Wanderlust.... Ready For The Next New Adventure

3:10 to Yuma & Abuelito (via Laughlin and the Hoover Dam)

2010-01-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

1,200 Miles later and we're back from a very short but very fun trip to see abuelito (Grandpa in spanish) in Yuma, Arizona. A 4 day weekend for me made the trip possible and I'm so grateful to have had even that short amount of time off - we really crammed a lot of things into our trip and we came home happy and very tired. We left early Friday morning and were in Laughlin, Nevada just after lunch. The weather was gorgeous! 64f and very sunny... a huge contrast from what we left in Utah! Our good friends Bernie and Diana have a home down there where they stay in the Winter and it was so good to see them again that evening for dinner.. it's been several months since I last saw them and we had lots of catching up to do.. it was so nice. Overnight in Laughlin gave us chance to take in a Score Racing event they were holding - unfortunately it was far too expensive for us to afford to view the race itself but we watched the staging area and got to see all the cars and trucks, much to Alfredo's delight. Owen got to go down to the banks of the mighty Colorado River which was flowing fast and full, and throw some stones in which he loved; it was so nice sat on the sandy banks watching him run around chasing the pigeons. Saturday morning we were up early and on our way to the Davis Dam on the outskirts of Laughlin - a large dam holds back the Colorado River and a hydro-electric plant generates enough power to provide electricity to some 1 million homes in the tri-State area. Back on the road and the long trip south to Yuma which lies 24 miles just north of the Mexican border. There was absolutely NOTHING to see on the journey that didn't include desert brush/scrub and cactus.. we stopped in Parker for a picnic lunch, again on the Colorado River, looking rather small in comparison to what we saw a few hours north in Laughlin.. again Owen terrorised the pigeons and ran on the sand, he loves to have picnics and it was a nice break in the journey. 2 Hours of more desert and cactus later and we reach the most amazingly green, fertile fields full of all manner of fruits and vegetables on the north end of Yuma.. by this time, the weather is very hot and such a treat for us at this time of year! Alfredo's dad was waiting for us at the hotel and it was so good to see him again after nearly 3 years; for his 80-something years, he's doing amazing and it was so nice to see him in such good health. We spent the evening and Sunday catching up and talking; we visited the local park and visitor center which had the most awesome display of antiques and things from the area, Owen had so much fun with all the old machinery, cars and a train-car. The grounds were beautiful and we spent most of the morning wandering round. Next stop was the most awesome play park I think I have ever seen... Owen was in kid heaven and it was quite difficult trying to get him to leave! Alfredo's dad spent 2 nights with us and we parted company on Monday morning - him to cross the border back to Mexico and us to start the very long trip back North. Around 2.30pm we were in need of a stop to stretch our legs when we were approaching Las Vegas and saw a sign for the Hoover Dam so we made a quick detour and had a great time despite the rather chilly weather that had surrounded us. The Dam is really hard to describe unless you've been to it.. the size, the views.. just everything is insane how they managed to build that thing.. it's crazy! I'm so pleased we got to see it. 3 Hours later and we are home after driving through the most torrential rain and sleety snow.. we made it safe after the most wonderful weekend with abuelito.. the break did us all the world of good to spend time together and see new places.

Us at the Hoover Dam (Nevada & Arizona states border).. check out that insane bridge they're building in the background!

You'd be crazy to jump from the dam (where I was stood when taking this picture).. it is a vertigo sufferer's nightmare!

An adorable little side-street in Historic Downtown, Yuma

3 Generations of Montiano's!

More gorgeous views at the Hoover Dam - this is the back-side of the dam where the water piles up

Owen loved the old Quatermaster Depot Park & Visitor Center in Yuma

I fell in love with this adorable, tiny little church I spotted from car, set amid the thousands of acres of vegetables in the fields north of Yuma

Owen was in heaven at this amazing park in Yuma

Too cool to swim but perfect for splashing your feet in the hotel pool!

Throwing stones in the Colorado River in Laughlin

Me and one of the racing cars in Laughlin

Master Owen sunning himself by a fountain in Historic Downtown Yuma

Owen and Alfredo at the Davis Dam in Laughlin

Fun in the Sun

2010-01-09T15:16:00.001-08:00

I never thought my sunny little piece of heaven would come high up a mountain surrounded by a bunch of snow.. but this afternoon I found myself sat quite happily on a bank of hard-packed snow, watching Owen having so much fun on the sledding hill. The sun was warm enough that we needed just 2 tshirt layers and snow pants, it was so gorgeous up there. We were out in the snow for a good 2 hours or so and it felt so good to feel the sun beating down on our faces. Alfredo & I took it in turn going up and down the hill with Owen and we were both exhausted by the end... my little snow-man of course didn't want to go home! There were lots of people at the sledding area and a lot of crazy teenage kids who apparently had no fear as they hurtled down the steep hillside - it sure was fun to see them having so much fun (.. and crash.. lol). The hill doesn't look too steep in the pictures but it was! We flew down the hill so fast, it was awesome. I took some snacks and Owen thought it was cool to have a picnic in the snow.

Alfredo and Owen headed up the hill for another run.

Owen and I about to take flight..

Phew, we made it!.. and had a lot of fun!

New Year's Eve at Rusty's

2010-01-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I'm still in denial that the year really is this far along, somehow, it really doesn't feel like we should be celebrating a new year (and a new decade!!!) already.. but here it is! Last night we went out for dinner with 16 people (we only knew 4 of them) up the canyon to Rusty's Steakhouse. The atmosphere in there was really nice; the place was packed! .. and for those who know Rusty's, it's really not that big in there. The food was good and plentiful, but one kinda got the feeling that they were so slammed with orders that they didn't really have time to pay attention to detail like they normally do; the food was either under-cooked or over-done and it took forever to arrive, which was ok as we were all busy chatting and laughing. Owen came with us and had a good time; he was really well-behaved and ate a lot of food which I was pleasantly surprised by - I think he was generally just really starving since he polished off the yucky green garnish leaf things they put on the plate with the loaded potatos kins, lol.. normally he won't go near anything green and leafy! After dinner we came home and I'm ashamed to say that Owen and I were asleep in bed by 10.30pm! We managed a nice lie-in until 9.30am this morning which was a real treat. I then of course freaked out at the time because Alfredo was being picked up at 10.00 to go shooting skeets with the neighbor guys, so that's where he's gone today. I hope that this New Year brings everyone what you hope for.. good health, happiness and all of that!

Alfredo & Carrie

Me & Scott (Carrie's husband)

My little new year's reveller!

Special Christmas Message...

2009-12-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas!!

2009-12-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

Wow.. the big day is finally here!.. about time really since I doubt that Owen could have contained his excitement for much longer. He has been a lot of fun this year; it is the first year that he really understood what was going on and he has been obsessed with everything to do with Santa - he has watched the Tim Allen 'Santa Claus' movie about 50 billion times! Fortunately, Owen didn't get us up too early - 7.00am which was acceptable! He was so excited to see all the presents under the tree. I want to thank everyone who mailed over a gift for Owen - thank you soooo much. We didn't have much money to spare on gifts this year, but thanks to the kindness of everyone who sent a gift for Owen, he was very blessed with so many wonderful gifts - THANK YOU!! After the opening of gifts, we went for brunch with the Kaczmar family. Our neighbor Stacey's parents are such welcoming folk and as always, their house was full of children and grandchildren and it was such a lovely atmosphere. We had a large spread of food for breakfast which all us gals helped prepare; Linda has a huge kitchen where everyone hangs out talking and laughing, it's so nice. We stayed until about noon when we came home and we'll stay here for the rest of the day, watching tv and playing with Owen's new toys. Currently he's running round dressed as Batman, intermittently stopping to take a breath and have a drink of 'tea' from his tea-set which was all he really asked Santa for!! The weather outside is perfect for today; a good layer of snow on the ground, bright sunshine and bitterly cold!
Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy the day!! We love you all.

Who thought Batman was so civilized??

Good Fun with Good Neighbors

2009-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, we decided to make a quick trip to St.George to visit the LDS Temple, see the Christmas lights and see the Portraits exhibition they had going on in the Temple Visitor Center. 4 Couples went (right to left.. the Heirtzlers, us, the Bouchers and the Barney's). The Temple is an amazing sight at the best of times, with the bright white building gorgeously lit up in the dark night sky, but with the large grounds full of what seemed like a million colored lights, it was so beautiful... my pictures nowhere near do it justice.. you just had to be there. The Portraits exhibition was really nice and the pictures very powerful; we'd been talking about going for a couple of months, so it was nice that we were finally able to get and see for ourselves. After we were done at the Temple, we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. It was so fun to have everyone sat together, talking and laughing. The food was delicious and very plentiful. We had such a fun evening and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends to share fun and memories with.

Party Night

2009-12-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

2 Parties in one night... I've been upgraded to socialite status! lol.... First on our party list was a surprise party for our sweet neighbor Robyn .. Dwayne did a great job at making sure she didn't know about it and all would have turned out great had Robyn not seen Ryan (another party guest) running past the kitchen window yelling to everyone that Robyn was here and we should hide!! it was really funny... also due to all the snow, everyone had to park their cars near the house which also kind of gave it away, but it was a lot of fun and Neasha's dutch oven chocolate fudge cake hot out of the oven with ice-cream was to die for!! ... One huge helping of choccie cake later, we were on the snowy roads again and on our way to my work Christmas party which was so much fun. It was so nice to have everyone together in one room with spouses and children and it just made for a really nice atmosphere. I'm so fortunate to work with such a wonderful group of people. Owen had a blast running round with the other little children his age.. his latest love is Kaylee, my co-worker Mickelle's girl; the 2 of them were inseperable - it was so sweet to see them so excited together waiting in line to see Santa. We had Dutch Oven food which was delicious but unfortunately I spent too much time talking that I didn't get as much eaten as I'd of liked!! A really fun time was had by all but unfortunately I still don't feel one bit Christmassy -what's wrong with me this year??? Merry Christmas y'all! xx

Festival of Trees & The Storybook Cavalcade Parade

2009-12-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year in our sweet little town; they put on so many fun activities for the children and I can't imagine living anywhere else and missing out on all that goes on here. This morning we took Owen to the annual Festival of Trees. There are at least 30, if not more, themed Christmas trees; all decorated beautifully - each representing a different theme. They also have storybook characters wandering around in costume to greet the children - it really is a fun little event. Owen's favourite trees were the Superman and Batman trees and of course the Toy Story tree! The festival is held in the Heritage Center that has 3 levels and Owen was like a kid in a candy store, running up and down stairs to each level, I was quite exhausted after our hour looking round and trying to keep up with him - there was so much to see, he didn't know where to go first! The majority of the upper floor was dedicated to 'The North Pole' and Santaland. A little tunnel leads you into an area full of penguins and snowy things, along a hallway all decked out Christmassy, ending in Santa's den. I just love seeing the look on Owen's face when he sees Santa.. it's just priceless.. of course I never have the camera ready at such a moment! After a brief chat with Santa, we were off to our next fun event... The Storybook Cavalcade Parade... another annual tradition for us it seems! I was a little worried that the weather would ruin it because it's been so jolly cold this last week, but the weather proved me wrong and although only 43f, we bundled up and it actually wasn't too bad stood in the bright sunshine. It was quite a long parade and very well done. Each of the floats represented a different child's storybook. Owen loved the floats, especially when he saw the Buzz and Woody floats.. although when Buzz Lightyear came round, I noticed that he was rather more interested in the guy inside of the float who was driving it, he smiled so big when the guy stuck his hand out and waved at Owen - it was funny. So many people had turned out and it was such a nice atmosphere.

Snowy Sunday

2009-11-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it snowed about 3 inches worth. The night and early morning were above freezing point so the snow had started to melt some by the time it had warmed up enough for us to take Owen out playing in it mid-afternoon today. It sure was pretty outside; it was quite mild and the sun was shining brightly in cloudless blue skies... I love the snow when the weather is like this. Fortunately, Owen has the best snow gear out the 3 of us so he was kept snuggly warm and dry while he sledded and threw snowballs. Alfredo & I sure were given our afternoon exercise running round the field and up and down the hill with him on his sled! It was fun to see Owen have so much fun though and I thought I'd share some of these pictures with you.

Thanksgiving.... and a lot to be thankful for..

2009-11-26T16:39:00.000-08:00

Wow.. I cannot believe that it is the time of year again when we sit down to eat turkey and all the trimmings with friends. Thanksgiving morning was as beautiful as one could hope for on this special day.. clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine amid a very crisp cold air.. gorgeous! We started the morning with a semi lay-in (does 7.30am count?) and by 10.30 we were on the road south to the town of Hurricane with good friends Roger, Arlene and their 4 kids for an afternoon gathering at Roger's parents' place. The Olcott family are the most welcoming and friendly group you could ever wish for - they're simply awesome people and I am so happy that we got to spend our Thanksgiving with them. There were 17 of us sat down to lunch which was cooked to perfection and perfectly coordinated by Roger's dad. Around the table were us 3, Roger, Arlene and the 4 kids, Roger's sister Shay, her hubby and their 2 kids, my best work gal pal Becky (who is Roger's sister and my desk-mate at the Sheriff's Office), her husband Kyle and their 2 boys and of course Roger and Becky's parents who were such wonderful hosts. Owen had such a fun time with all the children, who although a lot older than him, included him a lot in their games and with a 'grandkid cupboard' full of toys, he was in his element. The home was all decked out gorgeous for christmas and looked really festive. Food was plentiful with the traditional turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and everything else you expect from a Thanksgiving feast... and there were 4 kinds of pie for dessert... wow, we were all very uncomfortably full to say the least, in a really good way! After clearing away the tables, we sat around talking and laughing and then decided to hit the stores for a spot of sale shopping, unfortunately the sales don't really get underway until tomorrow which is Black Friday - the most awesomest sale day of the year!, so anyways, we left the women shopping and 5 of us decided to start the journey North and for home. Tomorrow I am going to attempt to battle the crowds in the sales for what few bargains I can find, so let's hope the die-hard shoppers who will be at the store at 5am haven't pipped me to the post and taken everything by the time I get there at 10am or so!. Wish me luck! What a very fun and lovely Thanksgiving we had today with such wonderful people who we are so blessed to have each and every day in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for in our life here in Utah and I think that Thanksgiving is a really nice holiday to celebrate - there is no gift giving or commercialism (if you don't count Black Friday bargains!) like at Christmas, and the whole point of this holiday really is to get together with friends and family and to just enjoy being together and be thankful for everything we have.

Baja 1000, Ensenada, Mexico

2009-11-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

I think pretty much everyone knows that Alfredo recently spent a week down in Mexico working on the Baja 1000 off-road race.... he was originally intending to be part of the support crew for a guy who had signed up to race solo but the course was somewhat rougher than expected and plans changed at the last minute and Alfredo got signed up to be the race partner which of course he was thrilled about! The race was 675 miles off-road and between Alfredo and Eric, the 2 of them finished in just a little over 28 hours, a time to be proud of given the technical difficulties the course posed. So anyways, here are some pictures of Alfredo in action!

Veterans' Day.... and Mommy and Owen's fun day

2009-11-11T16:16:00.001-08:00

So today is Veterans' Day and I am fortunate to work for a company who observes this holiday and gave us the day off! - yay for me!! ... As on all holidays, we woke to find a gorgeous American flag flying outside our house, blowing proudly in the breeze... that's one of the things I love about this country, we're so patriotic!! Owen always gets well excited when the town puts a flag outside our house - he loves it! So, on a day off, never one to sit home and do nothing, I wanted to go do something fun with Owen. Our day started off at the Highland Park in St.George (love that place!) - this park is awesome. It's less than 2 years old so is still very clean and is in a really nice area of town and the grounds are very well maintained and Owen just loves it there - there's so much for him to play on. The park is huge and atop a big hill so has awesome views of the surrounding mountains. After he'd expended some of his seemingly limitless energy for a good hour and a half running round, we headed to Costco where they have 4 big aisles full of christmas toys and he had a wonderful time running round pressing buttons and testing stuff out. We had a quick slice of pizza for lunch then headed to the Washington City Aquatic Center to use up some more of my little man's energy! .. LOVE the Aquatic Center!!! This was only like the 3rd time we'd been in the 2 years or so they've been open but Owen totally remembered it and couldn't wait to get there! They have the classic lap pool but the majority of the Aquatic area is devoted to the play center for kids. They have a baby area for little tots and then a bigger play park, for want of a better word, that is inside the pool area that is full of so many fun things and there is this huge bucket on the very top that constantly fills with water and every couple of minutes dumps gallons of water on anyone unfortunate enough to be on the play park at the time.. it's so much fun!.. So anyways, we're back home now and i'm struggling to keep my eyes open; we had so much fun at the water park and we went up and down the waterslides so many times I was getting dizzy, lol. Owen practically passed out with exhaustion in the car on the way home so I know he had an awesome day since he rarely naps in the afternoons any more. So all in all, a very fun day and what a treat to have the whole day with my little man on a Wednesday!.... back to work tomorrow...

Horsing Around!

2009-11-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

I just had to post these pics of our sweet neighbor Dave and Owen in the horse wagon that Dave just got done making... how awesome is this! He made it totally from scratch out of an old bicycle - how ingenious! Anyways, so I get home from work today and Dave is in our front yard with Maple the horse and this wagon and had come to give Owen a ride round the block. Not being able to resist, I hopped in the wagon too for a spin! Maple was in her element trotting down the street (we actually ended up going about 2 miles); she was such a good sport but had little disregard for 'STOP' signs or rules of the road, lol... it was fun, especially taking corners so fast we were practically on one wheel. Owen loved it though, he was giggling away. What a treat it was to get to take a ride!

Happy Halloween!..... Boo!!

2009-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! ... After a very late night at Roger & Arlene's party, I managed a lie-in til 9am which was soooo nice! We had such a great time last night, thanks guys!

Alfredo went dirt-bike riding with the guys today so I took Owen to the Iron Mission State Museum in town. What a neat little museum our town has. It documents the history of our County / town over the last 150 years since we were settled officially. There are so many old carriages, all kinds of farm equipment, displays detailing the railway that used to pass through town and so many other really cool interactive things for kids; Owen had so much fun. Outside is a huge area full of more farm equipment and old tractors. There are also a couple of old homestead cabins, a school house and a replica of a smelter that Owen just loved. His favourite thing by far was a Wells Fargo (mail/pay-load) carriage that he couldn't get enough of. This was the only one that kids could go inside and he went in and out so many times I was afraid he'd wear the door off!

5pm was Trunk or Treat at the church.. and time for a change of costume to something a little warmer... Lilo 'n' Stitch! Owen at this point was very sugared up, tired from a very late night last night and had quite honestly had enough of halloween at this point! We took him anyways and he had fun for about the first 15 minutes (in which time he accumulated probably 2 months worth of candy!!) and then decided that he'd got enough candy and wanted to go home, much to Alfredo's and my disappointment since we were enjoying visiting with friends/neighbors. Reluctant to stay home so early on Halloween, we met with friends Scott & Carrie and took Owen to the Haunted Hay Ride which was fun. Owen was a suprisingly good sport and enjoyed himself. A quick trip for hamburgers afterwards concluded our Halloween fun. We've all had a blast this Halloween but I am very pleased that it is all over and done with and we can get back to normalcy for a few weeks. We put the clocks back an hour tonight so I have an extra hour to hopefully rest up from all the fun the last 2 days have bought!! Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Friday Fun

2009-10-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

So I guess we got in the spirit early for Halloween this year and have already had a wonderful day full of Halloween fun and the big day isn't even here yet! .. I kind of like Halloween on a Saturday because it seems the whole weekend is dedicated to fun! Me and my gorgeous gal pals at work got dressed up like we normally do.. Mickelle was a giraffe (her outfit was the work appropriate version in this pic!!) and Becky was 'Frenchie' from Grease the movie.. don't we look fab!! We had treats in the office and just had a fun day... I'm so thankful to have the most awesome boss! After work, I got home to find that Mat & Lu's wedding DVD had arrived so i spent the next couple hours or so watching that.... wow.... what a fab day they had and what an amazing job Lu had done on the DVD, it was so professional and just wonderful. Thank you SOOOO much Lu for sending that to us... watching that really made my day.. thank you!! Early evening took us back into town for the car dealers trick or treat fun/activities. The 4 car dealers and Lin's Market get together to do lots of fun activities for the kids and there's tonnes of candy! Owen had such a fun time. He was so excited to finally wear his outfit; not quite sure what he is but i thought it looked rather Power-Ranger-esque! lol. Last stop on the Halloween circuit for Friday was a party at the Olcott's house which was fun. Lots of laughs, good company and an all-round good time was had by all.

First Snow of the Season... 28 October 2009

2009-10-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the first snow actually fell yesterday on the 27th, but today gets a special mention because we woke to a blanket of white this morning. It's so cold today.. a high of 31f... brrrrrr... the kind of cold that bites at your fingers, it makes you want to cry. I guess winter is officially here! Alfredo took Owen out to play in the snow this morning so thought you'd like to see a picture! I guess I need to dig out my gloves and snow/ice scraper for tomorrow since the sky is thick and heavy with white so i don't think it's over just yet!.. We're living in a beautiful winter wonderland.

Funday Sunday....

2009-10-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lame post title, lol.. I couldn't think of a better way to describe our fun day! I took Owen to run around the Discovery Park after lunch on Sunday and then we went to the movies to see 'Astro Boy' the new cartoon movie that's out; it was a cute kids movie and he really enjoyed himself. We got home late-afternoon to an invite from our good friends, the Heirtzler's, to go hiking out at Three Peaks. The weather was getting really chilly at that point, but we all soon warmed up on the hike, bundled up in winter clothes. The scenery out at Three Peaks is so gorgeous. We followed a hiking trail probably a mile or so up a fairly steep hill to this amazing rocky outcrop that provided a 360 panoramic view which these pictures sure don't do justice. It was really cold and windy at the top so we didn't stay long. On our way back down, we veered off on another trail that meandered through some hoodoo-like insane rock formations that the kids were all climbing over and exploring - it was a lot of fun. We found our way back to the cars just at dark and headed back to the Heirtzler's place for fresh out the oven cookies and peach cobbler, and to play a board game which was so much fun. Owen had so much fun on the hike, he was a real trooper and despite the steepness and difficulty of the climb, he never complained once, he had so much fun with the Heirtzler kids and I am so blessed to have awesome friends/neighbors to share fun days like this with.

Heritage Livestock Parade.. Pumpkin Festival.. SUU Homecoming Parade

2009-10-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how perfect the weather was again today - it is such a treat for this time of year! Another gorgeous Fall day with bright, very warm sunshine and clear blue skies. There were 3 events happening in town today, all over the course of the morning / early afternoon and I wanted to go to them all which we fortunately were able to do.
We started off by watching the Heritage Livestock Parade down Main Street. Our little town is awesome! - where else would they close down the Main Street in town to have a tractor and sheep camp parade and then turn 100+ sheep loose to run down the street? - it was so much fun! The sheep were a little more under control than last year where they were all running round, totally out of control, but it was a lot of fun. This year they had more 'herders' to keep them on course, but it was still lots of fun to see.
Next we went on to the Pumpkin Festival in the gorgeous grounds of the SUU University. For a $5 entrance fee, Owen got to choose a pumpkin from the corral and paint it, decorate a halloween cookie, make a kite, play pumpkin bowling and dive into the leaf corral - he had so much fun. The place where they hold all the activities is a gorgeous big grassy area with lots of huge trees that were all shedding their leaves. It was so pretty, and Owen had such a fun time doing all the activities.
The block behind where the Pumpkin Festival was being held was on the parade route for the SUU Homecoming Parade which was awesome! We lost count of how many floats were in the parade, they had a couple of marching bands from the University and local high school, dance and cheerleading troops and lots of other fun acts in the parade. Owen got so much candy, we didn't have enough pockets to carry it all! He proceeded to eat rather a lot of pieces, and combined with the very sugary sweet cookie he'd eaten at the Pumpkin place, he is now bouncing off the walls with hyperactivity and sugar-induced tantrums.... oh well, it was all in the name of a very fun morning!

Hidden Haven - Parowan Canyon

2009-10-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hidden Haven is everything the name suggests... we hiked this in early Spring 2009 shortly after the snow had melted and we were impressed with its beauty then... but now, with all the colors of Fall and leaves falling everywhere like confetti, the trail was stunning. A beautiful, well marked trail winds through a 'wildlife / vegetation study' area then leads up a granite waterfall to an even more beautiful waterfall.. the last 100ft or so of the hike isn't very child-friendly so we only went as far as Owen was safely able - he was a real trooper though and hiked a good 3 miles today - he really enjoyed himself. The weather couldn't have been any more perfect with clear blue skies and bright, warm sunshine. At the end of the trail, we stopped by the water to let owen have a short rest and splash his hands in the water and climb among the small boulders and trees.

2000 Flushes, Iron County

2009-10-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today was the most gorgeous Fall day... 77f, bright sunshine in clear blue skies... an adventure was most definately beckoning! We left the truck at Three Peaks rec. area a few miles West of town and headed further West on the dirt-bikes. A series of dirt roads and off-road tracks meandered through to the edge of the Three Peaks area where we crossed a County Road and continued on dirt tracks to 2000 Flushes. What was once a coal mine has long since been abandoned and flooded with water; the mine was used in the early 1900's. Legend has it that miner's hit a water vein, engulfing the mine in water and taking with it, huge machinery and several workers.. the area certainly has an eerie feel to it - the size is immense and it's really very remote out there. Owen thought the sounds from the echo of his voice were very cool - he was yelling out all kinds of words and couldn't quite figure out where the echo was coming from - it was fun to watch him. The water color is the most intense shade of blue / green, rather like toilet cleaner I guess, which is how the area got its name.. 2000 Flushes. We hung out by the water's edge for a half hour or so in the warm sunshine before heading back a different route to the truck. We rode alongside a rail-track for a while - Owen is loving trains right now, so that was very exciting for him. There were some old rail-cars that we lifted him up onto and he had a great time running round. We made it back to the truck a little sunburned and saddle-sore (well, I was!) and thankful for this perfect weather that made such a day out possible.

Mammoth Cave, Utah

2009-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

So our Sunday adventure took us up the mountain to the amazing Mammoth Cave. A natural geologic wonder, the caves were created from thousands of years old molten lava that I guess had natural air-pockets in and formed these amazing caves that are safe to walk through. With only 1 flash-light between the 3 of us, it really wasn't enough light to see where you were walking so I opted out after the first couple minutes in pitch darkness.... a pitch black, quarter mile trek below the ground in thousands of years old lava caves that are home to 7 species of bats is something that i'm not afraid to admit that I'm a chicken to do, lol.... Alfredo & Owen however were more than game to stumble round

the rocks in the dark and Owen had a blast. The exit to the caves is really small and Alfredo had to make like a contortionist to squeeze through the small opening at the end. Both had a great time and said I would have loved it had i gone down... next time I'm ging to find the biggest, brightest flash-light available and overcome my fear of those scary bats and do it!... for now, I just enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains and the warm sun on my face while I waited for them to 'surface'. We had a picnic and then drove the loop-road back home via the ski-resort, so it made for a really nice Sunday trip.

Skyfest 2009, Cedar City, Utah

2009-09-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

Getting up at 6am on a chilly Saturday is not my idea of a good time.... but for Skyfest, I am happy to make an exception... we had a super time. Everyone gathered at the launch field on the edge of town at just after 7am to watch the hot-air balloon owners get the balloons unpacked and spread out on the ground ready to inflate. Of course I've seen hot-air balloons in the air before but I never knew or realized just how insanely huge they are when you are stood just feet away from them being inflated. Owen was in his element as these huge balloons rose from the ground all around him, their bright colors and designs so vibrant and alive in the early morning sun (which we were very thankful to see as it took some of the chill out of the air!). Being a small town, of course we saw lots of friends and neighbors and that was nice to visit with them while we enjoyed the spectacular sight as the 20 or so balloons one by one lifted off the ground and floated away over the valley... what an amazingly beautiful sight. I hope you like the pics.

My little boy is mobile!.....

2009-09-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's the end of an era.... our little boy is growing up.... the training wheels are off and he's pedaling down the road with me running after him trying to keep up! With thanks to Alfredo's friend, Juan Andreas (gracias sangwiches!!!) for the advice, we removed the training wheels (and pedals) and within about 3 weeks, Owen had learned to ride a bicycle properly. He is so excited about it... and so are we; it's an exciting new milestone in his life. Alfredo has been watching the Vuelta a Espana a lot lately (it's like the Tour De France) and when Owen learned to ride his bike, he said 'look mommy, I can ride my bike like the men in Daddy's tv show'.... we thought that was really cute. Check out the attached video I took this afternoon.... yes, sorry, you're going to have to turn your head on its side to watch the movie... sorry!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-09-16T17:34:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to you Daddy... I love you... y feliz cumpleanos abuelito... besos xoxo

Las Vegas

2009-09-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

An appointment with the Immigration folks provided the perfect opportunity for an overnight stay in Sin City!! I worked half a day on Thursday and we were in Las Vegas by 3pm. Our hotel was an amazing last minute deal and we were very happy with it. We headed for The Strip where we walked for what seemed like miles while Owen was in awe with all the sights/sounds and his latest obsession.... escalators and elevators, which believe it or not, we don't have at home in our little town, so they were a very new experience to Owen and he couldn't get enough of them! We went to see the Lions at the MGM, walked the Miracle Mile mall and saw the fountains at the Bellagio... and all the other things in between!! Friday morning I had my immigration appointment which went really smoothly and very fast which was great and left more time to enjoy the hot sun and the hotel pool which we did until lunch-time. We then drove back up the Strip to the Outlet Malls where we shopped and got some amazing bargains in the Gap sale before making our way North and home. I love Las Vegas... the sounds, the lights, the people-watching.... just everything about that city is insane, scary and awesome all at once... the amount of money there is like nothing I could ever imagine.... even though i love it, 24 hours there is plenty enough for me and i'm always really happy to start the drive North and cross over into Utah state and see the red rock mountains... then I know i'm home in my friendly, safe and quiet little town..... Thanks Vegas for a fun 24 hours!!..... Viva Las Vegas....

Little Bunny Foo Foo

2009-08-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here is owen's latest party-trick - a performance of Little Bunny Foo Foo... not sure he has all the words correct, but you get the idea! We thought it was kina cute.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

2009-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Finally, we got to see the Grand Canyon; neither Alfredo or I had been there before, so it was a real treat for all of us to be able to see this amazing natural wonder. Having lived in Utah for nearly 5 years, I'm kinda mad at myself for not having made the effort to have gone there sooner! We had a super time. We stayed the night in the North Rim, the only campground in the actual National Park on the North side (the quieter, less touristy side of the Canyon). We arrived at the park at about 1pm on Sunday, set up the tent and headed off on the first of 4 hikes that we were able to fit in during our time in the Canyon. The Transcept Trail is a really beautiful trail that follows the rim of the canyon from the campground to the Lodge - the views are amazing! We took a short break at the Lodge where Owen was most intrigued with the bronze statue of Brighty, a donkey who lived and worked with a family in the canyon many years ago - it's said to be good luck if you rub Brighty's nose (we all had a good rub!). After a short break and a few more 'wows' for the views from the gorgeous sun-terrace at the Lodge, we hiked the short Bright Angel's Point trail. Owen fell asleep on the way back from this trail so Alfredo and I took the opportunity to enjoy the quiet time and people watch from the shaded seating area back at the Lodge, and to browse the gift shop. After hiking back to the campground we started to prepare the camp fire for dinner.... one huge crack of thunder and lightening later, we made a hasty retreat to the car to avoid the most insane hail-storm - it was crazy - late August and we were freezing cold, looking out the car windows as everything got hammered with hail. Fortunately the storm didn't last long and we were able to sleep the rest of the night in the tent without getting wet. We woke to clear beautifully sunny skies and enjoyed an early morning camp fire before tackling the first 1.5 miles of the Kaibab Trail to the Coconino Overlook. Wow wow Wow wow Wow wow!!!!!! Get my point?? lol, the steep hike down there was well worth the views.... carrying Owen the steep hike back to the parking lot..... hmmmm, let's say we won't be attempting to go further on this hike until he is able to walk himself in and out! The hike actually continues down to the canyon floor and up the South Rim to the other side.... not for the faint-hearted, but I sure would love to give it a try!! Unfortunately we had to leave Monday for me to get back to work and Owen for school but we made the most of the journey home and stopped in Zion National Park for a picnic.. the perfect end to a short break.

Parowan Gap

2009-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

So we decided to take Owen on somewhat of an educational field-trip this evening to the petroglyphs at the Parowan Gap. It was the first time that any of us had visited the Gap despite it being only a 15 minute ride from home! The Gap contains lots of ancient rock-art (petroglyphs) done by the Fremont peoples/Indians approximately 1,000 years ago. The atmosphere and scenery at the Gap is amazing.. it's peaceful, awe-inspiring and magical. It just has a calm feel about it and a magic that you just can't describe. The weather was just perfect too - a nice breeze blew constantly and we stayed until the sun started to set, casting a beautiful light on the already gorgeous shades of red rock. Earlier, Owen and I had hiked up to a little cave carved into the side of one of the huge rocks and he thought this was so much fun.

Pine Valley

2009-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon, we took a drive headed West - destination, the beautiful Pine Valley. We did the first 30 miles or so on normal roads but when we got to New Castle, we took a dirt road for another 25 miles and I'm so pleased that we did this instead of continuing on the pavement because it was all so beautiful. The dirt road took us clear up in to the mountains and through the range, past New Castle Reservoir to the picture-perfect little town of Pinto (one of those 'blink and you miss it' kinda places). The road continues winding through mountains and valleys, ending up in Grass Valley (very aptly named) and then Pine Valley - a place that I've been wanting to go to for several months now. We spent the afternoon at the Pine Valley Reservoir, had a picnic and went on a short hike which Owen just loved since there was lots for him to climb on and explore. Alfredo did some fishing but had no luck - the fish seemed to be jumping in all the places that he was not! For dinner, we had reservations at the very popular Brandin' Iron Steakhouse - I had heard so much about this place and was excited to eat there, and wow, we sure weren't disappointed - this place is amazing and the food is delicious, with really huge portions.... oh, and their beans..... mmmmmmm.... if you're ever in Pine Valley.. you have to go to the Brandin' Iron... the atmosphere, the food.. just everything made for a really nice Saturday dinner, and the perfect end to a lovely day.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2009-08-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

Ok, so for those of you that know me well will know that I'm a low-key kinda birthday gal; I don't like a big fuss and I will probably never have a huge party since I hate being the center of attention!.. but I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who made my day yesterday so special. All my friends and family in England who mailed over gifts and cards, to my co-workers who made my work-day special and to Alfredo & Owen with whom I had a lovely time tonight at the Shakespearean Festival Greenshow.. what a super evening we had sat in the cool summer evening air watching very talented actors put on an a very fun little show in the gorgeous setting of the SUU Campus - I just love our little town so much for all the really cool stuff like this that they do. My 20's was a big decade for major life stuff (baby, marriage, house etc.) but I'm determined to make my 30's even better and look forward to sharing them with you all.

Wood's Ranch & Kids Pond

2009-08-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

After a busy morning at work and with temperatures rising in the valley, we decided to escape a little ways up the mountain to Wood's Ranch and the Kids Pond for a spot of fishing. Owen caught his first little fish within 15 mins of being there; he gets so excited when he catches a fish, it's really fun to watch him. I took the mountain bike, hoping to do a couple of miles of the Virgin River Rim trail which starts/ends at Wood's Ranch... what I didn't know was that it's all uphill from Wood's Ranch and I was exhausted and out of breath before having gone more than a half mile or so, lol.. it was so pretty though but the deeply rutted dirt road and steep grade was a little more hardcore mountain biking that I like! We fished some more but didn't catch anything; we were just happy to hang-out in the cooler temperatures, have a picnic and enjoy the gorgeous setting. Owen and I hiked round the lake a couple of times; it's a really nice, kid-friendly hike and Owen loves it.

2nd Annual Enoch to Escalante Ride

2009-07-24T08:27:00.001-07:00

Alfredo has been excited about this day for months now.. he is riding 130 miles off-road on dirt-bikes with our neighbor Brandon, his son Billy and 15 other friends/neighbors; they are going from Enoch to Escalante. With stops for lunch and providing that nothing goes wrong with their bikes, it should take them about 5 or 6 hours to reach their destination. They'll stay tonight in Escalante, watch the Pioneer Day Parade tomorrow morning, then they'll start the trip home. Have fun guys, stay safe and we'll see you tomorrow!... in the meantime, while the guys are away, the girls will play! and I'm off on my first girls night out in months - a trip to the movies to see 'The Proposal' with my friends Stacey and Liz.

Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park: Queens Garden & Navajo Loop Trails

2009-07-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to say that having lived in Utah for nearly 5 years now, we've never been to Bryce Canyon! With this amazing natural wonder just being a little over an hour and a half from our house, we thought a visit there was well overdue! I'm in love with the red rock and rock formations we have here in southern Utah and I was in awe with all the hoodoo's (the chimney type stacked rock) to be found in Bryce Canyon... they truly are magnificent and Bryce is a place that everyone just has to see for themselves, you can never even begin to describe how it feels to look out over the thousands of acres of amazing views deep in the canyon. Having only a few hours in the park today, we did the Queens Garden & Navajo Loop trails - 2 trails that join up in the middle to form a 3 hour hike... and wow, was it an amazing hike! The start of the hike took us way down to the canyon floor, meandering in and out of the hoodoo's on switchback-like trails that were so beautiful. Owen loved when they'd cut holes in the red rock to make little tunnels so the trail could continue - he had so much fun running round and hiding in the little hidey holes that were naturally cut into the rocks. Once the trail hit the bottom floor, we walked for a mile or so before it started to climb up again, really steeply through a series of switch-backs, through this amazing slot canyon, ending at the top of the canyon. It was a very beautiful hike and the weather was perfect; really warm but it rained a fair bit - not heavy, just a perfect amount to keep us cool! Owen was a real trooper and walked the whole way, we were really proud of him.

Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument: Alpine Pond Trail

2009-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

First off, CONGRATULATIONS to my little brother Mat who married his sweetheart Luisa in England yesterday, 18 July 2009. Unfortunately we couldn't afford to be there, but I've heard that the day was fantastic and I'm excited to see pictures. Congratulations to you both, we are so happy for you! Meanwhile, back in Cedar City, the temperature hit 100F and we decided to head up the mountain to Cedar Breaks in search of some cooler weather. We hiked the Alpine Pond trail which was beautiful. The mountain is full of wild flowers at this time of year and the 2 mile round trail was so colorful. Owen had a blast, running ahead, picking flowers and pointing things out. We've been to Cedar Breaks so many times but each time we're blown away by how beautiful it is. After our hike, we took a short drive up the road to Duck Creek and the annual Duck Creek Days where Muddy Boots (our friend's band) were playing so we stayed there for a couple hours to listen to music, dance and visit with friends.

4th July Weekend... the Sunday

2009-07-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

The last day of this very fun weekend and it's back to work tomorrow for me :( but today was a lot of fun! We went up to Navajo Lake with Roger & Arlene and their cute daughter Bailey. We BBQ'd, had fun collecting water for their cabin from a nearby spring (Alfredo got soaked!) and hiked part-way to the beautiful Cascade Falls... I say 'part-way' because heavy rains had caused land/rock slides to destroy the trail and prevent us going further.. but what we saw was beautiful and I'm hoping they reconstruct the trail soon so I can go back and finish the hike. In the meantime, I'm eager to get back up the mountain to hike and mountain bike the many other trails we saw on our travels up there. Happy 4th July everyone! - I hope you had as much fun as we did.

4th July Weekend.. the Friday

2009-07-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

So the 4th July Independence Day holiday weekend has never been one of my favourites, don't know why because we've always had a good time - I guess because it's not a holiday celebrated in England, I don't get as excited about it as the Americans do, but the longer I'm here, the more it is becoming one of my favourite holidays.. and this year was the best yet, thanks to our amazing friends and neighbors with whom we spent the weekend - it was crazy and a lot of fun! Friday was a day off work for me... 3 day weekends are always very welcome! In the evening we went to see our friend Roger's band 'Muddy Boots' (http://www.muddybootband.com/) play in Beaver. We went with our good friends Robyn & Dwayne and had a super evening. Muddy Boots put on a fantastic show and if you ever get the chance, you need to see them play! You guys rock!!

Montana Vacation: Day 9 - Butte

2009-06-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Last night was spent at the very beautiful Lost Creek State Park just outside of Anaconda. Another very primitive camping area but very pretty - a short hike took you to a waterfall at the end of the creek which we walked to. The only huge down-side to this Park were the mosquitos.... sooooo many of them and they were everywhere! Alfredo and I got bitten all over our arms and legs - at the last count I have 23 bites on my legs alone... and they're still itching like crazy 4 days after we've returned home! The morning was spent in Butte, an architecturally very interesting city with some amazing old buildings from the 1800's but this mining town has definately seen better days and was somewhat of a ghost town in that a lot of the buildings were abandoned and the old town didn't have much in the way of shops / commerce which was kind of sad. We did however find a cute cafe to have an early lunch at and I had the Butte speciality which is a pasty - very like an English Cornish Pasty but about 5 times the size - Alfredo and I sharing it still struggled to eat it all - meat and potato crammed into a pastry shell and topped with a thick beef gravy, served with coleslaw which was a very bizarre addition but actually quite tasty. Sadly this was our last day in Montana. We had planned to slowly work our way home and stay in Idaho for a couple of days but the rain poured down again - really hard this time with the largest size hail i have ever seen. Our plan was to keep driving south (hopefully for just an hour or two) until we escaped the rain..... 13 hours later we arrived home ..... not a drive I would recommend doing with a 4 year old but he was a trooper and was excited to get back home to Buzz Lightyear and the rest of his toys!.... so a very happy vacation was had by us all and I'm already planning the next one wherever that will be.... stay tuned.....

Montana Vacation: Day 8 - Missoula & Phillipsburg

2009-06-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Missoula is a delightful small city where we spent a couple of hours wandering the downtown area. The weather was actually really warm and sunny so we were happy to be outside. The highlights for Owen were definately the hand-carved Carousel and the Big Dipper ice-cream parlour that make the most delicious home-made ice-cream; the Huckleberry flavor was the best! After Missoula we went on a long drive headed East toward the little town of Phillipsburg which was adorable. The Main Street is so tiny and all the buildings are from the 1880's and full of charm - this little town has so much pride. The best shop by far was a candy store - i have never in my life seen one shop full of so much candy/chocolate - and it was all done in the old-fashioned way of how you would imagine the inside of a store would have looked in say the 1920's.. it was so cute! ... the funny thing is that Owen was fast asleep throughout the whole store-visit.... phew, lol.... huge relief that we didn't have to deal with a huge tantrum because he couldn't have every single candy in the store... and it all smelled so good.. mmmmm.. we sure lucked out on that one, lol.

Montana Vacation: Day 7 - Great Falls & Glacier National Park

2009-06-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Loren & Jane, Alfredo's friends from a previous Mexico motorbike trip, had invited us up to stay with them in the KOA they own in Great Falls which I guess is the initial reason for this road-trip and I am so very pleased that we decided to go visit them; they are wonderful people and made us feel very welcome... the deluxe Kabin they put us up in was a very welcome sight after several nights in the tent! Jeff, another friend from Mexico was also there and it was with him that we had a lovely morning at the Fish Hatchery and Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls. Owen had a blast at the Fish Hatchery - for 5 cents, kids got a handful of fish food to sprinkle in the ponds which were over-flowing with whatever kind of fish they were growing. The Fish Hatchery is within the Giant Springs State Park so we wandered on over to the thermal springs area which is so pretty - Lewis and Clark, the original pioneers of the Missouri River around 200 years ago discovered this area so it has a lot of history behind it in that sense. After a quick lunch, it was North for 2 hours to Glacier National Park which I enjoyed a lot but was somewhat disappointed with because of the 70ft snow drifts they had the days before our arrival which closed the road going through the park so we got to see very little of it. We did do a short hike to the St.Mary's falls which are very pretty and with all the recent snow-melt they were roaring.. it was wild! I loved Glacier National Park and I can't wait to go back some day.

Montana Vacation: Day 6 - Helena & Lincoln

2009-06-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

After a very stormy start (not much fun packing up a tent in heavy rain and gale-force winds!) we travelled on to the State capital of Helena which was an ok place but doesn't really hold any special memories for me... it probably would have looked better in the sunshine and not the heavy, gray thunder clouds that greeted us. We did see another very long train though which Owen was thrilled with. We then took the very stunning Stemple Pass up over the mountains and along a 30 mile gravel/dirt road to the town of Lincoln.... soooo totally nothing like the Lincoln where i'm from but very nice in its own right. On the back-side of the Stemple Pass we followed a river pretty much the whole way... Alfredo with his fishing pole never far from his reach took the opportunity to fish at 2 or 3 spots along the way and caught a variety of Trout he'd never caught before so he was happy... Owen on the other hand was rather freaked out by the wiggling fish and the blood on alfredo's hands when he unhooked the fish to throw him back in the water. We had a very nice lunch in a real small-town / locals kinda restaurant in Lincoln and then went to the Forest Service office where they have taxidermied the largest grizzly bear ever found West of the Continental Divide... this thing was HUGE!!! Some poor guy driving his truck hit it on the road just outside of Lincoln and killed it instantly... the bear weighs over 800lbs!!! and stands 8ft tall! From Lincoln, we continued North to the city of Great Falls where we were staying with Alfredo's friends Loren & Jane (who he met on a motorbike trip in Mexico).

Montana Vacation: Day 5 - Livingston & Bozeman

2009-06-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Owen is VERY into trains right now; we don't have many trains here in Southern Utah but somehow through watching many hours of Thomas the Tank, he has become very obsessed with them, so imagine his excitment when we pull into the town of Livingston and a nearly 100 carriage freight train pulls through the station.. his whole world had been made in the half hour or so we stood there watching it and the other hustle and bustle of depot life... he was thrilled! Livingston also has a claim to fame for being the town where 'A River Runs Through It' was filmed (Brad Pitt / Robert Redford).. other than that, it was a pretty non-descript little town that has definately seen better days but it provided a nice way to spend a Sunday morning drinking coffee and watching the trains. After that, it was on to Bozeman for lunch.. a very big, artsy, upscale kinda city that was nice to walk round. From Bozeman it was North to Canyon Ferry Reservoir (East of Helena) for the night... and yep, you guessed it, it poured down with rain again!

Montana Vacation: Day 4 - Bear Tooth Scenic Byway

2009-06-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

The Bear Tooth Scenic Byway is the beautiful road that takes you from the North East entrance of Yellowstone National Park up through the Wyoming state border and into Montana... and oh wow... I said that word a lot on this road!!.. the views were amazing. It's a very twisty turny mountain road (not for people with weak stomachs!) that takes you to at least 10,000 ft over a mountain pass and there was still a lot of snow up there - 5ft in some places, for mid-June, it was insane! - they even had a ski-run still open. Despite beautifully clear and sunny skies, the wind was icily cold. You'd think that Owen had never seen snow before because his little face lit up when he saw how much snow was on the summit and we just had to get out and let him wander round. The back-side of the mountain isn't as dramatic as the drive up there but still very pretty in its own right. We took Hwy 78 up into Montana and camped just South of Colombus where it poured it down with rain... again.

Montana Vacation: Day 3 - Yellowstone National Park

2009-06-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

Wow.... Yellowstone National Park.... this place is HUGE!!! If you're going to go, you need a minimum of 5 days to begin to cover it all; sadly, we only had a half day and a night and the weather was soooo cold!! The wildlife viewing was spectacular; within minutes of being in the park we had seen too many bison to count, big-horn sheep, antelope, deer and a black bear which I was very happy to see from the safety of our car and not skulking round our campsite looking for food which campers and hikers are warned about everywhere! We didn't make it to Old Faithful but we did see the very beautiful West Thumb Geyser which I can't begin to count how many times I said 'wow' at... it was so amazing... the colors... the smell of the sulphur... the heat from the steam blowing off the pools.... just everything, the whole atmosphere was magical. We camped the night in the primitive and very pretty Pebble Creek campground at the North East entrance to the park and pitched our tent next to 2 very cool guys, Steve & Jeremy. Jeremy was a real mountain man and taught us how to make fire the traditional way... think Tom Hanks in the movie 'Castaway'... it was cool! ... and I was obsessed with making fire.. my hands were blistered and very sore the next day but I made fire and went to bed a very happy camper!

Montana Vacation: Day 2 - Grand Tetons National Park

2009-06-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

So the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming was the second stop on our trip; I guess not knowing much about this Park, I wasn't that excited to see it but as it turned out, I think this was my favourite of the 3 National Parks we visited on this trip. Jackson Lake, at the center of the park is just stunning. It is set in the most amazing alpine location with the beautiful Grand Tetons mountains as a back-drop. The weather here again wasn't that great and it poured with rain on our drive up there so unfortunately we didn't stop in the scenic town of Jackson Hole, so that little place is still on my 'need to see' list since it's a very cute town and I could have very easily passed a couple of hours strolling the historic downtown and browsing the shops. We camped the night in one of the campgrounds inside the Park which was very pretty and I'm pleased to report that we didn't see any bears! :-)

Montana Vacation: Day 1 - Utah & Wyoming

2009-06-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well we finally found the time and money for a well-deserved vacation... our first in 5 years and I was soooo excited to go on an adventure and see new places. Day One took us up through Utah via Provo Canyon and Heber City, home to the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls - see picture. We spent the night at Fontenelle Reservoir in South West Wyoming (just north of Kemmerer). The reservoir had 100 camp spaces and we were the only ones there - it was weird! - but at $5 per night, a real bargain! ... unfortunately it poured it down with rain and we got very wet - but hey, what's camping without rain, a deflated air-mattress and achey bones the next morning ;-)

Let the Games Begin....

2009-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

So, the Utah Summer Games Opening Ceremony was last night.. it's like the second biggest event to come to our little town (the first being the Shakespeare Festival) - people come from all over the State (and other places too probably) to compete in the Games. Last night was the official Opening Ceremony; the SUU stadium was filled with spectators watching the various acts / entertainment that had been scheduled... we however are too cheap to pay the $15 entry fee per person, so, like the rest of the town it seemed, we were camped out on the South side of the ball field, on a grassy area, visiting with friends and waiting for the fireworks to begin. We sat and waited for 2 hours, but wow, was it worth the wait!!!!! .... probably the best display of fireworks i have ever seen, and it lasted for at least 15 mins if not more. Owen really enjoyed himself although the finale kinda scared him because there were so many fireworks going off and we were right next to the 'launch' area so the bangs were really loud. So, with the Opening Ceremony officially over.... let the Games begin....

2009-06-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

2009-06-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

In the beginning....

2009-06-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome to our new blogspot! I've never given much thought / time to this blogging lark but since everyone else seems to be doing it (and since i'm getting kinda bored with Facebook), I figured i'd give this a go, so please bear with me while i figure out how to use this thing. Hope you'll check in regularly on us. Hopefully i'll be posting some pictures soon.
Thanks,
Melissa, Alfredo & Owen :-)