Laramie to Estes Park

What a great day! After breakfast we headed over to the old Wyoming Territorial Prison, the only place Butch Cassidy was ever imprisoned. They had lots of stuff for the kids to do, like this old prision wagon... After our tour of the prison, we headed out of Laramie to Cheyenne. We strolled around the old historic downtown for a bit and then went to the state capitol building. I was amazed at how uncrowded the area was around the capitol. We literally parked right in front of the capitol walked across the sidewalk and up the front steps. I was shocked when we walked inside at how small it was. The governors office was right inside the front door to the right. Then, there were two staircases in the small rotunda area, one leading to the House and one to the Senate. Naturally, we chose the House side to go look at!! There are 60 members of the Wyoming House of Representatives and 30 Senators. Combined they are not as large at the Texas House of Representatives! The whole time we were there we only saw 2 other people, the docent and a state trooper. No busy, bustling capitol here!

I really like Wyoming, and was thinking it would be a great place to live. Then, I checked the blog and saw that Greg had explained that the big wooden structures on the side of the highway
are snow dams to protect the highways from blizzards. That's when it occured to me that we are visiting Wyoming in June, not January. Those snow dams are tall, I can't even begin to imagine what the winters must be like here. I'm a Texas girl, I don't do snow that's measured in feet!

After Cheyenne, we came on to Estes Park, Colorado. This is my first trip to Colorado and I'm already hooked. It's absolutely gourgeous! We are staying at the historic Stanley Hotel. I LOVE this place. It's old, it creaks and groans and the windows all open to let in the mountain air! The back porch is huge and you can just sit and stare at the Rockies all you want. And, the best part was that we met some friends here for dinner!! Thomas's best friend from school this year, Brennan, moved here just a few weeks ago. His parents, Tricia and Rocky, and Brennan's brother Dillon drove up and met us here at the hotel for dinner. We had a wonderful visit. The boys were so excited to see each other! They laughed and played. After we ate we sat outside and let the kids all play around the waterfall in the courtyard. They all had a great time! It was so nice to see them and you'll notice most of Thomas's top 5 tonight is about Brennan!

Tonight at 8 they had ghost stories downstairs. The Stanley is supposedly haunted. Scott took Thomas and Grace and I took Mandy upstairs where she fell asleep about 10 minutes after we got in the room! They ended up taking a tour of the hotel and they showed them various places were unexplained events have taken place! They even went to a tunnel that runs under the hotel. They were all excited when they came back to the room.

They told them on the tour that the best way to see a ghost is in a picture. So, Grace got the camera and took a bunch of pictures on the way back to the room. There's no ghost in this one, but it does look creepy!I must say that as I lay here in the dark, with everyone else asleep, with only the glow of the computer for light, I am a little wigged out! I'll update you tomorrow on any ghostly activity!

Thomas's Top Five:

1. "Seeing Brennan"

2. "Skipping rocks with Brennan."

3. "Playing in the waterfall with Brennan."
4. "Going to the ghost stories."

5. "Taking pictures and trying to see ghosts."

Grace's Top Five:

1. "Playing at the waterfall with Brennan and Dillion."

2. "Going to the tunnel.
3. "Going up to the 4th floor and looking for ghosts."

4. "Seeing the piano that sometimes plays by itself." Supposedly Mrs. Stanley haunts th emusic room and sometimes plays the piano.

5. "Taking a picture with the Colorado sign."

Tomorrow we check out of the Stanley and are moving to a cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies.


This is the view from the porch here at The Stanley...

Blessings,

Leslie

Salt Lake City to Laramie, Wyoming

We started our day at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Scott and I are now well versed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). I just wanted to see the square out of curiosity, you know. I'm a history major, it's Utah, I love big churches no matter the denomination, I just wanted to check it out. We parked at a meter and had just enough change for 1 hour. I figured that would be plenty. The first thing we came to was Brigham Young's home, Beehive House. We went in and they told us they were just starting a tour to come on in and join. We did. Three "sisters" took us through the home. To begin the tour they sat us down and explained to us the basic beliefs of LDS. That Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and also in other worldly prophets like Brigham Young. That "the prophet" told his followers to go west, so the pioneers set out with Brigham Young...from where I don't know...and once they crossed the Wasatch Mountains he looked down at the Salt Lake Valley and said,"This is the place." And so two days later he laid the cornerstone for this massive temple.... And, SHAZAM!... Salt Lake City, Utah became the world headquarters of LDS. Brigham Young was also governor of Utah territory. Hence the lavish house I guess. Here is his sitting room where he entertained....At the end of the tour, the "sisters" sang us a song and handed us all cards to fill out with all our contact information so that they could contact us and share more of the Book of Mormon. I left mine blank. We then went in the visitors center. It was full of video's and displays of happy smiling people explaining the Book of Mormon and had "brothers" and "sisters" roaming around ready to whisk you off into one of the many small rooms to sign you right up. When Scott worked for a newspaper in California he once did a story on the Church of Scientology. He went to their headquarters in San Jacinto, CA(where he met John Travolta) and said he had to leave because everyone was so happy and eager for you to join them that he was afraid. Today after we escaped the visitor's center he said he had the exact same feeling. It was a bit much. After our experience at the visitor center we walked down and poked our head in the Tabernacle. The choir was not there, but it is a beautiful building built in the mid 1800's with unbelieveable acoustics. I just kinda figured that the belief that all of Utah is Mormon was a stereotype. After visiting, I'm not so sure. We've driven over lots of Utah this trip and all the state highway signs have the highway number in a beehive because Utah is the beehive state. I never gave much thought to why until we visited the Beehive House. Apparantly the prophet Brigham Young said that you must work, learn, and play. Keep busy as bees. We went to the state capitol, which is a beautiful building... However, it's stuck off by itself at the base of a mountain. I went in the state run vistor center because I was going to get my dad something. Inside the gift shop was not a SINGLE book, brochure, not even a postcard with the capitol on it. Everything in the capitol gift shop was the temple and Temple square. I hope no one takes offense to my account of our day in Salt Lake City, it was just not what either of us expected. The people were all very nice and they live by some great moral standards and philosophies...and we were a huge hit with the "sisters" because we had so many children!

After we left downtown we headed out to the Great Salt Lake. There is not a darn thing "great" about it. It was the nastiest, smelliest, slimiest place I have ever set foot. Patty....remember shell beach??? Ten times worse! I took this picture at the visitor center before we went to the beach and discovered how gross it was....As we were getting out of the car to walk out to the water and older gentleman from Germany was on his way back to his car. He said,"Better take your suits because the water's great!" (They must have some really nasty water in the lakes in Germany is all I have to say.) It was a nice warm day, so I put Mandy's swimsuit on her and Grace and Thomas put on theirs. The German then yells, "Be sure and take your shoes!" Hmm. It was like half a mile to the actual water from the parking lot. The first several feet were really loose sand. I mean really loose, as in take a step and sink ankle deep. The next several feet were loose sand with razor sharp rocks that got under your sandals and pierced the soles of your feet. Then it became very solid and dry. The sand has so much salt in it that it dries really hard and sounds like your walking on glass. It looked like that scene from Star Wars where Luke Skywalker lived as a boy and Obewan went to find him.Finally we began to reach the wetter sand. This was where we encountered the flies... The pictures don't capture the disgustingness (is that a word?) of it. I thought at first that the wind was blowing black sand around my feet they were so thick. So we finally reach some water. The water itself was warm. There was a very shallow area and then a narrow, rocky beach and then the deeper part of the lake. Thomas and Scott were skipping rocks and Grace was playing in the sand. Then Scott suggested we walk through the shallow part and check out the deeper part. We had to walk about 50 feet. We had read that the bottom of the lake is about 3 to 4 feet of salt. Nowhere did they mention that 3 feet of salt, mixed with a bit of sand and some alge was SO SLIMY!!! This is where I'd had enough.Thomas and Grace ran through it as fast as they could. Mandy just kept walking and saying,"Eww gross" every 10 seconds. I made it to the other side and Thomas and I looked at each other decided we were going back where we were. It was like something out of Fear Factor. You don't have to worry when your in the water though. The water in the lake is 6 times saltier than the ocean and the only thing that can survive in it are brine shrimp and algae. There are about a bejillion seagulls that live here on Lake Nasty because of the shrimp. Did I mention the whole thing smells like somebody died? If you EVER think you want to visit here, call me and I'll do my best to talk you out of it. Seriously....nasty.

After we cleaned up as best we could we headed out of Salt Lake City for Laramie, Wyoming. Scott and I both decided that we did not much enjoy Salt Lake City and don't feel the need to return. Perhaps we didn't see the right stuff, do the right things, or perhaps it's late in the trip...I don't know. If you've visited or lived here and think it's Nirvana, I apologize.

The further we drove today the prettier and cooler it got. Wyoming is definately my kind of place. This is the only other state I've been to where the sky is as big as it is in Texas! The drive was so pretty. I said as much to Scott who replied, "Yes it is. Not a tree in sight, but it's still pretty." And it's true, there weren't alot of trees, but lots of rolling green hills with herds of cattle.

I'll give a prize and name recognition on the blog to the person who can tell me what the heck these things are along the highway. They go on for miles, they are made of wood. Sometimes they are at an angle with the highway and other times they are parallel. Our guess is it has something to do with the snow up here.

It was a long way in the car and Thomas and Grace did great. Mandy on the other hand, not so great. She's tired of her car seat and had started putting her legs up and sitting on her knees and pulling her arm out of the seatbelt. Today she did it and when I caught her and told her she was in "big trouble" (that usually sends her into tears) her seatbelt had locked and she couldn't get back down. She was yelling,"I stuck, I stuck!"I finally got her re-buckeled and distracted her with my I pod. She looks like quite the pro doesn't she...
Thomas's Top Five:

1. "Swimming" Scott took them swimming at the hotel when we arrived. We all felt really disgusting after our walk in Lake Nasty.

2. "Skipping Rocks" When I asked him for his top five he looked at me rather disgusted and said "I'm not putting that lake on there!"

3. "Collecting rocks" Yes, the dang rocks again. I think he may be a budding geologist.

4. "The house." They really have no idea whose house we saw, but they liked seeing the old house. Later we were talking about the house and Thomas asks,"Did you sign us up for that church?" He had seen them give me the card to fill out! I told him no and he says," Good. I don't want to have to drive to Utah to go to church!!"

5. "Looking for deer." We saw loads of deer on our drive into Wyoming.

Grace's Top Five:

1. "Playing in the sand." 2. "Swimming."

3. "Seeing that old house."

4. "Looking at the little island" We drove out to Antelope Island in the Salt Lake. That's where the state park is for the Great Salt Lake.

5. "Stepping in the water." I wonder about this child sometimes.

We are spending the night in Laramie. In the morning we are going to check out the town and then head to Estes Park to the Stanley Hotel. It's the hotel from "The Shining" and is actually where Steven King wrote the book. It's also on National Register of Historic Hotels and the National Register of Haunted places. We'll see!

Even though today was not the most enjoyable day of our vacation so far, driving through Wyoming with this in your rear view window makes anything ok...

Blessings,

Leslie

Arches National Park

This place was so cool! We had intended to get up early, and see the arches before it got too hot, but that didn't happen. It was 9:30 before any of us woke up! However, we managed to get dressed, eat breakfast, and check out in time to be at the park about 10:45. The temperature when we drove in was already 99 degrees! As far as National Parks go, this one isn't massive like some of the others we've been too, but what is here is really awesome to see. It's pretty desert like with only small bushes and cactus until you hit one of these MASSIVE rock formations. The one above is called "Three Gossips." I don't know who named them, but if you look at them for a minute you can see why they are named what they are. The one below is "Sheep Rock." And the appropriately named "balancing rock." We drove in a little ways and came to a trail we thought was possible with kids. Some of the trails to the different arches are 2 or 3 miles long. The one we chose was .7 miles! As soon as we drove away from the entrance Thomas had announced, of course, that he needed a restroom. At the trail entrance there was, and I'm quoting from the park map, a "pit toilet." We explained to him what this was, and he still insisted he needed to go, so Scott took him. This is Thomas trying to decided whether or not it was worth it! He was throughly grossed out. What he didn't get though was that this glorifed port-a-potty was as nice as they get. Very clean. He didn't mention needed a restroom again until well after we left the park! After the potty experience, we all hiked up to the North Window arch.

Mandy walked the entire way up and down. Here she is applauding herself for making it to the top!

The walk up was VERY hot, but once we made it to the arch it was very nice and cool in the shade. We sat and let the kids climb for a good half hour or so. They had a ball climbing up on the rocks and exploring the arch.

This was the view of "Turret arch" from where we were sitting at the North "Window arch."

Gorgeous place. If you are into hiking and have kids, this is the place to come. It's way the heck out in the middle of nowhere, so it's either drive, or fly into Crescent Junction about 110 miles away and still drive! Although, I'd have to say it's probably worth it. You can see these in pictures, but nothing beats seeing it for yourself.

The walk down was a tad bit hot, so the kids decided to cool themselves off!

After all our hiking and rock climbing everyone was hot and tired so we loaded up and headed for Salt Lake City. We got here about 6:00 and came straight to the hotel. We checked in, went back out and picked up some dinner, had a picnic in the room and headed for the pool! The kids all enjoyed swimming after our long hot day hiking and riding in the car. While I bathed everyone, Scott did a couple of loads of laundry. To answer Kendall's question....we do have alot of luggage, but we only packed enough clothes to last us 5 or 6 days and we try to do laundry whenever we are in a hotel with washers and dryers! The luggage is a team effort. I pack it all up every morning and then Scott loads it in the car. When we are lucky enough to be at a hotel with valet service, he won't let them help load the car because it all goes in like a big puzzle!!! Thomas is a big help in carrying the bags to Scott to load every morning and Grace keeps and eye on Mandy and makes sure she doesn't wander out of the room while I'm packing and Scott and Thomas are loading. We all have our assigned jobs!

Thomas's Top Five for June 16, 2007:

1. "Seeing the arches."

2. "Going swimming."

3. "Rock climbing."

4. "Buying my T-Rex book."

5. "Watching Ice Age." After they're baths we watched Ice Age 2 on HBO!

Grace's Top Five for June 16,2007:

1. "Climbing to the arches."

2. "Going swimming."

3. "Buying souviners."

4. "Throwing rocks at the ant pile." They did this at the arch. They had HUGE ants and Thomas and Grace had the best time throwing rocks on the ant pile!

5. "Laughing our heads off at Ice Age!" They were so tired, they were just silly while watching the movie!

Tomorrow, we are going to check out Temple Square where the Mormon Tabernacle and Temple are. We can't tour the Temple because only members of the church are allowed inside. They do however let you see the Tabernacle and the big organ. Brigham Young's house is there, the world headquarters of the Latter Day Saints Church, and the family history geneology library. The girl here at the hotel said it's a must see. Scott swears he's never heard of this brand of church before, and I've tried unsuccessfully to explain it to him as I don't know all that much about it myself. He did however know that presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was Mormon and had heard of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He didn't mention the Osmonds. That's who I always think of! He also wanted to know if he could have another wife since we were in Utah. He thinks he's funny.

After the Tabernacle tour, we are going to the Great Salt Lake State Park to see about floating in the salt. I've been researching it and it sounds like a neat place to take the kids. After that we head to Laramie, Wyoming!

Here are few more cool pictures Scott took today:

Blessings,

Leslie

The Grand Canyon!!

We made it! We left our hotel at 7:00 this morning and made the drive from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The drive into the park was quite eventful with running buffalo and this cow that was right at the car window when Scott pulled over for the kids to see. When we first arrived at the visitor center, I was worried that we'd have to walk quite a distance to see it because when we got out of the car you couldn't see anything but the Grand Canyon Lodge and it's cabins. When we were in the visitor center the park ranger said that the architect of the lodge designed it so that you couldn't see the canyon until you were in the lodge. So, we headed off that way. The lodge was really cool. It was built in 1928 and is a main building surrounded by these adorable Lincoln log cabins!

We walked to the back of the lodge which is HUGE windows and an open back porch and... BAM there it was!! The Grand Canyon! Absolutely breathtaking. They had a walkway with steps and a rail that led out to this itsy bitsy point about what seemed like 50 or 60 miles above the canyon. Teeny bit nerve-wracking for me, but the kids loved it. As soon as we got out on the walkway and were all standing there taking in the view, Mandy says,"That's a big canyon." This was the view straight down....

We stayed at the Grand Canyon for about two hours and then headed towards Moab, Utah. It was about a 7 hour drive. Moab is the closest town to Arches National Park, which we are doing tomorrow. So, really the whole rest of the day was spent in the car. To me, it seemed like our longest, most boring drive yet. At the Grand Canyon gift shop Thomas bought an "authentic" Navajo Indian flute. Basically one of those recorders that they teach you in the 4th grade. Anyway, for most of the ride he listened to Elvis on his Ipod and blew that flute along with the music. That is until, I snapped and threated to throw the thing out the window and him with it if he didn't put in away! You try listening to Jailhouse Rock whistled at a pitch only dogs can hear for 300 miles!

Mandy screamed for the last 30 miles or so because it was Thomas's turn to pick a movie and she didn't want to watch his choice. She was crying and screaming,"It's not Thomas's pick. It's Mandy's pick."

Oddly enough Grace was the best one today. She rode in the very back and watched movies and listened to her Ipod most of the day. Her only breakdown was when she needed to go to the bathroom and we were on a desolate stretch of highway that had no sign of civilization, much less an indoor toilet.

Moab is another one of those towns that doesn't have chain hotels. I think I should write Marriott a letter and tell them they are missing the boat in these little towns near all these National Parks. Anyway, we are at another tiny, family owned place. It is really clean, but it is without a doubt the smallest room I've ever been in. We had to leave most of our bags in the car tonight because we wouldn't have been able to stand in the room. Tomorrow night we are at a Hampton Inn, I'm looking so forward to it you'd think it was the Ritz.

Thomas's Top Five for June 15, 2007

1. "The Grand Canyon"

2. "Taking a picture on a cliff"

3. "Seeing lizards on the hike"

4. "Getting my arrowhead necklace"

5. "All the views of the Grand Canyon."

Grace's Top Five for June 15, 2007

1. "The Grand Canyon"

2. "the cliff hike"

3. "Seeing the lizards"

4. "Climbing the big rocks." We stopped at a scenic turnout and let them climb on the rocks.

5. "Getting jewelry" The above scenic turnout was on Navajo land and they had handmade jewelry and pots and things for sale.

Blessings,

Leslie