Utah - Not Just For Mormons

After our days in Wyoming, I was anxious to get to Utah. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew that it had to be more stimulating than the hours of nothingness as we drove across Wyoming.

Salt Lake City is very close to where were were staying, only a two hour drive. We decided to make a stop at Park City and I'm so glad that we did. What a lovely place. Of course, we weren't there when it was snowing or during the Sundance Movie Festival or when it was crowded with people. We decided to go and see Olympic Park which was the venue for some of the 2002 Winter Olympic events. It was incredibly cool - the ski jumps and bobsled courses are still there and easy to see as they weren't covered with snow. The area is now used to train athletes and, while we were there, freestyle skiers were practicing their jumps. They would go down the ski jump, do some aerials and then land in a pool of water. It was great to watch. Of course, the views were breathtaking as well.

We had lunch in a small deli on Main Street and spent some time walking up and down the long streets of shops, galleries and restaurants. Park City is definitely on our list of places to return.

We arrived in Salt Lake City later in the afternoon and rested up for Thursday's touring. I was surprised at how close the mountains look and how incredibly majestic they are, covered with snow even though it is June. We got up early at went to the University of Utah which was where we could see the Olympic Cauldron. Why all this interest in the 2002 Olympics? Sheldon was nominated by his students and chosen to carry the Olympic Torch for this Olympics. It truly was one of the highlights of his life and it was important for us to see where the flame ended up. We got to see the actual cauldron as well as view a great movie about the Games and go through a small gallery of photographs. It really was emotional to see it all and a highlight of our trip.

Our next stop was downtown. The streets are fascinating here. They are mostly numbered. The north and south streets run east and west, while the east and west streets run north and south. Are you with me? Everything starts at Temple Square and spreads out. Once you figure it out, it is very easy to get around but it takes some work. Temple Square is so beautiful. There are many buildings so it is almost impossible to see it all in one day. We decided to do a walk around and then head to the Family History Library. Of course, we were not allowed into the Temple as we are not members of LDS, but we were able to see the outside and enjoyed the many wedding couples who were taking pictures. We went into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building which houses a small genealogy center. They suggested we do our research at the larger library but, first, we went to the 10th floor to take in the sweeping views of the City. In the lobby, you could see the beautiful Tiffany ceiling and listen to the antique Steinway piano being played by a woman in period dress. In fact, all of the guides were dressed as though it were the turn of the century.

As wonderful as all of this was, I couldn't wait to get to the history library. My parents are from England and their parents came from Russia. We have had very little luck finding information about my grandparents and I wanted to see what help I might receive. It was a real revelation! I was able to go into the room for the British Isles and look up census information. There, in black and white handwriting, was the information for both my mother's and my father's family...their names, ages, professions and where they lived. We spent several hours there and I could have spent many more but we were happy to find out that we will be able to continue our research at the LDS Temple in Redlands, where we live. We had lunch in a home where Joseph Smith, founder of the LDS church, once lived.

Today was another catch-up day for us. All of this traveling is pretty tiring! We went to see the movie, Super 8, which we really enjoyed. If you go to see the movie, be sure to stay for the credits. Then we went to visit a local bookstore, The King's English and a needlework store. After dinner, we got ready to leave Salt Lake and make our way to our last stop, Las Vegas.

Remember to check our Facebook page to see pictures from our experiences.

Miles and Miles of Nowhere

Well, my friends, it's been a few days since I sat down to blog and I'm sorry about that. In addition to taking in the sites on this trip, taking pictures and trying to write about it, I am also starting an online college program that began yesterday. Now I'm trying to juggle hundreds of pages of reading and assignments as well. Let's take a moment to catch up on the past few days, shall we?

Saturday was a "resting up day" in Denver. The weather was bad so we went to a mall and did some wandering and souvenir buying. We also went into a store called Hobby Lobby, which is like Michaels or JoAnns on steroids. We must have spent well over an hour going up and down the aisles but only bought a couple of things to decorate Sheldon's new classroom. We hit up a place called The Bagel Deli to get some take-out for dinner. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives so we were expecting something fabulous but my matzo balls are WAAAY better. However, the owner couldn't have been nicer. She plied us with free bagels and brownies and was a real kick.

We left Denver early Sunday morning for the Boulder Jewish Festival. We had seen this festival on the internet many months ago and it was the reason we planned our trip to this part of the country. We couldn't have had a better time. Boulder is a lovely college town with some of the friendliest people we met on our trip. It has a funky atmosphere and reminded me a bit of Berkeley or Santa Cruz. There is a long pedestrian shopping mall which is where all the booths were set up for the fair. We walked up and down and admired the jewelry and other items for sale and even ran into someone I once knew in San Francisco when I was growing up! The stores were incredible as well. There was an upscale artist's cooperative that had some of the most beautiful pieces I had ever seen. Sheldon and I decided we could have easily spent $5000 there (we kept our wallets closed, however). There was also a kitchen store that must have had ever gadget known to humankind and thousands of cookbooks as well. I asked them if they would be willing to lock me in overnight but, alas, it wasn't going to happen. After a couple of hours of strolling, window shopping and listening to music, we stopped in for a quick crepe at a French cafe before leaving Colorado for Wyoming.

Our first night in Wyoming was spent in Cheyenne, the state capitol. I thought the city was a lot of fun. We didn't do much touring but we saw the state capitol which was beautiful. Do you remember the decorated cow statues that were placed all around Chicago a number of years ago? In Santa Rosa, California, they also did Charlie Browns (Charles Shultz was from there) and we had fun looking for all of them around the city. A few years ago, Cheyenne did this with eight foot tall cowboy boots. The project was called "These Boots Are Made For Talking" and each one depicted some part of life in Wyoming. We went to the train depot and got a map of the boots and traveled around town, taking pictures of them. It was so much fun to see how the different artists depicted the theme. Be sure to check our Facebook page for pictures of some of the boots. Our final stop in Cheyenne was to the best needlework store I had ever visited. It must have had well over 1000 patterns and kits. The woman working in the store was a North Carolina transplant and told me how much she loved life in Cheyenne. It seemed like a nice place to live.

After leaving Cheyenne, it was a short drive to Laramie (where we only drove through) and then hours and miles of absolutely nothing...and when I say nothing, I really mean nothing. Now I'm a city girl at heart. Just give me my Starbucks and I'll be happy. Not only didn't I get my coffee, there wasn't even a diner, a fast food place, zip, nada, zilch in site. The terrain was pretty flat with little to break the monotony. We didn't reach our destination, a place called Little America, for many hours. By the time I got there, I just wanted to eat and go to sleep.

Little America is just a large truck stop and hotel on the side of the road, about 20 minutes past Green River. It is cute and the rooms are quaint with lovely furnishings and a huge flat-screen tv on the wall. We had a good dinner in their coffee shop and went to bed. Yesterday, Sheldon did laundry duty while I spent the majority of the day in the room, working on my school assignments. Last night we drove into Green River to have dinner with the mother of our son's fiancee at the Krazy Moose Cafe. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, the food was good and we enjoyed catching up with Connie and her fiance, Vern.

This morning we're leaving early for our drive to Salt Lake City. We'll be there for three days so I'm sure there will be lots to see and do and write about. And there are lots of Starbucks in town so I'll be a happy girl again!

Candy Canes and Lollipops and D Bar...Oh My!

What an amazing day we had in Denver yesterday. It started out with our tour of Hammond's Candy Factory. We had seen the factory on a Food Network episode of "Kid in a Candy Store" and thought it looked like fun so we checked out their website and found out that they have two tour options. The first is free and is their regular group tour - a movie, looking at the candy making behind a glass and a few samples. It sounded like fun but, when we read farther down the page, we saw that a second tour was offered. For $35, you could take a behind-the-scenes tour. Only 8 people would be put in your group and you would have the chance to see everything up close and even get to make some candy. This sounded like an adventure we would welcome so we signed up.

When we got to the Factory, we found that we were the only people in our group so it ended up being a private tour. For almost two hours, we got to see every step of how Hammond's makes some of their famous candy canes, sour balls, ribbon candy, caramels, marshmallows and more. They are already preparing for Christmas so there was lots of beautiful candy being made. Our first attempt involved coiling candy to make lollipops. This is definitely not as easy as it looks. The woman working on the line seemed like she could do it blindfolded - deftly coiling the hot candy before it hardened. We managed to make several but they weren't as beautiful as hers. A couple of mine were more oval than round and had some finger indentations! We then tried making candy canes which was much easier. Our final hands-on experience was kneading, smoothing and shaping candy which would later be stretched and made into candy canes. The candy is very heavy and difficult to knead. You have to work quickly or it will harden.

We developed a respect for everyone that works in that factory. The work is difficult and the room has to be kept warm so it is pretty uncomfortable. That, apparently, didn't affect the workers. They were all incredibly friendly and truly looked like they enjoyed what they were doing. They took such pride in their work as well. Each person we talked to was happy to share their story. One woman had worked in the factory for 29 years!

At the end of the tour we were let loose into the retail store. We really didn't need to purchase anything because, along with the candy we had made ourselves, we were given over $100 worth of candy from throughout the factory. We have hard candy, ribbons, caramels, marshmallows, candy canes, taffy and more. However, we happened to be there the one day of the year that they hold their "garage sale." There were boxes of candy for only $5! I wish we could have brought more home but we knew that the chocolates wouldn't make it in the car for the rest of our trip. We did buy a huge box of hard candy that we'll be able to use for our son's wedding later this year. This was an experience not to be missed. Even if you take the regular tour, you'll enjoy it, but we highly recommend spending the money for the behind-the-scenes experience. You'll be happy that you did.

After a morning of candy making, we were ready for some lunch. One of our readers told us that we had to go to the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver's oldest restaurant, dating back to 1893. It is a small building next to the light rail and very close to Coor's and Invesco fields. The interior is packed (and we do mean packed) with a taxidermist's delight with all manner of game up on the walls. Definitely not the spot for an animal activist! We didn't sample the alligator tail, rocky mountain oysters, rattlesnake, bison or elk, but we had some good soup and sandwiches and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Could we possibly want more food? Not really but there was a place in Denver I was determined to visit. We had heard about D Bar Desserts from the Food Network as well. It's owner, Keegan Gerhard, is a judge on the Challenge programs and we thought it would be fun to get something small to go. The restaurant is very small with several tables inside and out. If you can, grab a seat at the bar where you will be able to watch the desserts being made. A group ordered a banana split and we saw the waitress brulee the banana for the sundae...yummy! We ended up staying and I'm so happy we did. Keegan was actually at the restaurant and he very kindly agreed to take a picture with me. I am an incredible fan of the Food Network so, for me, this is like meeting Madonna! He spent some time talking with us and we found out that he was born in the town where we live -small world. Now, back to the dessert. We ordered their donut holes. Calling them that really doesn't do the dish justice. They freshly make the holes, some shaken in cinnamon sugar and some in powdered sugar and all warm and delicious. They are served with six different dipping sauces, each one better than the one before. We could have skipped the donuts and just eaten those sauces with a spoon. We were good though, and brought home half of the holes. OK, not so good. We also got a tart to go. This little gem should be on everyone's Denver to-do list. They have a small menu of savory food so it would be a good place for lunch or a late night snack.

We were done with food for the day! We made a quick stop at the Hard Rock to pick up a shot glass for my son (a must for every Hard Rock city we visit) and then went to Shabbat services at Temple Sinai where our friend, Bryan Zive is the Soloist. It was a lovely end to a spectacular day.

Today we're taking a break and just doing some shopping and picture taking. We're off to the Jewish Festival in Boulder tomorrow and then leave for Wyoming.

Be sure to check our Facebook page for pictures of Hammond's and D-Bar. We'll be checking in once we reach Wyoming.

Hello Colorado!

It was a long day of driving yesterday. We needed to get all the way to Colorado Springs which, at best, was a 7 hour drive from Salina so we decided that we wouldn't do too much stopping. Of course, we couldn't resist a cute town or two!

We were getting hungry so we pulled off the interstate at Glenwood Springs which is the gateway to Aspen. What an incredibly appealing town. We had lunch at a place called the Daily Bread Cafe and Bakery which was on the main drag. There were lots of funky stores and a not-to-be missed bookstore called Book Train. We've noticed that we have met the nicest people on this trip and everyone in Glenwood Springs was warm and welcoming. There are lots of day spas there too so, if you are going to Aspen to ski, this would be a welcome respite for a day of pampering.

Another stop was Edwards where I went looking for a Starbucks. We found it in an area of town called Riverwalk and, wouldn't you know it, there was a French bakery there that was calling to us. They had an almond cookie that was so good I would consider going back there just for another one! Again, more stores, one of which was a kitchen store extraordinaire!

At one point on our journey we were at the Vail Pass - 10,617 feet up and it was beautiful. Even though it's June, there was still snow right next to the highway!

We didn't get to Colorado Springs until almost 6:00 p.m. due to an accident on the freeway near Denver but we decided to venture out for some take-out and explored another very quaint downtown area. Colorado Springs is very much a college town with lots of funky individuals and some real characters. It would be worth the visit just to wander around.

We had planned to take the COG Railway up Pike's Peak this morning but I was having a lot of trouble breathing so we decided to pass this up. If any of you go there, please let us know how it was. I have a feeling we missed some amazing views.

Instead of the train ride, we stopped for a quick breakfast at King's Chef. The food wasn't much to write home about but, when I asked for a spoon to stir my coffee, the waitress told me that they didn't have spoons. She suggested I use my knife as a "stir stick." I will make a note not to order soup at that place if I'm ever there again!

Since we were still in Colorado Springs, we made a visit to the US Air Force Academy. We couldn't see much because a funeral was going on but we were able to drive through some of the grounds and go to the visitor's center where we saw an informative movie and went through a museum dedicated to the history of the Academy. The grounds were beautiful and I learned much about what it takes to be a cadet. Unfortunately, we couldn't visit their famous chapel so that's on our list if we are ever able to return.

As a child, I used to take ice skating lessons and I have always loved to watch figure skating. Colorado Springs is also home to the Figure Skating hall of fame and museum. We spent a very enjoyable hour there, looking at memorabilia from the famous skaters I have watched all my life. It was totally worth the $5 admission price.

We finished our visit to Colorado Springs at the Old Colorado City section of town which is basically one street with lots of restaurants and shops. We were told not to miss La Baguette which supposedly has the best French onion soup around and we weren't disappointed. After lunch, we wandered through the shops before leaving to make the one hour drive to Denver.

Tomorrow will bring what I think will be one of the highlights of the trip - a behind-the-scenes tour of Hammond's Candy Factory where we will actually get to help make the candy. I'm going to sleep with visions of Lucy and Ethel in my head!

Please look at our Facebook page for some pictures. I'm still having trouble posting them to this site.

Welcome To Utah

We were up bright and early this morning to begin our true vacation. Our plan was to drive through Utah and spend the night in Grand Junction, Colorado to get closer to Colorado Springs - our first real stop.

One we hit St. George, we decided to get off the interstate, Interstate 15 that is, and go on a more scenic route - Rte. 89. We missed the road that we were told to take and ended up on Rte. 9. The scenery was breathtaking so we just took it all in as we passed several little towns. Before we knew it, we were at the entrance to Zion National Park. This wasn't on our itinerary and we didn't think we wanted to go through it but it was the only way to get to the 89 so we decided to pay our money and drive through the park.

I can't tell you how glad I am that we made this trip. It is a gross understatement to say that it was almost a religious experience. I had never seen views like this. Each time we made a turn, we saw a different type of rock formation or group of trees or magnificent vista. It truly took my breath away. Since we are not hikers, we just drove through 16 miles of the park and soaked it all in. I took tons of pictures as well but I'm sure they won't do it justice. Some things just can't be captured in a picture. At the eastern end of the park, we drove through a town called Mt. Carmel Junction. On a corner was a sign that caught our eye. It was for the Thunderbird Lodge and Restaurant and it's "ho" made pies. Well, we knew we had to give that a try.

This restaurant is really a gem. Vanessa, our waitress, was so friendly (as was everyone else we met today). I had a delicious bowl of vegetable soup and we took a piece of their thunderberry pie to go. Apparently it's a mixture of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. We are saving it for a late night snack so we haven't tasted it yet but you can see by the picture that it looks yummy.

We drove on for several more hours through beautiful scenery and more small towns. It soon became obvious to us that there was no way we would make it all the way to Grand Junction. In fact, we decided to spend the night in the town of Salina, Utah. We were wiped by the time we got here so we decided to go for a quick dinner. There are only a couple of places to eat in town and we were told that the best is a diner called Mom's. Now, I had always heard that you should never eat at a place called Mom's so I was skeptical but we had another wonderful meal and met more lovely people. They serve something they call scones which is really more like an Indian frybread. If you are ever near this area, Mom's is a place not to be missed.

Now we're off to sleep because it's over seven hours to Colorado Springs tomorrow. Who knows what we might see on the way? And we will be up bright and early on Thursday morning to take a narrow gauge railway to the top of Pike's Peak. That's sure to be an incredible experience.

Good night all. Looking forward to what tomorrow has in store.

We're Off!

I'm a bit behind because I've been too tired to blog - sorry about that. We left home on Monday morning, ready for the adventures that would await us. Our inspiration is a quote from the movie, "Doc Hollywood"..."Get off the interstate Ben Stone." We want to get off the interstate to see things and meet people we might otherwise have missed if we just took the normal paths. Our trip didn't technically start until Tuesday but we did have an adventure or two on Monday when we went to drop off our dog with our son and his fiancee in Las Vegas.

We stopped in Baker, California. Have you been there? It's home to what is supposed to be the world's largest thermometer. Not too impressive but it's a landmark in the middle of nowhere. Even though Baker is just one row of fast food and gas stations on the way to Las Vegas, there is a spot where we like to stop. Alien Jerky makes some of the best beef jerky we've ever had (try the Teriyaki) and it's decor is "out of this world." It is filled with Area 51 memorabilia and stories of alien contact. There is an alien on the roof and one in a car! It's a hoot and always makes us laugh as we munch away on our jerky.

A terrific place to visit off the beaten track in Las Vegas is Jackson's. Primarily a bar, it is also a restaurant with delicious food. Monday is Prime Rib Night - $9.95 for an entire pound of beef with a steroid infused baked potato. It's huge! For a dollar more, they will add a huge side salad. Take a look at this food. If you're in Vegas and want to get off the Strip, be sure to stop at Jacksons.

Now that the dog is safely ensconced with Joel and Stephanie, we are ready to let the true vacation begin!

Two Weeks and Counting

It is almost time for our first trip. Things have changed a bit since my last post but the destinations are basically the same.

We will be leaving Redlands on Tuesday, June 7th. After dropping Lucy (our Boston Terrier) off in Vegas with our future daughter-in-law, we will head to Denver via the 70. We will spend three or four days in Denver and then travel to Green River, Wyoming to visit Steph's mom, probably stopping along the way in Cheyenne and Laramie. After a night in Green River, we are heading to Salt Lake City for several days. We are planning to spend some time tracing our ancestry and are especially exciting about seeing the Olympic Cauldron since Sheldon was a torchbearer for the Salt Lake City Olympic Games! After SLC it's back to Vegas for Father's Day and my birthday before returning home. We will spend a total of two weeks away from home.

So, now that you know our itinerary, where should we go...what should we see...who should we meet? It's all up to you and we want to hear from you. We're not afraid to go off the beaten path and will be happy to follow your recommendations.

We have another trip coming up in July - through Nevada, up into Oregon (all the way to Astoria). It's going to be a great summer of travel with lots of photography and blogging. But we need your help every step of the way.

Please pass along this request to your friends and be in touch. We're looking forward to sharing our first adventures with you.