A Sampling of the Rest of 2016 & Some of 2017

October 2016 - February 2017 

We were able to get some more traveling in towards the end of 2016 and early 2017. 

The highlight was meeting E's family at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week long vacation. We FINALLY were able to meet our precious little niece and enjoyed some ocean air. 

Septemeber Camping

September 2016
Camping up in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

 "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves" - John Muir

Our Summer So Far...

Utah, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Wyoming, and back to Utah. April-August 2016

Here is a brief photo recap of our summer so far. We were able to travel a lot more than we have been able in the past year and we took full advantage of that! When we were not traveling, we were at home recuperating from our travels (or I was and Chris was working).

September

September 2015, Salt Lake City, Utah 

 

This September we lived a quiet life at home for most of the month. Chris worked, I rested and worked on getting better, we got out as much as we could and enjoyed the beautiful September weather.

 

A Hike on a Mountain

July 2015

 

During our week of celebrating our first anniversary we drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon and explored. We had no plan in place, just a packed lunch, water, and a little guide book on local "easy" hikes.

This Is My Type Of Place

July 2015 

During our time celebrating our one year anniversary we visited This Is The Place Heritage Park. This park sits across from the zoo and only a few minutes up the road from us. I have to admit, I was totally surprised by how awesome it was. I think I was trying not to get my hopes up and be disappointed by the buildings or general historicness. This Is The Place does a fantastic job. It reminded me a lot of Old Town San Diego, but without the commercial shops. It also reminded me of Landis Valley in Lancaster...but only very western and not a Pennsylvania community. The village is  nicely organized, signs and maps explaining what is what and why it is there. A really nice mixture of original buildings that were moved to the site and reproductions of buildings that once stood in Salt Lake City (and the Salt Lake Valley.) There were interpreters in practically every building. All welcoming us in and cheerfully telling us about the building or craft they were working on. The park had many activities for children and adults alike to participate in.

Ruth's Diner

July 2015
Ruth's Diner, Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake City Utah

I first read about Ruth's Diner in our Utah Curiosities book. After I read the fascinating and amusing story about Ruth, I just knew we had to check this place out. Check out Ruth's history here....she totally cracks me up.

Temple Square

July 2015
Temple Square, Salt Lake City Utah

For our anniversary we decided to stay close to home and celebrate by exploring the city we live in. There was a chance Chris would have to go away over our anniversary, so we started to celebrate early. I was feeling AMAZING that week and wanted to go go go...but Chris, being to wise man he his, made me pace myself and we explored our city safely and smartly.

At The Zoo

In April, Chris and I went on a little adventure at Utah's Hogle Zoo. The zoo is literately minutes away and in a fun location. We originally planned to meet up with friends from Oregon that were driving through, see the zoo, and come back to our place for lunch. We were half way through the zoo when our friends called and said they had some unexpected car trouble right within the city limits. So we finished up as we walked back through and left to rescue our stranded friends. We ended up seeing everything expect the reptile house (which is perfectly fine with me.)

Gilgal Sculpture Garden

We have been laying pretty low these days. Enjoying Spring and Chris's extra surprise days off. We are also still avoiding "mold hits" and working hard at making progress with my illness. 

A few weeks ago we made a quick trip to Oregon for a friend's wedding. But, lately we have been sticking close to home and exploring the local sites when able. 

Enter Gigal Sculpture Garden. I first read about this place in a fun book called Utah Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff . It sounded a little odd...but interesting. Months later I realized that we live very close to this hidden park and drive by it on the way to pretty much wherever we go. The garden/park is hidden between two houses on a relatively quiet street...just before Trolley Square. This garden/park definitely is a bit quirky (and you will see why), but when you learn the history behind it...its rather impressive. The man who owned the land and created the garden was visionary, passionate, devout, and impressively creative. I am sure he raised a few eyebrows in his day, but he kept working on his sculptures. 

Here is a little tour of the garden from our point of view. You can read all about it and what each sculpture means here - Gilgal Sculpture Garden.

Encounters in the American Mountain West, A Review

Encounters in the American Mountain West: A Sinner Amonst the Latter-Day Saints by Ian R. Michell. Encounters (which is how I will refer to this book from now on) is a book that I recently finished reading and semi read aloud or regurgitated to Christopher.

We were visiting the library several weeks ago to re-issue my library card. I had a temporary card in August and needed proof of address. Lalalala...and I finally got around to proving I lived in SLC and they let me have a permanent card.  SLC has many lovely looking libraries. The main library downtown is, is....very modern and futuristic. Chris thought it was cool.....me....I was actually frightened by it. It reminded me of some futuristic movie where everything is glass and metal. Cold. Sterile. But, that's just me - an old fashioned gal who's brain automatically reverts back to the 1920s or before. :-P So, when I discovered the library down in Sugarhouse, I was overjoyed. An actual 1920s library, small but overwhelmingly charming. It reminded me of my two favorite library buildings  - The Wyomissing Library and the Beach Haven Library (both early 1900s buildings.) I was enchanted and when I feel the need to haunt rows of book shelves, I plan to go there. Yes, I will do the 10 minute or so drive verses the seven minute drive (haha) and park in a real parking lot. Folks from SLC may laugh. But I am, deep to my core, a country girl.

Another Day At The Office

"How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!" 

~John Muir ~

Sunrise over Utah. The view from Christopher's office.

The Man With Stinky Feet

Salt Lake City Airport - August 1st, 2014

I plan to apply (very soon) to be on the TSA Pre-Check list. With the amount of flying that I have been doing and will be doing...it just makes sense. Then Chris and I can go through security together and no more panic attacks in long security lines.

This last time about did me in...

Our First Two Weeks Cooking

July 2014 - Salt Lake City

Cooking with one (borrowed) stainless steel pot and one cast iron pan is awesome...but difficult if I want more than two dishes. Last night for example: Chicken Curry w/Rice. Simple right? I started the rice, brown rice. I mixed up the sauce and placed it our recently bought and one and only baking dish. Then decided that the chicken would take forever to bake in the oven. I took out the chicken and started to cook it in the cast iron pan. The rice is finished – put that in our recently purchased glass storage container (Den Mother, you have forever spoiled me!)  Rinse out the pot and put the green beans in to cook. Chicken is cooking and I add the sauce. This is working out lovely. But....Chris is working on a baked oatmeal for breakfast the next morning. He needs to melt some coconut oil. We have no little pan and no microwave. In the oven it goes. We dance in our tiny kitchen – cherishing our happy moments of carefully coordinating pots, pans, and the use of our one spatula.

You Got Mail

Salt Lake City, July 2014

Growing up, getting the mail was a big deal. My brother and I would race down after “it”came and tried to get there first and be the one to carry “it” up to the house. It was a sacred daily ritual. When a holiday came – we would morn. Up until I moved away (and when I am back home) I cherished my walk down to the mail box. I love that walk!

The Ghost of Jeeves

July/August 2014, Salt Lake City

Our first apartment building was built in 1909. Each unit is super unique and each one different than the other, just like it's residents. When we first walked in when an employee was showing us studios...I stood speechless. 

"Lydia The Tattooed Lady"

(What to do in order to fit in with the 20something crowd in our neighborhood)

July, 2014

Portlanders are very vocal about being and staying weird. SLC folks are quiet about it. They are unique, hip, kinda “Portlander” but different. The look – hipster/grunge. Sun kissed with really really nice hair. The men – many are very well groomed and could be models. Maybe they are? The women – hipster, vintage, some rather punkish, some very Jess from New Girl. Many have tattoos.