Days 17 & 18 - Dinosaur National Monument, Sundance & Salt Lake City !

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I knew when we fell asleep last night that today was going to be a very long day. We were headed over towards Salt Lake City, Utah and it was going to be a day full of driving and not much else. Tim needed some coffee to get him pumped up and ready for the day so I walked over to McDonalds and bought him a cup along with some breakfast for the both of us. After stumbling around for a little while, we both got ready and soon we were on Highway 139 and making our way down the road. My goodness what a long, curvy, mountainous drive we were taking. It was not fun at all and the both of us were getting sick to our stomachs. We were up and down and up and around and it was really getting to us. Eventually we made it to the Dinosaur National Monument and we were both as happy as could be. We got out of the motorhome and walked around for a little while as we tried to get our heads and tummies back in order. It was a much welcomed stop and we were very thankful. Tim went inside to get the brochure and we headed on our way throughout the monument. We saw neat things like petroglyphs that were over 1000 years old. We also saw some archeaologist digging for more dinosaur bones and stuff. The self guided auto tour was very informative and we learned a lot about dinosaurs. We rode around inside Dinosaur National Monument for about an hour and then it was time to get back on the road towards Salt Lake City. After many many hours of driving and riding we finally settled into a little town just outside Salt Lake City called Provo, UT. Here we found the Ruby River Steakhouse and decided to go in for dinner. Oh my, am I soooo glad we did !! I had the filet mignon oscar style and it was absolutely mouthwatering while Tim enjoyed the regular filet with a touch of garlic. The food here was amazing. If you are ever in Utah and see a Ruby River Steakhouse, you MUST stop in to check it out. Other than driving for ten hours, seeing Dinosaur National Monument and enjoying a fabulous dinner, that's about all we did today. We were both exhausted from all the riding so we made our way over to Wal-Mart and prepared for what we hoped would be a good nights sleep. Well, we did sleep pretty good last night and now we were up and at it again and excited to see what was in store for us today. Tim wanted some coffee again this morning so I made my little walk over to McDonalds again and got him a hot cup of coffee and prepared it just the way he likes it. I think there's a connection between Wal-Mart and McDonald's because they seem to be side by side out here in most towns. Anyway, we had our breakfast and Tim was all fueled up with his coffee and it was time to head on over to a place called Sundance. This is Robert Redford's 6000 acre mountain retreat and we wanted to check it out. We made the short drive over and it was so worth it. This place is amazing, of course, would you expect anything less from Mr. Redford ?? We found a parking place which proved to be kinda tricky but we squeezed in there and then headed over to the visitor's center. As we meandered along the walkway and through the beautiful flowers, we could feel our blood pressure decreasing by the minute. As we took a deep breath in we could smell the honeysuckles just as sweet as could be. We made our way to the visitor's center where we picked up a brochure and a map and then we were off to explore. There was a ski lift to take you to the top of the mountain along with several biking trails throughout. You can go horseback riding as well as skiing in the winter. Sundance is like a huge nature preserve with a gorgeous river flowing right through the center. There are actually three restaurants on site as well as a hotel where you can book a room for the night. We were so tempted to stay but the motorhome was blocking several parking spaces and we were scared the management might ask us to move it. Tim and I held hands and walked along the creekside and just listened and watched as the water was briskly flowing and making the most peaceful sounds you've ever heard. We came upon a bench and sat for a while barely saying a word to each other. We were just soaking up all the beauty while relaxing and breathing in the fresh air. Neither of us really wanted to leave but we knew we had to get a move on it so we finished the trail and made our way to the motorhome. Robert Redford did it right and if you ever need a serene peaceful get-a-way then Sundance is your place. Next, we were off to se the sights in downtown Salt Lake City. The drive over wasn't that bad and soon we were there and found a great parking spot right in downtown. We made our way over to Temple Square where we were able to see The Mormon Tabernacle, The Tabernacle and The Temple. Everything was beautiful, we went inside The Tabernacle and saw the organ that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir uses for rehearsal and for their performances on Sundays. The Morman Tabernacle was amazing inside as well but we were not allowed inside The Temple. They said that you have to be members of the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be able to enter The Temple. I was so disappointed because it looked incredible from the outside and I was just dying to see the inside. Oh well, the next closest thing to being able to get inside was a model of it we were able to see in the southside visitor's center. We finished up our tour at Temple Square and saw a few other things in downtown and then headed on back to the motorhome. Tim and I were off to milk a cow at Wheeler's Farm in Salt Lake City. Wheeler's Farm is an old historic farm that was established by the Wheeler family and has been in operation since 1886 in Utah. We had such a great time there at the farm. We went on a hayride throughout the grounds and got to see lots of cute little animals. The highlight of the farm of course was getting to milk Ms. Dolly. Yep, Tim and I both milked a cow and it was hilarious !! He went first and then, after I stop laughing, I proceeded to milk her. It brought back so many memories of living on the farm back on Woolsey Road in Hampton. Well the farm was closing down for the day so it was time for us to head on back to the motorhome and make our way on over to our next adventure. I had read about the Fast Trak Karts online and also picked up a brochure somewhere along the way and we both thought it would be fun so we headed on over there. Once we arrived, we purchased our tickets and then picked out our favorite kart and helmet but before we could get out on the track we had to watch a safety video. Of course, I knew the entire time we were watching the video that Tim was NOT going to follow any of the rules so it was a waste of our time but we had to do it. We proceeded on to the track and entered our karts and soon we were off !! I smoked Tim most of the 20 laps we ran but of course he blamed it on his car and not his driving skills ! It was so much fun driving fast around that track and we had a blast. It was really expensive so we limited our time there but gosh was it exciting. It was time to move on down the road and see how far we could get before settling in for the night. I didn't know it but Tim had a big surprise in store for me tonight. As we were driving, I began to see what looked like a HUGE lake and sure enough, that's what it was. He had taken me to The Great Salt Lake and we were going to park and walk down to the water and splash around. It was so beautiful because we arrived just as the sun was setting and it was just breathtaking. We held hands and walked around in the sand and played in the water and it was so romantic. He loves surprising me with sweet little things like this and it brought tears to my eyes. We tasted the water with our fingertips and it definitely lives up to it's name, that water is SALTY !! Our walk on the beach was a wonderful ending to a fun-filled day but now it was time to head off in search of somewhere to sleep tonight. Of course Tim and trusty ole Magellan found us a nearby Wal-Mart so we made our way there and settled in for the night. It wasn't as late as usual so Tim and I decided to lay back and watch a movie before we were fast asleep. Good night Salt Lake City ! :-)

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