Tom, Us and Dixie State College

Mr. Tom was ready to go this morning! He climbed in his bag, zipped up and off we went.

A very squeeky, must-not-have-any-shocks shuttle van took us from the Las Vegas airport to St. George, Utah. It may have been a bumpy ride, but the clouds were beautiful as were the mountains surrounding us.

 

St. George has an interesting history. In 1854, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established an Indian mission in Santa Clara, two miles northwest of present-day St. George. The church set up experimental farms in the St. George Valley in 1857-1858. In October 1861, church leaders called 309 families to establish the Cotton Mission. After the outbreak of the Civil War that same year, LDS Church President Brigham Young felt it necessary to grow cotton, if possible. Many of these families assigned to settle the area hailed from the South and possessed the necessary skills to grow cotton and establish a community. Paying homage to the nickname of their former home, these settlers called the region "Utah's Dixie." The first Utah Morman Temple was built here in (pictures will be taken tomorrow). Our tour guide is a 5th generation Dixieite (as they call themselves). Her great-great grandparents were part of the 309 Morman families called to St. George.

Our accommodations are at the College Inn formerly a girl's dormitory for the Dixie State College. No television, no heat but we do have our own shower/toilet. We dined at the college then returned to the Inn for introductions.

Our group consists of about 29 and the average age appears to be between 65-70. Yes, we are the youngsters of the group. There are former educators, several retired librarians, a wildlife rehabilitator, etc. Their hometowns are from all over the country, as well as Canada.

Following introductions, we were treated to an informative lecture on geology. Yes, it was informative. Not boring as you may think. The lecturer, Darryl, has a great sense of humor and looks like John Denver. One person in our party was very excited about the geology 
lesson. Guess who that was? No, not Mr. Tom. He stayed in the dorm room.

So, what's scheduled for tomorrow you say? We will be entertained by the former college president with an overview of the area history followed by a tour of the restored pioneer buildings. Following lunch from the college we will journey to Snow Canyon State Park and then dine at what I know will be a real treat.....Chuck-A-Rama. Tomorrow's menu is A Taste of China. Their website says, liven up your Tuesday with something hot and spicy. Woo hoo! 

Lookout Tuesday!

P.S. I must apologize if this post looks funny on your computer. I am having difficulty with blogger and won't be able to fix this for a few days. Just bear with me. Thanks!