Salt Lake City: Research and Music

Since the breakfast buffet the Legacy Inn in Price advertised was a little less than interesting, we headed north on highway 6 and 89 toward Salt Lake City.  We climbed until we were well over seven thousand feet in altitude, crossing a rather impressive mountain range that was forested.  We passed ranches with beautiful horses, grasslands, and a few little towns before getting to Provo, the home of Brigham Young University.

Klep pulled into the parking lot of a place called Kneaders which advertised as a restaurant and bakery.  The aromas surrounding it told us that bread was being baked there.  We were not disappointed.  Basically, it is a fast food restaurant which features sandwiches, soups, and salads along with a wonderful selection of freshly baked pastries.  We each sampled soups:  tomato bisque for me; creamed cheese cauliflower for Klep.  Klep also had a sandwich and I had a serving of some of the best sour dough bread I've ever eaten.  We chatted with one of the workers as we were leaving and discovered this is a small Utah chain that began with the restaurant where we were in Provo and had expanded to twenty stores.  I predict that the chain will spread.  I think the food is better than Panera which generally fails to impress me.

After lunch, we headed up to where 89  joined I 15 and merged into traffic until we exited for the center part of Salt Lake City around Temple Square.  We finally found parking under the conference center and walked over to the Family History Library for an afternoon of genealogical research.  After three hours of work on the computer, in the book stacks, and on microfilm, I was no closer to finding anything else about my great-great grandfather and grandmother Brown than I had been.  I had some very nice help, but I left somewhat frustrated.

We checked into the downtown Hampton Inn, enjoyed a rest, got some information about the rail system, and walked to the station nearest our hotel for a ride back to the city center.  We had dinner at the Blue Lemon which serves delicious food.  Klep enjoyed salmon on rice with veggies and a really good oriental sauce.  I chose the braised short ribs with carrots and roasted new potatoes.

After dinner we strolled over to the Conference Center where we enjoyed listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearse.  Even though it was a rehearsal with starts and stops, it was an absolute joy to hear them sing along with the 60 plus piece orchestra which accompanies them.  Some of their selections were for their upcoming Independence Day concert:

  America the Beautiful, This Land is My Land, Shenandoah, 76 Trombones.

By the time we exited the rehearsal and walked back on the western side of Temple Square under the soaring sycamore trees to our train station, the temperature had started cooling some  which was nice.  We rode our little train the three stops to the Courthouse and walked the last three blocks to the Hampton.  The sun was just setting when we closed our drapes and fell into bed.

Canyons: Upclose and Personal

Wednesday morning we found a fueling station (all pumps, no building), headed up highway 191 and took a little detour in a Canyon by the Colorado River where we looked up at sheer cliffs and formations on both sides of the flowing blue river which later would go through the Glen Canyon Dam, down through Grand Canyon and on to Mexico.  We drove with the window down enjoying the freshness of the morning air.

We returned to highway 191, continued to 313 and climbed to a height of over six thousand feet again, ending in a high grassy plateau.  We descended again within the canyons and entered the Canyonlands National Park.  We have found that the best thing we can do is stop at the visitor's center and talk to a ranger.  We get some good hints about how to see the most and we get information about anything special going on.  After that, we walked up to the Mesa Arch

Even though it was only ten-thirty, the heat was intense.  That was enough hiking for the morning.  We continued driving through the canyons on both sides of the park to the Grand View where we listened to a half hour talk by Park Guide Interpreter Gretchen Weiss who explained the various layers of rock--seven--and what forces  caused them.  It was awesome sitting on the large rock at the very edge of the rim looking out at miles and miles of the canyons, the backbone of the earth, in that serene setting.  We next drove to the overlook of the Green River which is the other major river running through these canyons.

After leaving Canyonlands we drove up to Deadhorse Point State Park where we got a good view of the Colorado river running through the canyons.

We also saw potash ponds down in the canyon which were so blue that we knew they were something created by man.  They were part of an operation which brings the minerals up from deep in the earth.

 

We enjoyed our trip back through all the territory we had climbed to earlier in the day as we wound our way back to the main road and then up to Price for the night.  We had delicious burgers at Grogg's just up the road from the motel, found ice cream at Coldstone  Creamery, and settled in for a good night's sleep.

 



 

Arches National Park: Moab, Utah

The haze that kept our photos from Monday from truly catching the deep red hues of the rock formations Monday was gone when dawn arrived early Tuesday morning, leaving us a deep blue, cloudless sky.  After checking out, we headed up the highway 163 and then on191 traveling further into Utah passing through such little towns as Mexican Hat and Monticello before arriving at our next national park, just north of  Moab, obviously a tourist town, Arches National Park.

We met an extremely helpful worker at the Visitor's Center who gave us a rundown on the must see spots on the driving tour.  Again, we were amazed at the rock formations and the wonders of nature we saw we took the over two hour drive.  The colors were quite different from Monument  Valley.  The predominant color of the arches was more of an orange red.  Some of the other areas had grey and white intermingled.

Although the park is most famous for its spectacular arches, we were equally intrigued with the stone formations which have been given names.  I think our favorite was a towering group known as the three gossips which actually did look like three women decked out in long dresses having a good talk.  We also like the long elephant parade that we saw on one of the roads off the main road.  By the time we finished our drive, we were naming the ones which did not have a name on the map.  We stayed out of the Devil's Garden....we didn't want to tempt fate!

 

We have decided that Moab is a lot like Gatlinburg.  If it weren't for the tourists, there would be no town.  It looks like it is about three or four blocks across and about a mile long before the six miles of motels and tourist stuff spread down the highway.  We found a little Italian restaurant named Pasta Jays for dinner where we enjoyed a good bowl of pasta.  We will head to Canyonlands National Park tomorrow.

 



 

 

Navajo Country

Monday morning we moseyed  over to the Ranch House Grill for some grub.  We were not disappointed.  By the time we finished with breakfast, we knew that we were good until dinner time.  The service was good, the food tasty, and the waitress kept Klep's coffee cup filled with really good coffee.  Yep.  We would go there again if we ever, for some strange reason, end up in Page, Arizona again.

After gassing up the car, we headed toward Utah and arrived at Goulding's Lodge.  This is actually the only privately owned land in the middle of an Navajo Reservation of 60 million acres which covers parts of four states.  The Gouldings came to Monument Valley in 1923 and established a trading post where they originally traded for things like rugs and blankets for staples, Later, when the depression came along, Mr. Goulding headed to Hollywood to try to interest the movie people in coming to the Valley to make films.  He finally got in to see John Ford, convinced him of the beauty of the place, and promised to be able to accommodate a crew in ten days.  Somehow they did, and that was the start of this location being in many of the films mad since then.  This brought money and work to the people here.  Later, the first lodge and restaurant were built.  Many of the old buildings which have been seen in many westerns are still there including the cabin which John Wayne used in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.

Klep and I enjoyed the museum and walking around the grounds until we met Larry, the tour guide, and the other tourists for our four o'clock tour of Monument Valley including many off road places that we could not have seen otherwise.  The trip was over three hours, was a little like "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," and was a lot of fun.

Monument Valley is considered a Holy Place by the Navaho's and I can understand why.  The mesas and formations are a deep, deep red from the iron deposits in the soil.  We saw rock formations shaped like huge animals, some arches, some Anasazi ruins, and a Hogan where we watched a Navajo woman card and spin wool by hand.  She also styled a young Italian woman's hair into the Navajo fashion.  The valley stretches for miles and miles with occasionally a house.  The Navajo by tradition do not

After our bouncing around, a quiet dinner at the hotel restaurant, where we enjoyed sampling fried brea, and bed after sunset were both welcome.

Road Trip 2013 - Utah

Road Trip 2013 has been in the planning stages for months, and Saturday we launched with a flight from Valdosta to Atlanta and then to the glittering lights of Las Vegas, landing just before midnight local time.  By the time we made our way to the rental car building after passing row on row of slots in the airport, got the little red Dodge crossover, and found the hotel, we were more than ready to fall into bed.   This morning the bright desert light woke us and we put the plan into motion.

Our first stop was Wal-Mart for those things which we could not take on the plane:  water, ice chest, ice, extra pillows, and a sun hat.  We were intrigued by the upscale store, quite desert and chic -- very Vegas --in design.  We then left the congestion of the city for the barren desert and hills, mesas, and buttes and little towns like Mesquite, Nevada (a well watered upscale development complete with golf course)  heading into Utah at St. George where we angled over to Arizona.  On the trip we slipped back and forth between the two states, on and off reservations, and finally ended at Page Arizona to stage our Monday activities.

The route today is almost the same we took 44 years ago when we passed through much of this area on our road trip to the west coast headed to Japan with two striking differences:  we had no interstate highways then and we were headed toward Vegas instead of away from it. We passed through
scenery which varied from stark to strikingly beautiful with many gradations of color on the soaring rock formations.  As we approached Page, we saw formations which varied from grey (almost white) shale to red rock.  We discovered when we stopped at a National Park overlook that many of the rocks contain fossilized oysters and other sea creatures from eons ago. Coal deposits lie under the earth from when the vegetation was lush.  This is also the area where dinosaur relics have been discovered.

We stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam, second highest in the US, which is actually the reason Page exists.  Page began as a strictly company town built for workers constructing and later working at the dam and then became an independent municipality.

We had researched where to eat in Page, a town of six thousand;  unfortunately, our first two choices were closed on Sunday.  We finally chose the Dam Grill and Bar which was adequately average although the Dam's décor was interesting, giving the impression that we were actually eating at the base of the massive structure.

Today, the primary impression we had was the contrast between the timeless soaring beauty of the natural formations and the rather tawdry relatively new efforts of mankind in the developments.  We saw the ubiquitous chain stores and restaurants in every small town.  We hope later in the trip to enjoy some little individualized places that local people frequent.  We also rediscovered the searing heat and hot wind of the area in summer.  Yes, the standard comment is "but it's a dry heat."  Doesn't matter: it's hot!  We were glad that the rental car had AC, not a feature of my deep green 1967 Mustang. 

Tonight we catch up on sleep and anticipate our trip tomorrow up into Utah to Monument Valley which is located entirely on a Navaho Reservation.

"Home, Sweet Home to Me!"

I was hooked on East Tennessee when we turned on 11 W and slowly climbed and wound our way to Hawkins County in the spring of 1968 when Klep took me to the hill to meet his parents.  When we returned that October, two months after our wedding, I first experienced the glory of the hills in full color.  Since then, I have loved that part of the world.  Some days I get just a little homesick for the place we lovingly refer to as "the holler" which has become our second home.  Today was one of those days.

We have just recently returned from a week traveling around the Caribbean enjoying the warm air, the soft breezes, and being totally pampered aboard a cruise ship.  After several slothful days of ignoring the pile of laundry and the Christmas things which needed to be dealt with, I finally got moving.  I bought some detergent, dragged out the storage boxes, and got it done.

While I worked, I thought longingly of Tennessee.  The hills would be bare now, the air cool.  I thought of the people who have become so much a part of our lives:  the cousins, the friends at Music Junction, the fellowship of Shady Grove Baptist Church, and the people we see as we go about our lives while we are there.  And, yes, I missed them all.

As I worked my way through the stack of laundry, the music of Larry and Ernie, and Vance and Phil and Hugh Kyle and Sheila and all the others filled my kitchen and carried me the five hundred miles plus to Rogersville.  I sang along to "Rocky Top" and other songs until the job was finished.

  Eleven or so weeks will pass quickly and once again, as the red buds burst with color, the bank blooms yellow with daffodils, and the violets emerge in the meadow, we will once again wind our way up the narrow, crooked road to Winegar Hollow.  I can hardly wait.

Cruising the Caribbean

As I stood on the veranda the sun broke through just before we eased into Fort Lauderdale port Friday morning, January 4, 2013.  The Zuiderdam maneuvered slowly through the channel as the world woke around us.  I enjoyed the last few minutes of movement through the water, knowing that I would soon be disembarking and headed home, rested, a little tanned, and with a few extra cruise pounds to shed in the coming days!  I thought back on the week we had spent on board ship.

We had sailed on December 28.  After our lifeboat drill, we enjoyed our first evening aboard getting unpacked, acclimated, and having out dinner before movie trivia and the evening show.  The next day was a day at sea. After a good walk around the deck with Traci, I enjoyed the sun and sea view on the veranda while Klep enjoyed a talk on the places we would visit.  After all, part of the reason we were cruising at this time of the year was to enjoy the warmth, to relax, and for me to recuperate further from my recent surgery.  I really don't need much excuse to sit and read with the sound of the water as we headed toward Grand Turk.

While we were on board, we thoroughly enjoyed afternoon tea.  What isn't to like about tiny sandwiched, scones with cream and jam, and iced cakes?  We also enjoyed our gourmet dinners every night although I did decide to forgo the bread!

Sunday morning the sun was just up when we slid into dock at Grand Turk.  Rob and Traci had a morning of swimming and snorkeling.  I had a morning of delightful slothfulness before I went to an early afternoon movie matinee of "People Like Us" before tea.  Our trivia team, the Klep Kats, was in place for the afternoon competition along with a room full of other teams.  Although we never won the general trivia contest, we did well enough to not be embarrassed!  Klep and I went to the interdenominational service before dinner and the evening show featuring James Cielan, an illusionist who made doves appear and disappear and who had two quite cute poodles which he fortunately did not make disappear.

Monday was a full day with glorious lolling in the morning followed by docking at San Juan, Puerto Rico, a tour around the old and new city, tromping up and down ramps of the old fort (begun in 1539), wading in the ocean, and more luscious lolling before we donned our dress up duds for New Year's Eve.  We had had a good historical experience at the old fort, and after all that exercise, we were ready for dinner and the comedy show following.

Tuesday's dawn revealed the beautiful hills of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.  Since we had not excursions scheduled, we took our time leaving the boat in the warm tropical air and under clear blue skies. 

The color of the water was deep turquoise; the hills lush with vegetation and tropical blooms.  After going ashore, we found a tour taxi to take us around the island and up to the highest point where we got a view of the town, inlets, celebrity houses, and harbor below. 

Words are inadequate to describe the beauty of the water.  By four p.m., we were watching the last passengers make a dash toward the ship, the last two arriving in a police cruiser which delivered them to the gangway shortly after we were scheduled to leave.  The policewoman stood outside her cruiser and accepted the applause and cheers of those of us on board waiting for the late arrivals.

Tuesday night was my favorite cruise entertainment:  Island Magic, a steel band which played classical and favorites from musicals. 

Wednesday we had a busy day swimming, reading, napping, going to seminars, having tea, and climaxing with our team win at Famous Faces Trivia.  We proudly wore our prizes, Holland America pens, to dinner.

After some fairly rough seas Wednesday evening which rocked me to sleep, we were anchored at Half Moon Cay soon after dawn Thursday morning.  By mid morning, we were on a tender headed to the beach to enjoy a morning in the sun, on the sugary sand, and in the blue, blue water swimming.  What isn't wonderful about swimming the first week of January!

Thursday afternoon we enjoyed a movie, our last trivia, ate a delicious dinner, and watched the stars from our veranda before settling down to a good night's sleep knowing we would awake to reality.

For us, cruising is as much about enjoying the experiences aboard the ship as it is the places we go.  It is the fun of towel animals at night, the service of the stewards and the dining staff, the good food, and the people we meet.I always enjoy a trip through the galley where the 134 person staff prepares the dinners for the 1950 guests and the almost 800 crew members.  Klep always finds some good computer ideas.  We all enjoy the trivia games, the movies, and the good food.  Most of all, I enjoy the view of the ocean, the fish we see, the birds, the moon over the water, the sunrises and the sunsets.  Our trip this year made some good memories.

  Friday morning, we gathered our bags , passed through immigration, collected our car and slowly returned to cooler weather and home.