scissor hands
The Frankenstein scene
The scene of the burning of the witches
Throughout the show, the clown appears (while the scenes are changed) and whines "I've had it!"
He says he is not allowed to have an act in the show.
So ...... about a dozen River Dance performers perform an amazing act and one by one, from somewhere in the dark . .. . they are shot dead.
Doesn't sound funny but when the lights come on and the last girl was popped off, the clown appears with an AK-47!
The last dance were all the actors who were made up as zombies and mingled throughout the crowd.
ZION NATIONAL PARK
Forty five minutes and we arrive in one of the most stunning parks ever! Traffic was not too bad, the local shops and restaurants were relatively busy and just a few cars were ahead of us at the gate. Cost of $30 for a full week to enter.
Just a few minutes and we were jumping out of the truck to take in this great fall scene of the Virgin River.
Drove the Mount Carmel Highway east towards the tunnel.
A breathtaking experience and one that is difficult to capture with photos. A hikers paradise, there are slot canyons, waterfalls and towering sandstone monoliths.
We found a slot canyon just a short walk down from a pull out. Had it all to ourselves.
One with a tripod
And one with the hand held.
We wind our way up about 10 miles to the tunnel.
Find it amazing that full tour buses and large motorhomes are winding their way up and down the mountain.
Buses and RVs have to be brought through the tunnel with a pilot car. Cyclists can hitch a ride, or take the shuttle bus.
The tunnel is a mile long.
Checkerboard Mountain
While stopping for some more photo ops, down below a rustling sound. Three Desert Mountain Sheep feeding on shrubs.
From Mountain Sheep . . . .
to Mountain Biking
CHUCKWALLA
Part of the trails are hard dirt and some very -soft sandy sections (felt like powder skiing)
and of course, lots of grippy, red rock.
The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve is a 62,000 acre scenic wildlife reserve set aside to protect the desert tortoise and other sensitive plants and animals. Mt. bikers, hikers, horseback riders and rock climbers all enjoy this incredible outdoor playground just a stones throw from St. George.
Curious about the various types of rock formations. The area was formed during the early Jurassic Period (about 180 million years ago). Sandstone, siltstone and an obvious lava flow cover this one mountain side with snow in the distant mountain range.
Along Chuckwalla, Beck Hill and Paradise Rim. ... a fantastic view NW of St. George overlooking a golf course.
A resting spot. Inscription
"It's not about how long you live, It's about how well you live."
(written by Dr. Paul Navar 1956-2009)
Desert Tortoises are listed as a "threatened" species since 1990. The Reserve is a biologically rich area as three ecosystems merge; the Mojave desert, the Great Basin desert, and the Colorado plateau. The Reserve contains the northernmost populations of the desert tortoise.
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| Photo courtesy of the Desert Tortoise Recovery Office, Nevada |
Seen in spring and summer, we were not able to find one. But, there are some major penalties for killing, injuring or disturbing them. The fine can exceed $25,000 and one year imprisonment for blatant violation of the laws.
The adult desert tortoise measures 10 - 14 inches long, 4-6 inches tall and weighs about 25-50 pounds. They feed mostly on grass, herbs, wildflowers and flowers of the cacti. They occasionally ingest small rocks to aid with digestion and provide minerals and calcium. Moisture comes from the plants. Their bladder can hold 40% of their body weight and can survive a year or more without access to water.
So, it is against the law to pick up a tortoise as they may void their bladder when disturbed which can lead to dehydration or even death.
Now, we descend and round some corners, making our way to Turtle Wall.
Turtle Wall is a 1-mile trail segment in Paradise Canyon.
TUKAPETSI TRAIL
SANTA CLARA
Santa Clara, a small town just ten minutes west of St. George, we started at the Tukapetsi Trailhead for some mt biking along the Santa Clara River Reserve.
6,500 acres of public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), this area is a mix of old road and single track. In 2009, in order to provide more accessibility for visitors, an aggregate surfaced trail was constructed from the Tukapetsi Trailhead to the petroglyphs and farmstead.
The Tempi'po'op (pronounced tumpee poo top) means "rock writing" in S. Paiute. The Tempi'po'op Trail traverses the geographic formation known as Land Hill, which was heavily used by Ancestral Puebloans and Southern Piaute.
The trail is popular for viewing numerous petroglyphs and rock writings. A foundation of a Puebloan Farmstead is another attraction (we did not go on that route).
The hiking/biking trail winds and zigs and zags uphill for 6 miles amidst incredible rock formations and often along the edge of the canyon.
And, there are some obvious animals (reminds me of Pictionary!)
Design of formations in the rock
And, a small reptile imitating a petroglyph!
A final fabulous view on our fun descent to the Tukapetsi Trailhead - because we climbed all the way to the petroglyphs, it was a 'blast' coming back down.
Santa Clara
A quaint little bistro in Santa Clara (a little french cuisine). The building was originally built in 1867 and was called a Mormon Tithing Granary. Tithing offices and granaries were found in almost every community of the territory from the time the area was settled up until the first couple of decades of the 20th century. They were used for storing grain and other produce donated by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The house across from the Bistro. Love the painted cow next to the "we are open" sign.
ZION
Back to Zion for a trip to the head of the Narrows (on our road bikes). Parked at the Visitor's Centre/campground and road the 10 miles each way.
Can you spot the rock climbers? One is wearing red.
Stopped to let the shuttle bus go by and happened to see this beautiful buck laying in the sandy wash. A Doe and fawn close by.
A gorgeous fall scene of the Virgin River.
This is at the end of the road to the Narrows at the trailhead. Wanted to do the walk-in to the Narrows which has a gorgeous slot canyon but two miles in my clip-in bike shoes would not do my feet any favors. Not to mention, Marc's plantar fasciitis was giving him some grief.
Well, that's it folks. May have to think about next year and may checking out some of the famous areas we did not get to this time around - may be even 'camping' out at the park.
Had fabulous weather and walking in the slot canyons at some times of the year can be a deadly venture should a flash flood happen. But, would love to see it right after or during a rain to check out some of the full on waterfalls.
Our friends from Comox have been on the road for two months and swung by our way for a brief visit on their way home from Sedona. They are tenting in Snow Canyon - WOW!
It was a cool night (as you can tell by our borrowed down jackets) but the campfire and outdoor dinner was fabulous. Great to see you Chris and Joanne.
November 19th and we are settled into life living in Surprise, Arizona with temperatures around 78F (24C). Shorts weather again.
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