Today Tiffy and I had breakfast in the crazy space-age cafe area of our hotel, then we drove to Dinosaur National Monument and took the shuttle to the fossil-viewing area. The plus about this attraction: free! The downside: they don't tell you that you will be on a ledge with a sheer drop-off, and I am TERRIFIED of heights. Somehow I did survive, and we saw lots of dinosaur bones in the rocks. Then we drove through the rest of the area and saw some awesome petroglyphs and something called Elephant Toes Butte. No fears, I took photos. I did not get photos of the cranes, coyote, or prairie dogs we saw along the side of the road, so you will just have to imagine what they looked like. (I did get a picture of a lizard sunning itself on a rock.)
Now we are back in Salt Lake City, and I am torn because my team (Go PACK!!) is playing my second-favorite team (Geaux Saints!) but so far the Packers are winning. (I took a break at half time to blog.) It has been a very high-scoring, exciting game so far. Tomorrow we will explore the Salt Flats just west of the city, and possibly swim in the Great Salt Lake.
Famous Hat
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Dinosaur Baptist Church
Today we returned to Arches National Park to see the things we missed yesterday. We did a lot of hiking and saw tons of lizards, ground squirrels, and big black bugs. The plants were extremely weird but very happy because of the rain the night before, so the desert was gorgeous with many shades of green contrasting with the many shades of terra cotta in the rock formations. I forgot to take a picture of the sign that said: "Pick up Park Avenue hikers here," but I did take one of the Hula Hoop Crossing sign. There was also a sign that sounded like a Chinese proverb: "Gather no wood in park." (I didn't get a photo of that either.)
Then we went to Dead Horse Point, from which you can see a magnificent view of the canyon the Colorado River has formed below. There were a lot of French people there for some reason, saying things like, "C'est magnifique!" and, "C'est grandeuse!" and, "Regardez!" This park is most famous for being the site where Thelma and Louise drive over a cliff in their eponymous movie.
We drove through a mountain pass in Colorado to get to Vernal, Utah (where we are staying tonight) and had lots of adventures like seeing deer and cattle that were pondering crossing the road in front of us. I could kick myself for not getting a photo of Dinosaur Baptist Church! We had to take a left on Brontosaurus Boulevard. Then we crossed back into Utah and nearly collided head-on with a pickup who was passing another vehicle on our two-lane highway. Luckily nobody was behind us, and Tiffy was able to pull over onto the shoulder, so we are fine here in Vernal. Tomorrow we are going to Dinosaur National Monument so stay tuned for further adventures that hopefully do not include nearly colliding with crazy drivers.
Famous Hat
Then we went to Dead Horse Point, from which you can see a magnificent view of the canyon the Colorado River has formed below. There were a lot of French people there for some reason, saying things like, "C'est magnifique!" and, "C'est grandeuse!" and, "Regardez!" This park is most famous for being the site where Thelma and Louise drive over a cliff in their eponymous movie.
We drove through a mountain pass in Colorado to get to Vernal, Utah (where we are staying tonight) and had lots of adventures like seeing deer and cattle that were pondering crossing the road in front of us. I could kick myself for not getting a photo of Dinosaur Baptist Church! We had to take a left on Brontosaurus Boulevard. Then we crossed back into Utah and nearly collided head-on with a pickup who was passing another vehicle on our two-lane highway. Luckily nobody was behind us, and Tiffy was able to pull over onto the shoulder, so we are fine here in Vernal. Tomorrow we are going to Dinosaur National Monument so stay tuned for further adventures that hopefully do not include nearly colliding with crazy drivers.
Famous Hat
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Now We're in Moab
Today Tiffy and I drove south from Salt Lake City to Moab, past American Fork and Spanish Fork, Utah, and over a very high altitude desert where the clouds looked low enough to touch. There were mountains and strange rock formations on every side. We took a detour to Goblin Valley State Park, since it had been highly recommended, and it was definitely worth seeing! Tons of strange rock formations that looked more like gnomes, or maybe mushrooms, than goblins, mostly about our height. We hiked down and hung out with them for awhile, but there was thunder in the distance so we decided to head to Moab.
Just before Moab we got to Arches National Monument, which is so full of cool stuff that we didn't even get to see it all so we are going back tomorrow. We saw Balance Rock and a formation called the Three Gossips and a gorgeous rainbow that lasted almost an hour. Then we climbed up to a lookout point to see Delicate Arch, which was glowing in the evening light. We took tons of photos which I hope to post soon. We didn't see any bighorn sheep, but at Goblin Valley State Park we did see a pronghorn antelope just by the side of the road, and then we saw a tumbleweed roll right in front of our car, so we felt like we had seen the requisite desert sights. And there is sagebrush everywhere, but only a few cacti.
Famous Hat
Just before Moab we got to Arches National Monument, which is so full of cool stuff that we didn't even get to see it all so we are going back tomorrow. We saw Balance Rock and a formation called the Three Gossips and a gorgeous rainbow that lasted almost an hour. Then we climbed up to a lookout point to see Delicate Arch, which was glowing in the evening light. We took tons of photos which I hope to post soon. We didn't see any bighorn sheep, but at Goblin Valley State Park we did see a pronghorn antelope just by the side of the road, and then we saw a tumbleweed roll right in front of our car, so we felt like we had seen the requisite desert sights. And there is sagebrush everywhere, but only a few cacti.
Famous Hat
Salt Lake City
Yesterday Tiffy and I explored part of Salt Lake City, at least what was within walking distance of our hotel. This included Temple Square and the State Capitol. We heard an organ recital in the Tabernacle and wondered what was in the Temple, since they wouldn't let us inside. There was a visitors' center with a model of the temple showing what was inside, and it looked like Senate Chambers. That is, if you can believe them. The Capitol Building looked a lot like ours but wasn't quite as ornate inside. I took lots of pictures which I hope to post once I get back home.
Tiffy and I were a little creeped out by Temple Square, which surprised me since I have been in all sorts of sacred buildings without feeling creeped out. (For example, I have been in a number of mosques and felt just fine.) Part of it was the Stepford Greeters who wander around the Square wearing nametags and blank smiles and always greet you and ask if you would like to learn more about their church. They weren't pushy when we said no, just looking, but I still couldn't shake my feeling of unease. Anyone else been to Temple Square? Did you feel uneasy there too? Feel free to leave a comment about your experiences.
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Tiffy and I were a little creeped out by Temple Square, which surprised me since I have been in all sorts of sacred buildings without feeling creeped out. (For example, I have been in a number of mosques and felt just fine.) Part of it was the Stepford Greeters who wander around the Square wearing nametags and blank smiles and always greet you and ask if you would like to learn more about their church. They weren't pushy when we said no, just looking, but I still couldn't shake my feeling of unease. Anyone else been to Temple Square? Did you feel uneasy there too? Feel free to leave a comment about your experiences.
Famous Hat
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Long Trip West
Tiffy and I are now safely in Salt Lake City, having survived our harrowing trip out west as we passed towns like What Cheer, Iowa and Wahoo (we can't remember if that was in Iowa or Nebraska), almost got rear-ended in the middle of Nebraska, ate runzas in Syndey, Nebraska, and negotiated the ridiculous traffic coming into Salt Lake City.
The driving was mostly fine, except on Saturday evening when we ran into the traffic after a Cornhuskers game. At one point we encountered debris on the highway, so everyone slowed down, but the pickup truck behind us was going too fast and couldn't stop. Fortunately Nebraska is very flat, so instead of rear-ending Tiffy and me in our rental car (a black Ford Fusion with Minnesota plates), he swerved off the road and then got back onto it. Whew! Disaster averted. We made it to North Platte, Nebraska and stayed the night in a hotel, which was one advantage over the train: we had beds.
Sunday morning we went to Mass at St. Patrick's in North Platte, then we hit the road. In Sydney we went to a fast food chain peculiar to Nebraska called Runzas, where they served runzas, which are a lot like Cornish pasties in sandwich form. Wyoming was amazingly empty, and most of the traffic was semi trucks. Then we had to do a lot of downhill driving coming into Salt Lake City, and the traffic was bananas because the semis could only go 40 mph by law, so they were inching along in the right lane and occasionally passing each other at glacial speed. Meanwhile, people who were used to the mountain roads were taking the curves at alarming speeds. Of course I was the one lucky enough to be driving that leg of our journey, so I tried to stay in a middle lane and not get hit by anyone. We drove to the airport, dropped off our rental car, and took the free shuttle to our hotel downtown. (We are two blocks from Temple Square.) Then we took a walk to stretch our legs after two days of driving and ended up at a sushi restaurant called The Naked Fish for a late dinner. If you happen to find yourself in Salt Lake City, you MUST eat at this place. Everything was delicious, and, to quote Tiffy, the grilled octopus was "phenomenal."
Today we are going to wander around the city and see stuff. I am just blogging quickly at the hotel's business center after our complimentary breakfast. Will blog again when I get the chance.
Famous Hat
The driving was mostly fine, except on Saturday evening when we ran into the traffic after a Cornhuskers game. At one point we encountered debris on the highway, so everyone slowed down, but the pickup truck behind us was going too fast and couldn't stop. Fortunately Nebraska is very flat, so instead of rear-ending Tiffy and me in our rental car (a black Ford Fusion with Minnesota plates), he swerved off the road and then got back onto it. Whew! Disaster averted. We made it to North Platte, Nebraska and stayed the night in a hotel, which was one advantage over the train: we had beds.
Sunday morning we went to Mass at St. Patrick's in North Platte, then we hit the road. In Sydney we went to a fast food chain peculiar to Nebraska called Runzas, where they served runzas, which are a lot like Cornish pasties in sandwich form. Wyoming was amazingly empty, and most of the traffic was semi trucks. Then we had to do a lot of downhill driving coming into Salt Lake City, and the traffic was bananas because the semis could only go 40 mph by law, so they were inching along in the right lane and occasionally passing each other at glacial speed. Meanwhile, people who were used to the mountain roads were taking the curves at alarming speeds. Of course I was the one lucky enough to be driving that leg of our journey, so I tried to stay in a middle lane and not get hit by anyone. We drove to the airport, dropped off our rental car, and took the free shuttle to our hotel downtown. (We are two blocks from Temple Square.) Then we took a walk to stretch our legs after two days of driving and ended up at a sushi restaurant called The Naked Fish for a late dinner. If you happen to find yourself in Salt Lake City, you MUST eat at this place. Everything was delicious, and, to quote Tiffy, the grilled octopus was "phenomenal."
Today we are going to wander around the city and see stuff. I am just blogging quickly at the hotel's business center after our complimentary breakfast. Will blog again when I get the chance.
Famous Hat
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Slight Change in Plans
Here is a fictional tale for your Friday afternoon:
Once upon a time there were two fair ladies who were going to take a trip to a far-off land called “Utah,” and they planned to take the train. Two days before the train was scheduled to depart, they got a phone call: the train had been canceled! For the rest of the month!! Can you imagine their consternation? They weren’t sure what to do, but in just a few hours they had come up with a plan: they would rent a car, drive to Salt Lake City, and then fly back home. Of course this was not an ideal plan, since it would be a very long drive (even broken into two days), and one fair lady was terrified of planes, but what else could they do on such short notice?
You can tell this is fiction, because who would ever cancel a train with two days’ notice? That would NEVER happen in real life. (You can also tell it's fiction because who would call Tiffy and me "fair"? Or "ladies"?) Stay tuned for more fictional adventures!
Famous Hat
Once upon a time there were two fair ladies who were going to take a trip to a far-off land called “Utah,” and they planned to take the train. Two days before the train was scheduled to depart, they got a phone call: the train had been canceled! For the rest of the month!! Can you imagine their consternation? They weren’t sure what to do, but in just a few hours they had come up with a plan: they would rent a car, drive to Salt Lake City, and then fly back home. Of course this was not an ideal plan, since it would be a very long drive (even broken into two days), and one fair lady was terrified of planes, but what else could they do on such short notice?
You can tell this is fiction, because who would ever cancel a train with two days’ notice? That would NEVER happen in real life. (You can also tell it's fiction because who would call Tiffy and me "fair"? Or "ladies"?) Stay tuned for more fictional adventures!
Famous Hat
Thursday, September 1, 2011
A Bouquet for You
My blogging might be somewhat sporadic for the next week, so to make it up to you, I am giving you some flowers.
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