Utah - Return to Salt Lake City
For the last leg of our trip, it was Mikey's decision: we can go see the dinosaur fossils and tracks around Hurricane and then drive to Salt Lake City, or drive to SLC early in the morning and go to the Zoo there. He chose the Zoo, so by 8:45 we're driving. We're making a quick stop for coffee and pastries at a cute café right before we get on the interstate. They have a nice set up on the back porch overlooking the Virgin River, so I'm thinking we can hang out here for a bit and relax before we start the long drive back. Wrong. Mikey is impatient and he is over the mountains, canyons, and rivers around us, he is ready to go to the zoo, go to the hotel, go home, anything but sit still and relax. So I pretend I drank my coffee and relaxed there, and we get on the road. We make good time, and by 2:30 we are at Hogle Zoo in SLC. It is a small zoo, we have seen some of the bigger ones here in the US and the one in Leipzig, so by comparison Hogle is more like a petting zoo, but the staff is friendly and they have lots of enrichment activities for kids; plus I get 50% off with my NC Aquariums membership, so that's not bad at all. It does not take us long to visit it, most animals are asleep or hiding, but we get to see the giraffes, elephants, porcupines and gorillas, plus the indoor exhibits with small mammals and reptiles.
Mikey has fun, in addition to the typical Zoo experience we stop at the playground, splash ground, for snow cones, carousel rides and a train ride. It's hot, so by the time we leave we are really tired and I am absolutely ready to go to bed. Luckily, our hotel is 20 minutes away from the Zoo, and what awaits us there? The hot tub and the pool, so we continue the party in there.
That is about it for today. This wraps up our trip to Utah as we head home early tomorrow morning. To me it was a good trip, but busy and I just now realize it, tiring. 7 full days in Utah. We drove over 1400 miles, stayed in 4 different locations, visited 4 National Parks and 1 State Park, plus some local attractions that are less known yet still beautiful. We had many firsts: first time touching dinosaur fossils, looking for and finding fossilized dinosaur tracks, seeing petrogliphs and pictographs in real life, first time at Denny's for Mikey (he's in love, it even tops Cracker Barrel for him now), first time we both saw porcupines. Lots of hiking, lots of gorgeous, majestic, beautiful places, lots of pictures and lots of memories. I know I pushed it because Mikey has been revolting against it. But I felt that I had to push it, because, let's face it, the boy is on the lazy side. He's quick to say "I can't", "It's too hard" and "I give up". He's quick to whine and complain and put forth half the effort. But this week he showed me that underneath the mouthiness and the complaining he is tough, and he's got grit. He handled it very well, and he pushed himself without me having to tell him to. Not all the time, but most of it, and that's a good start. I hope he will remember this trip as fondly as I will. For me it was amazing, and I needed this get away, far from familiar things and places, to rebalance and reconnect with myself. This trip was a gift in so many ways, with its freedom, adventure, and exploration, with the quality time spent with Mikey, with the amazing and insightful conversations we had, with the peace of knowing we are a team, and with all the wonderful memories we made. Last, but not least, this trip was a gift from my brother to Mikey and I, and I am so grateful for it.
Till next time!
That is about it for today. This wraps up our trip to Utah as we head home early tomorrow morning. To me it was a good trip, but busy and I just now realize it, tiring. 7 full days in Utah. We drove over 1400 miles, stayed in 4 different locations, visited 4 National Parks and 1 State Park, plus some local attractions that are less known yet still beautiful. We had many firsts: first time touching dinosaur fossils, looking for and finding fossilized dinosaur tracks, seeing petrogliphs and pictographs in real life, first time at Denny's for Mikey (he's in love, it even tops Cracker Barrel for him now), first time we both saw porcupines. Lots of hiking, lots of gorgeous, majestic, beautiful places, lots of pictures and lots of memories. I know I pushed it because Mikey has been revolting against it. But I felt that I had to push it, because, let's face it, the boy is on the lazy side. He's quick to say "I can't", "It's too hard" and "I give up". He's quick to whine and complain and put forth half the effort. But this week he showed me that underneath the mouthiness and the complaining he is tough, and he's got grit. He handled it very well, and he pushed himself without me having to tell him to. Not all the time, but most of it, and that's a good start. I hope he will remember this trip as fondly as I will. For me it was amazing, and I needed this get away, far from familiar things and places, to rebalance and reconnect with myself. This trip was a gift in so many ways, with its freedom, adventure, and exploration, with the quality time spent with Mikey, with the amazing and insightful conversations we had, with the peace of knowing we are a team, and with all the wonderful memories we made. Last, but not least, this trip was a gift from my brother to Mikey and I, and I am so grateful for it.
Till next time!
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