A Change of Plans - Spring 2011

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With fuel prices heading skyward, we cancelled our Alaska plans and decided to head to Wyoming and Montana instead. On the way north, we stopped for a while in Laughlin and Mesquite, NV, and Hurricane, UT. Laughlin is nothing but a casino town on the Colorado River. Mesquite, another casino town, is also becoming a retirement haven, although development has slowed somewhat due to the economy.

Hurricane, UT is near St. George in southwest Utah, close to the Arizona and Nevada borders. It was first settled by the Mormons from Salt Lake City as “Dixie” or a cotton- and crop-growing region and a summer haven for Brigham Young back in the day. A real pioneer spirit is evident in the area, and there is a Mormon church on every corner, it seems. Diane did quite a bit of research on the Mormon Church, but that is a discussion for another day.

However, the FLDS is also evident. This is the polygamist sect which broke away from the Mormon Church and whose leader, Warren Jeffs, is now in a Texas prison awaiting trial. Women wear the “prairie-style” long dresses and their hair is long and rolled into braids. It’s HBO’s “Big Love” in person. Quite creepy, and I feel sorry for the young girls who get married off to older men, are forced to have lots of children, and know no other life.

Southwestern Utah is quite lovely, high desert with amazing geologic formations. We enjoyed the beauty of the area.

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