Blogs from Utah, United States, North America - page 2

What a great day we had today! So many interesting and beautiful things to see, and we did some great hikes. I also had a near death experience at Mossy Cave. I was standing by the cave chatting with some other hikers when a rock about the size and shape of my foot hit the ground right beside me with an astounding amount of force and a noise like a pistol shot. I knew that things fall quite fast when dropped from a height, but that is a very different thing from experiencing that speed in an object that landed two inches from my right foot at the speed of a bullet. I have new respect or signs that tell me to watch for falling rocks (there was no sign there, and if there had been ... read more

Today we set off for Bryce Canyon National Park, driving through Red Canyon on our way on Highway 12 Scenic Drive. We stopped in Red Canyon and did several hikes, which were amazing. What a great day!... read more

THE BASICS From Tucson we traveled to Ajo, which is quite near the Mexican border. It’s a small town we like very much. Then north to Phoenix, where our highlight was a leisurely lunch with my brother’s widow Katy. Next stop was Cottonwood, which has really been spiffed up impressively. John loves Flagstaff and we went there despite the weather, i.e. the snow in Flagstaff was measured in feet. Next to Monument Valley, which Linda loves, and some welcome sun time. From there, north to Moab, Utah, where our reservation is for three nights. THE FLUFF There is an enormous abandoned copper mine in Ajo. One consequence of the mine’s development was a decision by the mineworkers to make the town as pleasant as possible for the mineworkers. So there are some stunning large public buildings. ... read more

St George, Utah a sprawling, rapidly growing city in the southwest corner of Utah. It was one of our destinations because friends retired there decades ago. The city was starting to promote itself as a great place to retire or have a business, and the promotions have continued to work quite well. Nobody seems to be sure where the name “St George” came from, but one story suggests one man named George was sent to the region with others to establish a community and temple, farm potatoes and such. Potatoes didn’t really like to grow in the area, and because every adult male Mormon is considered to be a bishop and when he dies, he name becomes known as “Saint” whatever, so the city was named after this George. The second story tells us Brigham Young ... read more

Today started with a heavy snowfall, but ended up gloriously sunny and beautiful. What elevation will do. Another fantastic day!... read more