Author: alohawild

I rose a bit later, showered, and then found breakfast at the hotel, where the waiter walked me through the menu while Deborah stayed with the American Breakfast. Deborah was up early and wanted to return to FamilySearch to find more records about her family. We spent some time together and remembered not to leave the DO-NOT-DISTURB sign on. It would rain all day (making me feel like home), and we cut our plans to visit some local parks.

We collected the Hyandia from the Valet Parking and headed across Salt Lake City. Quite a few pickup trucks cut me off and did not seem to respect my choice of car. Hmmm. We arrived safely at The King’s English Bookstore and parked nearby in the street. It was raining, and water was running down the streets. Again, I felt at home in my hat and coat.

Deborah found a book on bird sounds, and I got some stickers. We enjoyed just browsing and talking to the staff, which seemed to outnumber the customers at this time. I was feeling a little off, dropped Deborah off at FamilySearch, drove by the First United Methodist Church (just to see it), and then stopped at a UPS store and bought a small box for $2 to get change.

I then returned to the hotel, collected all the trinkets and other items from the car, leaving the trash in the car in case there was something I had mistaken for trash (Deborah would check later), and carried them to the room (for later packing). I then returned to the lobby and wrote the blog. I was slowly feeling better.

Deborah told me later she met another skilled researcher at FamilySearch and was excited to find her grandfather’s name on the SS Finland passenger manifest! She was also able to find more on his citizenship papers, including the witnesses who were also family members.

Deborah took the light rail back after a few misdirections. Easy to do as SLC is still new to us. We meet in the Little American’ s lobby (our hotel). Despite the rain, we crossed to the Grand American to see what it was like (I got to use a crossing flag, both ways). It was very much like our hotel, but overdressed in antique reproductions and higher ceilings. I think I liked ours better. The restaurant looked the same as ours, with an additional ice cream parlor added.

We returned to The Little America and had sandwiches for lunch. Both were huge, and we ate half and would finish them for dinner. We then, I feeling better, spent time together, ate, and headed to a movie. We retrieved that car from the Parking Valet and later would tell them we would be checking out on Thursday (the car was waiting for us Thursday morning).

Hail Mary was playing at the Mega 12 Theater. Deborah and I both had read it, and Deborah listened to it as the read version included sounds for the Eridian used. It was an excellent telling of the story, and I only noticed a few parts that the movie passed over. The parking was in a garage, and the signs and directions were difficult, with Deborah being right about where we should have walked. We took the wrong elevator and were on the walkways, but the theater entrance, surprisingly, was on the same level. We bought our tickets, got free small glasses of water (2.5-hour movie), and, for me, a tiny popcorn. We learned to scan, and that gave us free four-hour parking with a strong warning to use the app or link to also check out of parking. I did supply Apple Pay in case I ran over (unlikely, but possible unless I forgot to check out).

We loved the movie, and the time went by fast. The Eridian and the spaceships were excellent, and everything seemed believable. Deborah observed that even knowing the story and events did not diminish the suspense. Without giving anything away. Well done.

I followed the link I was given after the movie, and while we turned the Hyundai over to the Valet Parking ($18 a day with or without valet). That seemed to work, but later I received a warning to check out, and I then followed that, and that time did check out before being charged. Hmmm.

We did some basic arranging, Deboerah shared her new findings on her family with me and others by text, and soon fell asleep on our last night in SLC.

Thanks for reading!

Aside: Jeff, back in Oregon, has finished the floor repairs and installed the new flooring. Water leaks and just wear meant it was time. Thanks, Jeff!

 

Tuesday was a day with only one plan: Deborah wanted to see what FamilySearch could do for her. We would squeeze Swig into the day, and then a Spaghetti Factory for me. I just like them. We rose early but then just went in a no-rush morning as we found breakfast at the hotel, no longer free, but excellent. We spent the morning slowly, trying to find the last bits of clean clothing (this has been a two-week trip with various weather and purposes). We forgot to remove the sign from the door, and the room did not get cleaned (we did get it right the next day).

We talked to the desk people, and they directed us to the local light rail, which is free in this area. We took that to the FamilySearch building just across from the Temple Square and the Tabernacle. We were soon back in B1, and Deborah was happy to meet a true expert in her area who could read the various languages. I spent the time using their available machines to look up Wilds and other folks.

Deborah spent hours, but the time seemed to just disappear. Her helper usually limits their time to an hour, but he stayed for many hours and seemed to have as much fun as Deborah. Deborah found her family and exact records, some of which included attached photos, and was able to correct errors in the family memory. It was exciting for her (she returned there again on Wednesday).

I discovered that by freely mixing information from FamilySearch and Ancestry.com, I could trace the name Wild in Germany until the early 1600s. I also discovered that one of the holes in my family history had been partially filled by new information. My Grandmother’s Grandfather now has more information. More to follow, if I feel I want to make more inquiries.

Deborah and I stopped after hours of digging, and she was elated with her findings (and shared them with family). We tried Seven Brothers and had excellent fish for lunch. We walked the temple area, visited the Tabernacle, and the official bookstore. We did a quick, best-of-the-Church-Museum tour. There, we found some reproductions of a few pages from the handwritten versions of The Book of Mormon for sale in the bookstore, and I added them to my purchases. I had one of the original pages on display in the museum, written from the words heard from Jonthan Smith (the copies I have were used to publish and were transcribed by hand from the initial writings). It does not matter if I believe or not, but seeing the center of belief is still special.

With all that done, we headed to a used bookstore, Utah Book & Magazine, which contains rows upon rows of dusty, slightly moldering stacks of paper and books (intermixed with dolls, toys, DVDs, and dusty Halloween items (pointing out the horror section). I looked for things from the 1920s, but most were from the 1930s and later. I skipped the adult section. I picked up a cheap paperback for a few bucks, The Fourth Protocol, which was a good spy movie (1987), and I wanted to read it someday. It reminded me of bookstores now gone in Portland and one in The Big Easy.

With my book, we marched, or so it seemed as it was getting warm, back to our hotel, which was a little further than I thought.

We rested for a while, I finished the blog, and then headed out in the car this time. We stopped at the local Swigs, and a very friendly young person explained all the drinks to us while standing in the drive-through. There were no nearby Swigs, so we would have to do the drive-through. We did it and enjoyed our, in my case, extreme sugar-based drinks. Still, it was fun. Deborah had her dirty Diet Coke.

We were too late for the King’s English Bookstore; instead, we headed to Trolly Town, parked in the garage (with very steep, sudden turn ramps), and found, with some difficulty, Weller Book Works, which is a mix of new and used books. I was tempted by many interesting naval history books, but found one on the theory of science for $10 that caught my eye. The 1400s handwritten manuscript page for $150 was also tempting (until I realized the frame would likely be more to do it right).

Next, we located dinner at one of my guilty pleasures, The Spaghetti Factory, and Deborah managed to assemble a dinner for herself while I had the usual too much food: Italian-style sausage with meat sauce over spaghetti. The salad with their ranch was familiar and comfortable. Warm fresh bread came with dinner, and ice cream to finish. I was happy and relaxed.

We returned to the hotel and gave the car over to the valet. We soon rested and were tired. Deborah, I could see, was still thinking about her family. I remember being there when I first discovered my family. Excellent.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

This will be a short blog as it was a travel day for us as we returned to Salt Lake City in the late afternoon.

I also made a mistake and took the more scenic route, which, according to Navigation, was only fifteen minutes longer, but wow, was it desolate. This meant there were no rest areas, open places you would want to stop at, and endless ranges with cows for more than two hours of the four-hour driving. Deborah–Says she is still speaking to me.

Starting from the beginning, we both rose early, packed the rest, and got our stuff together. We are sorry to say that a gal from below us asked us to knock it off as they were trying to sleep. The walls (and floors) are thin in Ruby’s Inn, and we had kept them awake. We felt bad about that, but we did not make much more noise than usual.

We headed to the restaurant and enjoyed another included breakfast. We decided to take another trip to Bryce Canyon National Park to see awesome again. It is only a few minutes away from our hotel. We had to show our pass as it was after 8. Next, we stopped at the Visitor Center, saw Ranger Ben again, thanked him, and picked up a few items and another stamp on the paper map they give you. Next, remembering from our last visit, we headed to the Zion Lodge, parked there, and walked to the rim of the canyon. This time, we ensured we found Thor’s Hammer (we had a picture from the guidebook), and I discovered I was looking at the wrong hammer. The hoodoos have many shapes, and there are thousands. We enjoyed the view and just marveled. We were both smiling from the awesome, headed to Zion Lodge’s gift store (this one was always closed when we were there before), and found a few more things we needed.

We returned to the hotel, grabbed a luggage cart, and quietly gathered our stuff into various bags (most already assembled) and rolled to the front desk, checked out, and loaded the Hyundai (with 3/4 a tank). I then picked one of the three routes provided on my iPhone, not thinking that there would be routes for hours through cow lands with no services (unless you are a free-ranging cow). We then drove down roads that eventually had no painted lane lines, few signs, and often no phone service. Lucky for us, dead-reckoning navigation systems have greatly improved, and we found our way.

The canyons were lovely, and had there been a rest area or a coffee shop somewhere in the tiny towns, the trip would have had less difficulty. The massive ranges with only cows and a few areas with irrigation and plowing equipment to grow, we believe, hay. Some pastures had sheep and horses. Deborah looked for a place to stop, and we learned that most towns had fewer than a few hundred people and did not have gas or a general store. I did wonder where folks get their groceries. This is the dry highlands of Utah; you cannot grow much here. We also noticed that many of the cows were in areas with small creeks and lakes, which answered the question of how the cows survived. There is no shade, but water would help.

We were thrilled to finally reach the vicinity of Highway 15 and some truck stops. We used the 76 Gas Station facilities (having stopped drinking water when we realized what we were up against) and then had lunch at the attached Denny’s. All this bounty was found just outside of Scipio (population about 350), still without gas or any stores in the crossroads that suggested a downtown area.

Relief, walking, food, and refueling the car, we were ready for the next ninety minutes to reach SLC. Traffic immediately became more complex and seemed a duel between three types of drivers: Those who went fast and did not care if other vehicles had to brake for them, those who went fast and stayed calm and polite, and the scared drivers who went slow and then suddenly did something. I tried to be the middle one, but stayed to speed limits (plus a wee bit more) as I did not want my rent-a-car to become interesting to any local officials. I did not want to help fund Utah’s local governments besides my spending on gas and food.

We used navigation to find the delightful Little America Hotel (across from the Grand America Hotel, which was built, we were told, for the Olympic Games, as the only 5-star hotel in SLC at the time). Our room was fabulous and not as expensive as other nearby hotels (though breakfast was not included). Parking is $18 a day with or without valet.

We were tired, napped, and enjoyed the room for a while. We found dinner in the bar, but I forgot my wallet (you must have an ID to order drinks, one that can be scanned), so I went back and retrieved it. We had a wonderful (though expensive) meal and then collapsed in a heap in the room. The food is brought from the Coffee House to the bar, we learned. All good.

Sleep was broken as usual in a new hotel. We had trouble getting the temperature right.

Thanks for reading!

 

We have, here at Ruby’s Inn, an almost two-hour drive to Zion and then to the parking area inside the center. This means a rushed breakfast and then a later arrival at the park. Almost 10:00 when we get there. After driving, we had to circle four times and then found a car backing up and grabbed their spot. Must be good living as others seemed to be circling for some time.

Going backward a bit, the drive into Zion National Park includes multiple tunnels (and two tiny ones in the Red Canyon near Bryce), including one that is 1.1 miles long. After the tunnel, there are some 15 mph turns with drops, creating switchbacks to get you down to the valley floor (still about 4,000 feet above sea level). It was another twenty minutes to reach the Visitor’s Center, and mandatory bus usage (unless you are a guest at the Lodge or have a pass). Beside the narrow road, seemingly glued to a cliff-side in what seemed like random places, were parked cars and people walking on the road to get to a viewpoint or other lookout before reaching the visitor center. We also found a goat that decided to show off, slowing traffic with its cuteness.

We tried the facilities and the gift shop until joining a Disney-like line for a ride. It was ten more minutes to get to a bus, and it was not hot yet, but during our multiple trips, I got a chair once when young folks offered two for Deborah and me. I never found the park quiet, peaceful, or comfortable. The buses were always packed and became uncomfortable as the day got warmer.

Deborah wore the backpack, and we had to keep all our stuff there, as there were no lockers, and the trip back to the car would be long and sweaty. It got heavy as we took off our layers. Again, we had no lockers or anywhere to put things. We saw lots of people carrying stuff. People in waders looked very warm (we later learned that the river trail to The Narrows is literally in the water).

We loved the Weeping Rocks and the Hanging Gardens. It was fantastic, but the steep climb was hard. Like everyone else, we had to carry everything we brought. It was our best moment in the Park.

Other climbs were interesting, and we did walk a few more, but none were as awesome as the Hanging Gardens. We started the river walk to see how far we could get, but it is a mile walk in with all our stuff, and we turned around. Nope.

It was crowded, with few benches and seldom on difficult trails. The map we had was rudimentary, and the signs were few, if any. Even our reliable guidebook seemed to be overemphasizing a large rock as an interesting sight. After spending over six hours, and having a lovely lunch at the Lodge (now I have had lunch/dinner at three of the great lodges, we took the bus back. Found the car (Deborah had taken a picture, which was good since the phone’s navigation was not connecting well). Our drive back was fabulous as we knew what to expect, so there was less white-knuckle driving.

(Yes, the water bottle got in the picture. I did not notice it when I took the picture).

It was two hours back, and we reached Ruby’s Inn before sundown. We tried two other restaurants in the area, and like most things in Utah on a Sunday night, they were closed. We looked on our way from Zion, and nothing was open, not even most gas stations. We had dinner at Ruby’s Inn. We went to bed early as we were tired.

Again, I am sorry if this sounds a bit harsh on Zion, but it was not a good experience. I think staying at the lodge in the fall, before it gets too cold and the tourist season ends, would be lovely ($424 a night). This would allow you to return to a home base. We left and entered Bryce Canyon and Arches multiple times and found the experience more positive.

Note: Women’s Restrooms had long lines and were out the door. Food lines were long. This was early in the season and before the hot weather. Yikes!

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

Deborah and I have endless photos of pink rocks (and some other colors) and us standing at various overlooks. Please excuse us if we are enthused by rocks and the amazing views of Bryce Canyon National Park.

(Bryce Point, my hand is on the railing, and I notice my feet are apart to keep me balanced!).

Our day started early, just after six, and we reached the complimentary buffet breakfast in the restaurant. It was not quite the industrial version from IHG, but it was not much more. I was hoping for an omelet bar or excellent baked goods. Nope, but it still worked. Deborah did have to buy some yogurt as theirs was more like ice cream and loaded with sugar. We did refill our water bottles.

Bryce Canyon is about four miles away, and we soon, I wearing a sweater, coat, and hat, and Deborah also in layers, reached the entrance. The rangers were not there, so you drove through. We then tried the visitor center to learn if there was anything we should know. We met Ranger Ben, who gave us a map and pointed out that parking in the park becomes difficult around 10 in Sunset Point. He also validated that a geology talk would be given at Sunset Point at 11. I found some postcards and stamped our map with the park stamp. Someday, I will invest in a US National Park passport book. I have an Arches National Park stamp on a piece of paper.

We had planned to drive to the end of the park, but after discussing it, we used the park map we were given and instead stayed in the Bryce Amphitheater Area for the morning and start of the afternoon. We first stopped at Sunrise Point (it was well past sunrise when we got there) and were blown away by the Hoodoos and structure of Bryce Canyon. We walked and took pictures for about an hour just at this first one. We walked the easy cement trails and a few gravel paths (never walking off-trail — there are cliffs everywhere).

We walked back to the Hyandia and then to the General Store at the Sunrise area. There we purchased some sandwiches and drinks. We put this in the insulated bag Deborah got on our first day of traveling. This kept the food cool in the car while we walked and looked at even more pinkish rocks.

We headed to Sunset Point and circled the parking lot three times until someone pulled out and we got a spot. Just luck. We then walked along the cement paths and soon reached the overlook.  We walk down part of the Queen’s Garden Trail. I found my balance issue only surfaces when standing on uneven surfaces with one foot higher than the other; I sway. Not a good thing, so I climbed back out of the trail, but we were still quite happy to walk some of it and see into the canyon.

(I found a rock to hold on to while I was on the path)

Next, we saw an overlook not far and started to walk to it. We found a sign that explained where we were between the two overlooks. Yes, we were walking back to the same place. We laughed and headed back. We found the benches where the talk was to be given, and to our surprise, it was the same ranger, Ben, we had met before.

Ranger Ben covered altitude sickness first and asked if everyone was OK. It is a serious risk here, he explained, and asked us all to be careful and aware, “We will get you oxygen if you need it.” Then Ben spotted some folks off-trail, heading toward a cliff, while trying to give his lecture. Ben stopped, ran, yelled, and whistled, and the folks got back on the trail. He said flatly, “We call that part of the cliff The Diving Board,” and then returned to his lecture. He reminded us multiple times to stay on-trail in the park as he told the park’s geological story.

Ben gave a very interesting history of the geology from the science he understood. He said there may be other beliefs, but as a ranger and someone interested in geology, he would stick to the scientific answers. He covered the age of the rocks and what we could see formed them, and later, when asked by Deborah, he covered what dinosaur fossil fragments they found here (reptiles, water-based creatures, featured in a recent movie, and others). Most of the rock we see, he explained, was not from that time period but after the extinction. He did say that if we looked far to a cliff across the park, the bands of gray-green were from the time of dinosaurs.

Ben did a marvelous job. We learned much. Next, we were hungry and showing signs of altitude sickness (8,400 feet), so we grabbed a picnic table and had lunch and water. Food and water helped, but we were both suddenly tired and decided to rest at the hotel (down to 7,670 feet). We arrived without issue, and soon I was sleeping, and Deborah was reading. We cleaned up and spent some time together.

We then returned to our original plan and drove to the end of the park. It seemed to take forever, and we were over 9,000 feet when we reached Rainbow Point. It was windy and cold, but the view was amazing. There was snow here and there, and it froze at night, according to Ranger Ben’s lecture.

 

We then stopped a few times and found amazing vistas with Aqua Canyon being especially lovely. The Land Bridge was an amazing arc. And our last stop was Bryce Point with a walk out into the canyon, seemingly glued to a few stones (at least to me). The wind suddenly picked up, and I managed to save my hat by taking it off early when I heard it. I had to hold on to the railing, and I kept imagining falling off. But it was a wonderful view, mesmerizing.

Next, we headed to the Lodge. Utah’s National Park Lonely Planet Guide was excellent (Deborah found it the night before in the General Store at Ruby’s Inn), and it suggested the Lodge parking to see the Sunset and Sunrise points, but we covered them in the morning. Instead, we got a table by the window and had a lovely dinner and drinks in the park for way too much money (But Ruby’s and other places have been expensive), and at least we got to eat in one of the historic Great Parks Lodge.

After that, we went out to the rim again, only to discover it was between Sunset and Sunrise points. We did this spot in the morning. Laughing, we headed back to Ruby’s Inn. I gassed the car for a war-inflated price of $4.49 a gallon.

Today was a No Kings Protest across the USA. Our friends were out there trying to make things better. Thank you.

And that takes me to now. I am tired and trying to write. Thanks for reading!