Road to Paducah:

 I have been thinking and talking about a trip to Paducah Kentucky for a few years now.  After Tokyo, Houston, and Lincoln, this trip was designed to pretty much finish up my "bucket list" for quilt shows and museums, though (don't tell Roger) I am sure there will be more added on in the future.  We had talked about flying to Nashville and renting a car from there, but when all was said and done, we thought a road trip was the best way to accomplish this "quest". We headed east through the Rocky Mountains, above, and spent our first night in Denver Colorado.

Hole In the Rock Road:

 The wonderful thing about living in the West is that you can plan a "trip of a lifetime" around a long
weekend.  I had never been to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument before which is located in the southwest corner of Utah.  Roger had last been there 25 years ago on a camping trip with the kids and was excited to show me what was available in our own backyard.  Our destination was the 62 mile "Hole In the Rock" road which begins just outside of Escalante.

Arizona Road Trip:

 It has been too long since I have written on our blog.  Problems, problems, and more problems had beset it.  When I returned from our Panama Canal cruise (I forgot to post that one first!), my computer had died and we ended up buying a new Mac.  A lot has happened between  November and now and I am just getting the hang of things again.

The Road Trip to Yellowstone:

 I love our Road Trips!  Last time Kim and Mary were here, he headed down to Moab and the National Parks in that part of Utah.  This time, sadly minus Mary, we headed north to Jackson Hole,
the Tetons and Yellowstone.  Above, is one of the four arches leading into the center square of the city.  Each is made entirely of elk antlers.  Jackson boasts probably the largest reserve area for wintering Elk in the nation.  Come Spring, the Boy Scouts are allowed onto the reserve to collect the antlers dropped during the winter.  They are then auctioned off one weekend each summer with the Scouts getting a portion of the proceeds.

Finish the Trip:

This blog is starting at the end and jumping forward.  Such is my life in the world of blogging.  Above is a photo of the Stitchin Post, a "bucket list" entry that I have now checked off.  Sisters is the home of a fantastic city-wide outdoor quilt show put on  the second Saturday of July every year. This has been going on for the past 39 years and started by Jean Wells, owner of Stitchin Post as well as a well known artist and author.  July couldn't happen for us, so as we were putting together our trip to the great Northwest, this was put on the "to do" list.  It didn't disappoint.  I discovered a great fabric designer by the name of Marsha Derse and bought a few pieces from her line.  As nobody in Utah carries it, I just may have to make a return visit one of these days.

Trip to the Coast:

This summer has been a fast one and while we have done a lot of things, it has been awhile since we took more than a weekend away.  The kids are now in school so the roads are less congested and hotels have vacant signs and with perfect weather we decided to head to the coastline of Northern California.  As we were leaving SL we spotted double and triple full rainbows.  Twenty minutes from home and I am already making Roger pull over for a photo shoot.  Worth it!!! 

Road Trip to Nebraska:

How often do you decide on a destination and then work a road trip around getting there?  Luckily, we had a full week to get from Farmington Utah to Lincoln Nebraska and back so we decided to check out some sights up North that we hadn't visited for well over 30 years.  After getting all our obligations out of the way, we left on May 15th heading up to Jackson Hole

and Yellowstone National Park.

Following the Pony Express Route:

About 18 months ago, our son Jason and a few of his best running buddies decided to run a 50 mile leg of the Pony Express trail.  Roger, as per his normal, went along as part of the support team to encourage them along. We've been talking about retracing their run while driving the large loop (425miles) which takes in a good part of the trail as we pick it up in Lehi (south of SL) and follow it west into Nevada, up to Wendover (Utah's quick fix for gambling just on the Nevada/Utah border) and then back home.  We found the perfect day, free of any commitments, and took off.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon:

It had been twelve years since Roger and I had visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  A lot has happened during those twelve years, but luckily for us not much has changed on the rim and memories flooded back immediately as we drove down the road to the lodge, above.  The north rim is not as developed as the south and the Grand Canyon Lodge is the dominate fixture surrounded by scores of small wooden cabins.  A camp ground further down the road with a general store completes what is available for the wandering tourist.  The lodge was constructed in 1928 for the Union Pacific Railroad.  The original one burned down in 1932 and was rebuilt in l937.

Views of the Grand Canyon are seen from walkways and terraces surrounding the lodge.  Huge windows facing the canyon allow you to sit in the main hallway or enjoy a meal in the dining room while taking in the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

North to Alaska: Part One - The Cruise Ship

 Roger and I had never been on a cruise before.  We had heard about them, of course, a lot, but the desire to go on one had never really been there.  I guess it's retirement? Who knows. But we thought going to Alaska (something else we hadn't done yet) would be a good test of our endurance and an opportunity to see some amazing sights - as well as eat a lot of food!

Celebrating the 4th of July in Jackson Hole, Wyoming:

 Allison and family invited us to celebrate the 4th of July in Jackson, Wyoming this year and as it is one of our favorite places to visit we circled the dates on the calendar, rented our room and without too much additional planning were on our way.  Jackson is situated at the base of Grand Teton National Park and just about an hours drive south of Yellowstone National Park.  Roger and I have both visited the area as children, honeymooned there, sent our children (Evan and Allison) off to work there, and over the years claimed it as our own to hike, canoe, camp and yes, shop, in.  We love Jackson and the national parks close by.

Bridge at Navajo Indian Reservation

Is this the same bridge do you think?  Okay, it is from the other end of the bridge from yours Janice, but I am sure it is, as my river photos also look similar to yours.

You Can Always Go Back - At Least For a Short Visit:

Our next stop on the trip was Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We'd been there before and so it didn't quite have the pull as it would have for a first timer.  A quick walk around the square reminded us that this is very much an art town with prices to go with it.  We saw chili wreaths and hangings such as the ones we used to put on our front door and kitchen walls in Silver City.  Memories started flowing back.

Road Trip: Mesa Verde and Taos Pueblo

We have been trying to find a week without commitments of one kind or another for awhile now.  We circled last week on the calendar and let everyone know we would be gone.  Our destination was ultimately Silver City, New Mexico where we had lived some 35 years ago.  It was Roger's first job right out of University that took us there and it was there that our second child, Daniel, was born.  That history has kept us tied to Silver City and to New Mexico.  Since there is a lot to see between here and there, we decided to make it a tour of old and new as we traveled through all four states of the four corners area of the U.S.: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and finally back to Utah.

The Coven on Weber Canyon Road

I have FINALLY finished my Utah quilt!!!

It is called, The Coven on Weber Canyon Road.  Well it is temporarily, as Janice will have to tell me whether I have the place name right!

Click here to read all about it and see it in detail on my other blog.

Alan and I continued to notch up parks, when we visited Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Glen Canyon Dam

The second part of my US holiday, was doing a road trip with Alan, to Southern Utah.

 Goblin Valley

RETURN OF THE COVEN!

This may look like a scene from Love Story, but in fact it was the moment when The Coven finally met up together in over a year.  All together now, ahhhh!

One Last Walk:

 Kim and Alan returned from their holiday visiting Southern Utah and the Grand Canyon Thursday evening.  Friday was our last day together and so along with a last minute shopping trip to JoAnn's, we decided to go on one last walk in Utah.  I chose Mueler Park, a wonderful little canyon just about 15 minutes from our home.  I had been there earlier with my mother for a walk and knew the colors were getting close to their peak.

AND THERE"S SNOW!!!!!!

 Roger had been up to the cabin earlier in the week and said that we had to
go back up to see the colors as the aspens around the cabin were turning their fall color of bright yellow and were truly amazing. He also suggested that we drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon and over the mountain to Park City to see what the foliage was like there.  Sometimes it's a matter of just dropping everything and going, because if you wait one day too long, the colors will be gone.