Hanna Camping Trip 2020

Every year my sister and brother-in-law take their trailer up to Hanna and park it at a campground for the month of July.  They go up every weekend but they let friends and family use it during the week.  On Monday my brother-in-law sent me a text saying that I could use it this week and I spontaneously decided to go up.  I spent Tuesday morning buying provisions, locating all of my gear from last summer, and packing my car.  I headed out of the valley and into the mountains two hours later than I had planned but it was all worth it when I got to Hanna!  I love it up there and, since most of my summer plans have been canceled or postponed, I was especially happy that I could still experience one of my favorite summer activities.  The weather was absolutely perfect and I spent most of my time outside.  The sky was the most gorgeous shade of blue, the air was so clean and fresh and smelled like pine, and the only sound I could hear was the wind blowing through the leaves and the chirping of birds.  I didn't have internet access the whole time I was up there and it was so nice to leave all of the problems of the world behind for a few days.  I spent my time reading, watching the clouds go by, and trying to keep track of the different hummingbirds that came to my sister's feeders (they were very entertaining).  Every evening I would make a fire and eat s'mores.  It was absolutely wonderful!

2019

2018

2017

Golden Spike National Historic Site

In 1862 Congress authorized the Central Pacific Railroad to begin building a railroad east from Sacramento and the Union Pacific to begin building west from New York.  After delays caused by the Civil War, building began in earnest and the two groups neared each other in Utah.  Congress decided that the meeting place would be Promontory Summit.  On May 10, 1869, two locomotives (Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific's No. 119) pulled up to a one rail gap left in the track.  A golden spike was symbolically tapped into the final rail and then an iron one was tapped to complete the Transcontinental Railroad.  I have really wanted to visit the site ever since I attended this concert to commemorate the 150th anniversary of this momentous event in history.  Marilyn and I decided to take a trip to Promontory Summit yesterday and we both really enjoyed it.

These are replicas of the Jupiter and No. 119 steam locomotives that met for the ceremony joining the Transcontinental Railroad.  You can go right up to the trains and see all of the meticulous details which I found fascinating!  They operate demonstrations with the trains from May to October every day and I particularly enjoyed seeing the steam which is created by burning wood.  There are walking tours and auto tours to see the drill marks where workers blasted rock away and other evidence of the grading process.  There is also a Visitor's Center but it is temporarily closed due to Covid-19 (so the $20 entrance fee per car is waived).  The joining of the Transcontinental Railroad was such an important event and it was so interesting to learn more about it and see where it all happened!  I definitely recommend a visit.

To get to the Golden Spike National Historic Site, take exit 365 (Brigham City) and head west on Highway 13 to Highway 83.  Then follow the signs to Golden Spike (it is very well marked).  It took about 90 minutes to get there from my house in Bountiful.  Go here for more information.

Antelope Island State Park

Antelope Island is the largest of the islands in the Great Salt Lake and can be easily accessed by driving on a causeway from the town of Syracuse.  It has been on my list of places to visit for awhile and I convinced Sean to come with me yesterday.  He has been there many times and I think he enjoyed showing me around.

There are great views everywhere you look (these are from Buffalo Point) and we went on several scenic drives to various points of interest.

The island is known for a herd of several hundred bison who roam freely.  I was really hoping that we would see one and I was so excited when we happened upon this one!

Then we drove a little further and found a whole herd of them!  I may or may not have squealed out loud!

Fielding Garr established the first permanent residence on the island in 1848 and you can tour the historic ranch.

There is a small museum filled with lots of original artifacts.  Sean took me around and explained everything which was just like having my own private docent.  I loved it!

There are various outbuildings that you can explore.  Sean told me that you can usually go inside but they were closed off yesterday due to Covid-19.  You could still see inside and I found it fascinating.

There is a restaurant on the island called the Buffalo Grill (the dining room was closed because of Covid-19 but you could still order at the take-out window).  We got some lunch and then ate it at one of the many campsites available.  Sean got the buffalo burger and then was really upset when he realized that it was buffalo meat.

There are lots of trails to hike all over the island with various degrees of difficulty.  We did an easy one to Ladyfinger Point.  There are also trails for horseback riding and mountain biking.  There is also access to the beach and the water and a Visitor's Center.

To get to Antelope Island State Park, take exit 332 on I-15 and follow Antelope Drive west to the park entrance (it took about 45 minutes to get there from my house in Bountiful).  You can then drive along the causeway to the island.  There is an entrance fee of $15 per car (up to 8 people) and $3 for motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.  There are separate fees for camping at one of the campsites and reservations are recommended.  The park is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm and is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We spent most of the day on the island and I really enjoyed it.  I highly recommend a visit because there are so many things to do!  Go here for more information.

Note:  Dogs are welcome if they are on a leash.  We brought my sister's dog Ebony with us and she attracted lots of attention wherever we went because she is so adorable!

Back to the Drive-In

The Redwood Drive-In is open again!  Marilyn and I have been promising to take Sean for weeks and we finally made good on our promise last night.  We picked a good night for it because one of the double features was Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Footloose.  Seeing these movies on the big screen made me feel like I was back in high school again and it was so much fun.  Marilyn and I quoted almost every line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and I remembered every word of every song from Footloose (my favorite number is "Let's Hear It for the Boy" when Ren teaches Willard how to dance).  I don't know if Sean enjoyed the movies as much as Marilyn and I did but I know he likes going with us because we get him pizza, popcorn, and all the movie candy that he wants plus he gets our undivided attention!  The Redwood has several safety measures in place for Covid-19, including having cars park in every other space, and they have employees in masks walking around to enforce these rules.  It felt really good to do something normal again (we have a tradition of going to the drive-in every summer) and I recommend planning a visit this summer because there are several new releases coming soon.  Go here for more information about movies and showtimes.

Note:  Megaplex Theatres are opening up next week and I am so excited!  I already have a ticket for Singin' in the Rain!

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Another place that I have wanted to visit is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge so Sean and I took a little day trip there yesterday.  I'm pretty sure that Sean only agreed to go with me because I offered him lunch but he ended up really enjoying it!  We saw lots of different kinds of birds and it was fascinating even though we couldn't identify very many of them.  I quite enjoyed the pelicans and Sean loved seeing a blue heron.  I found the wetland habitat to be both peaceful and beautiful.

To get to the refuge, take I-15 north to Brigham City (exit 363) and follow the signs for about 1/4 mile.  There is a Visitor's Center and a 1.5 mile walking trail that you can take through the wetland.  We went on the Auto Tour which is 12 miles beyond the Visitor's Center and includes a 12 mile loop through the heart of the refuge.  It is a one-way dirt road (it is very well maintained) that is open from sunrise to sunset.  There are quite a few turn outs so that you can park and get out to observe the birds.  I really enjoyed the whole tour and I recommend it (go here for more information).