Basecamp

BASE

BOOTS COATED IN DUST AND A THOUSAND OR SO EXTRA IMAGES IN THE CAMERA ROLL. Are there more obvious signs of a great summer getaway?

With the 60th anniversary of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, higher elevations, and cooler temps, a trip to Cedar City is just the thing! Bags packed and bucket list for adventure in southern Utah in hand, we’re setting out to discover the ultimate summer adventure basecamp. In and around Cedar City are a variety of environments, activities, and incredible views, making it easy to extend your stay. Within an hour drive from the heart of downtown we discovered brightly colored rock formations and wildflowers, ancient trees, and stories etched into stone and spoken from a stage. THE UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL First stop on your Cedar City vacation? One of the oldest Shakespeare festivals in America, the Utah Shakespeare Festival! Thrilled to be returning in time for their 60th anniversary season, you better believe that they’re pulling out all of the stops to provide a wonderful experience for all who join them!

A Tony Award-winning repertory theater experience with eight plays performed every year in three beautiful theaters, the Utah Shakespeare Festival makes Shakespeare exciting and accessible through modern interpretations and vibrant performances. While tickets for plays can be reserved at bard.org, there is one part of the Utah Shakespeare Festival that doesn’t require a ticket.

BY KAYLEE PICKERING

Settle in on the lawn in front of the Englestad theater as music fills the tree-lined courtyards and the chatter of the crowd evolves into laughter and song along with the performers of the free nightly Greenshow. A lighthearted performance with delightful dances and lively music, the Greenshow is always sure to leave you smiling.

FRONTIER HOMESTEAD STATE PARK From Elizabethian sonnets to the wild wild west, the Frontier Homestead State Park is another Cedar City favorite. Imagine for a moment that you’re a stagecoach driver steering your team across the Old Spanish Trail, or a steam shovel operator digging ore in an iron mine.

At the Frontier Homestead you can easily make history a part of your story with hands-on activities that take you back in time to the founding of Cedar City. Tour pioneer homes and classic wood cabins. Test your prospecting skills with gold panning and take home a glimmering souvenir.

What is one of our favorite experiences at the Frontier Homestead? Playing school in the one-roomed Deseret Schoolhouse. On the whiteboard you’ll find the Deseret Alphabet, a phonetic language developed by early Mormon Pioneers to Utah. Translating it feels just like breaking a secret code! Write fun messages and jokes to your friends in a secret language and pretend for just a bit that you’re a real-life pioneer.

CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT & BRIAN HEAD Home to curious wildlife and bristlecone pines that have been hanging around since the last millennium, time

seems to stand still at Cedar Breaks National Monument, and that’s really not a bad thing. After a chaotic year, an afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the city sounds ideal. To top it off, it’s at 10,000 feet in elevation which means the temperatures stay cool and comfortable.

The early Paiute people called Cedar Breaks the “Circle of Painted Cliffs” referring to multicolored stone ridges in this natural amphitheater that’s over 2,500 feet deep and more than three miles across. During the month of July, the fields surrounding the monument are almost as vibrant as the rock formations themselves! The annual Wildflower Festival is a great time to take in the diversity of plant life around the meadows and along the trails. Pick up a Cedar Breaks Wildflower guide from a park ranger to see how many you can find.

Hike the two-mile paved sunset trail for the best variety of wildflowers along the way and a great scenic overlook at the end. Or embark on the four mile Spectra Point/ Ramparts trail to spot flowers as you wind along the rim of the plateau and end at a stand of ancient bristlecone pines.

BRIAN HEAD SUMMER ACTIVITIES After taking in the panache of color and variety of wildlife and flowers alike at Cedar Breaks, take a five-minute drive to the town of Brian Head for lunch. As a local favorite, the pizza and pasta at Pizzano’s Pizzeria is always great for feeding a large group, and their calzones are huge! Right next to the Giant Steps Lodge of Brian Head Resort you can watch the mountain bikers fly down the Brian Head Bike Park while you eat.

On weekends from June – September the resort transforms into a summer playground with a lift-serviced mountain bike park and wide range of summer activities. Take in the surroundings and Cedar Breaks in the distance with a scenic chairlift ride, a run on the alpine tubing hill, or try the zipline. Want a view that is a must for any visit to Brian Head? Get a picture at the top of Brian Head Peak! At 11,312 feet this is the highest peak in Iron County and the view is unbelievable. Along the 0.2-mile loop at the top you can spot stunning wildflowers along the way, and best yet, it’s pet friendly so every member of the family can join on this adventure.

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