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.
Today was a free day, with no more facilities to visit. So, we passed on breakfast at the hotel and headed Chick-Fil-A for one (each that is) of their egg and cheese breakfast biscuits. They have the best biscuits ever. No wonder they have topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index for over a decade.
After breakfast we headed North on Interstate 15 to Cedar City, Utah. It was a short 52-mile drive, made even shorter by the 80 MPH speed limit. One of the reasons for going to Cedar City was to visit the new National Cemetery. Opened in late 2025, it is small, only about 8 acres, and currently has only 20-25 headstones. There are nice views of the mountains, real grass (unlike gravel at the one in Arizona) and like all National Cemeteries free for veterans and spouses. If we do wind up in Utah, this is where we will be buried.
After lunch we continued North on Interstate 15 to the small town of Parowan, Utah. No particular reason to go to Parowan, except Barb wanted to see it. With a population of around 3,000, there is not much to see. Parowan's claim to fame seems to center on it is the county seat of Iron County, it is the oldest town in Southern Utah and maintains a small town, rural feel. It does the small town really well, which in this day and age means it would be a good place to live.
Back at the hotel it was time to pick a place for dinner. After a half hour or more of back and forth, we finally decided on Sandtown Pizza. Small, not at all fancy, but it was an exceptionally good pizza. After we finished, the young lady that took our order came to give us our bill, using one of those electronic things restaurants have now days. All she said was "Opps, looks like it's free." Apparently, she had pushed the wrong button and just like that the bill was paid. She received a very generous tip.
The rest of the evening was spent packing and getting ready to head home the next day.
Day 3 started with another great breakfast from the hotel. We thought maybe we should try doing this when we get home.
We spent the morning again exploring the town. One thing we noticed was how clean St. George is. From the nicest high-end homes to the lower end homes, they are neat and well kept. Yards are taken care of, streets were clean and we did not see any graffiti. There is an abundance of high-end homes, many sitting on bluffs with what must be great views.
At 11:30 we met the rep that would be showing us Legacy Village. The tour, much like yesterday, took us through several different living situations in the independent living area. Afterwards, we had a question-and-answer session with the rep and then lunch. After leaving, we decided Snow Canyon was still the first choice.
For dinner we ordered clam chowder from the restaurant at the hotel and although a little different in preparation it was very good. We have, finally, mastered the streaming TV. Tomorrow, we have free, so will probably take a drive up North.
Before telling about our day, I want to post this photo taken this morning.
The breakfast at the Inn On The Cliff is outstanding. It is served in your room and consists of a small glass bowl with fruit at the bottom and yogurt and granola on top, a glass of orange juice, a small piece of cheddar cheese and a small bag of almonds.
With a 12:00 o’clock appointment for our first facility visit, we started the day by driving around town. The first thing noticed was the wide streets. These streets are not just wide; they are very wide. Apparently in the early days, streets were laid out so an ox cart could turn around.
Notice how the wide street makes the cars look so small.
We checked out a couple of Smith’s grocery stores (Kroger stores in Utah) and Harmon’s Neighborhood Grocer, which was really a very, very nice store. Reminded us of Market of Choice in Bend.
At noon we met with a rep from Snow Canyon Retirement Community, and our first stop was for lunch. First impression of Snow Canyon was that it was by far the nicest we have seen. Following the meal, we took a tour of all the independent living options, followed by a long talk with the rep getting more information. So far, this facility would be at the top of our list. You can visit Snow Canyon 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.
Thinking it was going to be a long day, we were up, packed and on the road at 5:43 am. First stop was for gas and two apple fritters. Fuel for the car and fuel for us. Then onto the 303 to US 60, for the drive into Wickenburg. US 60 between Surprise and Wickenburg is not a particularly attractive road, so having a chance to drive it in the dark was a really great way to start the trip.
Wickenburg does have a Starbucks, so there was a bright spot when we finally reached town. Then it was US 93 for 122 miles to Interstate 40. US 93 will someday be Interstate 11, but not in my lifetime. The northern half is a genuinely nice four lane divided highway (looks like an Interstate); however the southern half switches back and forth between two and four lane.
Heading a short distance West on Interstate 40 took us to Kingman, Arizona, where we continued onto US 93 to Las Vegas. Just before what was a very slow drive through Boulder City, Nevada, picked up the actually completed part of Interstate 11, which makes the drive in Laa Vegas much easier. On the far side of town, it was about time for lunch and at that point the day started to go South. Barb was on her phone trying to find a place to eat, while I was navigating through traffic. Barb finally found a subway that wasn't two exits back, but when we got there we both decided it wasn't for us. Back on the highway we decided to try finding something in Mesquite, Nevada.
Barb finally found a restaurant, which was in a motel. Once seated, we realized we were in the breakfast room and about to up and leave, except that the server came around the corner to take our order. As it turned out the hamburger was excellent, so no harm done.
A short drive to St. George and we were able to check in hotel. Dinner that night was at Mexican restaurant to which we will not return.
Overall, not a bad day. Tomorrow, we start checking out a couple of Independent Living facilities.
