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).

Birthday Private Screening

My sister and I have birthdays a week apart and we often celebrate them together.  She has always wanted to have a private screening and I have really missed seeing movies on the big screen so my parents arranged for our immediate family to see a movie at the Megaplex to celebrate last night.  It was probably the best birthday present I have ever received!  It was so much fun!  We were able to pick from hundreds of movies ranging from classics to newer releases and we eventually chose The Goonies because that appealed to everyone.  Incidentally, I read an article about the Megaplex Private Family Movie deal and the most popular movies being picked are Jurassic Park and The Goonies.  We really enjoyed this movie and we said many of the iconic lines ("Hey you guuuuuys!") out loud because we were the only ones there.  We were also able to pick the date and time (they may require as many as seven days notice depending on the movie you select).  The deal included a large popcorn and a large drink for everyone in our group and I have to say that I have really missed movie theater popcorn!  The Megaplex staff had everything ready to go for us in the lobby and then a staff member escorted us to the theater where there was a hand sanitizing station.  We could sit anywhere we wanted and, once we were all settled, they started the movie for us.  After the movie was over we were directed to a specific door to exit.  Everything was handled very smoothly and it was such a great experience!  I loved every minute and I highly recommend booking a private screening for your family (go here for the details).

All Adults Here

This month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection was All Adults Here by Emma Straub and, while I didn't absolutely love it, I enjoyed it much more than I did Straub's previous novel, The Vacationers. Astrid Strick is a retired widow living in the small town of Clapham with three grown children and three grandchildren. She has been conducting a relationship with her hairdresser Birdie in secret for years. When she witnesses an accident that kills a former friend, she realizes that life is short and that she needs to reveal her secret to her children and make amends for her perceived shortcomings as a mother. All three of her children are also struggling with their own lives. Her oldest son Elliott, who has felt disapproval from her his whole life, struggles to make a name for himself in business and to form a bond with his own twin sons. Her daughter Porter, about to have a child on her own, worries that she will make the same mistakes her mother made. Her youngest son Nicky, a free-spirited former actor, ships his teenage daughter Cecelia off to live with her at the first hint of trouble. Astrid sees Cecelia as a second chance to get motherhood right and it is Cecelia's problems at school that bring the whole family together. There is a lot to unpack in this novel (maybe too much) with themes of motherhood, parental responsibility, sibling relationships, birth order, mortality, drug abuse, infidelity, friendship, bullying, sexuality, gender, and even gentrification which are explored superficially, almost as if Straub was ticking boxes for every social issue without giving any of them much development. However, I really loved the message that parents are just doing the best they can and that children will survive because everyone is ultimately responsible for their own happiness. There are a lot of quirky characters behaving badly, much like in The Vacationers, but I found them to be much more sympathetic and I enjoyed their antics. It is also very interesting the role the small town of Clapham plays in the narrative (Straub mentioned in an interview that her inspiration for Clapham was Stars Hollow) because everyone knows everyone else and people can't really escape their childhoods. It is a light and easy read without consequence that I wouldn't have picked for myself but I found it entertaining.

Note:  Next month's selection is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. There will be a virtual discussion with the author via Facebook on July 7. Go here for more information.

Spiral Jetty

I have a very long list of places that I have always wanted to visit in my home state of Utah and, with most of my usual summer plans canceled, I have decided that I will attempt to see as many of them as I can. 

Yesterday my sister and I decided to take a day trip to the Spiral Jetty which is a really cool art installation crated by Robert Smithson in 1970 in the north end of the Great Salt Lake.  It is made out of over 6,000 tons of black basalt rock from the area and winds counterclockwise from the shore to the water.

The Spiral Jetty is about two hours north of Bountiful where I live.  Take I-15 north for 65 miles and then take Exit 365 to UT Route 13 .  You will come to the city of Corinne (where the road becomes Highway 83).   Follow the signs to the Golden Spike National Historic Site and then turn left on the Golden Spike Road.  The last 15 miles will be a gravel road and it seems like you are driving to the middle of nowhere when all of a sudden the lake appears.  There is a small parking lot with a nice view (it was really crowded with lots of cars when we were there so we had a hard time driving on the narrow road and finding a place to park but I am told that this is very unusual).  There is no cost to park.  You can hike up to two other vantage points for a better views and you can also hike down to the water.

I thought it was very interesting to see and it was so much fun to actually go on a little road trip after being cooped up inside for so long!

I recommend a visit!

Retirement

I am retiring after teaching at both Kearns Jr. High and Hunter High School for 30 years!  I can hardly believe that 30 years have gone by since I nervously walked into my first classroom and was mistaken for a student.  Over the years I have taught Utah History (that was interesting because seventh graders are needy and they invaded my personal space quite a bit), U.S. History, World Geography, English 9, English 10, and College Prep English.  I have been the advisor to the Academic Team, the Peer Leadership Team, the Cheerleaders, and the Student Body Officers (at both schools!) as well as the AVID Coordinator.  I have taken three different groups of students to Europe, gone with students to leadership camps at Utah State University and Dixie State University, arranged countless field trips (my favorite was the Sundance Film Festival every year), and chaperoned various activities and dances (I am very good at holding random objects).  I have worked with some of the best colleagues and have taught some amazing students (many of whom I am now privileged to call friends).  Teaching can sometimes be a really difficult job but, on the whole, it has been such a rewarding career!

Covid-19 changed just about everything this year, including the usual fanfare attendant upon reaching the milestone of retirement, but yesterday Hunter High School had an incredibly meaningful graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 and all of the retirees were honored.  It really meant so much to me to have a banner congratulating us and to get to lead the graduates in while the entire faculty cheered.  I will always remember it!

Note:  Lots of people have asked me what I am going to do now.  I am taking a gap year (that is what I am calling it because it sounds so much better than saying that I am taking a year off!).

Conjure Women

The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club was Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. Unfortunately, my group was not able to meet yet again because of the current situation but there was a live chat with the author yesterday on Instagram that was very interesting and informative. This novel takes place on a sprawling and isolated cotton plantation before, during, and after the Civil War (described as slaverytime, wartime, and freedomtime). In freedomtime Rue is a former slave who has reluctantly taken the place of her mother May Belle as a healer and a conjure woman after the latter's death. Her status in the community is threatened by the birth of a baby with a caul on his head and unnerving black eyes, the arrival of a charismatic preacher who espouses a belief in Christ rather than superstition, and a strange sickness that is killing all of the children. However, the status of the entire community is threatened by the secrets of the past, especially a spell created by May Belle connecting Rue and the master's daughter Varina. This is an incredibly compelling story about a group of people during a tumultuous time that I, a student of history, didn't know a lot about. Because Reconstruction is usually painted in such broad strokes, I didn't really realize what happened to the former slaves who were left behind on plantations after their masters were killed or were abandoned by them in the immediate aftermath of the war. It was really interesting to me to read about the lengths that Rue goes to in order to keep the community safe from both the master's relatives in the North as well as a new threat from those who resent their freedom. I also really enjoyed Rue's character development, particularly her journey from a scared girl who feels that she will never live up to her mother's expectations to a woman who is able to save the people she loves. She is so complex and resilient. I also found the relationship between Rue and Bruh Abel to be fascinating because they distrust each other's methods (using spells or working miracles) but once they realize that they are both essentially frauds they become friends. Even though many of the events described in this novel, such as torture and rape, are very brutal the prose is incredibly beautiful and I loved the symbolism, particularly the fox. This novel is epic in scope and so mesmerizing that I was transported to another time and place. I absolutely loved it and I am so glad that it was included as a Barnes & Noble Book Club selection because I don't think I would have chosen it if left to my own devices. Don't miss it!

Note:  The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club is All Adults Here by Emma Straub (go here for more information).  I did not especially care for Straub's The Vacationers but I am willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.  There will be a virtual discussion via Facebook on June 2.

The Way Back

I actually had a ticket to see The Way Back but then the quarantine ended my plans. I love the theme of redemption and I love a good underdog sports movie (Gavin O'Connor also directed Miracle which is a favorite of mine) so I was really looking forward to this and was a little sad that I would miss it. Luckily it is already available on Amazon Prime Video and I had the chance to see it last night.  Construction worker Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) is an absolute mess who can't even make it through a shower without drinking and frequently needs the proprietor of his favorite bar to carry him home at night.  Not only is he fighting many inner demons but he has also never recovered from the death of his son and is hurt when his estranged wife (Janina Gavankar) moves on with another relationship.  He is asked by his former high school, where he was once the star player, to coach the basketball team.  They haven't made the playoffs since he was on the team and, at first he just goes through the motions, but he eventually takes the job seriously and mentors a player who reminds him of himself (Brandon Wilson).  The team begins winning against all odds but the only way Jack can help them is by helping himself recover.  I loved this movie so much!  Affleck, who is very hit or miss with me, gives one of the best performances of his career in a role that is pretty unsympathetic (there is none of his usual charm or charisma on display here).  His ultimate redemption is not at all what I was expecting but it still made me want to stand up and cheer.  The basketball sequences are thrilling because O'Connor puts us in the middle of the action (just like he did with Miracle) and the score adds to the intensity.  The young actors do a really good job as players looking for a reason to win, especially Wilson.  There is a lot of profanity (which precipitates a hilarious scene involving the school's chaplain) but I would definitely recommend this movie.

Note:  There are quite a few recent releases now available on Amazon Prime Video such as The Call of the Wild, The Invisible Man, Onward (which is also streaming on Disney+), and Emma.  I recommend all of these movies.

Dolphin Reef

This year there are two Disneynature documentaries to celebrate Earth Day in April and, as someone who loves these documentaries, I am here for it!  In addition to Elephant, Disney+ is also streaming Dolphin Reef which I really enjoyed!  The underwater cinematography featuring a beautiful and dynamic coral reef in Polynesia and all of the fascinating animals who live there is simply stunning.  The main narrative revolves around a young and easily distracted bottlenose dolphin named Echo as he is weaned from his mother Kumu.  He has a few adventures, such as swimming with a humpback whale who has migrated from the north to give birth to her calf in the warm water, and a few close calls, such as an incident with some tiger sharks and getting lost with a turtle in a deep underwater cavern, as he learns to survive on his own.  We are also introduced to many of the other animals who are vital to the symbiotic relationship in the reef ecosystem and my favorite is the peacock mantis crab who is portrayed as an OCD neat freak (this, like most Disneynature documentaries, features narration that is very anthropomorphic).  I feel you, mantis crab!  There is a message about doing our part to protect the delicate balance in nature to keep the coral reefs around the world thriving but I didn't find it to be heavy handed.  What I liked most about this documentary, aside from the breathtaking visuals, is that I actually learned quite a bit about dolphins that I didn't know, such as synchronized sleeping and the unique ways they catch fish.  I enjoyed Natalie Portman's lighthearted narration and I also really liked the score.  If you are a fan of the Disneynature documentaries, this is a spectacular entry in the canon that I would definitely recommend!

Note:  In addition to the premiere of Elephant, Disney+ is also steaming the 2019 Disneynature documentary Penguins which is a lot of fun.

Elephant

I am a huge fan of Disneynature documentaries and, since elephants are my favorite animal, I have been looking forward to Elephant for months.  Is there anything cuter than watching a baby elephant frolic in a watering hole?  I submit that there is not so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the spectacular footage of one herd's epic migration across the Kalahari Desert from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River when their watering hole dries up.  The narrative focuses on an elephant name Shani, her boisterous calf Jomo, and the matriarch of the herd Gaia.  Shani must protect her calf and learn from her mentor how to lead the herd as they face brutal temperatures, dwindling food sources, and dangerous predators.  What I really love about elephants is how tender they are towards their calves and how protective they are of each elephant in the herd.  There is a powerful scene of a mother trying desperately to free a calf from the mud, a dramatic scene as the elephants circle to protect a calf from a group of lions, and an incredibly poignant scene of the herd's reaction to a death (I may or may not have had a tear in my eye).  I loved the time-lapse photography showing the changing seasons in the Okavango Delta and the Zambezi River, particularly when a waterfall slows from a torrent to a trickle.  As with many Disneynature documentaries, the narration is very anthropomorphic and I thought it was adorable when Jomo wanted to go and play with a baby cheetah and when he was jealous of the attention paid to a new calf in the herd.  The narration is by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and many have been critical of her performance.  While I don't care for her personally, I think she does a pretty good job balancing the emotional and playful tones of the narrative (aside from an inconsistency in her pronunciation of Shani).  This is a compelling look at some of the most intelligent and majestic creatures on Earth and I highly recommend it.  Elephant is now streaming on Disney+.

Note:  One of the greatest experiences of my life was being able to see elephants on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.  I got to see two baby elephants frolicking in a watering hole and it was exactly like what was depicted in this documentary.  It brought back many wonderful memories!

A Good Neighborhood

I have been under a two week quarantine because a student at Hunter High tested positive for Covid-19 and, while some aspects have been difficult, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to read without feeling like I am neglecting other obligations. I actually read A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler in one day because it is absolutely riveting! The modest suburban neighborhood of Oak Knoll, North Carolina is slowly becoming gentrified as developers tear down the existing houses and cut down trees that are hundreds of years old to build extravagant mansions. The narrative revolves around Valerie Alston-Holt, a black professor of ecology and forestry, and the Whitmans, a nouveau-riche white family who moves into a mansion next door to her. They judge each other before they even meet but soon their uneasy rapprochement is tested by a series of events. Valerie decides to sue Brad Whitman for damages caused to an oak tree in her yard. She contends that building such a large house and an in-ground pool has damaged the root system of the tree causing it to die. The Whitmans are enraged when Valerie's son Xavier begins a relationship with their sheltered teenage daughter Juniper. This reads like a Greek tragedy with the neighborhood itself acting as the chorus foreshadowing the events to come. The narration provided by this chorus reveals background information about all of the main characters and offers commentary on the action taking place.  This is an incredibly effective device because the slow accretion of details makes the tragic events seem inexorable. I read this book in one sitting because there is such a sense of urgency and I had to know what happened! While I found the final resolution to be deeply upsetting on a personal level, this is a very thought-provoking look at race in America right now and I really appreciated the fact that multiple perspectives of people who think of themselves as "good" are explored. Even though A Good Neighborhood is ultimately heartbreaking, there is a redemption of sorts and I highly recommend this cautionary tale.

Note: A Good Neighborhood was this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection but, sadly, the meeting was canceled. Even though there was an interesting Facebook Live chat with the author, I would have really enjoyed discussing it with my group!

American Dirt

Last night I went to a meeting of my book club to discuss our latest selection, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time and we had a very stimulating discussion about it. Lydia Quixano Perez is a middle class woman living in Acapulco with her husband Sebastian and their eight year old son Luca. She owns a bookshop and Sebastian is a journalist who writes about narcotrafficking. When he writes a critical piece about the leader of a drug cartel, he and fourteen members of Lydia's extended family are gunned down while the family is celebrating a quinceanera. She and her son are the only ones to survive but, because she knows the cartel will come looking for her, she makes the decision to flee Mexico and become one of the many migrants who try to come to the United States illegally because she feels she has no choice. She and Luca are forced to travel by La Bestia, a network of freight trains that run the length of Mexico north to the United States, which they board while the train is in motion. They face many other unspeakable dangers while riding the train before they give all of their savings to a coyote to take them across the border. This novel was deeply upsetting to me because I could feel Lydia's terror and desperation every step of the way. Intellectually I knew that it was dangerous to cross the border but I had no idea of the horrors involved, particularly for women and children who are attacked, beaten, and raped repeatedly. It was also very enlightening to learn than most migrants are not merely searching for a better life in the U.S. but they are literally fleeing for their lives. This book is very controversial because many have accused Cummins, who identifies as white, of cultural appropriation and have called her out for her stereotypical depiction of Mexicans. We had a great discussion, with an amazing moderator who is Mexican, about the fact that this story made all of us feel more sympathetic towards the plight of migrants and any book, regardless of who wrote it, that shines a light on a dark subject and gets people talking about it is a good thing. This book is a work of fiction that may have some inaccuracies but we didn't think that they detracted from the importance or relevance of the story.  I found it to be incredibly compelling, suspenseful, and heartbreaking and I highly recommend it.

Note:  The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club is A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler.  Go here for more information and to sign up.  As always, if you are local consider joining us on April 7 at the Layton Barnes & Noble.  We are a small but lively group!