Summer Trip (Part Two UTAH then home)

Welcome to Texas

The next morning we headed out early, driving up to Jackson, then across to Dallas, and finally up to Amarillo. We spent the night there then up before dawn to Utah. There was a pretty spectacular lightning display between Amarillo and Tucumcari NM. We also saw a bunch of light off to the north. We think it was a windmill farm.

We ate breakfast in Santa Rosa and a little cafe. Then on to Albuquerque, Gallup, then across the Indian reservation to Page and finally to Hatch.

At Hatch we hung out with Grandpa Ed, went exploring the back road from Hatch to Panguitch Lake, and did our usual morning hike at Red Canyon.

Red Canyon

Road to the river in Hatch

We also drove over to Cedar City to get Kira moved out of her apartment. Between her car and the CR-V we managed to get all of her stuff packed up. (We did have to leave a Styrofoam ice chest in Hatch - we were that full)

On the 29th of July we drove up to Salt Lake to see Jessi and Peter.  Since Kira still didn't have a place to live, JoAnne (through the miracle of mobile internet) found a place that eventually became Kira's new home. They decided to skip on the house where they smoked pot and ran around with no clothes on. Her new home was occupied by good LDS girls - some students, some working.

Aunt Susan's house

Peter had arranged for us to stay at his Aunt Susan's house in Cottonwood Heights. She is a nurse and was serving a tour on a Navy hospital ship (USNS Comfort, I think). Peter's brother Paul and sister-in-law Kylie live in the basement, but they  were out of town, too. (this is were Jessi and Peter are currently living while Aunt Susan is serving a mission in Vanuatu.)

View from Aunt Susan's house

While driving around looking for some stuff for Kira's apartment, we had a little incident. A pizza delivery car ran into the back of the three-week old CR-V. Damage was minor and didn't affect anything on the trip, but was aggravating. (BTW - the other insurance paid for the repair and all is well on that issue.)

Rumpled fender

On the 30th, Kira had to work, but Jessi, JoAnne and I went up Big Cottonwood Canyon to hike to a waterfall. It was a nice (steep) drive and hike. (We got 189 mpg gas mileage coming down the mountain.!)

That afternoon, we met Peter near where he works for lunch at Gourmandise restaurant. They had a bunch for baked goods that were really good. We also visited City Creek Mall right across the street from Temple Square.

City Creek Mall
Roof closed when it is hot (or cold)

City Creek Mall
Roof open when it's not hot

 On Saturday, August 1st, We went back downtown with Kira and Peter. We spent some time on Temple Square, and then about 7 hours in Deseret Books. (Don't let facts get in the way of a good story!)

SLC

On Sunday, we went to sacrament meeting at Jessi and Peter's ward, then headed out of town. We decided to take I-80 across Wyoming rather than the usual route up I-70. We hadn't been that way before.  There was a bad motorcyle wreck just before we got to the Wyoming state line. We read later that at least one of the riders died, and they had to close the freeway for a life flight helicopter to land. Other than that an uneventful drive. We spent the first night in Limon, Colorado.

Statue of Lincoln at rest area in Wyoming

The next day we drove I-70 across Kansas and Missouri and spent the night in Illinois. We did stop and have Czechoslovakian food at a little restaurant in Kansas.

Our last day took us through Indiana, Kentucky (traffic detour took us past some amazing horse farms in Kentucky) Tennessee, North Carolina, then back home to South Carolina.

Indiana welcome center

Tennessee welcome center

Back in South Carolina

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