Utah, weeks 3-4

It's hard to imagine, but I've just finished up four weeks out here in the Beehive State. The first two weeks dragged, but it seems like things are finally starting to speed up a bit. I've been having a blast, though, and I couldn't be happier about my decision to take a seasonal job out here. Each day on the job is different, researching birds, bats, flying squirrels and pikas. My boss is pretty cool, for the most part, although lately he's been getting on my nerves...it's frustrating when you work for someone who knows less than you (or at least, has less common sense), and it drives me nuts when he doesn't answer my questions or forgets important things...he's lucky to have me to remind him of everything! But I digress...overall, it's been a good time.

Nate came out for a visit last weekend, and, even though he wasn't up to par, we managed to do a ton of things. He flew in Thursday night, and we drove halfway out to the Salt Flats before deciding it wasn't worth it. Then we came back to Salt Lake City and attempted going to Burt's Tiki Lounge, which turned out to be even more grunge and scary than the one in Albuquerque...it's insulting to even use the term "tiki" in the name, in my opinion. Then we ate dinner at Red Rock Brewing Company...more typical brew pub fare, but it's always a novelty to have beer in a state like Utah, so we had to try it. To top off the night, we played a round of mini golf at Cherry Hill. Good times.

On Friday, we drove up to the Golden Spike site outside Brigham City and took lots of pictures. Then we had lunch at Ruby River, which also brews beers...I tried their homemade ginger ale which tasted like cleaning solution. Bleh. Then we went to the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum, which was incredible, before checking out the museums at Union Station, which, sadly were about to close. From there, as Nate was feeling less and less well, we decided to do a few things in town and take tomorrow easy. So we headed south and played mini golf at Liberty Land, the home of that powered roller coaster - Nate was accosted by a spider that was dwelling in one of the holes, so that was freaky. Then we drove through American Fork, admiring the town, before heading back up to Sandy, UT where we ate at the Casa Bonita-esque Mayan restaurant, a heavily themed, multi-story spectacle, complete with cliff divers. I had a fantastic margarita, but the food was a bit much.

On Saturday, we stayed in for most of the day, going out only for lunch at Arctic Circle, and later for a trip to Antelope Island, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. It's known for its herd of bison and diverse wildlife...in fact, I was out there a few weeks ago trapping burrowing owls! We drove all over the island, seeing lots of antelope, and eventually we headed over to the shore where I decided to take a dip. As I approached the water, I noticed a father and daughter running and yelling - they were engulfed in a cloud of some sort...and then I noticed a number of other clouds lower to the ground. Brine flies. I was hesitant to approach the lake, but the brine flies were actually pretty harmless, mostly flying away from you as you approached. It was wild to hear them sizzle as they fled. I pushed my way through them and entered the lake. It wasn't nearly as nasty as I'd been told, although the salt does burn any cuts you may have, so don't shave before swimming!! It was extremely shallow, and I had to wade pretty far out to even get to knee-depth water. Once I did, I attempted to float, and you really are as boyant as they say! It was a trip, and I'm so glad I tried it!

On Sunday, Nate was feeling marginally better, so we ventured out a bit more. Since it was Sunday, many things aren't open, so we had to focus out outdoorsy stuff. We drove down to Bridal Veil Falls and then drove the loop past Sundance and up to Timpanogos Cave National Monument, where we did the boardwalk trail...I've been to this N.M. twice now and still haven't seen the cave! Hopefully next time. We decided that was enough for the day, and crashed back at the hotel. Nate left early the next morning for NM.

This week, I finally started some flying squirrel work. We trapped out in the Uintas, and sadly, we didn't catch anything but a red squirrel thanks to traps that aren't touchy enough. We witnessed an incredible thunderstorm, saw some beautiful countryside, saw an extremely out of place antelope, and I saw two moose! I would move to the Uintas in an instant if I could. So gorgeous! Kevin's family came down to stay with us in our two-room cabin the second night. That was a bit trying, especially when they wouldn't call off their four year old. I was trying to eat, and she climbed into my lap and spat in my face. It was disgusting. Is there any wonder I usually can't stand kids? Those two have tremendous patience, and frankly, that isn't a good thing...those kids need discipline...the 4 year-old was honking the horn of our work truck, and Kevin let it go on for about 20 minutes before saying anything. I wanted to pop someone!!

In other news, the truck broke down on the way home, and it's lucky we had two cars with us. I, of course, had to drive it solo while Kevin drove with his family. When I asked him what the worst case scenario was with driving the thing, he was all, "Oh, you could lose control, flip and die," yet he still expected me to be ok with driving it. I was pissed. Needless to say, we got it to the shop without dying, but I'm not keen on risking my life for this job...I like the job, but I don't NEED it, so don't try me.

And there's nothing I hate more than people questioning my intelligence. Especially people that are less intelligent than me. Despite the fact that I'm on top of things and do things well before I'm ever asked and have wonderful suggestions that make our lives easier, he's constantly expecting me to do things wrong, which I don't get as I've NEVER done anything wrong here. I think he's projecting his ineptitude on me, and it's pretty infuriating. Don't get me wrong, he can be a good guy, but just keep it up, buddy...

So yeah...besides that, Thursday was Pioneer Day, a state holiday, and I went to the Hogle Zoo, which was "meh," and then off to Snowbird for some adventure. I rode a 40 minute chair lift, an aerial tram, did some hiking, rode the zip line, rode the alpine slide, jumped on the bungee trampoline, and climbed a rock wall. It was an awesome day, and it felt so good to be outside and active. I even saw pikas for the first time ever! That's especially good since I'll be studying them soon...

And that's life 'til now. Phew. I'm looking forward to going home, but I'm also looking forward to the adventures to come...I'm out here to live life, and that's just what I intend to do!

From Pommes to Pommes de Terre (part deux)

On Thursday, after contending with the broken shower and the lock that, well, wouldn’t, we headed out. My hair was still in the form of a large singular dreadlock held in a ponytail to the back of my head. It was most unpleasant, but at least it was out of my way. Our first ordeal was stopping for gas in the great state of OR. We’d both forgotten that this is one of those crazy states in which the employees pump the gas for you. We were rather confused…do you tip these people? When they walk off, are you allowed to put the pump back when it’s done? What exactly is the etiquette in such situations? Well, we ended up driving off when it was all done, without tipping, and hoped that’s how it’s done! I think that worked because no one seemed to care on subsequent fill-ups. They really need instructions for us ignorant out-of-staters at gas stations in OR. We drove west along the Columbia River, stopping at a Stonehenge replica on the Washington side of the river. It’s built to scale and commemorates servicemen. It was quite an interesting site, and I’d recommend seeing it if you can’t get out to see the original in the UK. From there, we stopped at a fish hatchery and dam on the Oregon side – Bonneville Dam, I believe. Then we continued on in Oregon, taking a long hike along the Triple Falls Trail. It was an amazing place! A somewhat steep trail snaked upwards through lush forests. Along the way we would encounter various species of gigantic slugs. It was so nice to be immersed in such a flourishing environment. And despite the humidity, it was cool and pleasant. After the Triple Falls trail, we checked out a number of other waterfalls in the area, including the most visited tourist site in Oregon, Multnomah Falls. The falls there were absolutely huge. You can feel so insignificant standing next to a feature like that.

Once we parted from the Columbia River, we headed south along I-5 through Oregon. We stopped at Enchanted Village along the way. This was a unique little park that centered around children’s fairy tales. The first half of the park involved walkthrough replicas of stories such as Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Alice in Wonderland. Heck, the whole park had things like that. One of the neatest things was a tepee with a stack of “firewood” in the center of it. If you enter the tepee and go behind the firewood, you notice that the wood is actually an entrance to an extensive series of caves. It was such a blast! Nate and I had such a good time exploring all the catacombs, and I can just imagine what it must be like for a kid.

Beyond the walk through fun, there were also a few rides at the park. The Roller Coaster Database indicated that there were two roller coasters here, but none of the employees had any idea what I was talking about. They knew about the obvious one, the homemade Alpine Bobsled coaster, which was neat in that it went through a cave and had a cover over the top of the train (for good reason – you could hit your hands or head on the cave if it weren’t there!). It turned out the other coaster was actually the water flume! It runs on wheels and has a section of track that it runs on as well. How exciting! An unexpected water coaster! Beyond that, we did the walkthrough-haunted house, which was a lot of fun, and the dark ride shoot-em-up. I used both guns and got really high scores on both hands! What a fun, though overpriced, park.

That night, we headed down to Eugene, OR, home of the University of Oregon, where we ate at Steelhead Brewery, which Nate enjoyed, and then wandered around the U of O campus. From there, we motored south and got down to the southern part of the state by 11pm.

On Friday, we got up early and I took a much-needed shower. Then we drove out to Crater Lake National Park, the place that most excited Nathan on this trip. The route took us past lots of coniferous trees – it was really lovely out there! Unfortunately, most of the park was closed due to snow, but we were able to do the overlook from the visitor center. The lake was breathtaking! The water was the most perfect mirror! You couldn’t tell where the earth ended and the water began. And it was bluer than the purest sapphire. We were able to hike the rim road that was closed to traffic and took in the lake from several different angles. We saw some adventurous skiers swooshing down remote mountainsides up which they hiked themselves. It looked like such a rush! Besides this, we saw some interesting birds including Stellar’s jays, one of my favorites, and quite a few large mosquitoes. I wish we could have seen more, and also gone down to the surface of the lake, but I guess that’s a good excuse to go back again sometime!

After we saw all we could of Crater Lake, we headed back toward Portland. We stopped for lunch at a roadhouse with some really good food. My tuna melt was to die for, and we had an Oreo shake, too. The service was a little slow, but we still got out of there in plenty of time to get up to our destinations. Once we got to Portland, we found out way out to Thatch, a highly rated tiki bar. Although small, the décor was really nice. They even had a tiki in the bathroom! We munched on crab cakes and party mix, and I had a donkey punch and a Tahiti. Nate had a tiki punch, which was served in a gigantic tiki bowl. We weren’t that impressed by the drinks, but it was still fun to experience. I guess we’re just spoiled with Hala Kahiki in Chicago.

After Thatch, we headed over to Alibi, the other highly rated tiki bar in Portland. It was karaoke night, so the tiki music, if any, was hard to make out. The décor was very tiki, though, and the place was quite a bit larger than Thatch. Nate just had beer, but I tried the Hula Hoochie and the Samoan Sunset, both of which were just ok. Sadly, I don’t remember too much at this point! That’s what I get for going to two tiki bars in one night! Luckily, we stayed nearby at the Budget Inn, which was pretty decent for what it was. I know I slept well that night!

On Saturday, we got up late and grabbed a quick brekkie at McD’s before heading to the library to check email (yes, I’m obsessed). Then we drove out to the Velveteria, a museum of velvet paintings. It was extremely tacky, but I kind of enjoyed it. We even talked to one of the owners who told us they were going to be featured on various television shows in the near future. I assured her I’d tell everyone I knew about the place, so that’s just what I’m doing.

We also walked around Portland looking for the Voodoo Donut Shop, which is apparently some sort of tourist attraction. Sadly, we couldn’t find it, but in our travels I was able to get more acquainted with the city. Portland is an interesting town. It’s as though the hippies and the yuppies collided, and the fallout is Portland. It’s an older town with lots of run-down sections inhabited by young, college-aged people. It rather reminded me of Old Town in Chicago, actually. Lots of yuppies and hippies just making their way.

After our time in the city, we headed toward the river in search of Oaks Amusement Park. This was an old park – 103 years old, in fact! Mostly it was a collection of flat rides and carnival rides, but there were a few roller coasters including the portable Looping Thunder and one of the scariest darned kiddie coasters ever, Zoooooom. There was one drop on Zoooooom on which I was sure I would be thrown merely because I didn’t fit in the seat. It was great! The park also sported an historic Dance Pavilion and roller rink, and I’m sure its carousel was up there in years, too, not to mention their train. I got the wristband and did a lot of riding, including this train. Nathan didn’t feel much like riding things, so he only sampled a few rides. When I rode the train, he walked alongside it for the entire loop, and I think he actually beat it back to the station! Beyond this, we rode some ancient bumper cars that were just insane! They were so fast and handled questionably, so that when you would go around a curve, you’d careen out into space. I’m not big into bumper cars, but they were so good I convinced Nate to ride the second time around. We also did a Lewis and Clark-themed dark ride and the Ferris wheel since one of the ride ops forgot to take Nate’s ticket and we had a free ride to do. At one point, Nate went to get the car, which we’d parked several blocks away, and I rode as many remaining rides as I could. It was a nice time at a good park, and I’m glad I got to experience it.

Around 5pm, we left Oaks and headed west toward Astoria, OR. I’d wanted to see the town ever since seeing “Kindergarten Cop,” which was filmed there. It was getting late once we arrived, but we still had a bit of daylight with which to explore the town. Astoria is incredibly hilly, set on veritable cliffs overlooking the Columbia River and adjacent waters to the Pacific. We drove all the way up to the high point to see the Astor Tower, a huge monument overlooking the city. Sadly, the tower itself was closed, but we got to see it from the outside at least. Then we drove over the immense bridge connecting OR and WA and headed north to Long Beach. Nathan had thought Long Beach sounded like our kind of town – very touristy and kitschy. It wasn’t quite as saccharine as we’re used to, but still a neat place. We walked along the beach, touched the Pacific Ocean, toured the boardwalk, and admired a whale skeleton. Then we walked down the main street, noticing an abandoned old amusement park, some crazy museums and shops, and the world’s largest frying pan which was used to make the largest razor clam fritter back in the 1940s. We finally found a place for dinner and shared a sampler platter of local seafood, which was ok, though not as spectacular as I’d have hoped, being on the coast and all. Then we drove out to Aberdeen, WA, a large, though seemingly abandoned town, for the night.

On Sunday, we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel before driving out to Olympic National Park. We stopped at the beach and saw a number of tide pools, a large cedar tree, and another large tree, of which type I don't recall, as well. The cedar was particularly amazing – you could walk right into it and look up into its depths. It would be a haven for tree-dwelling wildlife. After that, we did several hikes through the thick rainforest, admiring crystal clear streams and some of the most amazing jungles. It was a fantastic location, and I could definitely see working someplace like this! It was just so lush and peaceful.

From there, we ate lunch at some Italian place that had great salad. Then we continued on to Port Townsend where we at dinner at the Port Townsend Brewery. Again, typical brewpub fare, but Nate enjoyed his sampler. After that, we wandered around the town, which reminded me a lot of Hannibal, MO for some reason, sans any reference to Mark Twain. We saw a deer wandering through town, and we admired all the historic homes and structures. Something that caught my eye during our time along the coast were all the tsunami evacuation route signs. I wonder if these are a new development, as prior to the Asian tsunami, no one really gave such things much thought. It was a bit disconcerting, but at least they have some sort of evacuation plan.

After dinner, we headed back toward Seattle, driving over the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge. As a child, I remember seeing footage of that bridge oscillating and throwing cars from their perches. It was a horrific scene indeed! Luckily the reconstruction of the bridge seems a lot more secure than that! It was interesting to drive over such a historic site, however.

Monday was our last day, and I was still raring to go. I honestly think I could travel for weeks on end before getting tired of it all. I was truly sad that things were winding down. I wound up sleeping in until 10:45, which was definitely needed after the lack of sleep this trip caused. We wound up drinking some wine coolers for breakfast because we forgot we’d had them and we couldn’t easily bring them back with us. Then we ate lunch at LeLe Thai in Tacoma, which was very good. From there, we went to the Glass Museum and admired all the interesting glasswork. We even were able to watch a glass blowing demonstration, which was just fascinating! The heat involved in making such things is immense, and when they open up those gigantic ovens, it looks like they’re opening up a portal to the sun. After the museum, we admired the glass bridge, which is essentially a normal bridge with more glasswork on display. We also had our first glimpse of Mount Rainier the entire trip. It was absolutely immense, and I wish we’d have had time to visit it as well. All good reason for another trip out!

So we made our way to the airport and explored that for a bit before getting our flight out. During the first leg of the trip, I was in the middle between Nate and some rather grumpy fellow. Luckily we got to move during the second leg, but I was stuck with a slimed-up window. People are so disgusting, sometimes! We had an uneventful trip home, and were happy to be reunited with our critters and to settle back into life in New Mexico.

From Pommes to Pommes de Terre (part un)

Well, it’s been ages since we’ve returned from our travels to the Pacific Northwest, but I’m finally sitting down to write about it. I hope I can remember enough to do it justice! Neither Nate nor I had visited the PNW in the past, so visiting a new part of the country intrigued us. The pictures we had seen were incredible, and we both were chomping at the bit to see it in all its glory. And for those of you who don’t know French, the significance behind the title of this adventure involves the fact that we went from Washington (the land of apples, or “pommes”) to Idaho (the land of potatoes, or “pommes de terre,” apples of the earth).

We headed out on Friday June 6th and had an uneventful flight. I noticed as we were descending upon Seattle around 10:30 that there was still a glow in the northwestern sky. Being so far north, complete darkness falls quite a bit later than we were accustomed. Once we landed, we got our luggage and took the shuttle to get our rental car. That was quite the fiasco! Not only were they arguing with us over not taking their insurance, apparently it’s Washington law that spouses are not allowed to drive without an extra fee. That’s unheard of anywhere else. Nathan was sure it was a sneaky false policy imposed by Advantage Rent a Car, but who knows. We managed to get away without using their insurance, but we had to get detailed documentation faxed from our insurance company right away. And I did wind up driving quite a bit, so it was lucky we weren’t pulled over.

That night, checked into the Extended Stay hotel near the airport. It was quite the experience. The bathroom door would not fit the frame – it was probably misaligned on its hinges – so you couldn’t secure the door while you were in there. The mini fridge was iced over, there were strange stains on the carpet, and an odd smell in the room (probably from prior smokers, despite this being a non-smoking room). Despite this, the employees were very cordial and helped tremendously with the insurance fax situation. We wound up staying two nights despite the rather uncomfortable accommodations.

On Saturday, I took care of the insurance fiasco in the morning, and then we headed off to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. It was in a confusing part of town, and it took us a while to find the place, driving through neighborhoods in which no stop signs exist at any intersections. It was a bit worrisome, especially in the hillier parts of town where you couldn’t see around the bend. Eventually we found our way there and wound up having a great time. Nate and I particularly enjoyed playing around in the kiddie area where they have people-sized replicas of various animal homes like spider webs, mole tunnels, and tree stumps. It was really muddy, and if we didn’t have places to go, I would have gone all out. The zoo was very nice, but it was a typical zoo. There were a lot of cute squirrels, which you don’t often see in Albuquerque, so that was interesting. We did lunch at an indoor food court and people-watched.

After the zoo, we headed downtown to do some exploring. Downtown Seattle is so neat! It’s definitely geared toward pedestrians, which is good because we must have traversed the main street at least 5 or 6 times. We parked on the Chicago level of the parking garage and headed about 10 blocks south to the location of the underground tours. It would be about an hour and a half until our tour, so we bought our tickets and headed back north to the Pike Place Market, one of the famous tourist spots in Seattle. We pushed our way through the horrific crowds to watch the fish market employees toss fish around. That’s actually what they get paid for – to toss fish back and fourth! Oh so it would seem. That was entertaining, but the crowds were beginning to wear on us, so we pushed our way to the exit and wound up outside on the street. We noticed another crowd gathering around an odd-looking Starbucks, which had a band playing out front. We realized that this was the original Starbucks, but there was no way we were going to push our way inside. So instead we found a less crowded shopping arcade and enjoyed a Pepsi across from a German marketplace. Eventually it was time to get back to the underground tour. On the way, we marveled at a kilt shop and wondered how they stay in business…we got our answer when we saw several people (including one of the underground tour guides) donning them. Seattle is definitely an odd city with even odder people, but who knows? Maybe they’re setting a trend!

The underground tour was pretty interesting. We wandered around under three city blocks, learning the history of how the city was originally planned to be built with the first floor beneath the street. Basically the city would have looked like a waffle. It must have been pretty inconvenient to people, so that’s why it’s not that way now. It was interesting to see the remains of the underground dwellings, but not outstanding. One cool thing was how they created skylights that the pedestrians above actually walk over on the sidewalks. It was an interesting look at Seattle history and I’m glad we did it once.

After the underground tour, we walked several miles across town to the Space Needle. We both thought it seemed a lot shorter than they make it out to be. Most of the skyscrapers in town tower above it, but it’s still an icon. Our main attraction was Fun Forest, the amusement park that flanks the Needle. We got some ride tickets and both enjoyed the Windstorm – a large portable coaster with a few decent head chopper effects. Then I rode my kiddie coaster for another credit. Nate’s too dignified for such endeavors, but I’ll take any credit I can get! We walked around the rest of the park and perused many flat rides, but opted not to do anything else. Sadly, the park’s lease is running out, and it probably won’t be around much longer. I’m glad we experienced it, though!

We opted not to go up in the Space Needle because it was awfully pricey. If we are in town again, we’ll probably eat up there, though, to get around the entry fee. This time, however, we headed back toward the car for dinner at Pike’s Brewery. One interesting thing that I’ve noticed out west is that there is almost a type of beer culture that goes on out here. Brewpubs are quite common, and beer connoisseurs are everywhere. In fact, many people brew their own beers, including Nate himself! But the whole brewpub scene is something that was completely new to me. These days, it seems odd to find a western town without one such pub, and it’s our goal to try as many of them as we can. Nate indulged in his beers, having the first of many samplers. I had their crab chowder and we shared Dungeness crab and artichoke dip. I think Nate had a burger. I also tried a beer float – ice cream in a dark beer. I hoped that the sweetness of the ice cream would make the beer taste better, but it was just awful! I wound up letting Nate have the rest. Nate also noticed that the dark beers in the NW taste so coffee-like to the point of being unpalatable. Still, this brewpub was one of Nate’s favorite things about this trip.

After the brewpub, we walked all the way back down to where the underground tours meet up in search of a highly rated tiki bar. Unfortunately, despite being set up in a grid pattern, the street numbers don’t do what you’d expect. Block 500N gives way to block 1400S or something strange, so our tiki bar was missing in action. Instead we gave in and went to a less-spectacularly rated tiki place, The Islander. It’s more of a Hawaiian restaurant than a tiki bar, so that was disappointing. We sat at the bar and noticed that the rear room had some thatched trees, but that’s about all the tiki-ness we saw. Nate had an awful beer, and I had a very unpleasant tiki drink that was most unmemorable. Still, it was good to check off yet another tiki bar.

On Sunday, we headed out to Wild Waves, a prior Six Flags property. The park was set in a coniferous forest and was quite pretty. The temperatures, however, were most unpleasant. It was extremely cold (in my opinion) and I was shivering for most of the day. The cool thing was that there were no lines, and we practically had the park to ourselves. We rode three new coasters and a number of the other rides. Eventually, Nate was drawn to the water park, since there weren’t THAT many rides to occupy our time. It was about 40 degrees out, and I was amazed that the water park was even open, and while I didn’t really want to miss out on a major portion of the park, I declined getting pneumonia and agreed to meet Nate a little later. So while he proceeded to make himself into a Natecicle, I went back to Timberhawk, the wooden coaster, and rode it 12 more times, once in each seat, for a total ride count of 16. The coaster was extremely smooth for a wooden coaster, and lots of fun the first few times, but after about 5 in a row, it got almost boring. In fact, I was so bored by the end of it all, I didn’t even want to think about riding that coaster again! What a shame. So I met up with Nate, who had a blast at the water park, and after a few more flat rides, we headed out to the car.

That afternoon, we headed out to Leavenworth, an intriguing German-themed town in the middle of WA. All the buildings and businesses looked German, including the Chinese and Mexican restaurants, and it was set in the midst of these enormous mountains. I’ve never been to the Alps, but I imagine that’s what they were going for. We walked around, admiring the town, and stopped in the Australian (NOT Austrian!) shop. I talked with the owner a bit about Yowies, the hollow chocolate candies with animal puzzles inside which I collect, which he sadly no longer carries. Then we headed down to Andreas Keller restaurant, which is, as the name suggests, nestled in a “keller” or cellar. We indulged in some German food, listening to the music being played by a guy in lederhosen. It was a fun place to stop, and I’d have liked some more time to explore it. Sadly, it was getting dark and we had to be on our way. We headed east and spent the night at a nice Budget Inn in Wenatchee, the heart of apple country. On our way there, the landscape changed from alpine to desert, yet there were scads of apple orchards in this dry land. I’d never have guessed. And we got our first glimpse of the incredible Columbia River, too!

Monday morning, we were treated to some of the juiciest apples for breakfast. Then we headed out and drove east through the barren desert and flat farmland. We wound up stopping at a dud of a state park, which was supposed to be known for its wildflowers. The flowers had passed their peak, and our trek up to the top of a mesa was abandoned because Nate wasn’t feeling well, and the trail had turned quite treacherous. Going up was ok, but coming back down would have been unpleasant. Still, we were able to enjoy some desert lakes and unexpected Washington state mesaland.

From there, we headed up to the Grand Coulee Dam. We marveled at its vastness, and spent a little time in the visitor center. Then we took the free tour, riding on a diagonally traveling elevator that descends 400 feet. We learned all about the dam, and were able to peruse the inner workings. It was pretty interesting, though hard to hear the docent over the roar of the water.

From there, we headed toward Spokane, WA. Our first stop was Lakeside Park, a large city park that is home to one of the rare brass ring carousels. We took a ride on the challenging carousel – we both had a hard time catching the rings (which actually wound up being rubber, but oh well) due to the speed of the ride and the length of the reach. It was a lot of fun, though, and it’s always a treat to ride a historic carousel. Then we walked around the park, checking out the makeshift amusement park, which was closed. It consists of a number of carnival rides set up on the city ice rink. Then we headed over to the waterfall zone and took a lot of pictures of the incredible water features. It started to rain, and we got absolutely drenched on the way back to the car. From there, we decided to eat dinner at Anthony’s – a seafood restaurant overlooking the falls. Were it not for the rain, I’d love to have eaten on the porch, but no such luck today. The cool thing was that we were able to partake in their 4 – 6pm-dinner deal. For a reasonable price, you can choose an entrée and get it with a shrimp cocktail, soup or salad, and dessert. I had the salmon, and Nate had the rockfish, and we really enjoyed our dinners. The best parts were the shrimp cocktail, chowder, and chocolate mousse, in my opinion. It was a nice way to top off the evening.

Exhausted and soaked, we continued east along I-90, stopping briefly at Cabela’s to take in the spectacle, and we continued on to Coeur d’Alene, ID, a town I’d wanted to visit for many years. We checked into the Motel 6, checked our email at the library, hiked Tubb’s Hill, a forested trail that overlooks Lake Coeur d’Alene, and got ice cream at Zip’s, the local burger joint.

Tuesday, we planned to head to Silverwood Amusement Park in Coeur d’Alene, but it wasn’t opening until later in the day, so we decided to try to mine for garnets at Emerald Creek. We didn’t realize how far the drive would be, however, and by the time we got there, it was already late morning. We trudged our way down to the forest service-run mud piles and were briefed on what to expect. Basically you take a shovel and a bucket, fill your bucket with mud from the giant mud pile, bring it over to the water chutes, dump it out in a sifter, and look for garnets, particularly the rare starlight garnet which can only be found here and somewhere in Europe. It was rainy, and occasionally snowy, and generally miserable out, but I had the most fantastic time!! I was covered in mud, and had we not planned on going to Silverwood later, I would have dived right in with abandon. This was the highlight of my trip! Poor Nathan was cold and miserable, but I actually fought off the cold with my pure enjoyment of this event. We wound up with several ounces of garnets, including a few we believe are stars. By the time we got back to town, it was about 3pm, and we decided to save Silverwood for the next day. Instead, we treated ourselves to a nice evening. We checked into the Holiday Inn Express when we found out it was attached to an indoor waterpark. We got a really good deal, getting a room with a fireplace and a hot tub and full breakfast, as well as unlimited access to the waterpark. We went straight to the waterpark, which was a challenge for me because I was frozen from our day outdoors, but it was 80 degrees inside and so nice! They had three waterslides, and we rode each one multiple times, and we played in the wave pool, also. There was also a spa tub that was supposedly open until 11pm for hotel guests, but they wound up kicking us out before 10. Oh well.

After our first stint at the water park, we went back upstairs to do laundry since we were both covered in mud. Then we ate at the Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company where Nate indulged in some more craft beer. After that, we went back to the water park for some more water sliding until they kicked us out for the night. It was a wonderful evening!! I’m so glad we decided to splurge and do that.

On Wednesday, we had breakfast downstairs. It was quite the spectacle – packed to the gills, and full of children coughing on everything and everyone. Despite this, the spread was impressive – warm breakfast was served, and there was a lot to choose from. After we ate, we headed off to Silverwood, just north of our hotel in Athol, ID. I had heard about their amazing wooden coasters for years now, and I was so thrilled to finally have a chance to experience them myself. The park was very cute and had some rare rides like a Sky Diver – a ferries wheel which flips laterally – one of the most painful rides out there, but a must-do, due to its rarity. It also has the first modern-era coaster that goes upside-down, the Corkscrew. It was painful, but I was happy to be riding such a historic ride. The wooden coasters were incredible! Timber Terror is an exciting out and back, and Tremors is a wild twister that dives underground four times, including once through a gift shop. The park also had some of the best park pizza I’ve ever had!

Midway through our day, Nate suggested we try the attached waterpark. I was a bit skeptical, since it was still rather chilly (maybe in the 50s), but I agreed. We did the slides and the wave pool and the lazy river, and had an absolute blast. Sure, my hair looked like one gigantic dreadlock after it was all done, but it was worth it. After the waterpark, we did a few more rides including bumper boats and the wooden coasters again. We also did a long train ride, which brought us around to the new monstrosity they’re constructing: Déjà vu. Yes, they bought Six Flags Great America’s very own lawn ornament (which replaced my beloved Sky Whirl, by the way) and are attempting to reconstruct it. Hopefully they’ll have more success at keeping it running, but in all honesty, the ride isn’t that good anyway. Oh, and they’re changing the name to Aftershock. I really think they could have done better, but oh well. We had a fantastic day at the park, overall. The crowds were light due to early snowy weather, but the day turned out comfortable and enjoyable. We left around 5pm and drove back through Washington, sadly never having gotten to sample any of Idaho’s famous potatoes (well, do the fries at Burger King count?). We stopped for dinner at the Atomic Brew Pub in Hanford, location of the old plutonium site. This was Nate’s least favorite brewpub of the trip. I guess all the beers were rather “meh,” and I recall the IPA tasting like soap, complete with the lathering on the back of my tongue. Bleh. Then we continued down to Bordman, OR and stayed at the sketchy Riverview Motel. The beds were makeshift – they stacked two mattresses on a rectangle of lumber. They also had a weird ham radio in the rooms, and it smelled funny. We found out in the morning that the showers don’t work either – no water pressure or heat. Still, we were glad to stop for the night. It was a long day, and we’d have another long one tomorrow...and due to problems loading, I'll stop here and save the remainder for my next post...

Settling into Utah

Climbing to the top of a red sandstone ridge, I peered over the top and took in the vast expanse of red cliffs – needles and arches and amazing geologic features stretching as far as the eye could see. Just a month ago, I would never have imagined I would be at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. Due to an unusual set of events, I found myself accepting a position in Ogden, UT, just north of Salt Lake City for a three-month summer stint. Struggling with real estate and missing the great outdoors, I began to peruse job postings when I came across an opening that intrigued me immensely. It was through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the same agency that I worked for three years ago, and would involve working with sensitive birds and mammals, particularly flying squirrels and pikas, and would also involve horseback riding. It just sounded too cool to pass up, so I sent a letter of inquiry and my resume, and before I knew it I was being offered the job. I talked it over with Nate, and we both agreed that this was something I needed to do, so I accepted, and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to Utah.

We left on Friday June 27th, heading west on I-40 and swinging north on old Route 666 up through Shiprock, NM and Cortez, CO. We stopped for lunch at Burger King and then continued north, passing hoards of bicyclists, many of whom had camped out at a high school in Cortez. I suppose there was some sort of biking event, probably from Moab. We eventually crossed the border into Utah, but weren’t even aware when it happened because, apparently, Utah does not welcome us. We didn’t even realize we were in the state until about 18 miles in! Our destination was Canyonlands National Park, the only Utahan national park we hadn’t yet visited. We entered through the easternmost route and spent the day trekking four trails, looking at things like potholes (holes in the rocks that support rainwater and all sorts of aquatic life), some amazing canyons, old cowboy ruins, and needles: huge stalagmite-shaped rock formations that tower over the desert. I was beat after the 2.5 mile trail, attesting to my lack of shape. Real estate doesn’t really keep one fit and trim, I must say! It was good warm up for my job, though!

After our visit to the park, we headed up to Moab, land of the outdoorsman, and decided to eat dinner at the Moab Brewery, since Nathan loves his beer, and we’re both intrigued by a brewery in Utah! The food was typical brewpub fare, which isn’t stellar, and the beer sampler, which was supposed to include nine microbrews, only came with seven, but Nate had a good time. The décor suited the area, as the walls and ceiling were covered with rafts and tents and people climbing rocks. This is truly an outdoors person’s dream.

From there, we headed over to the miniature golf course across the street. It was pretty scary, actually. The entire course was old, and all the trees had dropped seeds and leaves all over each of the greens. It was getting dark, and the aging course had no lights. The greens were also very warped, so that added to the challenge. The craziest part was when we had to cross over a wooden bridge that spanned over the go karts. All the wood was rotting, and they had a few unsecured reinforcement planks you were supposed to walk across to get over. I thanked my lucky stars once I got across, and fortunately the return bridge was a little less questionable.

That night, we stayed at the local Motel 6, and what a Motel 6 it was! We usually stay at Motel 6s because they’re mostly identical…no surprises. Well this one was A-1! All the rooms were accessed from the inside, which was unheard of, and the rooms were spacious. Plus it had wifi, which I guess isn’t as unusual as I’d thought, but it was free! The only downside was the sewage-esque smell outside the place. Bleh.

On Saturday, we went back to Canyonlands, this time entering through the north entrance. I’d been told you need at least two days to see the place, and it’s very true. If we had four wheel drive, we could have taken even more time, since we couldn’t access the west side of the park without it. Nathan really wanted to do the giant loop trail around Upheaval Dome, a geologic formation that no one seems to know the cause of. Theories include shifting salt, volcanism, and a meteor. We found out it was over 8 miles long, not counting the trek into the crater, and after less than a mile, I had to veto the endeavor because it was going to be over 100 degrees out, and I was already dying as it was. Instead, we doubled back and did the shorter overlook trails, and honestly I wasn’t all that impressed with this “dome.” It was essentially just a craterish bunch of tall cliffs. From there we did a few more interesting hikes including one to the end of the Island in the Sky, which overlooks the vast wilderness of the park. It was an amazing view with snaking canyons and incredible geologic formations. Words and pictures don’t really do it justice, so you’ll just have to go there for yourself!

After an exhausting and very hot day, we headed up toward Salt Lake City. We drove through vast unpopulated stretches of east central Utah. It’s so desolate, but I’m sure the stars are incredible at night! We stopped for lunch at the Taco Time, a northwestern chain, in Price. I got a quesadilla that was fried up like some sort of greasy pastry. It was really disgusting. Nate wasn’t too happy with his nachos, either. Oh well. Then we continued up toward Ogden, driving through some incredible green mountains and past a brush fire being fought by a helicopter. It’s always so crazy to see them tackling a huge fire with a tiny bucket, but I guess it works for them! We arrived at I-15 right past Provo and headed north from there. I swear, the Salt Lake City metro area has to be the LONGEST metro area yet! It’s at least 80 miles from Provo to Ogden! Phew! So after another hour of driving through Salt Lake and vicinity, we finally arrived at our Ogden exit.

We followed the directions given to us, heading north on the frontage road and west on an unassuming road that took us through the town of Clinton. I followed the road along the curve and headed north again before turning west one more time in the town of Hooper. We arrived at the Ogden Bay Wildlife Management Area around 7pm and found our way to the cabin.

Set amongst a series of work sheds and Val the groundskeeper’s home, our silver cabin awaited me. Other than a ding from a car collision and a few dead moths caught in the screen door, it didn’t look TOO scary. My boss Kevin had warned me about the insects, but I was more worried about the spiders, which I had yet to see. Upon opening the door, you enter the living room, complete with a tv, two couches, and a chair. To the left is an office of sorts, just an extention of the livingroom. Behind that is my bedroom, which has two access doors, one to the office, and one to the hallway in the back. I was lucky enough to get a bunk bed, closet, and some shelves to myself! It had been rumored that I would have a roommate, but Megan, whom I met at this time, was kind enough to move out into the double bunk bed room so I could have it to myself. That really made my day.

So Nate and I started unpacking a bit of my stuff before heading out again. We test drove the route to my office, and then we scoped out Rooster’s, another brewpub. Again, I was very unimpressed by the food, getting pasta that left me extremely garlicky, but Nate enjoyed his beer, and that’s really all that matters. Then we decided to call it an early night and checked in to another nice Motel 6. This one actually gave us a huge room! It was easily twice the size of the typical double bed room – it must have been the VIP suite or something! It was nice to have a bug-free place in which to sleep for the last time in a while.

On Sunday, we had quite a bit of time to kill before Nate’s flight, so we headed out in the morning to find some things to do. On our drive through Salt Lake, we’d discovered a number of places we wanted to visit, so we decided to head back down and see what could be done. Our first stop was a fun center way south in Lehi called Liberty Land. When we drove past the first time, we noticed this place had a roller coaster that wasn’t listed on the Roller Coaster Database. I was pretty excited to come back and get the first pictures of the place (even though it is now listed, it’s still picture-free). Well, it wasn’t to be because, like most things out here, it was closed on Sunday. So we’d driven the 60 miles for nothing! We headed back to Thanksgiving Point, a touristy area with shops, a dinosaur museum, and the world’s tallest manmade waterfall, but that was closed too! I was starting to think that this state is imposing funless Sundays for all of us! Well, we luckily noticed a Cabela’s outdoor shop pretty close by, so we decided to go there for lunch. As much as I don’t agree with hunting, I really REALLY love elk meat, and I knew we could get some here. So I had an elk sandwich, and Nate had a buffalo burger, and they were both great! Then we decided to check out Timpanogos Cave National Monument because we knew that would be open. So we drove the 10 miles out there just to find out that the cave tour takes 3 hours, and Nate had to be at the airport in the next 2 hours. So instead, we took in the beauty of the park, driving through the lush forests, perusing the reservoir, and taking a short hike. On the drive back, we noticed that Boondocks, another fun center, was open, so we stopped and did a quick 18 holes at the mini golf course. I actually beat Nate this time, which is a rarity! It was a nice way to top off the trip.

From there, we had to go to the airport, so we rushed up there, got Nate checked through, and parted. It was sad to see him leave, but I knew he would be back in about 3 weeks, so that’s something to look forward to. Ahead of me lay the daunting act of meeting my roommates and settling into my new home.

When I got back, my roommates were no where to be found, but June, the local stray tabby was there to greet me, looking for food. I sat on the pavement and gave her some attention. She was so lovey and reminded me of Dot to the point that I was in tears. Eventually I had to pull myself away and run to the store to pick up any necessities. Once I returned, I met Kacie, my second roommate. My first impression was that she was incredibly loud and brash. Though she didn’t look it, she sounded exactly like a sorority chick…actually, if you watch Saturday Night Live, she sometimes talks like that annoying character that plays with her hair and always tries to one-up other people with her stories. She doesn’t do either of those things, but she talks the same way! I immediately thought this girl would be hard to get along with. Well, I found out that she enjoys sushi, crossword puzzles, cats (she’s the one that feeds June), and we have a lot of other things in common. It’s so weird! Anyway, I made some phone calls that night and claimed the top bunk in my room. I slept surprisingly well, despite having to get up at 3:30 for work. I did notice a gigantic wolf spider on my floor, and I hope that’s not a trend.

My first day at work went pretty well. I met Kevin, my boss, at the Division offices and also met Chris, a volunteer birder who would come along and help us do our breeding bird surveys. We were out until 11am, stopping every half mile along a transect and identifying birds. I did all the recording, as I am not very good with bird ID’s, but I had a great time being out in nature and doing something biology-related again. Chris was a whiz with birds, and it would be interesting to learn more from her. Kevin seems like a nice guy, and it turns out that he’s also new at the Division, having started about 6 weeks ago, so that lowers the pressure a bit. I think he’s a bit ditzy, but at least he’s nice. We’ll see how this goes.

Tuesday, we spent the day releasing a Great Basin rattlesnake and hiking to the top of a waterfall. It was only 1.2 miles, but it was quite steep and exhausting. Kevin’s luckily just as, if not more, out of shape as I am, so we took some nice breaks on the way up. Once there, we scouted for black swifts, though we didn’t see any, and got to enjoy the refreshing spray from the waterfall. It was an enjoyable day.

Wednesday we started early again. I was picked up by Kevin and BLM employee Tracy at 5:15, and we headed up to Brigham City to meet with Kurt, another Division worker. He was gracious enough to take us on a tour of Box Elder County, the northwestern most county in the state. We drove for hours, mostly checking out sage grouse sites, and even crossing the border into Nevada a bit. We saw lots of cows, a few actual sage grouse, and some antelope. The landscape was very dry – a desert without cacti, actually. There were lots of rolling, treeless hills and vast expanses of wilderness. It was really interesting, but a bit draining. We were out until after 8pm! But now I know all I need to know about NW Utah. And more!!

Upon returning home, I met my third and final roommate Mike, who had been house sitting for the last few days. I was deep in conversation with Kacie when he walked in, but when I got a chance, I introduced myself cordially and, to make conversation, I told him I’d heard he was from WI, and I asked where. He said he went to school in Steven’s Point, and I was all, “Oh, cool. I’m from Illinois!” and then he got grumbly saying how he lived in Hoffman Estates for a year and hated it. I got the distinct impression he dislikes Illinoisans as many Wisconsiners do, and while I can’t blame him (I know a lot of rotten Illinoisans), I felt a bit offended! Well, I’ve talked with him a bit since, and he’s a rather quiet guy (as I’d been warned on before), and I think maybe he was just being sarcastic or something at the time, but he seems ok now.

Thursday things were pretty easy. We just did important work around the office, getting necessary equipment and getting ready for next week. So far, it’s been a fun job, and I’m hoping it gets even better. We’ll hopefully start the pika and flying squirrel work soon. Kevin is so supportive about bulking up my resume, too, and is willing to let me work on any sensitive species project that interests me. Some possibilities are boreal toads and kit foxes. I can’t wait!

As for this weekend, on the Fourth of July, I woke up around 8:30 and spent the morning doing a hike around the property, checking out the 11 mile loop. It was enjoyable – I didn’t see another person the whole time, and I saw a plethora of waterfowl including cormorants, great blue herons, and avocets. I also saw a stag with a huge, velvety rack that leapt over the fence only 20 or so feet from me. I hadn’t even seen him and fumbled for my camera, but by the time I snapped the picture, he was quite a ways off. It was great exercise on a lovely day. The clouds obscured the sun, so the temperature remained tolerable. If I do that more often, I’ll be in shape in no time.

That evening, I drove down to Taylorsville to visit with my friend Trish, whom I’ve known for about 16 years. She was having a BBQ at her house and kindly invited me to join them. I had a wonderful time visiting with her and her family, meeting some great new people, and catching up. I also got to meet Zoe, their golden retriever puppy, and all of Trish’s rats, who were so cute! We enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner, followed up with fireworks that they set off themselves. I enjoyed it from the safety of my car, as always. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again since I’m back in town.

Saturday I drove around town, going to the mall and the library. Sunday, I drove up to Logan and saw the UT State University campus, saw S&S Power (roller coaster and ride manufacturer), went to the zoo, saw the world's largest fishing fly, went to the mall, and just tooled around town. It's BEAUTIFUL up there, nestled in the mountains. And it's a big bio school. I could get my PhD and Nate could work at S&S. Hah, yeah right. That night, I met up with Kevin around 7pm and we drove waaay out to the West Desert in preparation for bird surveys the next morning. We didn't get to bed until 12:30, and he thought we could get up later than I thought, but he's the boss...and we were totally late for bird surveys. Ugh. We did what we could, though, and racked up the hours, but it was a dud. We did have two juvenile antelope approach us pretty closely, though. That was magical.

Oh yeah, and the whole way up, he insisted on listening to "Soft Sunday Sounds" on the radio...religious stuff and any time a good, upbeat song came on (when we couldn't get a certain station), he'd change it. Oh well.

On the way back, we stopped for deep fried chicken gizzards. Isn't that the grossest sounding thing?? You know me, though. I have to try everything. It wasn't QUITE as cartilage-y as I'd have expected, but it was pretty bad, anyway. Still, I'm glad I can say I've tried it! Bleh!

Tuesday, I worked EIGHTEEN HOURS! No joke! I got to work at 8:30, and we went out to Bud Phelps Preserve up near Logan, and saw all sorts of restoration habitat. We left work at 2:30, and I had to go down to meet Kevin, Kim (his counterpart in SLC), and Tracy (whom I met on that tour of Box Elder Co. - she's totally cool and works for BLM) for batting out of SLC. I left at 4pm, and I didn't get back until 4am!! It was an exciting night. I usually dislike batting, mostly because I hate mist nets, but with the four of us, we set things up just fine - four separate ones, but it worked well. We caught 2 birds and 19 bats! It was insane! Plus, a raccoon stole Kevin's box of cookies. It was pretty funny, but frustrating, too because that was going to be my dinner for the night.

So yeah, overall I really like my job. There is so much variety, and no jerky people to work with, and it's been one adventure after another. It's like a biology sampler. Hehe. I'm looking forward to flying squirrel work, as I'm more of a mammal person than a birder (by the way, we're doing burrowing owls today!) but the pika stuff is kind of daunting - it sounds dangerous! I hope I survive the summer!

On Wed., I had the day off due to having already worked 33 hours by Tuesday. Phew! I came into work and charged my phone. Then I headed off to Nickelcade, the local arcade, and had a blast playing video games and winning tickets. It's much like the Nickel City in Albuquerque in that lots of the old games don't work or eat your nickels, but it was still lots of fun. Then I went out to the Eccles Dinosaur Park and enjoyed walking amongst the life-sized dino replicas and perusing the museum. It was a great way to spend my day off.

So let's see, what else...guess I'll tell you about the peeps I know out here. Kevin's my boss, and he's really down to earth and nice. He's LDS, which I was hoping for because most LDSers are laid back and don't have a temper. Based on our conversations last night, he thinks I work too hard, so I guess that isn't a bad thing. ;) I feel bad because we do work insane hours and there are times he just wants to take the day off and see his family or whatever, and I am psycho about racking up the overtime so I can take off when Nate comes into town or when I go to OH in a few weeks, and I almost never let him leave. Lol. Well, I'm glad he notices I'm a hard worker and doesn't think I slack, which is always a fear of mine.

Then there's my roommates at the cabin. They're all interns, making $20 a day. Eep! I first met Megan, who's from NH and is pretty quiet and friendly. Then there's Kacie who is loud and brash and talks like a total valley girl, but we actually have a lot in common. They're both 22. Kacie has been letting me use her phone charger since the one I got from Verison is a piece o crap, but I HATE relying on other people...plus, she's out of town through Friday, and we'd agreed she'd leave the charger with me, but she forgot, and now I have to come into work to do it. I tried to get a new one, but for some reason they needed the original receipt from my purchase of the phone to get me a new one and had no record of me, so I may need to BUY it, which is just rediculous. Ugh, I hate technology...and don't get me started on that computer of mine! It, too, is having charging issues...

Finally, there's Mike...the guy from Wisconsin. Well, he's ok-ish...quiet, though. Except that, over the weekend, when it was only the two of us at the cabin, I was still in bed, and I heard him use the restroom...he didn't shut the door, but the WORST thing was that he DIDN'T WASH HIS HANDS!!! Ewwww! So now I'm grossed out to touch anything in the cabin, thinking that his penis germs are all over the place. Sick! I am NOT amused. :P

So on that happy note, I'll leave it at that...I may actually get my PNW story on here sometime soon. It's completed. I just have to make it to the library when my computer has a charge so I can get it uploaded. Yay!! So that's life 'til now. Next up: Burrowing owls!