Dave and Jan were blessed with a visit from some special friends from their time in California and their association with The Church at Green Hills in LaHabra. One of their guests was Caroleen Suzuki, who lived with the Balsleys for six years while she was establishing residence as a student from Japan in anticipation of her schooling at Fullerton College and California State University in Fullerton. The other two guests were Bruce and Judy Riggins who took Caroleen into their home when Dave and Jan moved to Utah. Bruce and Judy are long time members at Green Hills, where they sang in the choir with the Balsleys and Caroleen and were active in leadership roles in the church.

Arriving on Sunday evening, August 3, and staying only until Tuesday morning, there wasn’t much time to take in the scenery and explore the community in the Cedar City area. But there are good things to enjoy nearby, so Tuesday began with a visit to nearby Cedar Breaks – located around 30 miles up Cedar Mountain east of Cedar City at an elevation of just above 10,000 feet. Spring flowers were still displaying their beauty at the visitor center, and the beautiful red-rock geology of the breaks was on full display.

A drive down the mountain through the Brian Head Ski Resort area took the group to a picnic area along the scenic road to Yankee Meadows with its beautiful red-rock geology.

Following lunch the tour headed us south on I-15 for a visit to Kolob Canyons. The canyons are a western part of Zion National Park, with access to the main part of Zion only by hiking a 14-mile trail.

Back in Cedar City we drove to Thunderbird Gardens where interesting rock formations exist and access to several trailheads are found. We took a few photos amid the colorful rocks where Caroleen displayed her enthusiasm for the beauty of the area.

The evening included a visit to the Shakespeare Festival area to enjoy the Green Show, a free dramatic presentation which many visitors and locals enjoy evenings during the summer season. And Tuesday morning included a short venture into beautiful Rainbow Canyon, just around the ridge from home.

Dave and Jan always enjoy sharing their love of the Cedar City area with guests from out of town, and it was great to host Caroleen and the Riggins who have been a significant part of their experience while they were living in California and attending the Church at Green Hills in La Habra.