Day 4 - Flagstaff, Arizona to Home

The last day of the trip was an easy drive home from Flagstaff, taking just over two hours. We hit the road at 7:05 a.m., skipping both breakfast and our usual Starbucks stop so we could get an early start.

Starting at nearly 7,000 feet, we headed south on Interstate 17 through pine forests that once again reminded us of our time in Oregon. Before long, however, the scenery began to change. The forests gradually gave way to the rugged Arizona desert, and it wasn't long before saguaros and other cacti dominated the landscape.

Not to be without our mocha for the day, we stopped at a Starbucks in Anthem and picked up our favorite drink. Caffeine in hand, we completed the final stretch home. It had been a great trip filled with beautiful scenery, interesting places, and a chance to explore several retirement communities. As always, it was good to be home, but we were already looking forward to our next adventure.

Day 3 - St. George, Utah to Flagstaff, Arizona

Once again, the alarm clock won. We found ourselves at Einstein Bagels shortly after they unlocked the doors at 5:30 a.m., proving that the only thing motivating us to be awake at that hour was a shared bagel breakfast sandwich. Properly fueled, we hit the road and pointed the car toward Flagstaff, Arizona, ready for whatever the day had in store.

Interstate 15 and a state route carried us through Hurricane, Utah, before we headed onto unfamiliar territory. The next 141 miles were all new to us, and they turned out to be some of the most enjoyable of the trip. Highways 59 and 389 took us through Apple Valley, Colorado City, and Fredonia. Once we picked up U.S. Highway 89A beyond Fredonia, the scenery really shifted into high gear. As we climbed to nearly 8,000 feet, the desert gradually gave way to forests of towering pine trees. For a moment, it felt like we’d accidentally wandered back into Oregon. All that was missing was a little drizzle and someone reminding us to recycle!

After descending nearly 4,200 feet, we were treated to some spectacular rock formations near Cliff Dwellers Lodge before crossing the Colorado River at Marble Canyon. By the time we reached U.S. Highway 89, we had completed 141 miles of some of the most dramatic and unforgettable scenery we’d ever driven.

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From red rock deserts to cool pine forests, steep mountain climbs to deep canyon descents, this stretch of highway kept surprising us around every bend. It was one of those drives where the journey was every bit as memorable as the destination.

The astute reader may have noticed that one essential part of our travel routine has been conspicuously absent by now: the Starbucks mocha

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a Starbucks anywhere along this wonderfully scenic stretch of highway. As beautiful as the drive was, it turned out to be something of a mocha desert. We survived the deprivation, but it wasn’t easy.

Fortunately, we located a Starbucks in Page, Arizona, and decided it was well worth the 26-mile detour. After all, when you’ve gone that long without a mocha, what’s another 52 miles of driving?

Mocha in hand, we headed south on U.S. Highway 89 for an otherwise uneventful drive to our overnight stop in Flagstaff, Arizona. Despite obeying every speed limit and taking time for a walkabout in Cameron, we still arrived more than two hours before hotel check-in.

With time to spare, we toured an independent living community that Barb had discovered through some excellent reviews. It was a beautiful facility—only four and a half years old and nestled in a peaceful forest setting.

There was just one problem. At over 6,900 feet in elevation, it was a little too close to the sky for us. We loved the place, but our lungs voted “no.”

Later, after checking in, we each enjoyed a bowl of soup at Olive Garden before returning to the hotel to settle in for the night. It was a quiet, relaxing end to a day filled with spectacular scenery, mountain roads, and one very important mocha stop.

Tomorrow we’d point the car toward home, but for now we were content to call it a day and enjoy one last night on this trip.

Day 2 - Around St. George, Utah

Up a little after 6:00, and by 6:45 we were partaking in the typical motel breakfast. Today’s offering consisted of what appeared to be a very thin Southwest omelet. Accompanied by a glass of orange juice, it turned out to be pretty good. I also grabbed a hard-boiled egg just in case the omelet was made from powdered eggs.

Last night Barb discovered that my leather shaving kit was falling apart. Actually, it looked like the leather was dissolving. After an extensive online search, the only locally available replacement was at Kohl’s. So, after breakfast we wasted a little time at Walmart and then headed to Kohl’s when it opened. As it turned out, there was only one left, and I grabbed it.

Next up was a call to Snow Canyon to arrange a visit. As luck would have it, our contact was out for the day, so we met with another representative who showed us around instead. We took a good look at the space, imagined what it might be like, and weighed the possibilities. In the end, while we liked what we saw, Snow Canyon may have slipped off the short list.

Since we’re trying to be a little more mindful of what we eat—which mostly means eating less—we decided to split a ham and cheese sandwich at Kneaders Bakery for lunch. It was a simple trade-off: skip dinner out and, instead, settle in later with a Kind Bar and a bottle of water each. Not exactly a feast, but a small step toward staying on track while we’re on the road.

With a whole afternoon left and nothing on the agenda, we headed north on Interstate 15 to the Toquerville turnoff. Toquerville is a typical small Utah town with a population of 2,344. Located only six miles from Hurricane (population 26,891), its residents have little need for a business district, allowing the town to retain its rural character.

The rest of the day was spent back at the motel getting ready for tomorrow’s drive and overnight stay in Flagstaff, Arizona. The route will take us along a few roads and through a few towns we haven’t seen before, so it should be an enjoyable drive.

Day 1 - Home to St. George, Utah

After a quick muffin breakfast and loading the car, we were on the road by 6:05. Within the first 45 minutes, we had topped off the gas tank and procured a peppermint mocha from Starbucks in Wickenburg.

Our route today took us north on what the signs call Future Interstate 11. By “future,” they mean a highway that currently switches back and forth between two lanes and four lanes over and over again. The four-lane sections are very much interstate quality. The two-lane sections, not so much.

After heading west on Interstate 40, which is undergoing major renovations, we made a quick stop at a Safeway in Kingman, Arizona, for two bananas (all of $0.49) and a quick walk-about. We find these short walks are necessary every couple of hours. It must have something to do with age.

The drive from Kingman to Las Vegas on Highway 93 was no different than in years past—boring. I will say that today a pickup truck towing a trailer did not run two stop signs and race across a four-lane highway directly in front of us. The video from our dashcam is available in the September 25, 2025 post.

We chose to leave on a Sunday specifically to avoid traffic through Las Vegas, and, as we’d hoped, it was light compared to a typical weekday. I did get a little distracted and missed the Interstate 15 ramp to St. George, Utah. However, the Lady in the Dash quickly jumped in and found a way to get me back on course.

Our last walk-around of the day was at Lee’s Discount Liquor in Mesquite, Nevada. Lee’s is not your typical liquor store. Oh no—it’s a warehouse-sized liquor store. If you’re looking for an obscure bottle of Scotch, bourbon, gin, or just about any other alcoholic beverage, Lee’s is the place for you. They also have a huge selection of wine and beer. The only black mark we found? Not a single beer from Oregon.

The last few miles to St. George were quick and uneventful. Barb worked her magic and got us a room for two nights, the first of which was free. That's magic. Dinner was at one of those kind of places you don't return too.

Tomorrow we are off for another visit to Snow Canyon Retirement Community.

Day 5 - St. George to Home

Up at 4:45 to get an early start on the day. Half hour to get ready, a few minutes to load the car then on the road. First stop was Cracker Barrel in North Las Vegas. There was more traffic than I expected early in the morning, but we made it through with only two major delays. Sometimes I wonder why traffic comes to a complete stop and then half a mile later starts right up.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. It was an interesting trip, learning about what our future life might look like.

Day 4 - A Free Day

Today was a free day with no more facilities to visit, so we skipped breakfast at the hotel and headed to Chick-fil-A. We each ordered an egg and cheese breakfast biscuit. They have the best biscuits around, so it's no surprise they've topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index for more than a decade.

After breakfast, we headed north on Interstate 15 to Cedar City, Utah. It was a short 52-mile drive, made even quicker by Utah's 80 mph speed limit. One of the main reasons for the trip was to visit the new National Cemetery. Opened in late 2025, it is still quite small—only about eight acres—with just 20 to 25 headstones. The cemetery has beautiful mountain views and real grass, unlike the gravel-covered national cemetery in Arizona. As with all National Cemeteries, burial is provided at no cost for eligible veterans and their spouses. If we eventually end up living in Utah, this is where we'll be buried.

After lunch, we continued north on Interstate 15 to the small town of Parowan, Utah. There wasn't any particular reason for visiting other than Barb wanted to see it. With a population of around 3,000, there's not a lot to see. Parowan's claim to fame is that it's the county seat of Iron County and the oldest town in southern Utah. More than anything, it has a genuine small-town, rural atmosphere. It does "small town" exceptionally well, and in today's world, that makes it seem like a wonderful place to live.

Back at the hotel, it was time to decide where to have dinner. After more than half an hour of going back and forth, we finally settled on Sandtown Pizza. It's small and far from fancy, but the pizza was outstanding. When we finished eating, the young woman who had taken our order brought over one of the handheld payment devices that restaurants use these days. She looked at the screen, smiled, and said, "Oops, looks like it's free." Apparently, she had pressed the wrong button, and just like that, our bill was marked as paid. Needless to say, she received a very generous tip.

The rest of the evening was spent packing and getting everything ready for the trip home the next day.

Day 3 - Around St. George

Day 3 began with another great breakfast at the hotel. We joked that maybe we should start doing this when we get home.

We spent the morning exploring St. George once again. One thing that really stood out was how clean the city is. From the most luxurious homes to the more modest neighborhoods, everything was neat and well maintained. The yards were meticulously cared for, the streets were spotless, and we didn't see any graffiti. There also seemed to be an abundance of upscale homes, many perched on bluffs with what must be spectacular views.

At 11:30, we met with the representative who was showing us Legacy Village. Like yesterday's visit, the tour included several different independent living options. Afterward, we had a question-and-answer session with the representative, followed by lunch. Once the tour was over, we decided that Snow Canyon would remain our first choice.

For dinner, we ordered clam chowder from the hotel's restaurant. Although it was prepared a little differently than we're used to, it was excellent. We also finally mastered the hotel's streaming TV system. Tomorrow is a free day, so we'll probably take a drive farther north and see what we can discover.

Day 2 - Around St. George

Before I tell you about our day, I wanted to share this photo we took this morning.

The breakfast at the Inn on the Cliff is outstanding. It is delivered right to your room and includes a small glass bowl with fresh fruit topped with yogurt and granola, a glass of orange juice, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a small bag of almonds. It's a simple breakfast, but a very good one.

With our first retirement community appointment scheduled for noon, we spent the morning driving around St. George. The first thing we noticed was the width of the streets. They aren't just wide—they're really wide. Apparently, when the town was first laid out, the streets were made wide enough for an ox cart to turn around without difficulty.

Notice how the wide street makes the cars look so small.

We also stopped to check out a couple of Smith's grocery stores (the Utah equivalent of Kroger) as well as Harmons Neighborhood Grocer. Harmons was especially impressive—an exceptionally nice store that reminded us a lot of Market of Choice in Bend.

At noon, we met with a representative from Snow Canyon Retirement Community. Our visit began with lunch, followed by a tour of the independent living residences and amenities. We then spent quite a while talking with the representative and getting answers to our many questions. Our first impression was excellent. Of all the communities we've visited so far, Snow Canyon immediately moved to the top of our list. here.

Dinner was at another one of those places we won't be returning to any time soon.

Tomorrow, we have another place to visit and maybe a little more exploring.

Day 1 - Home to St. George, Utah

Thinking it was going to be a long day, we were up, packed, and on the road by 5:43 a.m. Our first stop was for gas and two apple fritters—fuel for the car and fuel for us. From there, we took Loop 303 to US 60 for the drive to Wickenburg.

US 60 between Surprise and Wickenburg isn't the most scenic stretch of highway, so driving it in the dark seemed like the perfect way to begin the trip.

One bright spot was that Wickenburg has a Starbucks, making it a welcome stop before continuing north.

From Wickenburg, we followed US 93 for 122 miles to Interstate 40. Someday, US 93 is supposed to become Interstate 11, but I doubt I'll live long enough to see it. The northern half is a beautiful four-lane divided highway that looks and feels like an Interstate. The southern half, however, alternates between two and four lanes, making for a less consistent drive.

After a short stretch west on Interstate 40 to Kingman, we continued north on US 93 toward Las Vegas. Just before the always slow drive through Boulder City, we picked up the completed section of Interstate 11, which makes getting through Las Vegas much easier. By the time we reached the northwest side of town, it was definitely time for lunch—and that's when the day started to unravel. Barb searched her phone for a place to eat while I concentrated on navigating the traffic. She finally found a Subway that wasn't two exits behind us, but when we pulled into the parking lot, one look was all it took for both of us to decide to keep driving. Our next plan was to find something in Mesquite, Nevada.

After a little more searching, Barb found a restaurant inside a motel. Once we were seated, we realized we were actually sitting in the motel's breakfast room. We were just about to get up and leave when the server came around the corner to take our order. Fortunately, we stayed. The hamburgers were excellent, turning what looked like a questionable choice into one of the pleasant surprises of the day.

A short drive later, we arrived in St. George and checked into our hotel. Dinner that evening was at a Mexican restaurant that won't be making our list of places to revisit.

Despite a few bumps along the way, it was a good first day on the road. Tomorrow we'll begin touring a couple of independent living communities and get our first real look at what St. George has to offer.