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Jon + I had gotten home from a week of working at Magnolia Market + a 22 hour car ride (each way), when the boys pitched us on heading to Southern Utah to ride dirt bikes.
“YOU LOVE THE SUN!” – said my son
Thursday night we quickly packed our swimsuits, paddleboards + hammocks, loaded up the dirt bikes + hit the road. Annnnd, by quick I mean 6 hours after we had hoped to leave. Jon wins MVP for driving us 4 deadbeats until 3:30 AM without complaint. You can snag any of our gear with code GINGER for 15% off your first purchase.
COOLER | TOWEL | JONAH’S SWIM | RIGG’S SWIM| KIDS RASH GUARDS | KIDS BIRKENSTOCKS
Southern Utah feels like a second home to us.
The longer our house plans take the more open we are to throwing in the towel. I lost track of how many times Jonah asked if we could move to St George for good.
It’s where we escape to the cold in the SLC winter!
Sand Hollow seems to be to go to place when you want water sports. We don’t have a boat + I jusst wanted to put my toes in the sand!
I V I N S R E S E R V O I R
is our tucked away little secret where we go for paddleboarding + picnics. Ky went to school down there + she showed it to me back in the day. They have a new bathroom + beach space. The water was too cold to jump off the dock, but normally it feels like Heaven when the temps jump over 100 degrees.
SWIMSUIT | PADDLEBOARD | KIDS SWIM | KIDS RASH GUARD
You guys these views. CAN’T BE BEAT. No battle. There were lots of couple riding bikes along the path (this was new for me, but maybe everyone knows about it?)
Ivins is about 15 minutes outside of St George. Right in middle of this small little town you’ll find Ivin’s Reservoir. It’s super easy to get in + out of, if you’re staying in the St George area.
COOLER | JON’S SWIM | JON’S SHIRT | JONAH’S SWIM | TOWEL | BOYS SHOES
You can park super close to the water, so hauling paddleboards + other gear is easy peasy. There also aren’t any boats allowed so the water is mellow + perfect for paddleboards, kayaks + swimming!
They’re lots of hiking trails + paths.
It is FREE to access, super family friendly + yes they have bathrooms, that flush!
Thought I would share a few things we packed that were super handy!
- there is no drinking fountains at the lake so we made sure to bring WATER! our yeti cooler kept ice in solid cubes until we came home Sunday night!!
- I shared my favorite reusable straws last friday, they fit inside of the yeti tumbler lid perfectly. I prefer ice in my water + with yeti it stays cold all day long. LITERALLY.
- Paddleboards. It’s definitely easier to bring your own than finding a spot to rent + having to return them by a certain time.
- Sandals for the boys so they could easily run in + out of the water.
- Patagonia is a tried + true brand we love. They sell these swim trunks for the boys when we’re adventuring. When I know sand is involved I try to pack trunks that don’t have a liner. Don’t tell Jonah his bottoms are girls board shorts – would you have even known if I didn’t tell you?! The length is MONEY! Patagonia hold up super well for wild kids. (code GINGER 15% off)
- For some extra sun protection (you know I’m a crazy lady when it comes to this #selftannerislife) I brought my swimsuit that covers my shoulders a little more!
- rash guards for the boys. the boys don’t always want to take a break from the adventures for sunscreen so we compromise with rash guards!
- our favorite jackets for when it got chilly at night.
- hammocks for when we wanted to take a break for the sun + where we sleep in the van. we haven’t made our final decisions on the van coversions yet, so our hammnocks are doubling as storage + beds for this trip! #vanlife
- i love round beach towels. It seems to fit all of us + those colors?!
Be sure to take advantage of an extra 15% off your first Backcountry purchase with code GINGER
It’s always hard for us to say goodbye to Southern Utah views, but hopefully we’ll be back again soon – – – especially because it snowed the day we got home – March 24th!! MARCH! 🙂 Utah we love ya, but we’re ready for spring.
After a weekend full of #GOATWORTHY MOMENTS as a family, we couldn’t help but reflect on adventures this blog has taken us! I started blogging when Jonah was born. SEVEN YEARS AGO. This partnership with backcountry has been one of my very favorites to date. We are all having completely different greatest of all time moments. I am so grateful for the opportunity to partner with a brand that our family supports on + off the screens! use code: GINGER at checkout for 15% off your first backcountry order!
If you’re needing a cold day adventure:
SNOWSHOEING
SNOWBOARDING
all #GOATWORTHY moments with Backcountry.
xx.
Ginger