To the Great Salt Lake

Today we said goodbye to Hidden Canyon Ranch.  The wildlife inventory for this leg of the trip included:  snake, mule deer, wild turkeys, bat, sheep, ducks, humongous ants, cats (and one kitten), horse, chickens, cows, a nest full of baby swallows (with two very devoted parents), more jackrabbits than we could count, and two great dogs named “Aspen” and “Belle”, who followed us around each evening as we explored all corners of the ranch.  I will especially remember the girls running up and down the dirt road, ponytails bouncing, calling endlessly for the dogs who had taken off to chase a rabbit, or laughing hysterically at each other’s silliness.  The “playground” on site had a cool backyard merry-go-round (the kind that kids get flung from and I thought had been banned) and a really, really long seesaw that quickly taught SE to get her feet out from under her when Lily jumped off the other side without warning.  She shed some tears on that one, with good reason.  Great Basin is probably one of our more underrated national parks, especially if you like stargazing.  

Lily and I slept in and ate a late breakfast, which had the added benefit of SE and Taryn loading the car!  The drive from Great Basin to Salt Lake City was generally uneventful, but full of the same grand scenery we’ve become accustomed to.  We’re still in the high desert, but the mountains around SLC have more green - not forest, but some type of grass or continuous shrub on the slopes.  The elevation of the city is about 4,500 feet.  Our drive took us generally northeast toward the Wasatch Range, through Provo (where BYU is located), and into SLC.  The city is nestled in at the base of the mountains, which I expect provides some stunning views in the winter.  

Over the course of the trip, I’ve tried lots of local craft beers and one of my favorites is the Polygamy Porter by Wasatch Brewery.  The label recommends taking some home to the wives.  Clever, and tasty (although perhaps not so tasteful)!  

Once at the hotel, Taryn took the girls via the stairs (to avoid the elevator) and I took the luggage cart straight to the room.  While I waited for them at the door, with no key, they were passing through a series of stairwell doors that continued to lock behind them, ultimately dumping them in an alley next to Pioneer Park.  The park, as luck would have it, doubles as the local homeless shelter in the summer (surprisingly, SLC seems to have an inordinate number of homeless people).  They scrambled back inside, but with short fuses, we insisted Lily ride the elevator instead of trying to find another work-around.  She did, but we were in for the night, which was really for the best.  Tomorrow, the city!