Nobody likes traffic or having to deal with tourists at work.
Luckily, sunny St. George isn’t that bad — or so some like to think.
I grew up in a big city where my mom had to wake me up extra early just so I could get to school on time.
So when I moved to St. George seven years ago, I had never set foot in such a small town before.
Learning to drive here was easy; I didn’t have to deal with heavy traffic or learn how to drive aggressively like people from larger cities do.
But over the years, I’ve notice St. George has grown into a vacation spot and has gotten busier.
Some students like Alexis Truman, a freshman general education major from St. George, agree that it’s sometimes frustrating with all the extra people in town.
“It’s difficult to get around, and the traffic becomes frustrating and sometimes just a little too much to handle,” Truman said.
But I happen to agree with students like Annie Cluff, a sophomore general education major from St. George, who said she doesn’t view St. George getting more crowded as a bad thing.
“I think it’s good that we get waves of people coming in for marathons and sports competitions,” Cluff said. “It helps out the businesses here and makes St. George become a little more noticed in a positive way.”
St. George has a lot to offer, especially for people who don’t like the snow and enjoy outdoor activities. So what’s wrong if they like to come here and enjoy those things?
Try to put aside those annoyances and consider being grateful that people enjoy your city just as much as you do.
Here are some ways to cope with the extra people around:
Try not to complain about the traffic
If you’ve never driven in Los Angeles, New York City, or any other large city, you have no room to complain. It’s 10 times worse than what you experience in St. George.
Explore outside of the city
You can’t find a place to eat in town or the roads are blocked off from a marathon?
Try venturing out a bit, and go past city limits. There are places to eat and things to do in Hurricane and Washington that aren’t as busy as St. George.
Avoid popular places
Southern Utah is famous for its red rocks and hiking areas, so it’s probably best to avoid Dixie Rock or Zion National Park on the days that events are happening, as they are the most packed at these times.
Try doing something new or go somewhere you haven’t been before when people are filling up your favorite spots. There are other hiking places that aren’t as popular, like Snow Canyon State Park.
No matter how much people hate the fact that St. George is turning into a vacation spot and has become busier, it’s still your home and a beautiful place to live in, so try to still enjoy it.