As I said before the trip was awe-inspiring, so if you'd like to join me on a journey to Utah and back, then all you have to do is…

Security???

The trip began with a ride to the airport courtesy of my travelling companion's wife. My travelling companion, who will be mentioned often in this entry, is Rob, Mike's cousin.

So we get to the airport very early (cuz who knows?) and go through security. Both of us got “randomly” wanded. (I don't really understand how it is random when they do it to everyone - not that I mind them doing it to everyone - just doesn't seem very “random”.) Then we went to the gate, but our flight was not checking in yet, so we went to get Rob something to eat.

After eating, we went to sit in the waiting area and there's this Asian woman sitting across from us and down a couple of seats. She's pulling stuff out of her carry-on bag to rearrange it I guess, but what she pulls out is some duct tape and rope. Now I suppose there are many reasons why she had that stuff, but I can't imagine why it was in her carry-on, nor can I imagine why “security” didn't raise their eyebrows at it? We just hoped she wasn't getting on our flight. Yikes! She didn't, by the way. At least, we didn't see her….

Anyway, the flight was uneventful, and we even landed 20 minutes early. Mike's brother was picking us up at the airport and we even beat him to baggage claim (where we were meeting although we had no bags to claim as Mike had taken our luggage with him in the rental car.) So, my bil (brother-in-law) takes us to Wendy's to grab a bite and then to the hotel. Rob was sharing our room so we went to the room and hung out until Mike got back from the venue (that's what the place where the wedding took place was constantly referred to as) and told us we had to get ready to go.

Did You Swell?

So after we got dressed, we went to the venue, which I might add, was absolutely beautiful, and I began to see why my sil (sister-in-law) wanted to get married there. The venue is a wedding center that was the lifelong dream of sil's fiance's mother, so it is family owned. It was still a pain to get up there and all, but it was definitely gorgeous.

We rehearsed (we being bil's wife and Rob, and Rob and I as we were both singing duets with Mike accompanying) and then finally it was time for the wedding to start. It was outside by a waterfall in a garden setting. The officiant was a justice of the peace who happened to be sil's fiance's bil. (got that?) It was his first wedding, and he was a little nervous, but I have to say he did a great job and had some really neat things to say…the one that really stuck out was how your partner knows you better than anyone else…knows all the things that can make you happy and feel great, but by the same token knows all the things that can hurt you the most, and therefore, has to be careful with that power. How true, how true.

Singer sil and Rob sang “Hero” (Enrique Iglesias) after the bride walked down the aisle and the officiant had a few comments. Then the ceremony progressed. Rob and I sang “From This Moment” (Shania Twain) for the candle-lighting.

The funniest part of the ceremony, though, was when sil's fiance' was trying to get her wedding ring on her finger. For whatever reason, it would not go on, so he says to her, “Did you swell?” Everybody died laughing. Sil is very petite, so it was in no way an insult to her…it was just funny because he was wearing a wireless microphone, so everyone heard it loud and clear. I think poor new bil will never live that one down! hehehe

What? No Mony Mony????

After pictures (family gets theirs taken too you know), the reception began. The food was delicious, the cake was way way way too delicious, the alcohol was plentiful, the dj sucked, but the crowd more than made up for it. We requested “Mony Mony”, but sil had nixed that one from the list. I finally figured out why later. There is a certain rather tasteless chant that people like to scream during that song, and sil, knowing her party-hearty friends, probably figured they wouldn't hold back. I can understand why she might not want to subject the older generation to that chant, so I won't complain about that. I drank a lot of wine and champagne and did a lot of dancing and finally it was time to go back to the hotel because we were all pooped.

Everything's Up to Date in Salt Lake City

The next morning we got up and ate breakfast at the hotel and the four of us (Mike, me, Rob, and Rob's sister, Donna) took off on our great adventure.

First we drove up into the mountains near SLC and saw….SNOW!!!! It had apparently snowed earlier in the week and the mountaintops were capped with snow. It was very cool to see it flying in, and even more cool (literally and figuratively) to actually drive up and touch it! Rob even made a snow angel and everything!

Then we drove back down to SLC, and drove by the Mormon Temple, the Salt Palace, and the Delta Center.

Downtown SLC is very clean, very pristine (I suppose due in part to the Olympics), very up to date. The crosswalk signs beep at you and count down the seconds until the light changes (perhaps that is the case in other major cities as well, but Phoenix hasn't changed theirs yet).

Then off we went to Park City to see what we could see of the Olympic venues. Park City is a very cool kinda bohemian town. Apparently according to the history that I read, back when the town was founded, they totally outlawed Mormonism…interesting, eh? But finally, through adversity, the religions found a way to coexist peacefully. Anyway, we did see the ski jumps and moguls courses on the mountain, but the tour of the facilities was 90 minutes and we decided we didn't have enough time to spare, so we just enjoyed seeing the place and went into the town and ate pizza at a beer joint. Then back on the road.

Yay God! Part 1

A few years ago, during an evening choir rehearsal (choir at a college made up of working adults), we took a break to go watch a lunar eclipse. As we watched, someone said “yay, God” and we gave a round of applause, and ever since then, that's sort of been my way of saying that I have no words to describe the awe that I feel at what I am seeing. Anyway….

We drove into the Bryce Canyon National Park area close to sunset, and saw these beautiful red rocks….my reaction was, of course, “Yay God!” We paid our $20 entrance fee (which I can live with since it helps keep the parks up, but it's good for 7 days and we were there a matter of hours…oh well)…as we were driving down the road toward one of the vantage points, we saw two deer eating by the side of the road. Since no one was behind us, we pulled up next to them and stopped the car to get photos. They pretty much ignored us and went about their business. I talked softly to them, but Rob wanting a good picture, says “HELLO!” and one of them looked right up at him with her/his ears straight up and he got the perfect shot of the deer. It was too funny.

Then we kept driving to the canyon vantage point. Let me just say, it was pretty spectacular. Bryce Canyon is full of fantastic shapes called “hoodoos” (a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion). Mike and Rob hiked down into the canyon, while Donna (being physically unable to make the hike) and I (being just a wimp) waited above. It was probably better that I didn't try it, as Mike said it was a tough hike back up (being uphill) and they were both pretty winded.

After we left Bryce, we had dinner not far from the canyon and then drove until we got to Mt. Carmel at about 11:30 p.m. We finally found a motel and the room even had three beds! Rob was happy he “didn't have to sleep with his sister.”

Yay God! Part 2

The next morning we got up and on the road to Zion National Park (another $20 entrance fee). I'd like to mention here that I've always kind of thought of Utah as the ugly stepsister of Colorado (I love Colorado…it is one of my favorite places on earth). However, I've definitely revised that opinion after this trip. Utah is not the same as Colorado, but it is very beautiful in its own way.

Zion is an incredible place. It is breathtaking, and I would highly recommend that everyone take a trip there at some time in their life. We did the scenic drive through the part of the park where private vehicles are allowed, and then we got on the free shuttle to see the rest of the scenery. The shuttle driver was very cool. We, at first, sat in the front seats in the front of the first car of the shuttle. The driver then told everyone that his shuttle wouldn't leave for 6 minutes, but the other shuttle was leaving right away, so everyone but us got off the shuttle and got on the next one. We, since we had prime seats, stayed on that shuttle. Talking with the driver, though, he recommended that we get the front seats in the back car of the shuttle, so we moved to the second car. After awhile, more people got on, and soon enough we were on our way. As we drove down the scenic drive, Mike noticed some dust kicking up on the sides of the canyon. The driver then said that we were witnessing a rockslide!!! It was pretty neat, and the rumble of the falling rocks was amazing even though most of the stuff in the rockslide was small. The driver stopped the shuttle and let us watch for a good two minutes. He made a joke about saving it for us, and “especially for the people in the front seat of the trailer.” Great guy.

Anyway, we rode the shuttle to the last stop before it turned around and disembarked there. Mike, Rob and I took off on the Riverside Walk while Donna stayed behind. It's actually about a mile hike, but we didn't do the full hike since Donna was waiting for us. I set the pace since I figured it was easier for them to keep up with me than vice versa. Let me just say that this is my kind of hike…on a paved path with a little short wall on the side going into the canyon. And since we were pretty close to the bottom of the canyon, the drop wasn't very far and so didn't scare me. (Yes, I'm a wimp about heights.) Anyway, it was absolutely beautiful and we could have easily done the whole hike had we the time and not had someone waiting for us. I would definitely say that this hike was the highlight of my trip.

We finally got back to poor Donna and went to lunch at the Zion Lodge and then off on our next adventure.

A Very Big Hole in the Ground

And so now we get to our third canyon in 24 hours….THE Canyon. The Grand Canyon. We all wanted to see the Canyon from the North Rim since none of us had ever been to that side before. (Everyone goes to the South Rim because for one thing it is easier to get to.) We paid another $20 (and were irritated because here we found out you can get an unlimited National Park pass for $50 :P hrmph).

No matter how many times I see the Canyon, and being a native Arizonan, I've seen it quite a few times, I never ever tire of it. It never fails to make me feel small and insignificant. To think that this canyon was billions of years in the making just boggles my mind. If you've never been to the Canyon, you must at some point in your life make it there. Pictures do not come close to doing it justice because of the sheer size of it. You can't imagine the size really without seeing it. There is nothing at all that I can compare it to. It is an experience unto itself. And every time I see it, it is almost surreal. It is SO big that the other side of the canyon almost looks like a painting rather than reality. I'm sure that doesn't make sense, but I don't really have the words to explain it if you've never seen it. So, put the Canyon on your list of things to do in your lifetime. I promise it is well worth it.

Mike and Rob did more hiking. We saw more deer and finally it was time for us to hit the road as we still had to make it back to Phoenix that night.

Are We There Yet?

Now we hit the last leg of our trip from the Canyon to Phoenix. Basically it was just long because we were all sick of being in the car and tired and ready to be home. We stopped in Flagstaff for dinner and gasoline and made it to Rob's house by about 10:30 which got Mike and me home a little after 11:00 p.m.

We enjoyed the Escape we rented for the trip and will probably be buying one now that the lease on my car is up.

Relaxed, Refreshed, Relieved

Since I was able to get the doggies taken care of while I was gone, I actually was able to relax and enjoy my trip. I'm tired, but my attitude has been refreshed, and I'm looking forward to my time off this summer. It was so nice to actually have a vacation with my husband for a change. It was really wonderful to see new places and experience nature for a bit and just feel a little more connected with the world around me.

But, I am glad to be home in my bed with my things and hug my doggies (who, by the way, were very well taken care of while we were gone).

The best part may be that I actually survived without a computer for three days….hehehe.

Pictures?

There are, of course, lots of pictures, and I will hopefully get them linked up in the next few days. I'll let you know when they're up!

The pictures used to be linked, but they are no longer available where they were linked to. If I ever find them again, I’ll link them back up, but don’t hold your breath. :D