Red Rock Living

Often, when looking for something different, we search for a place that meets our vision of how we would like to spend our retirement years. Many of us want a near-perfect, dry climate, 300 days of sunshine a year, surrounded by natural beauty where we can live and play with people of similar interests.

Deep in the Southwest amidst an infamous red rock backdrop, is SunRiver in St. George, UT, an award-winning master-planned, active retirement community that has set a high standard for adult retirement living and seems to meet these requirements. Some 1,600 homes have already been built and more are on the way at this community in southern Utah, almost on the Arizona border. But its location isn’t what you might think of as remote. With up to 200,000 people in the surrounding area, including 75,000 people in St. George, there are plenty of restaurants featuring unique cuisine, art galleries filled with novel and conventional pieces, interesting boutiques, and inviting antique shops. Only 10 minutes away from SunRiver, the Dixie Regional Medical Center has been rated among the top 50 hospitals in cardiac care. At its core, St. George exudes a small town environment and offers something seniors often feel is important: clean air, light traffic, low crime, plus enjoyable companionship.

St. George, the focal point of Utah’s red rock country, is located 117 miles north of Las Vegas, NV on Interstate 15, and is a key gateway to six breathtaking national parks containing some of the most sensational natural wonders on Earth, including Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Lake Powell, and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

For Chief Boettcher, a twenty-one-year Navy veteran, and his wife, Pat, it’s the perfect place. Looking for a community to move to, they found SunRiver in an advertisement in ideal-LIVING magazine. Visiting they found a friendly, hospitable community. Chief Boettcher said, “When I walk down the street, everyone passing by says ‘hello.’”

A similar comment was made by Loretta and Sherm Mullins who came to SunRiver a year and a half ago from Idaho. On their first trip to SunRiver they asked a woman on the street if she liked it there. “I only wish I’d come here sooner,” she replied.

The Mullins chose SunRiver for its majestic scenery, well-built houses with a strong, enforceable HOA, and neighbors who took pride in their homes. “And, the physicians here can’t be beat,” Sherm said in appreciation of the successful knee surgery that has him heading out to the golf course after a three-month recuperation.
The Huntsman Senior Games held at SunRiver show the over 50 crowd at their best. There are competitions in a variety of areas: tennis, swimming, fast walking, lawn bowling, archery, and more to go along with the normal activities such as lawn bowling, pickleball, tennis, and square dancing.

An active senior over 55 can find great weather, exceptional scenery, almost unlimited companionship, and a well- built home in one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, St. George, UT.

By William Burr Previously published in the 2015 Spring Issue.

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