Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
California!!!
Today was a nice, weird and long day of driving! We started out the drive, leaving the Salt Lake sun and ended up driving through snow, yes SNOW and 50 mph gusts of wind! We definitely were not prepared for these conditions, being in shorts, short sleeved shirts and sandals! Enjoy the pictures ;) Nevada rest stops are definitely an experience! The picture of us in the snow, and the small brown house is the rest stop. Consisting of 2 toilets, basically just a hole in the ground! All the gas stations have casinos at them, too! Oh, Nevada!!
But, one perk of Nevada is part of Lake Tahoe resides in Nevada! Lake Tahoe is AMAZING! The views from our drive are picturesque and perhaps the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen with my own two eyes! Our hotel in Tahoe is literally one block from the state line! I would have thought California would have invested in a bigger "welcome to California" sign, but my friend (born and raised in California) stated this was probably all they could afford since Cali is in so much debt ;) We had an enjoyable Mongolian BBQ dinner and tried out our luck at the casino! As quickly as we won money, we lost it quicker!! I have a new found love for roulette, though!! Until tomorrow, when we will be in San Fran!!! xoxoxo
But, one perk of Nevada is part of Lake Tahoe resides in Nevada! Lake Tahoe is AMAZING! The views from our drive are picturesque and perhaps the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen with my own two eyes! Our hotel in Tahoe is literally one block from the state line! I would have thought California would have invested in a bigger "welcome to California" sign, but my friend (born and raised in California) stated this was probably all they could afford since Cali is in so much debt ;) We had an enjoyable Mongolian BBQ dinner and tried out our luck at the casino! As quickly as we won money, we lost it quicker!! I have a new found love for roulette, though!! Until tomorrow, when we will be in San Fran!!! xoxoxo
Around the City
Here are some photos from our walk around the city. The fountains were in front of the hall where the Utah Symphony plays. 
Other Views in Temple Square
Here are some other pictures from our walk around Temple Square. The gothic looking structure is Assembly Hall, where numerous concerts take place. The dome-like building is the Tabernacle where the Mormon choir has concerts. The gardens in the Square were gorgeous and made for a magnificent walk! 
A Walk Around Salt Lake City
Dad and I took a walk around the city after dinner last night. It was a toasty walk, still in the 90s at 8 pm. We headed to Temple Square, where the Mormon temple is located. The temple is not open to the public. Some Mormons have not entered it, either. The temple is used for special ceremonies like marriage, and even then, you need permission to have your ceremony at the temple. We did get a picture of what the inside looks like, from a model in the visitor center. 
Monday, June 4, 2012
Salt Lake City, Utah!
City, mountains and bird poop ;) 98 degrees in GLORIOUS Salt Lake. Thinking about taking a dip in the pool tonight ;) What a Marvelous Monday it is!
Old Faithful Inn
The view of the inside of our hotel and dining room! Pretty sweet, huh?! No TVs in the rooms make you feel at peace and one with nature! This Inn is a historical landmark. On June 1, 1904, the first guests were welcomed. The inn was designed by Robert Reamer, a 29 year old architect from Oberlin, Ohio! Heck yes, OHIO!!
Salt Lake City, Utah
Today, we ventured out of the great outdoors of Yellowstone to Salt Lake City, Utah! We passed through Montana, Idaho and Utah, before we made it to the city. I did meet a friendly man on the road in Idaho. I passed this truck pulling a trailer on the highway, and he then proceeded to flick me off, ride my butt, cut me off and then drive in the middle of the two lanes so I could not pass him. As Michelle Tanner, my soon to be neighbor would say, "How rude!" Other than that joyful experience, the drive was quite scenic and enjoyable! We are in our hotel in Salt Lake City now enjoying FREE cocktails and dinner! Score!!
1st Full Day inYellowstone!
We did A LOT with the one full day we had in Yellowstone on Sunday. We started the day with a Christian service on the balcony of Old Faithful Inn. The views from the balcony, as well as the message presented, confirmed God is all around! Places like these do not exist on their own! We had a nice breakfast and enjoyed God's beauties all day! We started by seeing Old Faithful geyser up close. I had no idea what a geyser was before this trip, so I will share my wisdom! Geysers are hot springs with their own plumbing systems. They erupt as pressure begins to build up in this plumbing system, releasing huge volumes of hot water! Some geysers erupt every couple minutes, while others are inactive for years! Old Faithful, faithful he is, for he erupts every 92 minutes, give or take 10 minutes! The water in these geysers are about 200 degrees! So, naturally you would die if you fell in and people have! Also, if anything is thrown into the geyser, like coins or cans, this will back up the plumbing system, the geyser will dry up and will never be restored! We saw perhaps hundreds of geysers, most of them still alive and well but others dried up.
After walking about 3-4 miles in the morning, noting the beauty of the geysers minutes away from our hotel, we took a break for lunch. After lunch and nap time for me, we set on an expedition looking for Fairy Falls, which I THOUGHT was only a mile away, turned into a 5 1/2 mile hike, and we did not see the falls! I could not find them!! So, Papa G was not too happy :/ lol We were not very prepared hikers, either. We had no water, food and I insisted earlier in the day I did not want sunscreen because I wanted to color my albino body! Oh, I got color alright!! My forearms, neck and nose are FRIED!! Ooooops! The hike wasn't a complete waste, though, we saw more bison up close and had beautiful views of Midway Geyser Basin and Goose Lake!
When we FINALLY made it to the car, an 1 1/2 later and amazingly still alive, we chugged water and ate the remaining bag of veggie chips, or at least I did ;) Our goal was to head to Yellowstone Canyon, 45 minutes away and still in Yellowstone. We arrived safely and were able to enjoy the GIGANTIC canyon, upper falls and lower falls! We hiked down to the lookout point just over the lower falls, refreshed by its overwhelming charm! From this view, you feel on top of the world! Capable of anything! Enjoy the pictures!! But what goes down, must come up! So we hiked 1 mile up the ramp, a level 7 or 8 incline on the elliptical machine!! My butt is still burning today, in addition to my first layer of skin that was burned off! This journey was completely worth it, though!!! We even saw a bald eagle soaring above the canyon! AMERICA! (for some reason I hear G.W. saying this in his Texan accent). Dad called it an early night, as I grabbed a bison burger and a couple beers at the lounge. I met many new friends, all employees at Yellowstone. It was like a post college bar, everyone in their 20s and 30s. They informed me business was really slow for this time of year. Usually they will have 800 to 1,000 dinner reservations a night in the restaurant, and they have only had as many as 400. People apparently make reservations in the restaurant years in advance! And one of the bartenders who waited on me received a $500 tip one night from an overly generous customer! I also found out that Yellowstone is open in the winters, but the only roads plowed are near the Mammoth Hot Springs, very northwest in the park. The areas we explored could only be accessed with a snowmobile! But apparently they are open for business during this time. The geysers do not stop erupting during the winter, either! I don't think I could work at Yellowstone in the winter, but I met many people who love it! Perhaps I will discuss with my recruiter the need for nurses in National Parks, especially during the summer months ;) If it's possible, I would LOVE to be the clinic nurse at Yellowstone, Yosemite or Tahoe! I was told they get very interesting injuries too! Hmmm. Not a shabby job at all!
After walking about 3-4 miles in the morning, noting the beauty of the geysers minutes away from our hotel, we took a break for lunch. After lunch and nap time for me, we set on an expedition looking for Fairy Falls, which I THOUGHT was only a mile away, turned into a 5 1/2 mile hike, and we did not see the falls! I could not find them!! So, Papa G was not too happy :/ lol We were not very prepared hikers, either. We had no water, food and I insisted earlier in the day I did not want sunscreen because I wanted to color my albino body! Oh, I got color alright!! My forearms, neck and nose are FRIED!! Ooooops! The hike wasn't a complete waste, though, we saw more bison up close and had beautiful views of Midway Geyser Basin and Goose Lake!
When we FINALLY made it to the car, an 1 1/2 later and amazingly still alive, we chugged water and ate the remaining bag of veggie chips, or at least I did ;) Our goal was to head to Yellowstone Canyon, 45 minutes away and still in Yellowstone. We arrived safely and were able to enjoy the GIGANTIC canyon, upper falls and lower falls! We hiked down to the lookout point just over the lower falls, refreshed by its overwhelming charm! From this view, you feel on top of the world! Capable of anything! Enjoy the pictures!! But what goes down, must come up! So we hiked 1 mile up the ramp, a level 7 or 8 incline on the elliptical machine!! My butt is still burning today, in addition to my first layer of skin that was burned off! This journey was completely worth it, though!!! We even saw a bald eagle soaring above the canyon! AMERICA! (for some reason I hear G.W. saying this in his Texan accent). Dad called it an early night, as I grabbed a bison burger and a couple beers at the lounge. I met many new friends, all employees at Yellowstone. It was like a post college bar, everyone in their 20s and 30s. They informed me business was really slow for this time of year. Usually they will have 800 to 1,000 dinner reservations a night in the restaurant, and they have only had as many as 400. People apparently make reservations in the restaurant years in advance! And one of the bartenders who waited on me received a $500 tip one night from an overly generous customer! I also found out that Yellowstone is open in the winters, but the only roads plowed are near the Mammoth Hot Springs, very northwest in the park. The areas we explored could only be accessed with a snowmobile! But apparently they are open for business during this time. The geysers do not stop erupting during the winter, either! I don't think I could work at Yellowstone in the winter, but I met many people who love it! Perhaps I will discuss with my recruiter the need for nurses in National Parks, especially during the summer months ;) If it's possible, I would LOVE to be the clinic nurse at Yellowstone, Yosemite or Tahoe! I was told they get very interesting injuries too! Hmmm. Not a shabby job at all!
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