CEDAR CITY, 53 miles north of St George and approximately half its size, offers first hand access to Zion National Park.

Founded as an iron mining town in the late 1850s, it's now kept alive by the Southern Utah State College on its western fringe, and by the flood of theater-goers who come to watch the enthusiastic productions of the Utah Shakespeare Festival , held on campus every summer (tel 435/586-7878). The large local visitor center stands at 581 N Main St (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 435/586-5124, ).

Main Street is handy for food and lodging; motels with pools include two Best Westerns , the El Rey Inn at no.80 S (tel 435/586-6518, ; $50-160), and the smart Town and Country Inn at no.200 N (tel 435/586-9900; $75-100).

Godfathers Pizza at no.241 N (tel 435/586-1111) offers Italian specialties in a lively atmosphere, while Sulli's at no.301 S (tel 435/586-6761) is part steakhouse, part coffeeshop.