Ophir Historic Site

Marilyn and I have become quite fascinated with Utah history, especially its mining history and all of the ghost towns that were produced when the mines dried up.  There are quite a few of these ghost towns and we have decided to see as many as we can.  Yesterday we went to see the remains of the gold and silver mines from the late 1800s in Ophir Canyon.  It didn't really seem like an actual ghost town because most of the buildings have been restored and moved to one centralized location but it was really interesting.  There are usually guided tours on Saturday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm during which you can see inside all of the buildings but the tours have been suspended due to Covid-19.  You can still walk around on your own and it was fun to see a post office, various homes, a train, a shoe shop, an ore wagon, and a school.

To get there go west on I-80 and take exit 99.  Drive through Tooele and turn left at SR 73.  You will drive through the canyon until you come to the small town of Ophir (people still live in this town and there are lots of No Trespassing signs and No Parking signs that you need to be respectful of).  The historic site is in the middle of the main street and there are places to park above and below it.  It took us a little more than an hour to get there from my house in Bountiful.  You can go here for more information.  It was a quirky little place and I think it might be better to wait until the tours resume to get more out of your visit.

Note:  I think Utah has some really cool places in the middle of nowhere!

The Vanishing Half

The Barnes & Noble Book Club selection for this month was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I love a good generational saga and I found this to be a fascinating exploration of identity. Identical twins Stella and Desiree Vignes live in a small town called Mallard in Louisiana. It was founded by a former slave who was given land after the Civil War by his former owner and biological father. Each generation is lighter than the last and the Vignes twins have creamy skin, hazel eyes, and wavy hair. However, they still experience acts of discrimination and are traumatized when their father is forcibly taken from their house and lynched. They run away to New Orleans at the age of sixteen and, even though they are inseparable, their paths diverge in dramatic fashion. Desiree marries a dark-skinned man who abuses her and she eventually returns to Mallard with her daughter. Stella gets a job in an office by passing for white. She marries her boss and moves to California with him without telling her sister. She lives a life of luxury and privilege but is terrified that her husband and daughter will find out the truth about her past. Their paths converge again when their daughters meet twenty years later. Desiree's daughter Jude, who has been ostracized as a dark-skinned girl in a town that values light skin, is attending UCLA on a track scholarship with the hopes of becoming a doctor and Stella's daughter Kennedy, who has had every advantage, is adrift and acting in a low-budget production at a local theater. Both sisters must face the consequences of their actions and come to terms with how their choices have affected everyone in their lives, especially their daughters. I found it interesting that while both sisters are trapped by their choices, Desiree has limited opportunities in her hometown and Stella is plagued by loneliness and fear, only one sister finds happiness. The narrative is told from multiple perspectives and, while I didn't like some of their actions, I found all of the characters to be incredibly sympathetic. There was a virtual discussion with the author last night via Facebook which was fantastic (although I really miss the interaction with my local book club members and can't wait to see them again). We talked quite a bit about the title which, at face value, is about the fact that the twins lose a piece of themselves when they are separated but Bennett also spoke about the fact that almost every character loses part of themselves as a result of racism, classism, abuse, gender, and even disease. Many also asked about the ambiguous ending and, although it really bothered me at first because I wanted more resolution, I can now appreciate the fact that these characters must continue on the path that they have chosen. It is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking story that couldn't be more timely and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Next month's selection is Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland.  It sounds really interesting and I am excited to read it!  There will be a virtual discussion (have I mentioned that I miss interacting with my local book club?) with the author via Facebook on Aug. 4.  Go here for more information.

Fourth of July in Hanna

My sister Kristine and her family are spending the weekend at their trailer in Hanna and they invited my sister Marilyn and me to come up on Saturday to celebrate Independence Day.  It was so much fun and so relaxing!

The campground where they stay is one of my favorite places!  I love it when the wind blows through the trees and I love how blue the sky is!

We played card games, read our books (at one point there were four of us reading by the fire), went on a run to the general store for treats, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and sat around the fire until Marilyn and I had to leave!  It was wonderful!

Sean makes the best s'mores!

Of course we had the traditional flag cake!  I have made it every year (with a few exceptions) since I was about seventeen!  We had a great holiday and I hope you did, too!

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.