Nomad Life - Day 339

Officially, I had permission today to complete the Travel Day that was not possible on Saturday (due to Contract limitations).  This gave me an opportunity to reposition about eight hours away from Salt Lake City (the range of my travel authorization) and I gladly took it - Lake Tahoe, here I come!  Anticipating the drive and hoping to see my friends, Rich and Dana, before they left on their trips, I woke up (with alarm) in the guest room of my friends' home in South Jordan at 0500.  Even though it wasn't required, I got on my work computer and made sure that everything was in order.  There was enough time for me to say goodbye and thank you to my invaluable Nomad Life "Pit Crew" and we agreed that we should get together again soon.  By 0620, I'd loaded up my car and was headed out of the Daybreak Community.  It was still dark (temps in the low 60s) but there were some indications in the east of the sunrise.  Hoping to take advantage of the lowest priced gas I'd seen near Salt Lake City, I drove east for a little bit until I arrived (0630) at a Chevron station that was about $0.30 cheaper than everywhere else.  Finding fuel that isn't overpriced is becoming as complicated as looking for lodging...  When I finished pumping (and cleaning more bugs off the cracked windshield of my car), I drove north to a McDonalds I saw on the map and got some breakfast to go (0635).  By this point, the area had awoken in earnest, with lots of rush hour traffic and lines of school buses - I was greatly motivated to depart from the urban area and get moving on the Interstate.  So, I next made my way to UT-85 and used that to reach UT-111; I passed through the town of Magna just as the sun came over the Wasatch Mountains.  After that, I followed UT-201 until it merged with I-80.  Along the way, I got some beautiful views of the Great Salt Lake with the sun shining off the water surface. There was definitely not as much water in the lake and the salt flats, which were very extensive when I last visited this part of Utah in 2011, seemed to be everywhere.  The speeds on the Interstate opened up considerably but I tried to maintain 70 mph for fuel economy as much as possible.  This was mostly easy because there wasn't much westbound traffic.  Of more concern, actually, was the steady sun glare that shone brightly in my mirrors - it took some creativity to make block it.  I crossed into Nevada at 0840 and, immediately after, had to reset my clock to the Pacific Time Zone.  Soon after, I crossed the Silver Zone Pass (5900ish feet) and felt like everything was going smoothly until the traffic abruptly stopped moving as I approached the town of Pequop (Elko County).  At first, I couldn't understand the reason but I later realized that I (along with lots of other vehicles) was following three wide-load vehicles under State Police escort.  Thank goodness, then, for a truck lane that opened up soon after this - most of us were able to pass the convoy and resume standard speeds.  During this slowdown, I had one interesting birding experience: I got to see my first Sagebrush Sparrow in the median of I-80!  The road meandered a bit while I was in terrain but was mostly flat and straight otherwise.  I entered Eureka County at 0935 and, soon after, crossed Emigrant Pass (6100ish feet).  I then passed through Lander County (1000) and Humboldt County (1020) while wrapping up my latest audiobook and listening to SiriusXM.  At 1030, I stopped at a rest area for about five minutes - beyond that, I found myself starting to see a lot more traffic.  Dang...  I briefly considered stopping in Winnemucca (famous from the Johnny Cash "I've Been Everywhere" song) but decided against it.  Instead, I continued on I-80 into Pershing County (1120) and Churchill County (1220).  By this time, temps had risen into the mid-80s and the day seemed decidedly hot.  Sadly, my great time and gas mileage was soon interrupted by more than 20 miles of road construction.  At first, I was held up a lot (40 mph) by a truck involved with the work. Fortunately, he pulled off the highway after about five miles and I was able to speed up - the RV that had been following me was soon the rearview mirror (thank goodness I wasn't behind him too).  By 1250, I was in Lyon County and, about 15 minutes later, I stopped at a Love's Truck Stop near the town of Fernley.  Again, I only tarried about five minutes and felt pretty glad I didn't need fuel yet (the prices had continued to rise).  Just after I got back on the highway (1310), I passed a sign that said I was entering Storey County - right after that, though, I entered Washoe County as the Interstate crossed the Truckee River.  From that point, I-80 became a rather disconcerting race track as it wound it's way through the valley.  There didn't seem to be nearly enough lanes and the large trucks were just as aggressive as the little cars.  Needless to day, I felt very relieved as I rolled into the town of Sparks at 1325...  Soon after that, I reached Reno and turned on to US-395 (AKA I-580) towards the south.  By 1350, I was checked into my hotel, the SureStay Plus by Best Western (Reno, located at the Airport) and was back on my work computer.  By that point, it was 1630 on the East Coast so I was relived to find that nothing significant had happened while I was driving.  Without really thinking about it, I had missed lunch (although I'd eaten some snacks during the drive).  Honestly, about the only thing my body really craved by this point was sleep - hoping to improve my overall well-being, I took a nap from 1600 to 1900.  In a rather ironic twist, this caused me to also miss dinner.  However, I didn't really feel hungry.  Instead, I got online again and spent about two hours reading, updating social media, adding eBird entries and checking on some financial stuff.  At 2100, I decided to go downstairs to the lobby of the hotel, where I'd seen signs for a bar/restaurant.  When I arrived, I found that the Lemon & Lime Cuisine venue was in the middle of a transition from Indian food to Mexican food (all new staff too) and was not serving anything that evening.  No matter - I enjoyed two local beers (including one called "Reno as F@ck") and had an interesting conversation with another patron (Edgar the trucker), the young bartender girls (it was their first night working at the establishment), bouncer (who doubled as an airport shuttle driver) and the restaurant manager.  Overall,  this was a good introduction to Reno (I'd only been there once before, back when I was in the Navy).  I wrapped up my visit to the bar at 2130 and went exploring in the hotel.  Along the way, I reached one mile of walking for the day (pretty surprising, considering how I was stuck in the car all day).  When I found the Fitness Center, I decided to just ride on the stationary bike in my street clothes.  Somehow, I got my usual 20 minutes (4 miles) without too much sweating...  Back in my room (2200), I took care of more finances and admin and did some reading and Duolingo.  Bedtime was at (the new) 2300.  Hoping for a great visit to the Washoe River Valley this week!

Nomad Life - Day 338

Despite my late bedtime, I still woke up at around 0600.  It was still very dark, though, so didn't get out of bed.  As a result of this decision, I ended up sleeping until 0800!   While I mostly felt like I'd readjusted to the time-zone and daytime hours, I was also glad to "catch up" on some sleep.  Once I decided to get my day going, I read, did puzzles and Duolingo exercises in the guest room at my friends' (Rich V and Dana) home in South Jordan.  Next, I got ready and went upstairs to see my friends.  We'd briefly discussed my hope to attend church in the morning and I let them know I'd decided to go to Mass nearby.  This was fine with them so I departed their home in the Daybreak Community and drove south and west on the streets in the residential neighborhood.  Somehow, I ended up departing from the completed portion of the Daybreak neighborhood.  The contrast between the oasis-like "home" in the high desert was quite stark - everything to the immediate west was barren, with only the bare skeleton of streets designed for future growth.  Right on the edge of the buildings, I discovered the (new) Salt Lake Bees Ballfield - it was still hard to wrap my head around playing baseball in such a warm place, though...  As I continued driving, my attention turned from the Wasatch Range (east of Salt Lake City and visible from Rich and Dana's house) to the Oquirrh Range to the west.  The place where I was headed, Copperton (in the Brigham Canyon) was located just at the base of the mountains but, until I reached it, the terrain after that was completely flat and barren.  There were pronghorns nearly everywhere.  Along the way, I passed lots of huge buildings that appeared to be Amazon warehouses.  One of the larger mountains ahead of me appeared to have active mining going on inside of it.  I learned later that this was the Bingham Canyon Mine, which Google AI told me was "widely known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, one of the largest open-pit mines in the world; the pit is roughly 2.5 miles wide and over 0.75 miles deep, making it visible from space and to the naked eye from across the Salt Lake Valley."  When I arrived at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (0925), I was surprised at the tiny size of the Parish - it looked more like a house.  I was just in time for 0930 Mass and I was reminded of the small (Summer only) church I'd attended in West Barnstable (MA).  Everything seemed to be made up on the fly, with roles like altar servers, readers and Eucharistic Ministers being filled in real time.  The priest seemed very flexible and approachable and the parishioners were very friendly.  Somehow, everyone made the cramped building seem very open.  What a good experience!  When the service was over (1020), I was tempted to stay for their social event but didn't want to leave my friends hanging back in the Daybreak Community.  A bit reluctantly, I departed Copperton and headed back to Daybreak.  As had happened to me on the way to church, I got stuck at some of the lights with no apparent logic for the delays.  On the one hand, the UT-85 roads seemed like freeways but there was something strange about how far apart they were.  (Rich later told me that these were actually frontage roads that had been built before the larger highways and that made sense).  I arrived back at Rich and Dana's home by 1045 and joined them in watching NFL Football on TV.  Hoping to get a head start on my upcoming Nomad Life, I spent a lot of time making hotel reservations so I'd be covered through October 14.  At 1200, I told my friends I was ready to get some lunch (they'd told me they would be ready when I was) and we departed their home, enroute to the famous Red Iguana Restaurant.  Actually, we visited the Daybreak Community version of the franchise and it was called "Taste of Red Iguana" (the main location is in Downtown Salt Lake City).  They had only opened in the spring and they offered a Brunch menu with lots of interesting options.  In the end, though, I decided to try one of their Mole dishes (which had been recommended to me by a colleague during my work trip this week).  The server was nice and brought me a "mole sampler plate" which had about 10 different styles of mole - I liked them all!  In the end, though, I got one with a Poblano flavor and ended up being something like a disassembled enchilada plate.  To wash it down, I drank lots of water and a cocktail called "El Chencho".  Everything (including the house tortilla chips, which were very light) tasted great!  With Rich and Dana planning to depart on trips (Dana to Northern California and Rich to Cheyenne), our conversation mostly focused on travel.  We wrapped up our meal by 1345 and spent a bit of time walking around near the Ballpark and, on the drive back to my friends' home, exploring more of the Daybreak neighborhood (we visited "The Island").  We were settled back in the living room again (more sports on TV) by 1430.  The meal had made me feel quite tired but I resisted the urge to nap at first.  Instead, I worked on eBird entries and tried to catchup on my travel blog.  Eventually, though, I succumbed to the fatigue and took a nap (1500 to 1630).  By the time I woke up, I felt very refreshed and was able to do some reading.  Perhaps more importantly, though, I finally stopped procrastinating and ordered the T-Shirts for our upcoming Thanksgiving celebration in Nashville.  With that monkey off my back, I joined Rich in watching more football and started a load of laundry.  At 1915, he suggested that we take a walk around in the neighborhood so I could experience the extensive trail network that connects the different areas of the Daybreak Community.  Along the way, we got to see some of the Halloween Decorations that were scattered around the area.  We ended up taking a tour around almost the entire edge of Oquirrh Lake - what a treat!  There were plenty of birds (lots and lots of Red-Winged Blackbirds and American Coots) resting in the water as the sun was setting.  When we passed a flag at someone's house that was related to the Mammoths NHL Hockey franchise, Rich told me a story about the team's recent arrival in Salt Lake City and how much everyone is glad to have world class sports nearby ("rather than Root for Vegas teams").  Perhaps the biggest feature of our tour, however, was the ubiquitous Halloween decorations we passed - they were far more extensive and wonderful than I could have ever imagined.  Rich explained that the local people absolutely LOVE Halloween and spent a ton of money on making their homes look better than everyone else's.  Along the way, we passed an amazing Harry Potter themed home and spent a lot of time finding all the hidden clues and unique decorations.  It took a while to get back to Rich's home but I really enjoyed the views of the mountains, the brightly lit Mormon churches and wonderful temperatures of the evening.  The people were friendly and, at one point, I mentioned to Rich that I was very impressed with all the extra parts of Salt Lake City I'd seen during this visit.  Someone overheard me and said, without any sarcasm, "Welcome Home!"  I really couldn't doubt the sentiment...  By the time we were finished walking (about 2.5 miles for the day), I was completely impressed with Daybreak.  At the house again (2045), we watched the tail end of the NFL game and did a little more visiting while both Rich and Dana packed their bags.  After I said goodnight to them (2200), I did spend a little more time watching movies in the guest room before heading to bed (2300).  It's been a wonderful visit to Salt Lake City this week!  Sadly, I was wound up again by the time I turned out the lights and sleep didn't come easily.  Hopefully, I won't pay for this when I depart on my own long drive in the morning...

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 6

Today was supposed to be my travel day after the successful completion of our project this week and I was looking foreword to the next phase of my Nomad Life.  Unlike what happened back in Minneapolis, though, I was given permission to defer the travel until Monday.  This gave me a chance to experience a bit more of Salt Lake City before I moved on to the next stop - score!  The day started early again (0615) but I didn't have to get online for work because it was Saturday.  Instead, I spent the early morning hours reading, doing Duolingo exercises and working on puzzles.  At 0745, I went to the Fitness Center of the Staybridge Suites (West Valley City) and worked out for 20 minutes on the stationary (recumbent) bike (4.3 miles).  Afterwards, I went to breakfast in the hotel lobby and filled up on the food they had there.  Back in my room again (0830), I worked on my travel blog, took care of some finances and continued resolving Thanksgiving stuff.  At 1100, I loaded up my car and checked out of the hotel.  Outside, it was another beautiful sunny day ( temps 74 F).  Hoping to get some birding for once (my eBird entries had been pretty sparse for most of the week), I drove over to nearby Decker Lake and took a walk on the trails there.  I ended up being very successful in my species search.  During this same timeframe, I also coordinated with my friend (Rich V) about my upcoming stay with him and his wife (Dana).  With a green light to make my way over to their house, I departed West Valley City (1130) and drove south (mostly via UT-154) to the town of South Jordan.  Right up until I got off the main road, I thought they might live in a "normal" suburban neighborhood.  I was not prepared, then, for what I found when I arrived at the entrance to the Daybreak Community.  Wow!  It was huge, with all kinds of small homes, large (waterfront) estates, walkups, condos and (I assume) apartments.  In various places in the huge neighborhood, there was also plenty of shopping, extensive walking trails and many more amenities than I could have imagined.  In fact, the Salt Lake Bees (minor league baseball team) had just built their new stadium on the fringes of the Community and the UTA (rain system I tried yesterday) had a stop right in the heart of the area.  It took a bit of time for me to locate the home where Rich and Dana lived because the house numbering didn't really make any sense to me - there were odd numbered addresses on both sides of these little side streets (where the garages were).  I learned later that the front door was only reachable from a walkway ("The Passeo") on the opposite side of the homes.  When I finally parked in Rich's driveway (1150), I was thoroughly impressed with what I'd seen.  Inside, I joined my friends in watching the second half of the Notre Dame v UNC football game.  It was great to be able to do so much reminiscing with Rich since the last time I'd seen him (back in January).  After the game ended (1630), we left the house and drove to a nearby restaurant (still in the Daybreak Community) called "The Break", where we had an early dinner.  I got a delicious sandwich and a large beer.  There was more time for conversation and catchup and we stayed at the restaurant until about 1800.  Back at Rich and Dana's home, we did some more visiting and watched more football.  Rich gave me the paper mail I'd forwarded to his house back when I was in Copper Creek State Park (WI) - I'm glad that plan worked!  Dana showed me several of her amazing photographs - she is an amateur wildlife photographer and had hung so many of her images of wild animals in every room.  Beautiful!  By 2000, I was feeling very tired but I managed to last for another hour before I said my goodnight.  In the guest room, I watched movies and worked on Duolingo exercises.  Sadly, all this stimulation kept me awake much longer than I'd planned - after getting carried away with the fun, I didn't go to bed until just after midnight.  Oh well...  Even so, it felt so nice not to be in a hotel bed and, instead, fall asleep in the warm, comforting and welcoming bedroom at my friends' home!

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 5

With the main project completed the day before, I now had a "normal" work day ahead of me when I woke up at 0445 (no alarm).  Since my original itinerary had expected me to be working during the day until close of business today, I decided not to drive back to the work site.  Instead, I started teleworking immediately.  At 0800, I went to breakfast in the lobby of the Springhill Suites (West Valley City) and then returned my room.  For the rest of the morning, I worked steadily on my computer.  At around noon, I ate lunch (leftovers) in my room.  Otherwise, I continued teleworking until 1400 (end of work week).  By 1430, I was ready to do some exploring (for the first time since Tuesday morning).  I left the hotel and walked to Decker Lake Station to investigate the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) routes into Downtown Salt Lake City.  It turned out that the system was very user-friendly and I purchased an all day ticket for $5 before beginning my wait for a northbound train.  It was sunny and warm again and I decided to make the most of this beautiful weather.  About five minutes later, a UTA Green Line train arrived at the platform and we headed towards the airport, which was located on the far end of the line.  I briefly considered whether I should ride all the way there (or change lines to visit other parts of the city) - in the end, I decided to explore as far as the Downtown area.  We had a driver swap when we passed through the train yard but, otherwise, the train made steady progress to the east and then north.  I stayed onboard until we passed Temple Square; after that, I decided to get off at Arena Station (1515).  As I was walking away, I heard the train announcer mention that there was a "free fare zone" - I'll have to remember that for my next visit!  To the west of me, I saw a large, historic building with a large sign that said "Union Pacific" (the old train station).  Even closer, I found the Devereaux House (AKA Staines-Jennings Mansion) and ended up walking around nearby.  There were colleges and other businesses in the Triad Center but nothing looked accessible to a tourist.  Instead, I walked to the east and made my way into Temple Square.  During my previous visits to Salt Lake City (including the one earlier this year), I'd seen most of the monuments, statues and architecture before.  With the beautiful weather (pleasant temps and very sunny) today, though, there were some nice new images to add to my memories.  Eventually, I decided to look for a place to get a drink and stopped at a place called the Beerhive Pub (1555).  When I sat down initially, the bartender didn't seem to pay much attention to me.  In fact, it took another group coming and sitting at the bar with me before I got served.  After that, he was more than friendly and nice, setting me up with two good local beers.  There were some interesting signs and artwork inside the building and I enjoyed watching the businessmen hanging out after work.  When I finished with my "happy hour" break (1645), I walked south, hoping to find something else (food ?) of interest.  However, nothing ever captured my fancy.  When I arrived at the Salt Lake Station (at 600 West), I boarded a southbound UTA Green Line train (only had to wait about 10 minutes and was on my way by 1700).  My hearing wasn't the greatest during the ride but I think there was a grumpy lady (who was wearing a mask) sitting across from me and mumbling about how I was rude not to talk to her.  We'll never know, though, because I was looking out the window and she exited the train before I did.  I reached Decker Lake Station by 1730 and returned to my hotel on foot.  Back in my room, I made/ate dinner and began what seemed like a lazy evening after the previous two nights of working.  I did some reading, watched some movies, worked on Duolingo exercises, caught up on eBird entries and updated my travel blog.  At 1955, I went to the Fitness Center and rode the stationary (recumbent) bike for 20 minutes (4.3 miles).  Beyond that, I spent the rest of the evening watching movies and YouTube videos - bedtime was at 2245.  It wasn't the most exciting day I've ever had during the Nomad Life but I believe it did help to get me back on the daytime schedule.  We'll see...

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 4

Like yesterday morning, I was still engrossed in our overnight shift when the day began in the Mountain Time Zone.  Even though it is rare, I stayed awake with coffee and walking.  There was lots of testing, waiting (while the technicians fixed problems we encountered) and paperwork involved with our mid-shift activities.  Since this was my first "solo" install for this kind of facility, I was constantly asking for help and getting new technical context for what we were doing.  There was another person learning on the job with me but I think we did well as a team.  Along with the rest of the Installation Team, we overcame obstacles and got the project completed.  I'll admit that it was VERY satisfying to send the "all finished" report to HQ.  By 0430, we were cleared to depart (with the blessing of all concerned) and I was quite happy to depart the work site.  On the way back to my hotel (mostly via I-215) I was startled out of my zone by some boxes in the middle of the road - I nearly hit them but swerved at last second.  By then, I knew how very tired I was and had to force myself to stay focused for the rest of the drive.  I arrived at the Staybridge Suites (West Valley City) by 0450.  Walking away from my car, I could have sworn that the crack on my windshield seemed to have stopped moving - we'll see...  Unlike yesterday, I went to my room and continued teleworking until the time when the breakfast buffet started (0630).  Once I was allowed to grab a place, I ate my morning meal before returning to my room (0700) and going to sleep.  Due to my fatigue, I slept pretty well (almost until 1215) - there was one disturbance outside my room at 1030 that interrupted my rest but I got past it.  After that, I resumed teleworking off/on for the next few hours.  Along the way, I had time for reading, puzzles and Duolingo.  My work day (and full hours) wrapped up at 1600.  Next, I made (and ate) dinner for myself in the room in my kitchen and did some work on my travel blog.  At 1715, I left the hotel and drove to the nearby Rabbit's Foot Brewing.  By then, the day was sunny and warm (79 F).  On the way, I saw that the window crack had gotten worse since the morning (grrrr).  When I arrived at the taproom, I found out that it was their "Thursday Special" - $3 house brews all day ("because no Happy Hours allowed in Utah")!  The server girl was uncomfortably friendly, saying things like "hey cuddle bug" and "how are you doing, sweetie?"  Fortunately, she was doing it to everyone else too.  There was some bar conversation about the sports on the TV but I was still quite tired from my overnight work this week and didn't engage anyone.  I stayed for three beers and watched a large part of a football game.  After that, I drove around in the immediate area (near the Maverick Center and some Olympic Games remnants), looking for a nature preserve that I'd noticed on the map - when I couldn't locate it, I returned to the hotel.  After parking, I walked north (through some new neighborhoods) and found a pedestrian access point that led me to Decker Lake.  Starting at 1910, I walked on the paved track round the body of water and did a bit of birding.  From this location, there were very good views of the mountains to the east and west - I was also treated to a beautiful sunset.  Back at my hotel (arrived in my room at 2000), I went to work out in the Fitness Center for 20 minutes on the stationary (recumbent) bike (4.2 miles).  Finished at 2105, I returned to my room and watched movies.  It had taken all day but I'd started to feel more like I was on a normal schedule.  Sadly, I wasn't disciplined and ended up waiting until 2300 before going to bed.  Hopefully, I won't pay a price for that.  It did feel very good to be finished with the on-site, overnight and complicated work for the week - yay!

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 3

Due to the mid-shift / overnight nature of my job this week, I was still working when the clock read 0001.  To keep myself going, I drank a rare cup of coffee and stayed on my feet as much as possible.  By 0100, the testing had officially begun and I worked very hard for the next few hours.  Thankfully, all of our tests were successful and we were able to wrap up Phase 2 of our visit (and all paperwork) by 0330.  However, I stayed on site until 0345 to make sure that everyone else was able to leave too.  After that, I drove back (mostly on I-215) back to the Staybridge Suites (West Valley City).  It was cool enough (high 40s) that I needed the defrost feature to be able to see clearly through my windshield.  I'm thinking the cold weather is coming soon... After arriving at 0405, I checked on some work stuff before heading to bed (0430).  Not wanting to miss the delicious breakfast buffet, I got up at 0900 and headed down to the lobby of the hotel.  It felt to get some substantial food in me after the strange hours I'd been working.  When I was finished with the meal, I returned to my room to read and catch up on some telework.  However, I didn't attend any of the usual meetings for a Wednesday because most were canceled or I'd chosen to skip them.  Starting at 1200, I took a three hour nap (successful this time!).  When I was awake again, I did some more reading but ended up never leaving my room during the middle of the day, even though it was warm and sunny outside.  I tried to rationalize this loss of opportunity for exercise or adventure by telling myself that I needed the sleep (probably true).  At 1745, I went to the lobby of the hotel for the "Dinner / Happy Hour".  This time, they had "loaded potatoes" and broccoli.  Like last night, I didn't have alcohol, just soda.  Afterwards, I walked a full circuit of the Springhill Suites and Holiday Inn Express complex and got my birding observation for the day.  When I checked on my car, I saw that the spiderweb crack on my windshield had grown to almost a full circle near the lower middle part of my window - dang...  In my room again, I worked on some responses for the eBird volunteers who had contacted me about birding observations I'd made during my recent trip to North Dakota.  In the end, I made several corrections but was able to stand my ground on others.  At 1925, I went to the Fitness Center and worked out on the stationary (recumbent) bike for 20 minutes (4.2 miles).  Back in my again (1950), I got ready to depart for my all night job shift.  Even though the meet-up time wasn't until 2130, I still departed the hotel at 2045 and drove (mostly via I-215) to the work site.  After arriving (2105), I settled down at a desk where I could work until the technicians finished up their work.  The the rest of the team got started with Phase 3 of our work project by 2200 and were very busy for the next few hours.  Unlike the previous evening, they were ready for me to join them in the testing exercises before midnight.  Optimistically, I got going through the checklists and felt the growing excitement of being able to report back (to Headquarters in DC) that we'd wrapped up our work.  When the clock struck Midnight, I hadn't turned into a pumpkin and was still on track.  Crossing fingers!

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 2

With an overnight installation activity in the works, I really didn't want to wake up early.  Sadly, my body got me up (no alarm) at 0515.  Since my day was mostly going to connect to the Tech Refresh activities at the FAA site, I didn't immediately begin teleworking like I normally do.  Instead, I spent time reading, doing puzzles and worked on Duolingo exercises.  By 0545, however, I was teleworking.  At 0755, I went to breakfast in the lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Salt Lake City) and got my fill of food.  Back in my room, I began teleworking (working off and on) until I'd logged about four hours.  With hours to go until I had to report for my first overnight shift, I tried to think about things I could do to generate exhaustion and/or give me a good reason for an afternoon nap.  It suddenly occurred to me that a visit to nearby Timpaganos Cave National Monument might be a good idea.  After some difficulty, I managed to buy a ticket (for a cave tour) online.  By 1015, I was on my way to the National Park Service Unit (a new one for me).  Outside, it was sunny and temps were in the low 60s - what another great day!  I really liked seeing the views of the Wasatch Range to the east - those mountains were obscured when I arrived yesterday.  I made my way to I-215 and took it east until I reached I-15.  It was great that there wasn't much traffic because there was plenty of construction and confusing lane changes to keep me busy...  By 1035, I was in the town of Lehi (Utah County) and got on UT-92.  This road took me to the east and into a gorge with very high cliffs.  Signs soon told me that I was in the Uinta National Forest and a fee building indicated that people were supposed to pay to cross a popular pass there (I didn't stop because I had a National Park Pass).  I arrived at Timpagonos NM at 1055 and went inside the Visitor Center to learn more about my visit to the caves.  By 1005, I was standing in front of a Ranger Kiosk (outside) for my safety brief - there were all kinds of warnings about the elevation and rockslides.  I started my walk at 1110 and was immediately treated to a steep climb (1092 feet gain in 1.5 miles) of the deep canyon (American Fork gorge).  The steep ravine had no guard rails in most places and I soon learned that the chance of rock slides had not been exaggerated; the main danger areas were denoted by yellow-red striped lines.  There were lots of switchbacks but the paved trail mainly headed west along the side of Mount Timpanogos.  At times, I encountered people resting on benches and stopped myself to check my pulse (there were warnings about overexertion).  At a fork in the trail, I followed signs that pointed the way towards the "muster area."  Along the way, I found a bathroom built into the rocks - it was quite precarious but I tried it out anyway...  The ticket I'd bought had lots of notes about how I had 1.5 hours to reach the top of the climb and join my tour group; in other words, my 1115 ticket was actually for a 1245 tour time.  For me, this ended up being too much extra time - I arrived at the entrance to the cave by 1200 and found a large group waiting.  However, most were there for the 1230 tour (I don't think anyone else was there yet for my tour time).  While I was waiting, a rock fell from a higher point on the cliff and it was hard to watch people trying to warn the climbers below - there was a lot of "Rock!" and "there is a rock coming" and "I said 'rock!'"  Hopefully, no one was hurt...  When a Ranger arrived at 1220 to check everyone's tickets, I waited until she had counted everyone before asking if I could join the earlier group.  She didn't immediately agree but, when it was time to depart, I was allowed to join the 1100 ticket holders for the 1230 tour (15 minutes earlier than I'd reserved).  A different Ranger (named Kim) was our guide and was full of funny anecdotes and interesting information.  Inside the first cave, it was 45 F and I was glad to have brought a light jacket (which I put on).  We found some interesting formations in Hansen Cave but it wasn't very big.  However, it only took a walk through a short (man made) tunnel before we were inside Middle Cave.  There we found an area called the "Coral Gardens" that had all kinds of stalagmites and stalactites.  As we made our way through the cave system, we ended up inside another (longer) tunnel which connected to the largest and most interesting of all of the caverns: Timpanogas Cave.  Immediately, we got to see something called "The Heart", learned about helictites and were shown (with a flashlight) the color that nickel made on the formations.  We later got to take a side trail into an area called the "Chimes Chamber" - there were lots of soda straws and formations colored by other minerals in that room.  Ranger Kim told us we had dipped down to 500 feet underground at this point!  Leaving this interesting area, we started climbing a stairway uphill until we were inside the "Imagination Room", which had rocks in the shape of "cave bacon", a unicorn, a camel,  a sea turtle and some "orange falls" (iron).  By this point, we'd seen a lot of amazing formations, colors and geology - the tour was great.  So it was a rather bittersweet moment when were exited the cave at 1325.  After so long in the limited light and cool temperatures, it took a bit of time to reacclimate.  Since we'd walked about half a mile underground, we ended up a considerable distance way from where we'd entered the caves and on a different trail.  However, this ended up being a good thing - nearby, someone in the group saw a flock of bighorn sheep!  After getting a look at them (wish I'd brought my binoculars), I headed towards the bottom of the gorge - after more than three miles of walking for the day, I was at the trailhead again (1405).  What a nice visit!  The only downside was that I had developed a rather large blister (due to a "hot spot" in my hiking boot).  Since I'd had such a good time and hadn't yet dealt with any city traffic, I decided to backtrack to my hotel as soon as possible; using reverse directions from the morning, I arrived there at 1445.  Before going to my room, I spent some time searching my car for items I wanted to have during my overnight work.  Fortunately, I found some but it was clear that I may have shed some needed/desired equipment when I was last at my storage unit...  By 1515, I was back online, checking to see if anything had changed with the plan (nothing had).  Deciding against making food for a late lunch, I did some reading and then tried to take a nap (from 1615).  Sadly, this plan didn’t work and, by 1730, I'd given up and went to “dinner” (minus the happy hour) in the lobby of the hotel.  By 1820, I went back to my car to do some more searching (still never found my missing thermos).  Next (1905), I went to the Fitness Center and worked out on the stationary (recumbent) bike for 20 minutes (4.5 miles).  By 1930, I was back to my room and started to get cleaned up and ready for my work day/night. Hoping to meet up with my FAA counterpart (Nicole, working the day shift), I departed from the hotel at 2040 and drove (mostly via I-215) to the Salt Lake City Airport.  When I arrived at the work site, I was able to get inside the gate just fine and then found a place to park (2100).  Since I'd never been there before, I was surprised that I somehow made a lucky decision on choosing the door to enter.  Within about 10 minutes (and with some help from the local staff), I was able to locate some of the other folks I was going to work with for the rest of the week.  However, my counterpart lead (Nicole) didn't show up until about 2125.  When I told her I was already inside, she said she would return to her hotel, meaning that I never saw her once (and probably wouldn't at all) for the week.  This situation caused some questions among my other colleagues but I just moved on the next task.  Our project started in earnest at 2150 but I had to wait for the technicians to complete their work before my own role began.  Since this was my first "solo" install for this kind of facility, I spent time asking technical questions and getting into the swing of the testing work I needed to be doing.  Since I'd prepared (at the hotel), there was coffee, cocoa and lollipops to pass the time.  Because of the complexity of the effort, I was still working at midnight.  It looked to be a long night...

Salt Lake City Work Trip - Day 1

I made it to my next work trip!  Over the last 10 days or so, I've been making my way towards Salt Lake City so I could join up with the rest of my project team so we can do some more Technology Refreshment on site at another FAA facility.  When I arrived in Evanston (Utah / Wyoming border) last night, I was quite relieved to be in striking distance of my hotel for the week - forecasted rain today would have made a longer drive very unpleasant...  This morning, I was up at 0630 (with alarm clock) and set up my work computer so I could monitor activities of the rest of the team on site.  Before I even went to breakfast, I got a call from Mollie, who wasn't feeling well and wanted some support.  I happily gave it to her (glad that I was in cell range and had the free time).  After we hung up, I had time for reading and puzzles.  At 0800, I finally went to eat my morning meal in the lobby of Days Inn (Evanston).  Immediately after that, I worked out in the Fitness Center on the stationary (recumbent) bike for 20 minutes (4.8 miles).  Back in my room again at 0900, I spent some time packing and then worked on catching up on my travel blog - within an hour, I was up to date through last night (whew).  Beyond that, I reviewed some documentation I knew I'd need for my job during the week.  About the only surprise of the day ended up being hearing from my FAA counterpart (Nicole) that she wanted me to work the mid-shifts (i.e., overnight).  This was much different from what I'd seen in Minneapolis (with a different FAA colleague).  Since I'm a Contractor/Consultant, I didn't argue.  Instead, I tried to put a positive spin on the development: I wasn't needed in person yet and I didn't have to do more work than traveling for the whole day.  Still, it was weird...  Meanwhile, outside, it was raining steadily, with temps in the low 50s.  Since I'd asked for a late checkout, I didn't leave my room until 1145 - by then, the rain had turned to a lighter drizzle.  Before departing from Evanston, I drove a short distance to get gas at Flying J - the price for their 85 octane was higher than I wanted to pay but the Utah prices looked much, much worse...  I spent a lot of time cleaning up the car, trying to get ahead of the bugs and felt good about my recent progress in this task.  Unfortunately, though, the crack that first appeared on my windshield last night had already gotten very long.   Dang...  With fuel and a cleaner car, I got on I-80 and headed west - I entered Utah at 1210.  Since I knew generally where I was going, I didn't initially use a map app.  This allowed me to continue listening to my audiobook.  The roads were wet and I was about as high in elevation (6800ish) as I've been in many months.  This meant that the trucks were much more dependent on momentum and the open road.  At one point, I got a bit startled by a large truck that was bearing down on me (while I was passing another 18-wheeler) above the speed (80 mph) that I was driving.  His flashing lights only made the image more disconcerting and I carefully maneuvered out of his way.  Whew!  When I arrived at the junction of I-80 and I-84 (1230), I was pleasantly surprised to see so many birds in the Echo Reservoir.  Hopefully, there will be some good birding this week.  Next, I reached I-15 and switched to UT-201.  This took me to I-215 and I used this road to reach my hotel, the Staybridge Suites in West Valley.  When I arrived (1330), I noted that my final odometer of the trip from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City was 106640, which was about 2200 miles beyond the reading I took when I was leaving my hotel in Minnesota.  What a 10 day trip).  I was pretty early but the desk clerk let me check into my room immediately and I used the extra time to unload my car.  After getting settled in my nice room (kitchen!), I went to the Business Center for print outs.  Between 1500 and 1700, I did laundry and (while it was cleaning) explored the hotel.  I soon discovered that there were actually two, attached hotels - the other one, a Holiday Inn Express, was located on the other side of the courtyard but was connected by corridors in a few places.  Each door in the "no mans land" area required a separate key (depending on which hotel a person was staying at).  There was also a huge water park available for guests - it included lots of slides and other water games for kids.  Along the way, I checked out the Fitness Center and found it to be very well equipped.  Beyond the parking lot, I noticed that there was a trolley/train system - I decided that I needed to investigate that fully.  Before my laundry was done, I had time for reading and organizing of my room.  Perhaps more important, though, I worked on Thanksgiving stuff and exchanged texts with friends and work colleagues (they'd wrapped up their visit to the work site already).  At 1730, I went down to the lobby for the evening meal / "happy hour".  This was one of the reasons I'd chosen the hotel and I was pleased to find that they had really good pizza.  While gorging myself (I'd missed lunch), I also got to try some local wine and National label beers (I took one can back to my room).  At 1830, I was able to have a nice phone call with Brenna - she had a lot of news about her new school and the new Fall term.  We talked for over an hour and, after we hung up, I watched movies.  Before bed, I did some Duolingo exercises and caught up on my reading.  Needless to day, I was very tired when it was finally bed time (2230) and I gladly turned out my lights.  This will be my last "normal" bed time for several days, though - bring on the "all night" installation!

Nomad Life - Day 138

Time to leave Utah...  After weeks of watching the weather to the east (i.e., I-70 and I-80 routes), I awoke (at 0630) to find that my suspicions were correct: the route through Wyoming would work best for crossing the Rocky Mountains.  With this decision made, I relaxed and did some reading, Duolingo and puzzles.  For once, I didn't turn on my computer at all!  Instead, I packed up my car and, at 0800, headed to the Lobby of the Air Force Inn (Hill AFB), where I got breakfast.  As I'd feared, the choices/quantity had declined until I could basically only choose junk food and sugary cereal.  I passed on these and ate the last bagel and yogurt.  After finishing my meager meal, I checked out of my room and departed the Base (0830).  In order to reach I-80, I used surface streets towards the northeast until I was able to get on US-89 - I followed that road to I-84.  Outside, the temp was19 F - brrrr...  Along the entire route, I saw lots of signs for the Oregon Trail, Pony Express, Mormon Trail and California Trail.  Before long, I arrived at the I-80 junction.  From there, it was mostly trucks and small, rocky mountains to climb and descend.  It was a surprisingly short time before I found myself in Wyoming.  There were clues about this change beyond the "Welcome" sign, though: the mountain ravines were replaced by high plains and great deal of wind - the only mountains of consequence were in the far away distance.  I passed Fort Bridger (which I'd visited in 2011) at 1005 but continued east.  One interesting thing about my drive today was that I kept very hydrated - so hydrated, in fact, that I had to stop at several rest areas along the way.  To ensure maximum comfort, I had to carefully watch the signs - otherwise, it might be more than an hour before I found another one...  At one of the rest areas, I found a Mormon monument (with a beehive on top) that commemorated the 1847 passage by the pioneers.  Speaking of the pioneers, I continued to see signs for the Oregon Trail, Pony Express, Mormon Trail and California Trail but these stopped when I was passing Lyman (that's where the trails joined I-80; they were located farther north for the rest of the crossing of Wyoming).  Meanwhile, it was getting flatter and the temps rose to 27 F.  I passed a station that offered fuel at $2.08 !!!) and I reached the Green River by 1050.  This water was completely frozen so it seemed clear that the temps in the High Desert were much colder than I'd been seeing to the west...  Near the town of Green River, I passed through the I-80 Twin Tunnels.  At about that time, I began seeing signs that warned about potential closures of the interstate (e.g., for high winds or snow).  While there wasn't much snow on the ground, it was (again) clear that this area experiences a nasty winter season - the ubiquitous snow fences, overhead warning signs, crossing gates and variable speed limits made things clear enough.  Outside, though, today's weather was sunny & 28 F.  The long drive helped me make a big dent in one of my audiobooks - with thousands more miles to go before I reach the East Coast, I imagine I'll have good luck with some long books...  During this time, I passed several VERY long trains - they seemed to be everywhere!  Suddenly (because I didn't notice any big inclines), I crossed the Continental Divide (6930 feet) and felt like I had made the transition to "The East".  Just after that, I passed the towns of Red Desert (1205) and Wamsutter (1210).  But then I was surprised to cross the Continental Divide again (this time at 7000 feet) - I'll need to research the reasons behind this situation...  Meanwhile, the wind advisory for traffic to the east seemed to be getting more dire: only high profile trucks over a certain weight were allowed due to the risk of tipping.  For the record, I did see at least one trailer that had already turned over - some folks were trying to re-load everything in a new truck.  I kept my speed between 70 and 75 during this time... At around this time, some pretty, snow covered mountains appeared in the Southeast.  It made sense when, soon after that, I reached the town of Rawlins (1240), a Continental Divide Trail "Trail Town".  Hoping to locate some signs or monuments to this fact, I drove through the entire town on Business Loop I-80.  However, I saw no indications of any trail at all (this tracked with my experiences in New Mexico).  I should point out that I'd recently seen a FB post (from the Continental Divide Coalition) that the Federal Government had just approved a large sum for the "completion" of the CDT - we'll see if signage improves...  While eating lunch inside the local Taco Bell (1250), I checked maps for locations of the CDT nearby.  Armed with this new information, I drove north, across the Rawlins City Limits on US-287.  About a mile north from that road's junction with the US-287 By Pass, I found a CDT trailhead.  There was gate access to dirt road and a tiny sign on a post sticking out of the dreary prairie.  Knowing I was in the correct place was a good thing, though...  I started following the trail (back to the south) in my car - I used my odometer to measure the mileage.  The route of the CDT (per the NPS Website) was: US-287, 3rd, Cedar, Colorado, Hugus, Bennett, Davis (crossed under I-80), Sand Creek and Ferris Crossing.  At the last road, I had to get out of my car to find another tiny sign on a tiny post on the prairie.  In the end, I covered six miles (all driving except where I got out to take photos) and was finished with my trail research by 1340. I turned around and backtracked towards town - only then did I see an actual CDT sign, put there for NOBOs I guess.  Thinking about Rawlins claiming to be a Trail Town, I'll admit a certain healthy amount of skepticism...  Before getting back on I-80, I got a gas fillup at Walmart (1355).  Only after I had already set up to pump did I realize that I was buying 85 octane (that must be the reason for cheap gas in this area).  As I departed to the east on the Interstate, I started to see signs over the road about a 45 mph crosswind to Cheyenne - I never saw much evidence of the wind during my drive, though.  At one point, I passed through the town of Sinclair, which I later learned was the site of an early refinery for the Sinclair Oil Company.  After that, I crossed the North Platte River - this might be the farthest west I've ever seen that...  Meanwhile, I was sharing the road with LOTS of big trucks and listening to the radio (AM 1610) for wind warnings.  The mountains to the southeast grew in size - I wonder if the CDT crosses that range...  At 1445, I passed through the town of Arlington and, a bit later (about 20 miles west of Laramie), I noticed that the temp was 36 F.  By then, the wind was also mostly gone.  I arrived in Laramie (7200 feet elevation) by 1515 and decided to do some exploring of the town where Mollie almost attended college.  Without a map, I found my way to the University of Wyoming Campus and found a place to park (near some student housing).  As I walked around near War Memorial Stadium, I encountered a lot of fans of a wresting match, which had just concluded.  As their crowds thinned out, I continued walking in the sports complex area - I was even able to get inside the stadium at field level.  The stands were MUCH bigger than anything that Dartmouth College has, though,  Eventually, I stopped into the Gateway Center and got a campus map.  Concerned that my car might get towed, I repositioned to a different (free) parking lot on campus and continued walking.  Before long, I'd made it all the way down to the Main Quad.  Along the way, I encountered a Cross Country Team Memorial (almost their entire team had been killed in a car accident in 2001).  My outdoor exercise time was done at 1640 (I'd logged 3.5 miles) and I drove a short distance to the St. Paul's Newman Center so I could attend Mass.  When I arrived (1645), I had barely enough time to find a seat in the sanctuary before the 1700 service began five minutes early.  The Mass was characterized by some chanting and multimedia screens for participation.  The small building (Catholic Campus Ministry for the University) was very crowded but most of the parishioners weren't students.  Some of the older folk agreed loudly with the Priest, who gave a great Homily on Baptisms.  During the Offertory, I noticed that the congregation seemed to come up front to deposit their money.  There was lots of handshaking at Passing of Peace.  Overall, I believe the church was very vibrant church and might be interesting to attend regularly...  After the service was over (1750), I drove a short distance to the east to have dinner at Arby's (1800).  I ate in the restaurant, made a hotel reservation in Cheyenne and finalized my plans with Shannon and Joy in the Denver the following day.  Finished eating, I continued driving east.  Just before reaching I-80, I noticed $1.99 gas! At around this same time (1830), I called Mollie at 1830 and we talked until my cell service dropped.  Meanwhile, the Interstate (dark, since the sun was completely gone) seemed to be flat.  However, I guess I started climbing at one point because I soon crossed over a high ridge (8640 feet).  The road was very curvy and I was hesitant to drive anywhere near the speed limit.  Before long, though, the road began a steep descent into the valley where Cheyenne (elevation 6086 feet) was located.  Just as I reached the city limits, I passed through a field of windmills with synchronized red flashing lights (very eerie).  I arrived at the Super 8 (by Wyndham) at 1915.  As I was checking in, I talked with the desk clerk about staying there with a weekly rate (available for me).  In my room, I took a bath and relaxed (reading and watching movies) until bed time (2300).  After all the buildup about having to cross the mountains in January, today turned out to be relatively easy.  Don't worry, I'm not being boastful - just thankful... Continental Divide Trail Today = 6.0 miles / Grand Total CDT = 40.2 miles

Nomad Life - Day 137

Today was the day when my stay at Hill Air Force Base was supposed to end.  During the week, I'd been considering extending by an additional day but hadn't yet pulled the trigger.  When I got up at 0500 (without alarm), I decided not only to extend for one more day but that I would only work a half day.  This allowed me time in the early AM for reading and Duolingo exercises.  As a result of the delay, I didn't start my telework day at 0530.  I took a break for breakfast in the lobby of the Air Force Inns - the food was barely adequate for a meal.  While I was there, the building had some unsettling (due to the extreme cold outside; 20 F brrrrrr) power fluctuations.  I renewed my room for an additional night before heading outside again.  As I walked back to my CBQ room, I marveled at the clearest day and best views of Wasatch Mountains to the east that I'd gotten for the whole week.  Before resuming my telework, I had to clear off car again because it had snowed again overnight).  Inside my cozy room, I continued working (with a short break to complete my planning to meet up with Rich V, a colleague from work in DC, in Salt Lake City).  Ultimately, I finished my telework day at 1130 and, almost immediately, left Hill AFB.  Using I-15 and US-89, I drove south to Salt Lake City.  Like I'd noticed earlier, I was treated to spectacular views of the mountain ranges on both sides of the road (those on the west were visible across the Great Salt Lake).  Meanwhile, I had to contend with crazy drivers - perhaps the California folks have taken a fancy to Utah too...  One really great thing that happened while I was driving is that the temps had time to rise into the mid 30s - I also was blessed with a clear blue sky.  The route also took me very close to the Utah State Capitol Building.  Upon arrival at my intended destination, the City Creek Parking Garage (located at the corner of South Temple Street and State Street) at 1200.  In what later was a significant decision, I parked in the East lot- fortunately it had a very high clearance.  Another nice feature: the garage offered little cards to remind people where they'd left their vehicles.  I took an elevator to street level and found myself in a very fancy Mall.  From there, I walked across the light rail tracks.  Just then, an older man (LDS Elder?) confronted me, pointing out that I was jaywalking.  I thanked him...  I then continued west and south, in a zig zag pattern, towards the restaurant (Slackwater Pizzeria) where I'd agreed to meet Rich.  The overall distance was about 1.5 miles but the going was slow because of crosswalks and lots of traffic.  Along the way, I passed Squatter's Pub (another place that Rich had suggested; it looked good).  Eventually, I was within sight of Slackwater Pizzeria but I couldn't reach it because there were too many roadblocks (I was at an exit for the Interstate).  Instead, I had to turn east and walk all the way down to the next block (over 100 yards).  Once I'd crossed the busy road, I backtracked on the other side of the street.  I arrived at the restaurant by 1245 and got a table.  After sitting down, I ordered a local beer and appetizer (hummus plate) - Rich V arrived about 10 minutes later.  We spent hours talking and catching up on our old project, our old company and his retirement life.  Rich said he had been eagerly following my Nomad Life (I should point out that he was the one who had suggested this meet-up after seeing my most recent Nomad Life Summary on FB).  Along the way, we ordered another beer and one of the specialty pizzas for which the establishment was famous (I got "This is Sparta", a Greek inspired pizza).  When we finished our visit (1530), Rich took me back to the Temple Square area (arrived at 1545).  For the next few hours, I made my way around the Temple Square area on foot.  Hoping to refresh my memories (I'd last been there in 2011), I stopped inside the Mormon Tabernacle and watched an organist practicing (with a small audience) on the massive organ.  Back outside, I wandered around nearby, passing many interesting statues (where they all here the last time I visited?).  The Temple building itself was under renovation (along with other nearby historical buildings) and I learned that there was going to be some kind of Jubilee Celebration during the next two years.  Along the way, I encountered lots of LDS people - they were all friendly but seemed to be trying to corner me wherever I went.  As my visit was ending, I looked inside the Family Search Library - this place, more than any of the others, had obvious changes since I spent nearly a week conducting genealogy research there in 2011.  On the way back to the parking garage, I stopped in to visit the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Museum.  It was free and the man working there had a ton of questions for me.  I only had one for him: "where is Steve Young's picture" - he replied that is what everyone asks...  After that, I had trouble finding my car because there was a West Garage and I couldn't recall where I'd exited from the East Garage.  After several elevator and escalator detours, I finally located my Subaru and successfully exited the garage (1715).  I should point out that, by then, I'd reached my step goal for the day).  Google Maps tried to send me on some nonsensical routes when I was on State Street (one way).  Ignoring this guidance, I finally got going in the correct direction (I returned to the area near the Capitol Building, which was visible from several points) and accessed US-89.  When I finally reached I-15, I had to deal with annoying "one car at a time" metering lights - ugh...  After that, though, my drive on the Interstate went very well; when I got off the highway, I followed Google Maps through a new route (which approached South Gate from the south) and arrived at my Air Force Inns building by 1800.  I spent the rest of the evening coordinating with Joy and Shannon (for Denver on Sunday), doing laundry (I had to walk outside to another part of the building to access it), blogging and organizing (felt much better about how thigs are place in my car).  With all the other tasks, i never ended up watching any movies - that's a first for while!  Finally went to bed at 2300.  It was a great day of visiting and exploring - hope I can return to SLC again before another 15ish years pass...

Nomad Life - Day 136

For the first time on my Nomad Life journey, I awoke (0530, alarm required) to find a thick layer of snow on my car.  Not only that, but the temperatures were low enough to freeze this covering.  Hoping for some warmer temps, I ignored the urge to leave my room to scrape off the snow - instead, I started teleworking immediately.  When I left my room at 0715 to get some breakfast in the Lobby of the Air Force Inns (Hill AFB), I carefully made my way across a black-ice-covered parking lot.  The food selection, which had started out very nice, was gradually reducing in variety and quantity.  Still, it was better than making my own food in the room...  Back at my CBQ building again, I took some time to scrape the ice from my car - this wasn't easy and took a bit of time.  Before long, however, I was back to teleworking (and meetings for the next few hours).  At 1145, I made/ate lunch and then resumed work.  In the end, I completed my work day by 1415.  By then, the temps had risen into the low 40s and most of the ice was melting on the buildings and cars.  This gave me a chance to do some walking near the Air Force Inn before I suddenly received a call from Mollie.  It was really nice to be able to talk to her - we were on the phone for nearly 75 minutes!  Promising we'd talk again soon, we hung up and I switched to a business call with USAA (about a possible change of residency and how it might impact my insurance).  After that, I briefly considered resuming my pursuit of my daily step goal (with the remaining daylight).  Instead, though, I decided to get a drink at "The Landing" Happy Hour  (1630).  This turned out to be a good idea - I met up with Gary (bartender) again but, this time, there were also Airmen (celebrating their Thursday evening).  The latter group talked to me, explaining that they met weekly for Happy Hour.  After they departed, I watched the Bingo Tournament.  This time (unlike on Tuesday), the whole event made more sense because Gary showed me a schedule of events and payouts for the evening.  Seemed like serious business!  Along the way, I met the Club Manager, who helped Gary set up the TV so we could watch some college football.  I hadn't intended to stay late but, before i knew it, I realized it was already 1830!  Saying goodbye (and thanks) to Gary, I next walked to the nearby Bowling Alley and ordered dinner (1900).  While watching some airmen bowling in the one active lane, I ate my grilled cheese and fries.  Once my meal was completed, I walked around in the snow outside until 2020, logging 2.5 miles and meeting my step goal.  Back in my room again, I spent the rest of the evening reading, doing puzzles and watching movies. Bed time was at 2215.  Not a very busy day but I very much enjoyed immersing myself in AFB life!

Nomad Life - Day 135

With another nice day of weather on tap, I decided to visit Antelope Island (which several of the locals had talked up very loudly).  First, though, I had to get through my telework day.  Starting at 0420 (without alarm), I started my job online.  I did take one break for breakfast in the Lobby of Air Force Inns (Hill AFB) at 0730 and returned to work immediately after that.  The early stop, coupled with skipping lunch, allowed me to finish my telework at 1330 and depart the Base at 1400.  I drove west towards the Great Salt Lake, stopping for $2.39 gas at Smiths (Grocery Store) Fuel at 1420.  During this time, I'd been following Antelope Drive and soon reached a toll booth for the Davis County Causeway - this location also served as the entrance for Antelope Island State Park.  After getting information (a great map) and paying my access fee (1425), I began my drive across the (mostly dried up) Salt Lake.  Outside, temps were in the 40s and the weather was clear and overcast.  There was some interesting terrain to the north and west and I made a few stops for photos on the Causeway.  Unfortunately, I got another spam call related to my Holiday Inn timeshare during this time.  Hoping to try to stop these, I ended up talking with a representative for the correct office for a bit.  In the end, I learned that my name, address and phone number had been shared with everyone (due to Florida State Law).  Dang - my normal care in dealing with sensitive information has usually been pretty good...  In any case, I couldn't do anything more and was in a good location for forgetting First World troubles like this...  Continuing my drive across the Causeway until I reached the Island itself, I started west at a fork in the road and soon reached Ladyfinger Point.  While there, I walked on a rocky, sandy trail.  The air seemed cooler than it had been for a few days so curtailed my hike and returned to the parking lot.  Once there, I encountered two girls who had their Stand-up Paddleboards on their backs.  We talked a little about the difficulty of reaching the water's edge (the Great Salt Lake was much lower than when I'd visited in previous years).  They assured me that all the trouble was worth the effort.  Departing from Ladyfinger Point, I drove southwest and, almost immediately, encountered buffalo near the road!  I eagerly snapped photos before continuing on my way to nearby Buffalo Point.  From that high point on Antelope Island, I could see even larger mountains towards the south and west - they looked very imposing with their completely white coating of snow.  I only walked a little bit here and then drove to check out White Rock Campground/Beach - the water was even further from the picnic areas and parking lot there...  Next, I went looking for the "Bison Corral" I'd seen on the map but ended up at a maintenance shed.  After that, I backtracked towards the Mainland, hoping to get inside the Visitor Center (I thought I'd missed the turn earlier).  After I'd made a complete circuit of the roads on the north end of the Island, I  determined that the VC was under renovation (i.e., closed).  Oh well - I'd heard good things about it...  Unfortunately, this failed mission forced me to complete a second circuit of the roads.  Bonus: this time, the Bison were right on the road itself and I got amazing photos.  When I reached the East Side Ranch Road, I continued south and found even more herds of buffalo spread out on the beaches and hills on both sides of the road.  I even had to wait for some of them to cross.  At that point, it started sprinkling and sadly admitted that hiking was probably not going to be possible.  Instead, I checked out several sites of interest and trailheads (some closed) along the way. The whole time, I was thinking (hoping) that I might return for a hike in the future...  Eventually, I arrived at the Fielding Garr Ranch.  It was closed but I was able to walk around a bit (I carried an umbrella).  Meanwhile, it was getting colder and windier.  From this point, I believe I Salt Lake City and suburbs on the other side of the (mostly dried) Great Salt Lake.  With a road closed to the south of this location, I reluctantly got back in car and backtracked to the north.  I'd hoped I'd be able to drive south to the South Island Trail and see how a land bridge was forming and making the name "Island" suspect.  Maybe next time... I enjoyed seeing the Bison herds during my backtrack drive.  When I reached the Causeway again, it was raining steadily (temps still in low 40s).  As I reached the Mainland again, I got some interesting views of LDS Temples in the Syracuse area.  On the way back to the Base, I ordered dinner at Jersey Mike's for the first time, using a gift card from Erin & Austin.  Starting at 1705, I ate in the restaurant, enjoying my "Mike's way" sandwich.  By the time I finished, it was very dark and wet outside.  I made it back to Hill AFB without my Google Maps - on the way, I crossed through the Weber State campus.  I was in my room by 1800 and worked on finances, organizing, etc..  Since I'd only walked about one mile throughout the day (including my visit to the State Park), I walked around outside to complete my 10K step goal.  Done with that (2000), I spent the rest of the night watching movies and finally we3nt to bed at 2200.  Even though it rained in the end, I'm very glad I got to see such an interesting place as Antelope Island!

Nomad Life - Day 134

This morning, I woke up with my alarm at 0530 and started teleworking.  It was cool outside (mid 30s) but clear when I walked over to Lobby of the Hill AFB Air Force Inns for breakfast (0715).  There were plenty of good choices for food!  While I was walking back to my room (0730), I heard the Base playing "Reveille".  The sounds seemed to be echoing around the valley and the snow-capped mountains in the distance made the scene even more memorable.  Back in my room, I did some more teleworking but had to contend with additional meetings being canceled.  During a short break, I made several orders for food and supplies that I planned to pick up on the way to the Subaru Dealership.  Meanwhile, I could hear the sounds of F-22s flying in the pattern at Hill Air Force Base - at one point, I went outside to watch them (cool).  At 1300, I departed the Base and made my way to Ogden,  On the way, I was treated to even better views of the "powdered mountains" to the east.  I listened to a work meeting on the way but didn't get very far into the book because I arrived in Ogden very quickly.  For the next 30 minutes, I took care of errands along Riverdale Drive, stopping at Best Buy (picked up new lightning cables for charging my iPhone), Walmart (picked up new ink cartridge), Staples (recycled ink cartridge) and Panera (picked up turkey sandwich and Greek Salad and chips).  By 1345, I was eating my lunch (in my car).  Next, I drove to Young Subaru to get my CarPlay upgrade completed. Thankfully, the staff had already downloaded the file from the Subaru Website and I only had to wait in the lobby of the dealership from 1400 and 1430.  The folks working there really shined while they were helping me this week!  Afterwards, I drove east in search of a way to access the Great Salt Lake. Sadly, after a good bit of driving, it became clear that I'd have a harder time accomplishing this mission than I'd expected.  Instead, I started looking for a way to park near the Centennial Trail, a bike path I'd noticed that followed the nearby Weber River.  Using Google Maps, I found the Riverdale Kayak Park (1500) and parked my car near the trail.  For the the next (nearly) two hours, I walked north (and back) for a total of five miles.  Along the way, I ended up exploring Fort Buenaventura Park and Observatory Park - there was lots of interesting local history and I saw some hints of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.  Throughout this walk, the weather was great (nearly 50 degrees and clear) and I got some wonderful photos of the Wasatch Mountains.  At one point, I noticed a big Weber State "W" that reflected the setting sun - cool!  I reached my car again by 1700 and drove back to Hill AFB (used South Gate entrance again).  While I was parking (1720), I witnessed a beautiful sunset over the Great Salt Lake.  Just before darkness descended completely over the Valley, I got to watch some more F-22s entering the landing pattern.  I'd noticed a sign in the Lobby of the Air Force Inns that mentioned how the Base Club ("The Landing") might be open for happy hour.  This ended up being true but I was the only person who seemed interested in the deal.  The bartender, Gary, he'd worked at the establishment since 1979 but no one ever came in to see him on Tuesdays and Thursdays anymore.  However, there was a huge (and lucrative) Bingo game going on in the huge room nearby - Gary had to occasionally check with the patrons over there...  During the next hour, I had a couple of beers and learned a lot about military entertainment at the bar over the years (very interesting history).  By 1845, the bar had last call and I paid my tab - I may return on Thursday!  Back in my room at the Air Force Inns, spent the rest of the evening catching up on finances and blogging.  There was a little time for watching movies too but I found myself struggling to stay awake - in the end, I went to bed at 2155 (early for me lately).  Another nice day in Utah!

Nomad Life - Day 133

Today was one of those slower Nomad Life days that gives me a chance to recharge.  I did have to work but only planned for a half day so I could get my car serviced at the Subaru Dealership ("Young") in Ogden.  To start, though, I woke up with my alarm at 0530 and had a series of meetings during my telework day.  Meanwhile, it was pretty rainy outside.  I took a break at 0730 and walked over to the Lobby of the Air Force Inns (Hill Air Force Base) to get breakfast - they had a good selection.  After returning to my room, I continued teleworking until 1015.  By then, the weather had improved tremendously (temps close to 40 F) and I could see some beautiful mountains (Wasatch Range) in the distance.  Everything was so pretty!  Departing Hill Air Force Base soon after that, I drove to Ogden (Riverdale Drive) and arrived early for my 11 AM 90K Maintenance Appointment (1045).  It's hard to believe that I've driven 12,000 miles since I departed New Hampshire!  My service technician (Dale) was very friendly and helpful and made sure that everything with my Outback was running smoothly.  I read books, watched movies and talked to some sales associates about EV and Hybrid Subarus.  Sadly, I also learned that the Outback has been completely redesigned - it no longer looks like my own car (not a fan of the new models).  When my car was ready again (1300), Dale told me that everything was in good shape (no extra stuff required) and that the tire pressure concern I had was likely due to winter weather and Salt Lake City's (among other places) elevation (4300 feet).  In the end, I got a military discount and this made the price reasonable.  I do have to return tomorrow to get some new software loaded - that's not a problem, though. Afterwards, I talked with Mollie on the phone for 45 minutes (while I was waiting in a parking lot).  When we finished, I noticed that the weather was still wonderful (mid 40s) and I was really itching to do something outside.  Because I still had some work to do for my job, however, I drove back to Hill Air Force Base (following roads around the east side) and entered through the South Gate.  In my room again (1430). I resumed teleworking (only had to work 30 more minutes).  Since I've got a bunch of use/lose PTO, it didn't hurt to log four hours of it for this relatively slow day.  For the rest of the afternoon, I reorganized my belongings (i.e., repacked bags).  At 1630, I made dinner in my room and, at 1700, started a call with Brenna.  We talked for 2 hours and 30 minutes!  It was a very nice conversation, though, and I am glad we had time to catch up with each other.  Afterwards, I did a little walking near the CBQ building.  My motivation level was dropping, though, and I only got 5000 steps for the day.  That's OK, I've had a good run for several weeks!  For the rest of the evening, I watched movies - finally went to bed at 2235.  Very glad that "Nessie" is ready to drive another 6000 miles in support of my Nomad Life!

Nomad Life - Day 132

Because it was hot and stuffy in my room, I woke up in the middle of the night more than once.  When I finally started some sleep (0200?), didn't wake up again until 0615.  After getting out of bed, I did some blogging, took care of finances, caught up on my reading and completed puzzles.  Meanwhile,  it was raining outside of my room at the Motel 6 (Twin Falls).  In preparation for Mass, I skipped breakfast.  Before departing my hotel, I made reservations for a week near Ogden, UT at Hill Air Force Base.  I found it funny that they still had my registration profile from my visit in 2011!  At 1015, I checked out of my room and drove a short distance (south) to attend Mass at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church.  The service began at 1030 and all the pews were packed.  Surprisingly, the priest chanted nearly all of the service - I'm not really a fan of that because I couldn't understand him very well.  Everyone else seemed very enthusiastic, though.  Mass was over at 1120 and I made my way north again on US-93, stopping for lunch at Burger King (1125).  There wasn't anyone else there and, while ordering my Whopper combo, the nice cashier somehow added a SpongeBob side (seemed like fried mac & cheese) for free!  I worked on Duolingo exercises before getting back in my car at 1200.  By then, the rain had ended, the ground was drying up and the western sky looked much clearer.  On the way out of town (following Google Maps on side roads to the east), I made a last second decision to take a detour to Shoshone Falls Park and Dierkes Lake.  This turned out to be a great idea because I got some amazing views of a deep gorge where the Snake River passed through the area.  The Falls themselves weren't very exciting because there wasn't much water available.  I did some walking near the falls and the lake (I had to drive a bit to reach each location) and it remained dry for a little while.  I had no cell signal during the time I was there  (1220 to 1245).  Wanting to get to Ogden in a reasonable time, I curtailed my outdoor activities, got back on the side roads (including Falls Avenue East) and started looking for the Interstate.  On the way, I stopped to marvel at the Hansen Bridge (built over the Snake River) and the deep gorge it crossed.  Shortly after that, I was back on I-84 and tried to fit into the busy traffic.  I passed the time by listening to audiobooks.  Before long, it started raining much harder.  Like yesterday, the Interstate speeds were higher than I'm used to but I stayed near 70 mph.  I followed I-84 at the I-86 split and headed towards Utah.  Along the way (1405), I passed over Sweetzer Summit (5500 feet).  On both sides of the road, I saw lots of sheep on the open prairie and several Oregon Trail markers.  A bit later, I passed through Rattlesnake Pass and entered Utah.  The first town I encountered after that was Snowville (Box Elder County) at 1455 - it seemed aptly named because there were snow covered mountains all around at that point.  I continued following I-84 until it joined I-15.  In addition to the speedy cars I've already mentioned, there was lots of construction from this point.  One pleasant surprise was that the gas prices were amazingly low.  The Interstate later split and I stayed on I-15.  The weather never got better but I managed to safely arrive in Ogden by following the instructions of the lady at the Air Force Inn (who told me to use the South Entrance to Hill AFB).  Google Maps was no help and was running amok with bad suggestions about where I should go (perhaps it is a Base force protection distraction?).  Meanwhile, it was still raining... After some misdirection (I wasn't in the correct lane to enter the Base), I made it to the Air Force Inns by 1545.  Even without any map assistance, I recognized the building from my visit in 2011.  The very nice staff helped me to check into my room quickly and I then spent time unloading the car (before the rain really picked up).  I also made dinner in my room's full kitchen (1630).  For the rest of the evening, I did some more reading, organizing and repacking - after that, I watched movies until about 2000.  Hoping to complete my step goal, I went outside and was pleasantly surprised that the walkway in front of my building had a rain covering!  That meant I was able to walk underneath a portico (lots of good cover) and I had enough patience (despite the "boring" track) to log 2.5 miles.  Finished by 2100, I spent the rest of the evening working on eBird, setting up for my telework day and watching more movies.  Bed time was at 2230.  Very glad to be settled in my "home" for the week!

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 15

I was awake very early (0600) and ate breakfast without Mollie.  In the hotel restaurant, I met a retired airline pilot (and rental car return driver) and had a great conversation.  After eating, I got gas in St. George (0745).  Meanwhile, Mollie slept late (0900) and almost missed breakfast.  After she returned from the restaurant, she told me she didn't want to rush.  We didn’t end up leaving the hotel until 1020.  We drove west on I-15 until we reached Arizona (cool canyon views) and then made it to Nevada.  Mollie called her mother to talk (Nicky ended up quizzing her on how we could possibly have gone to so many parks, saying "did you even get out of the car?").  I hadn’t planned on a route for the day but when I saw a sign for Lake Mead, Mollie said she wanted to head in that direction.  We ended up using the “scenic route” and found ourselves on the north end of the National Recreation area.  During that phase, Mollie told me about an experience she had that morning when she went to breakfast alone ("I ended up being trapped, talking to a woman who hated Mormons").  NV-169 took us to North Shore Drive to officially enter the park (no one was working at the entrance gate; it was SO HOT.  After driving through non-descript terrain for over an hour (after passing Echo Bay), Mollie spotted a herd of Bighorn sheep in the rocks on the side of the road.  I got out the binoculars and she spent over 20 minutes looking at the animals.  We were going to leave but then we saw a herd crossing the road and another herd joining them on the other side.  Mollie was very excited to have this wildlife encounter (“it is the cherry on top of the trip!”.  We drove a little farther and stopped at the Visitor Center in Boulder City.  Mollie got some more NPS Passport stamps and reported her Bighorn sighting.  We learned about other parks in the Las Vegas area and Mollie finished buying souvenirs for her mother, sisters and Steve's kids (1230).  Before deciding what to do next, we ate lunch (snacks) in the car.  We had a choice to visit a cool looking resort on the east edge of Henderson but Mollie wanted to drive towards the Hoover Dam.  The place had changed tremendously since our last family visit (2006) and we had to go through a big security line.  Once through, we found even more traffic.  I was ready to turn around but made sure Mollie got to see a view of the dam and bridge before we did that.  After escaping the crowds, we got on I-11 and headed northwest.  Following instructions from the Lake Mead park staff, we found the Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs (north side of Las Vegas) and discovered that they gave veterans free entry.  The park was really just a small historical site but it bordered on a huge National Monument full of fossil beds.  Initially, we walked around in the grassy park (to figure out if there was anything interesting to do).  It was almost 110 degrees outside but we discovered that it felt much better in the shade.  The biggest treat (Mollie was very excited) was that the park had lots of pheasants and geese.  We enjoyed hanging out with the birds and then drove a short distance to locate the fossil bed on NM property.  Mollie ending up staying in the car but I walked around the open field until I couldn’t stand the heat.  Mollie directed us to a post office in North Las Vegas and we sent off some post cards to Mollie’s friends.  It was only a little farther drive (to the east) before we arrived at Nellis Air Force Base.  We checked into the Air Force Inn (1545) and discovered that we had a very long walk to our room (following directions from the hotel staff).  As a result, we had to move the car and use a back entrance to make carrying the bags easier.  The added benefit was that Mollie saw some of the cool fighter jets that were flying nearby.  In the room, we consolidated bags for our trip home.  At around 1630, we tagged up with my friend, Bob, and then drove back to Las Vegas to meet him and his mom at the Venetian Resort.  I had trouble finding the parking garage but, after several mistakes, we ended up parking in the same exact area of the building as Bob (it made for a funny reunion).  We walked inside the hotel and located St. Mark’s square.  Once again, I noticed that things had changed a lot since my last visit.  We sat down for dinner at Canaletto (an Italian restaurant) just after 1700.  It was fun to visit with Bob and his mom.  We told stories of our trip (and Bob told us about his travels since he moved away from Alexandria).  Mollie exchanged Pokémon info with Bob.  We were done eating by about 1815 and then walked around in the hotel, watching gondoliers and looking inside the casino and several fancy stores.  Mollie bought souvenirs for Erin at Walgreens in Las Vegas (1825).  We were both feeling tired, so we drove back to the Air Force Inn and did some more packing in the room.  Mollie tried to make Independence Day plans with Sabrina (unsuccessful) and we watched some TV.  We both went to bed early 2200.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 14

We were up by 0545.  The night before, I’d thought about getting breakfast in Hatch but it was clear that would delay us.  Mollie was excited to get going immediately because I’d promised her a horse riding adventure at Zion National Park.  The drive was over an hour, so we left the hotel at around 0630 and drove south on US-89 until we reached UT-9.  We ate our breakfast (snacks) in the car.  The early departure allowed us to pass through the eastern entrance to Zion with almost no other people nearby.  As had happened to us several times on the trip, the gate was unmanned when we got there (around 0730).  We continued through the park until we reached Springdale and parked in the huge parking lot at the Visitor Center at 0800.  I’d researched the process prior to our arrival and knew that a shuttle bus was usually required to enter the park.  The park was very popular but I thought I’d built in enough time (almost an hour) to ensure we’d get to the stables in time.  However, by the time we located the shuttle bus stop, it turned out to already be populated by a huge crowd of people.  Although the line was moving fast (a bus came by about every ten minutes, and it was a double shuttle), we quickly realized that we were not going to make it to the corral before the 0830 check in time.  I asked Mollie to call the reservation office to let them know that we might be late, and, to our surprise, they said they would give us a parking pass (i.e., not have to wait in the shuttle bus line).  We ran back to our car and sped onto the shuttle-only road that would take us to the corral.  We made it to the stables at Emerald Pools trailhead by 0825 and Mollie was very relieved.  They had us pay and sign liability waivers, and then we had to wait until 0845 to be assigned a horse.  In the meantime, we prepped for the hike by hydrating, applying sunscreen and bug spray, and sitting around.  I had a “funny” experience with impatient people from Virginia waiting to use the bathroom (there was only one key and I had it, much to their chagrin).  The time to mount up came quickly, and before we knew it, we were on our horses (selected by the ranch manager).  Mollie was assigned a nice buckskin named Snowy River and I was instructed to follow behind her on a bay named Stomper.  We set off at around 0900, and, being at the back of the group, we were quickly bombarded by the large clouds of dust that the horses in front of us were kicking up.  We got to ride through an actual river and we later got a great picture of smiling Mollie from that moment.  The beginning of the ride was pretty easy, with the trail boss (“Talon”) telling us about the stunning mountains nearby (Court of the Patriarchs) and us getting acclimated to climbing up a gradual incline on our steeds.  We were mostly under tree cover and we got to see the shuttle bus road and the tunnel through the mountains on UT-9 (from VERY high up).  It was thus a little surprising and disconcerting when a crazy hiker (who was headed in the other direction) appeared on the trail at a curved section with no visibility to the rest of the riders.  The horses in front of us had apparently just let him pass and kept going, but a mule ridden by a man two riders in front of Mollie got spooked.  The mule actually edged off the trail (which was very close to a large drop-off) and then decided to stop altogether.  It took a LOT of coaxing to get him going again.  I tried to call ahead to the trail boss but he didn’t hear me.  As a result of the delay, we were forced to make our horses run in order to catch up with the rest of the group.  Shortly after this, the whole group stopped so the horses could have a breather and the guide could adjust our stirrups.  I tried to explain to the trail  boss what had happened earlier (the mule's rider was from Germany and he wasn't able to explain everything entirely and place the blame where it belonged, with the hiker).  While we were waiting to get started again, the second trail guide, Savannah, showed up with another group of riders (they had been late).  She was able to help us keep our horses and mules in line, and we rode for another hour or so without any problems.  We reached a corral where we could put the horses while we took a break for some water and a bathroom.  Mollie and I made small talk with Talon, about “Unbranded”, a documentary we’d watched about four friends who rode mustangs from Mexico to Canada.  Talon thought they were reckless, and even pointed out some mistakes they made.  Mollie enjoyed having a chance to talk to and pet some of the horses in the corral, (most of whom were more than happy to receive some scratches).  After our break, we headed back toward the main corral via a different route.  We got to run the horses once again and spent more time in the sun (away from the trees).  Talon and Savannah talked more about the park and some of the pioneers who’d traveled through it over the years.  The ride down from the high point to the river actually seemed to go much more quickly (more running?).  When we finished (after three whole hours), it was much hotter (90s); Mollie was sad to have to leave but she remarked that this was the longest trail ride either of us had ever been on and “our butts are suffering”.  I saw the photo of Mollie and bought it from the nice vendor lady.  We also thanked the lady working in the reservation office for helping us get into the park with the pass.  Mollie was on Cloud Nine, she’d had so much fun.  As we were getting ready to go, I ended up striking up a conversation with the two German tourists (they had been the riders directly in front of Mollie).  They were visiting the US for their honeymoon and they asked me to give them ideas about places they should visit.  We also talked about places I’d been in Germany (some of which, they didn’t know about).  Since we were told we could leave our car in the parking lot as long as we wanted, we walked across the street to the Zion Lodge.  Much of it was closed (for cleaning or an event) but we found a place called the Castledome Café, where we got lunch (sandwiches) at 1230.  After our vacation in the middle of nowhere, the crowds of people were kind of nightmarish.  I remarked to Mollie that all of the crying children (tired, hot hungry) resembled Disneyworld.  She replied that we should quickly finish gobbling down our “over-priced sandwiches” and get out of that part of the park.  We drove back down the hill to the Visitor Center where we’d started our morning.  Mollie went to get her NPS passport stamp and some souvenirs.  By about 1400, we continued out of the park to the west on UT-9.  I told Mollie that I wanted to see the other (“stand alone”) section of Zion and she obliged me.  We had to drive through what Mollie called the “Jackson Hole-esque town” of Springdale.  Parking cost a fortune, there was tons of traffic and everything generally looked “Bougie” (Mollie slang for “aspiring to be a higher class than it is”).  After changing to UT-17, we reached I-15 and drove north.  It didn’t take us long to reach the satellite unit, Kolob Canyon.  We were pleased to find that it was much less crowded (we probably only saw about 20 cars on the whole road).  We stopped briefly at the Visitor Center and then drove up the road (lots of re-paving work was going on).  This was the part of Zion that I’d visited as a kid in the 1970s and 1980s.  Mollie was glad to take more pictures of the amazing views of the area.  The road was only five miles long and this meant that we were back in the parking lot of the area's Visitor Center very quickly (about 1545).  As Mollie was filling up her water bottle at the pump (water straight out of the ground), she met a hippie-looking guy who was walking over to fill up his 10 liter jug.  She didn't really pay him any mind and came back to the car and commented about him.  It was only at that moment that I realized that his van had Delaware plates.  Mollie got really excited because this was a state we’d never seen in more than three years of playing the “State License Place Game”.  I struck up a conversation with the driver and we told him that we’d actually found all 50 states (for the first time ever) because of his car.  Mollie actually jumped around in the parking lot and let our some whoops.  Both of us were riding a high at that point, and decided to drive south on I-15 to St. George to find a hotel.  On the way, we discussed Mollie's trip to Mississippi, travel during the coming year and driver’s license test/practice.  We checked into the Day’s Inn at 1620; and we rested in our room for a little while.  At 1805, we drove a short distance to eat dinner (steak-burgers) at Freddy’s Frozen Custard (one of our favorite places to visit, although we didn’t get any custard this time).  We returned to our room to rest some more. Mollie commented that she was feeling very exhausted after all of our traveling and adventuring over the last few weeks and I had to agree.  She wrote a very enthusiastic Facebook/Blog post (some of the text is in this narrative) and wrote some more postcards (after I convinced her that it would make her relatives and friends happy).  We went to bed at about 2230.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 13

I got Mollie up at about 5:45 AM so we could go and watch the sunrise.  Mollie was irritable about the early morning but she had told me that a ranger had said "Bryce Canyon is more of a sunrise park than a sunset park.”  Sadly, the clouds decided to block the sun, so we were only able to see its light through a few spaces between the clouds.  Mollie wanted to go back to sleep so I let her.  Meanwhile, I checked on the availability of horse rides at Bryce and learned they were booked for the next several days.  When I got back to the room and told Mollie about this, she got upset and became very worried that we'd "never get to ride a horse at all during the trip."  I assured her that I'd try to make it happen and asked her to be patient.  We ate breakfast (buffet) at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon (done at 0725).  After our meal was over, we visited the laundromat it was open this time.  We started up a load of laundry (Mollie helped me with her loose change) and killed some time in the room.  I gave Mollie the print outs I'd brought for the different horse ride places and Mollie called the Canyon Trail Rides company (at Zion) and set up a reservation for our three hour ride on July 1.  By this point, the washer was done and we moved the clothes to the dryer.  After switching everything over, we drove back to the Visitor Center to pick up some souvenirs and explore the exhibits a bit.  Mollie had a good time climbing into the children's prairie dog tunnel and hugging a “hoodoo” (the stacked rock formation).  We went back to check on our clothes and found they were completely dry (we were surprised by the effectiveness of the much-used machines).  We folded and packed everything away, checked out of the Lodge and went on a short walk on the rim trail.  The views were much better (clouds had lifted) but Mollie wasn't really in the mood to walk.  So, even though I wasn't ready, we departed from the main canyon area (1000).  Mollie told me she wanted to leave the park altogether but I didn't want to go - instead, I took the main park road so we could visit the many different sights (Rainbow Point, Natural Bridge, Swamp Canyon, Inspiration Point, and many others) that were visible from the many pull-outs.  I got out at several stops and walked alone (with Mollie staying in the car).  After about an hour, though, Mollie decided to get out at the last few stops and took lots more pictures.  Eventually, we had run out of things to do in the park that didn't involve multiple-mile hikes.  I had really been enjoying the cooler weather but it started to warm up with we got back to the town of Bryce Canyon.  At that point, Nicky called Mollie to chat and I stopped in a parking lot to keep the cell phone signal.  We ate lunch (snacks) in the car and left the area at around 1345.  We then drove back to US-89 by following UT-12.  I’d promised Mollie one more stamp (Cedar Breaks) but I wanted to make sure we found lodging before it got too late (I was worried about Holiday Weekend crowds).  We found a relatively inexpensive place in Hatch called the Bryce Zion Inn (1415).  The owner’s son was cleaning the hotel rooms and Mollie asked me about child labor laws (I replied that everyone had to help to make a family business a success).  We stashed our bags and then drove south (on US-89 again).  We got a gas fill-up at KB Express in Orderville (1425).  We then drove west on UT-14 and then north on UT-148 until we arrived at the NPS site.  After getting out of the car, we noticed lots of snow around - it was also cool enough to need a light jacket!  When Mollie saw the view, she told me that she thought Cedar Breaks NM was a "microcosm of Bryce Canyon.”  The rocks visible in the canyon were from the same geologic period as Bryce.  We were expecting the park to be deserted but the Visitor Center was so full that we could hardly move.  The NPS passport cancellation station was located next to a window that overlooked the one half of the canyon.  A little girl pointed out a Yellow-Bellied Marmot that was sitting atop the cliff and Mollie got really excited.  Meanwhile, he ran into the bushes and Mollie ran out of the visitor center to try and get a picture of him.  She couldn't see him so she gave up and got some pictures of the canyon.  Just then, all of the kids that were there got super excited because a (different?) marmot had appeared right near the overlook.  Many squeals (some from Mollie) ensued.  She was taking pictures next to a man whose camera lens was literally longer than her forearm.  Soon enough, the marmot's friend showed up and they both had fun running down into the canyon and out of sight.  Having satisfied Mollie’s need for pictures from that angle, we went back to the car and drove north.  We were at about 10500 feet of elevation and it was about 50 degrees (pleasant!). I convinced Mollie to climb on top of a snow pile - she slipped in the mud and got kind of dirty but she told me it was worth the mess.  We only stopped a few more times before heading out of the park to the north.  We then used UT-148 again and, later, UT-143 to get back to Hatch.  After getting settled in our room, we capped off the day by eating a delicious dinner at Hatch Station.  The owners were very nice and it wasn’t too busy.  We were finished by 1805 and went back “to chill” (as Mollie called it) in the room. Mollie told me she’d had a very fun day.  We read and watched TV and I researched entry requirements for Zion (and discovered that we had to ride a shuttle) so we’d be prepared for the logistics of getting to the horse stables on time.  Mollie wrote a blog post for Facebook (both parks).  Bed was at around 2200 so we could get up early again the next morning!