There and *Almost* Back Again
Day 13:
We have hit the "mosey on home" stage of the trip. We hit Steamboat Springs about noon, had lunch and then went to the hot springs. This was sort of like a lavish public pool. There's a standard pool, a 2'6" tepid wading pool (quite large with built in seating), 2 hot tubs (one for families and one for adults only) and a splash area for little kids, all fed by natural springs. Nice. There's usually a water slide and a couple more springs, but they are undergoing renovations. After a luxurious soaking we headed toward Vernal.
For the record, camping reservations are for suckers. No place is ever full (except places like Refugio and El Capitan) and if you're behin d schedule or there is (for example) HUGE ASS LIGHTING happening all over where you were scheduled to stay you *don't* get a refund. So, Vrenal being deemed a health hazard, we pushed on and found a rather nice motel in Heber City and stayed there.
Day 14:
We got a good start and a large breakfast and headed off to Salt Lake City. We did Temple Square and all the appropriate buildings and monuments. Brian was not as impressed as I am by the acoustics of the Tabernacle. Being able to hear a (literally) pin drop- and rattle on the floor from the far end of a sizeable building is cool. The bit where the demonstrator (speaking without a mic) turns her back on you and it doesn't affect your ability to hear her speak blows me away. It's just- wow. I would kill to sing there, even as badly as I sing. I'd be good! I'd sing hymns! Honest!
After the city we headed out to the lake because even though I lived in SLC briefly, I'd never seen the lake. Okay, now I've seen it. I never have to do that again. We went out onto Antelope Island and ventured to the beach access. First, it was a much longer walk across the beach than we estimated (about 1/2 mile) and it was over very hot sand and sharp rocks. We got out to the water and discovered that the stench of the lake is really unbelievable up close and personal. Eww. Dead brine shrimp not only smell, they bring swarms of brine flies which are thicker than anything I've ever seen. Worse than at that Ducal where they hadn't sprayed after the county fair. Oh my God, GROSS. Brian and I waded in and then back out after a few minutes. I cannot fathom going into that in a bikini like the girl I saw. Yuck.
Had a bad spot of heat fatigue going back. The last bit of the hike was steeper than I reckoned on, hot and trecherous. I ended up needing Gatorade to rebalance and drank three bottles of water before the skin pressure test showed that I was no longer way underhydrated. Gotta watch that.
We had a much better time when we pulled over just East of Wendover and played on the Bonneville salt flats. So cool. I took pictures but I don't think they'll convey the sheer awesomeness of the place. It looks like you're standing on snow. A huge flat field of snow that stretches to the mountains on the horizon only it isn't snow, it's *salt*. At one point I went to the ladies room and came back to find the boys having a salt fight. 59 is apparently not quite the age of maturity in males if my father is any measure.
We are loafing in the motel watching tv. Tomorrow we drive across Nevada to Jackson. Next morning we head back to Dublin. This is probably the last trip update, unless something awesome happens tomorrow.
We have hit the "mosey on home" stage of the trip. We hit Steamboat Springs about noon, had lunch and then went to the hot springs. This was sort of like a lavish public pool. There's a standard pool, a 2'6" tepid wading pool (quite large with built in seating), 2 hot tubs (one for families and one for adults only) and a splash area for little kids, all fed by natural springs. Nice. There's usually a water slide and a couple more springs, but they are undergoing renovations. After a luxurious soaking we headed toward Vernal.
For the record, camping reservations are for suckers. No place is ever full (except places like Refugio and El Capitan) and if you're behin d schedule or there is (for example) HUGE ASS LIGHTING happening all over where you were scheduled to stay you *don't* get a refund. So, Vrenal being deemed a health hazard, we pushed on and found a rather nice motel in Heber City and stayed there.
Day 14:
We got a good start and a large breakfast and headed off to Salt Lake City. We did Temple Square and all the appropriate buildings and monuments. Brian was not as impressed as I am by the acoustics of the Tabernacle. Being able to hear a (literally) pin drop- and rattle on the floor from the far end of a sizeable building is cool. The bit where the demonstrator (speaking without a mic) turns her back on you and it doesn't affect your ability to hear her speak blows me away. It's just- wow. I would kill to sing there, even as badly as I sing. I'd be good! I'd sing hymns! Honest!
After the city we headed out to the lake because even though I lived in SLC briefly, I'd never seen the lake. Okay, now I've seen it. I never have to do that again. We went out onto Antelope Island and ventured to the beach access. First, it was a much longer walk across the beach than we estimated (about 1/2 mile) and it was over very hot sand and sharp rocks. We got out to the water and discovered that the stench of the lake is really unbelievable up close and personal. Eww. Dead brine shrimp not only smell, they bring swarms of brine flies which are thicker than anything I've ever seen. Worse than at that Ducal where they hadn't sprayed after the county fair. Oh my God, GROSS. Brian and I waded in and then back out after a few minutes. I cannot fathom going into that in a bikini like the girl I saw. Yuck.
Had a bad spot of heat fatigue going back. The last bit of the hike was steeper than I reckoned on, hot and trecherous. I ended up needing Gatorade to rebalance and drank three bottles of water before the skin pressure test showed that I was no longer way underhydrated. Gotta watch that.
We had a much better time when we pulled over just East of Wendover and played on the Bonneville salt flats. So cool. I took pictures but I don't think they'll convey the sheer awesomeness of the place. It looks like you're standing on snow. A huge flat field of snow that stretches to the mountains on the horizon only it isn't snow, it's *salt*. At one point I went to the ladies room and came back to find the boys having a salt fight. 59 is apparently not quite the age of maturity in males if my father is any measure.
We are loafing in the motel watching tv. Tomorrow we drive across Nevada to Jackson. Next morning we head back to Dublin. This is probably the last trip update, unless something awesome happens tomorrow.