28/5 - Redwood Highway

A placeholder post for Monday the 28/5 in which:
* America "celebrates" Memorial Day
* We drive down the coast of California
* We see more of the coast and wonderful trees
* After a long drive we arrive in Fairfield, just north of San Francisco, and home of the jelly bean factory

27/5 - California Dreaming

A placeholder post for Sunday 27/5 in which:
* We say farewell (temporarily) to the Browns and head south towards (eventually) Yosemite
* We experience Oregon and Eugene rain
* We see the wonders of the redwood forests and the tallest trees in the world
* We make it into California and stop at Crescent City on the far north coast

26/5 - Brown Sports

This is a placeholder for Saturday 26/5 - out last full day in Eugene with the Browns in which:
* Maria and Jodie visited the markets again
* We ferry various of the kids to various activities
* The boys (males) have a soccer match - old guys versus the young
* We go out for a farewell dinner

25/5 - Oregon Sport

Friday was another day for sports-connections here - but then thats always true at the Brown place. Neither Zoe or Grant were able to attend school (issues of special activities and permission slips), so it was a quiet day, with a BBQ evening for an aussie girl in the Uni of Oregon girl's basketball team (Phil's team), who was turning 18.

In the morning we ran around doing some shopping that included visiting that American institution Walmart. We were interested to learn that at Walmart you were able to purchase rifles and ammunition -they were just there behind a glass case at an unattended counter...

We then dropped into the university and were able to walk onto the field at Autzen Stadium and the corresponding indoor stadium (Moshofsky Indoor Arena - also a massive space and eriely quiet) - home of "The Ducks" (the famous gridiron/football side of the Uni). It was quite a feeling being on such a professionally maintained field with the stands all around. Zoe, Grant and I went for a couple of runs, while Jodie did a handstand and I did a breakfall and shoulder-roll or 2.

That evening most of the members of the women's basketball team from the Uni came around for a BBQ birthday party for Victoria - an aussie girl and member of the squad turning 18. It was interesting observing these near professional (they are on full scholarships at a major US Uni) athletes at play. To a fault they were not only polite and well behaved,but genuinely fun people - Bev, Phil and the other coaching/support staff should be proud. The funniest moment of the night was when 4 of the players jumped on the enclosed trampoline in the backyard and started trying to do front-flips. At one stage there was a simultaneous gasp from observers as one girl hung suspended upside down- looking like she'd land terribly. But all was good.

24/5 - Of Lakes and Waterfalls

Thursday turned out to be a very special day for Maria and I in terms of scenic beauty. A couple of days earlier we had been advised to take a 1-day trip out east from Eugene - going to Bend, then north a hundred miles or so; then back to Eugene. The route covers a lot of territory as well as going past or near a number of parks, waterfalls and other natural attractions. Both Zoe and Grant had invitations to attend school (Zoe to tell Mitch's class of her travels, while Nate's class had a party), which meant they wouldn't accompany us, and would be gone before 8am.

So we were out and on the road well before 9am - which was just as well because it was 9pm before we arrived back in Eugene. Along Route 58, we travelled besides lakes, fast flowing streams, and even encountered quaint covered bridges (you can even do a tour of this area based on covered bridges locations!), before taking our first major stop at Salt Creek Falls.

Salt Creek Falls are the 2nd highest falls in Oregon and daunting for both their height and power. We were also the only people there,despite them being a fairly major attraction (e.g., marked on road maps). This was a theme for the day - time and time again we'd stop at a significant attraction and find little or no people there - for me it added to the beauty and wonder of these places.

Reaching the intersection with I97, we decided to extend the trip by heading south down to Crater Lake National Park. We'd ummed and ahhed about going to the park either on this trip or later when heading south to Yosemite because it is "out of the way"; but I'm so glad we added it to the trip.

Arriving at the north entrance to the park we found a queue of 4 cars and a park ranger. Turned out that the north entrance was being opened for the first time this year and just as we arrived. We were so lucky (we even didn't have to pay an entrance fee because he was the only one on,and at the gate rather than at the entrance station). Approaching the park we'd spotted snow under the trees, besides the road - imagine our excitement as the snow grew and grew so that in a number of places it towered over the road and car.

At the crater rim we found a kind of "winter wonderland" (thanks Bing) - a crystal blue reflective lake of huge size nestled in a massive crater (was a volcano that had subsided) with a lesser volcanic isle (Wizard's island) in the middle - all with a dusting of snow. Speaking of the snow and ice it was so thick that a number of the fences (little alone paths) at the scenic points were buried under the snow and it was possible (though absolutely foolish) to walk out a couple of metres further past the cliff edge on the "solid" ice that had extended the cliff. It was really something special.

We probably spent the better part of 2 hours driving the western rim (eastern was not open) of the crater - stopping at various locations - finally arriving at the lodge but finding the wait for lunch in the restaurant too long (it looked very very nice too). Aware we still had a long route to drive north we retraced our path, eventually stopping in Chemult for some belated lunch at a very average Subway's.

Driving north along I97, and 20, we were only able to peak at the entrance to the Lava River Cave (the gates were closing in 15 minutes,but you also needed your own lantern) but did get to drive up Lava Butte (a 500 feet high red pumice slag heap that the road curves around and around), again with just 15 minutes to enjoy. The area is surrounded by a "lava taffy" area of grey pumice like stones.

Around this area the 3 Sisters and other mountains such as Black Butte and 3-Finger Jack dominate the skyline -snow covered and wreathed by clouds. Its a very impressive sight and I wondered what it would be like to see them each and every day, the way the residents of the area would. Unfortunately Route 242 was closed so we couldn't get as close to the mountains as we would have liked.

As compensation though we saw a couple of wonderful waterfalls (Sahalie and Koosah) on the alternate Route 126 - again with no other people present and in the magic of twilight the downstream water of the first fall (Sahalie) was so fast and active (and so airated) that it seemed to glow.

Ariving back we found the kids already abed - though Grant restless as usual (side anecdote: after enjoying the Indiana Jones ride so much at Disneyland I promised the kids we'd watch the Indiana Jones movies. So here at Eugene we watched the first 2...Grant was quite disturbed by a couple of the "supernatural"scenes...).

23/5 - Florence Big-gale

On Wednesday we decided to take a day drive to the coast. The Oregon coast is famous for the rugged landscape, storms, mist, drift-wood, lighthouses, and sealions, amongst other things.

Heading west from Eugene through forested hillsides it was well under 2 hours and we'd arrived at Florence. We soon found our way to a beach at low-tide - the tide had withdrawn about 100 metres leaving a mist-blown (at times - just "small"drifts and clumps) landscape of rippled sand and tiny tidal-pools. It was strange and fascinating for its difference to any aussie beach I'd ever encountered.

We then went north along the coast to the sea lion caves - inhabited by some 300 sealions and the largest natural sea cave in the US you descend in a lift to take a look. We found most of the sealions outside on the rocks of the coast (some dozen odd were in the cave though), "enjoying" the spring mating season. Though we were a couple of hundred metres away from them (above on the clifftop), when the wind blew the wrong way...pyew.

We travelled as far north as Yachats, taking in the scenic and much photographed Heceta Head Lighhouse, and having lunch on a trail at the side of a bay at Cape Perpetua. It was quite uncanny seeing how localised the mist/fog was and what times of the day it would come up and subside; as well as just how affected in their growth the great times are by the wind off the ocean (the vegetation permanently frozen in a swept away aspect).

I imagine the Oregon coast would be a great place to live if you're an author - it makes me think/feel of Wuthering Heights and the Bronte sisters - sitting beside a warm natural fire writing dark and gloomy stories that reflect the storm-tossed grey ocean and landscape just outside the window.

22/5 - Downtown

A placeholder for Tuesday 22 in which:
- Maria and I get out and explore a bit of downtown Eugene

21/5 - Shopping Around

A placeholder for Monday 21/5 in which:
- Grant once again visits school
- We visit Costco - a huge "discount warehouse" and some observations

20/5 - American BBQ

A placeholder for Sunday 20/5 in which:
- Eugene's famous rain arrives
- The Brown boys have a basketball match
- The post-season party for the boy's team is held as a BBQ at the Brown's

19/5 - Hippy Markets and Assault BB Guns

Saturday we were able to sample two sides of Eugene life -in the morning we visited the downtown markets, and in the afternoon Phil, Mitch and I visited a just-opened major sports-goods chain.

Eugene is known as a University town - it is the home of the University of Oregon - and for this and other reasons there is a strong "alternate" current running through the city's culture. The Saturday markets are one place where that can be seen quite clearly. Straddling 4-blocks in the downtown area, the market consists of many, many small stalls in which hand-made goods are displayed. From printed t-shirts, through glassware, drums, and chain (as in chainmail) jewelry, there's a lot to be seen. In particular there's an aweful lot of tie dyed items. Several purchases were made at the markets.

One interested incident occured as we were walking beside the road. A large (US large) white Chevvy ute pulled into the available carspace besides us. The remarkable aspect was that the hood and roof the the utility were covered in plastic figurines (cartoon characters etc.) of about 2" to 6" in height that were apparently stuck there. Zoe and Shannon then spent 5-minutes in animated conversation with the driver (I recall him being large, 50 plus, with long hair, a soft voice, sandals and tie-dyed socks).

In the afternoon Phil, Mitch and I took in a large sporting-goods stall that had just opened at the local mall. In many aspects I found it not too disimilar to Rebel Sports or other such businesses in oz. The one thing that struck me though was that there was a Paintball and BB gun section. BB guns are a bit like slug-guns (air propelled and capable of killing birds and other small animals). Anyway, there was a range of BB guns for sale (see the 26th entry about Walmart and rifles), including a number that were replicas of assault rifles such as the Kalashnikov or M11. To me the "message" of having such items for sale in a sports store is both disturbing and less than subtle.

18/5 - Going to School

Friday was yet again a relatively quiet day of activities around town and home.

The biggest event was almost certainly the fact that Grant attended a full day of school with Nate. He enjoyed himself immensely (he didn't really have to do any work), and even rode home on one of the classic yellow school buses.

I had an extremely frustrating 1-hour+ run-around with Alamo call-centres (in India) at the end of which I still didn't know where I stood or what to do about the windscreen.

We also dropped into Phil's work for a look around and some lunch. It really provided perspective to hear that the yearly budget of Uni of Oregon's sports section/department was roughly the same as that of all of UNSW@ADFA. There's big money in sport in the US.

17/5 - The "Simple" Life

Thursday we spent relatively quietly, chielfy staying about the house; though with its own mini-dramas. With everyone out in the morning we continued with the goal of getting the kids to write in their journals and bring them up to date...that was painful. We then had the simple pleasure of enjoying a basic sandwich for lunch, while sitting in the sun. All that restaurant food has been "dragging" (and not helping our health or waists either).

Then it was down to the parking lot of one of the local malls to try and sort out the windscreen stone-chip situation. There are businesses that set up there that fix such problems "for free". Turns out its based on billing your insurance company and not being clear on the situation we couldn't go ahead. At the same mall Zoe elected to spend a chunk of her cash at one of those "make your own teddy bear" places. A good idea, but the accessories can kill you. We also did some shopping for dinner and I was amazed at the variety of beers available. I resolved to try a different beer each day... and I'd be able to keep that up for a month or 2 easily here.

In the early afternoon Nate had a"Heros Wax Works" at his school. All his grade dressed up as historic American (of course) heroes - Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, ... - and stood around stock-still in the school gym. If you walked up and touched one they would give you a 1-minute version of their life. Nate was John F. Kennedy.

In the evening Maria and Jody went for a walk together around the local neighbourhood - I wonder just how much like old times it was.

16/5 - Old Friends Reunited

This was the final day in our 3-day leg to reach the Browns. Awaking, Grant claimed he hadn't been able to sleep that night as he was so excited about seeing Nate again after nearly 2 years apart.

Our route took us directly west, just south of the Columbia river. Its a very impressive sight - extremely wide and fast flowing (a lot of height is lost going east to west), with many dams along the route. Its also extremely windy - we stopped for morning tea (and a look) at a rest-stop and waves were making their way up-river...

We also caught sight of the impressive Mt Hood swathed in snow and towering above the landscape; then stumbled onto the beautiful Multnomah Falls (though the food was so bad there we headed on for another locale rather than eat there).

On this and the previous day or 2 we started "encouraging" the kids to bring their journals back up to date. They'd been excellent in Japan, but had fallen out of "practice" further into the trip. Well, it was extremely "painful" (pulling teeth comes to mind)- seems Grant and Zoe have become accustomed to a "jetsetters life". After some discussions and the imposition of some penalties they came good though.

We saw little of Portland (the state's largest city) or Salem (the capital), though both appear very very green. Arriving at Eugene we had some real difficulties and tensions in getting to Jodie's as the exit (from the intertstate) that she told us to take didn't exist. A couple of laps of the city on the interstate then ensued.

Suddenly we were at the Brown's, and a Jodie who had been shooting hoops in the driveway rushed inside to tell Nate that we were here. It was interesting watching Grant and Nate greet eachother and the first few moments (have it on video) of "getting to know you".

In many ways it was like we'd "come home". Before long we were off to take Shannon to gymnastics lessons, followed by the boys to basketball training (Phil is their coach and they train at "MacCourt" the venerable but massive and atmospheric Uni of Oregon basketball court). Then it was home for dinner (ahhh, home cooked meals!) and relaxing with old friends over a drink or two (finally got to try Polgamy Porter - quite malty).

15/5 - You're Living in your own Private ... Oregon?

Our 2nd of three days on the drive to the Brown's, this day took us from Utah, clean across Idaho, and into Oregon.

At the hotel in the morning I asked around about where to buy a "Polygamy Porter" t-shirt (had seen one in Zion but foolishly not picked it up). I think I may have offended a few locals talking about polygamy -its still a touchy and active (as in still known to be "practiced") topic in Utah. To my disappointment no-one knew what I was talking about.

Then off we set for our longest day of driving yet. We saw little of Idaho except what was visible from the car, gas stations (with a pump attendant that looked like the classic California surfer - most gas stations are self-serve these days; though as opposed to oz you need to pay before you put the fuel in), and rest stops. I can't say I was impressed with what I saw (lots of rolling hills),and thecapital (?) Boise had an unpleasant smell (factories?) and was also where a truck threw up a stone that chipped/cracked our windscreen (called a windshield here in the US).

Entering Oregon we gained an hour (returning to Pacific time from Mountain time) and encountered a more interesting landscape (soon we saw our first forests and mountains). We stopped on the outskirts of at a place called Pendelton in what I like to think of as a "hotel enclave" - in the middle of no-where except for about 6 hotels, a couple of gas stations, and a few food places.

In the pool the kids' extroverted(?) natures led them to make friends with a 50+-year old woman named Vicki travelling by herself. After an hour's discussion I'm sure she knew us better than most.

For dinner it was a franchise known as Sari's (spelling might be wrong). There we tried that American institution "pie"-purchasing a whole "Chocolate Cream Pie" and consuming half of it in the hotel room. One word - rich!

14/5 - Brigham

Monday began our 3 day drive north (and then west...heh and eventually even south) that would take us from Zion national park in Utah, to the Brown's house in Eugene, Oregon.

Once again we arose relatively late, did some shopping (I picked up a 6-pack of "Polygamy Porter"- a Utah beer who's 1-liner is "Bring some home for the wives"), and headed over to the Visitor's Centre for a last time (Zoe picked up a ranger's hat).

Then it was the drive. Again the landscape was interesting as it transformed into plains across which could be seen distant mountains - several with a dusting of snow still on top.

We pulled off the Interstate at a tiny town called Meadow and ate our lunch in an immaculately maintained but deserted field/park/picnic-area.

Heading further north we hit the southern tip of Salt Lake City and we began to see the US we had been expecting - huge sprawling businesses, franchises left and right, huge malls, etc. There was a lot of roadwork on the I5 such that by the time we got to the Brigham City environment we were done for the day.

We found a good hotel and the kids and I went for a swim (trying to work that ache in the thigh muscles out) before we headed out for dinner at Wingers (bit of confusion about directions first). It was also a place where we could update the blog(based on what I'd been saving on the PDA).

Update and Back-filling News

Just a quick update on our status and that of the blog.

We're currently in Eugene, Oregon with the Browns and having a great time (its Friday 18th lunchtime here as I write). Indeed, Grant has gone to school with Nate today and we just dropped in to see them earlier.

I've just been posting entries for last few days in France, and the first 3 in the US - a kind of "back-filling" operation. I'll continue to do that (I have limited direct internet access but can use my PDA to [slowly] make entries ... which when I gain access I can then post), and will try to post notices here so people can read back if they wish.


Cheers - Spike

13/5 - Hard Trails

Sunday was our last full day in Zion. We used it well; doing three different walks on a day that was hot; but not to the same extent as the previous day.

The previous day Maria and I had discussed me doing the Angel's Landing trail. It is rated very physically demanding, with lots of exposure ("not for those with a fear of heights") that includes quite a few chained sections, and said to take about 4 hours. A trail we felt was not appropriate for the kids. I was looking forward to it, but also feeling a deal of trepidation - I had observed Angel's Landing the day before, as well as seeing the posters of the trail in the Visitor's Centre.

I was at the Visitor's Centre well before 8am and at the trailhead just after 8:30, on a day that started cool and fresh. There's a lot I could say about the trail, but I'm sure it has been described much better elsewhere. To my mind the trail has 5 portions: low sweeping trails with a slow ascent down by the river, then a series of switchbacks still on the "front" of the mountain, followed by a near flat trail that passes between Angel's Landing and another peak - taking you to the "back" of the mountain, that is then followed by the famous "Walter's Wiggles"- a long series of switchbacks, and finally the most mentally demanding - the half-mile climb up the exposed ridgeline. The last half-mile is the "infamous" section - very steep and with sheer drops often a step or 2 away; about a third (by my estimates) is firmly chained...and these chains are very useful.

Subconsciously I realise I had been hoping for a "transformational" experience by doing the trail alone (of course there were other walkers, and for some of them the trail was "no big deal"). What I found instead was that indeed the trail was physically demanding (my quads ached badly for the next 2 days) and that rather than transcending the fear of falling and going to a place of relaxed ease, I became extremely focussed and tense (which increased my fatigue) - dealing with each step and move second by second. I'm extremely glad I made the walk - the views were beautiful and it provided me with a sense of accomplishment - but I was even gladder when I came down from the ridgeline.

Back at the trailhead by 11:30, I made it back to the hotel by 12:15. Maria had been her solid dependable self and done a load of washing, while the kids were enjoying the heated outdoor pool. We sat by the pool for a while, while I wound down, then before heading back to the park grabbed some lunch at the Pioneer Restaurant (you should have seen the waiter's consternation when Grant said he didn't want fries with his burger).

Over lunch I suggested we try the horse riding (must have been feeling foolishly cocky - maybe I thought it would give a massage) and so we rode the shuttle back up to the lodge. There we were able to take a 1-hour ride that consisted only of the four of us, plus the guide (classic starched white western shirt, large hat, jeans, blond hair tied back) and her daughter. The ridetook us across the river and down to the Court of the Patriaches, and back. Along the way we were provided with some history of the area (with a cowboy bent) and such classic jokes as "That rock is poison [referring to a huge boulder overhanging the trail] ... one drop and you're dead." I'm certainly glad we didn't even consider the 3-hour ride, everyone complained of a sore behind or thighs by the time we hopped off.

As we hadn't seen the top part of the valley we decided to ride the shuttle to the top - Temple of Sinawava - and do the River Trail walk that leads to the start of The Narrows. The area is very impressive with the valley walls closing in, while remaining very lush and beautiful. Again we saw a great variety of wildlife, including mule-deer at very close quarters.

The Narrows looked like it would be a fantastic walk to do - you wade upstream through the river - but we were not prepared and it was already late in the day (the kids went for a short wade anyway). Ahhh, next time...

Returning, we enjoyed Thai again for dinner - Grant even ordering and consuming a fair quantity of curry. A big step for him. Then it was another ranger talk post-dinner - this one in one of the camp grounds. Again it was very dark and I sent us to the wrong (there are 2) campground first. In the dark Zoe walked into a low cactus and though not seriously hurt would occasionally complain across the next couple of days of the needles in her leg. This talk was about the Mountain Lion, but the amusing thing was that we were early (thought it was a 9pm start rather than 9:30), and Grant unself-consciously began a long conversation with the ranger (out the front of the open air auditorium) about our travels etc. - while the audience members listened in. A good day, and we were all glad to get into bed finally.

12/5 - Emerald Pools on a 100 Degree Day

This was our first of 2 full days at Zion Nati0nal Park. It was quite a hot one, but we didn't let that deter us from doing a couple of the major walks.

Zion is different to the 2 parks we previously visited (Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon) in that it runs a shuttle (bus) system that is compulsory. That is, a normal visitor cannot drive their vehicle into the main ("scenic") portion of the park. Rather you leave your car at the Visitor Centre (some other options exist)and then catch a 2-carriage propane bus to the particular stop (there's over half a dozen) that you desire (different trails start from different stops).

We got off to a relatively late start, partly due to getting up late, but also because we needed to shop for our lunch (dip, fruit, etc.), which we would be carrying with us. Due to the temperature, and again based on guidebook information we made a walk selection - this one of the "Emerald Pools" - 3 pools at different heights that fed into one another - the lowest receiving its water via a waterfall. Their colour due to the moss/algae growing in them. The choice was a good one - not too demanding physically,but with a fair bit of ascent/descent, some good views, wildlife (squirrels, frogs, lizards), and the cooling water. Maria and the kids stayed at the middle pool, while I headed up to the upper pool. Unfortunately for them the upper pool was the largest and most beautiful and the closest to the claims of Emerald. Still they had a good time at the middle pool, including a water fight, and that is where we took lunch.

Despite that cool-down,by the time we had returned to the trail-head (across from Zion Lodge) we were very hot again. Taking the lead of others we decided to take a wade in the fast flowing and relatively wide (but shallow at that point)Virgin River (that was responsible for carving the valley) - a chilly 50 fahrenheit or so. We saw one guy take a rather spectacular face-plant when traversing the slippery rocks in the water.

Moving on we decided to do the "Weeping Rock" walk, relatively short and famous as a location where water seeps out of the sandstone cliffs (seepage and leeching of iron-oxide through the sandstone layers of different permeability is responsible for graduations in colour and the emergence of water such as here - some layers are not permeable to water. It is also said that it takes several years for water to move from the top of a cliff to the bottom in this fashion), and many varieties of fern ("...more than on Hawaii...") can be found. Indeed, this park is far more vegetated than the previous two we had visited.

By then it was time to think about dinner and we headed back into town (its about a 30minute ride from the lodge back to the visitors' centre) and grabbed some Chinese. It felt very similar to Australia, though we did have to ask specifically for chopsticks.

After heading back to the hotel to make some calls home for Mother's Day, we drove back out of the park to "Utah Trails" (the Native American site described in an earlier post) in the hopes of catching a performance. Unfortunately it was cancelled, so after a 30-minute conversation we headed back to the park and a shuttle up to the Lodge so we could catch one of the nightly ranger presentations; this one entitled "Zion, Marbles and Mars". The ranger, a woman by the name of Autumn, enlisted Zoe and Grant to help and they took to it like a duck to water,even earning an appreciative clap from the 60-odd member audience. The presentation was wide-ranging and interesting, emphasising the scientific mission of the park. Autumn also instilled in the kids the desire to be "Junior Rangers", even providing them with the necessary paperwork.

Emerging from the lodge at 9:45 we were concerned about possibly missing the last shuttle back down to the visitor's centre. It was exceptionally dark, there being no moon, and no external lighting (or activity). What was most breath-taking though was the huge mountains that surround the valley. On a dark night like this, they could only be seen as great jagged black holes in the sky - while overhead stars could be seen, the presence of these massive mountains could be "seen" as a perfectly black emptiness to the sky, "cut-out" in the shape of the mountains. I've never seen anything like it before and doubt I will ever again.

Shortly the last shuttle arrived, its headlights breaking the spell of the night. Back at the Visitor's Centre we found our car in the large dark parking lot, and headed back to the hotel; awed by Zion.

11/5 - Park Hopping II

Friday was our day to move from Bryce Canyon over to Zion National Park. A distance of some 85 miles or so. Not much in the way of driving time. It was also the day that revitalised my energy and enthusiasm for the road-trip and national parks.

After a latish previous night it was 7:30 before anyone was up and nearly 9:30 before we'd all showered, packed, and had breakfast. Though (of course) 1 day is in no way sufficient to get to know Bryce we still had a decent feel for some of its beauty and aspects. As such we felt inclined to head towards Zion, but perhaps backtrack slightly and spend some time in or around Kanab.

On the northern outskirts of Kanab is a cave beside the road known as Moqui Cave. A sandstone (not limestone) cave, it is interesting for its contents, history, and owner. Run by a Mormon - who gives you a personal tour of the contents and his family's history - its consists of three separate cave areas; the largest at the back (and absolutely cold on a day that was extremely hot) being a couple of hundred feet in length. The contents include a gift shop (of course - some interesting things including trilobyte fossils), a bar (as in a pub -no longer working but still with the bar, bar-stools, etc.), a host of fossils from all over the world (including dinosaur tracks), many minerals (presented under ultraviolet), and a lot of the owner's family history. Said history included a father who was a professional footballer then movie (western) actor, a grand (great) grandmother that was the first female mayor in the US, and a great (great?) grandfather who had served 6-months (we saw the old photo of him in his prison stripes) for polygamy. We must have spent well over an hour in there - I was so glad to get out into the hot spring sunshine...I actually had goosebumps.

rennovation. So we headed further into Kanab (which sounds more dramatic than it is - Kanab is a western town with the typically wide roads, but not large) looking for lunch. We stopped besides and explored an interesting western (as in the wild) goods store known as Denny's Wigwan. Stuff ranging fromWe then headed into Kanab, looking for Frontier Town. It had sets from a number of western movies and series that had been filmed in the area; including that weird one from our youth - F-Troop. We found the place but unfortunately it was closed for turquiose Indian jewellery (a fixture of any gift/curio shop out here), through replica old west pistols, buckskin jackets, beavercaps, leather belts, t-shirts, cowboy boots, to fudge. The kids had a photo taken together in old west gear (Grant loved the rifle he was holding, and Zoe looked striking in her dance hall girl gear), and done up as a wanted-poster. Very cool.

After lunch down the road at Linda's (a coffee shop where we used the free wireless to write a couple of quick emails) it was back for some quick shopping at Denny's, then onto Zion.

The drive to Zion is relatively short, and once again interesting as the terrain changes again. However before entering the park, we visited "Utah Trails" (a "Native American Cultural Centre"). We'd seen adverts about this place and were keen to take a look. What we found was very interesting. From the road we could see a couple of teepees, a reception building, a couple of wooden huts, a tent or 3, and no one around.

As we pulledup an elderly man, with AmerInd ancestory (by appearance) came out to greet us. He asked us why we had come and we explained we'd heard about the place and were interested in looking around. He said he'd show us around. Turned out he was a Lakote (Sioux) shaman by the name of Ramond White Bear who was also a Reiki master. He showed us the teepees, hogans (built according to Navajo tradition), sweat lodges (which he uses for rituals), and even a hut such as western (French) trappers used in the north. Rather eclectic.

After showing us around, Maria and I sat with Ramond and his wife (a non-Indian) while the kids played with their daughter (and her three chicks). We talked about lots of things ranging from shamanic practice and martial arts (reading his brochure later we see that he was a championship boxer) through the wildlife of our different countries. Though it might sound surprising, most of the conversation was not about spiritual matters. One interesting element was observing the humminbirds that come to the feeders Ramond's wife had about the eaves of the building. They really make quite a hum with their wings - they are moving that fast - and they are quite aggressive to one another. Eventually we took our leave around 5:30 - aware that we needed to check into our new hotel and that we still had a drive ahead. We planned to return for the 7:30 play (storytelling?) they were going to perform, but didn't make it because we only got to eat late.

Zion National Park is an amazing place as you drive right down through the centre of it to get to Springdale. Unlike the Grand Canyon and Bryce which you approach from the top/rim, Zion you are inside of and towered over on both hands by massive mountains. The road is narrow and twisting and at one point cuts directly through (on a significant slope) a mountain - the tunnel is so narrow (was cut in the 1920s) that large vehicles like RVs need a tunnel escort to get through...and the tunnel is long (1.1 miles).

The township of Springdale is very interesting, and one much to our liking. While not technically inside the park, it is still surrounded by the amazing mountains (we have a great view out of our hotel window towards the south). The businesses, for the main, appear very recent with many newish buildings - but with an architectural style appropriate for the area.By way of example we were able to find a Thai restaurant for dinner - so welcome after the week plus of heavy American food we've been having for lunch and dinner. After dinner we found an "Elk Ranch" (right on the main street) and with a $2 bag of food pellets were able to feed the Elk, Long Horn Steer, and even try and entice the Buffalo to come to the fence edge. A great experience. Then it was back to the hotel where we took the kids down to the heated outdoor pool for an hour or so of swimming (where I began writing this entry). Seemed like the dip idea was one shared by many - before long the spa was overflowing with people. We like the place so much we'll make a booking for another day or two tomorrow.

10/5 - That Old Hoodoo (you do so well)

This was our full day at Bryce Canyon,which we had not seen the previous day (arriving late). While I was up by 7am, it proved somewhat difficult to rouse the rest of the family. However we were finally, up and about and on our way by 9:30am. It was quitea thing to sit outside our hotel room (right onthe highwaythrough the little townof Tropic) andenjoy the warm morning sunshine while gazing at the distant cliffs,and down the wide western main street of town.

For those not familiar with Bryce it is famous for erosion features known as hoodoos- tall columns of typically red sandstone. Likethe grand canyon theapproach the park from the top or rim of the canyon,gazing down and walking down into it. However it is far more human scale in size - walking to the bottom of the canyon is something that anyone with a modicum of fitness can achieve, and it is simply much smaller in all senses. However that reduction in size makes it easier (I believe) for people to appreciate Bryce (than the grand)- because the dimensions are more "human".

The drive to Bryce Canyon itself is quite breath-taking, even passing one of the better known park walks (though its outside the park), as well as passing some awesome cliffs and even driving through a couple of arches.

Based on some guidebookreading we chose to do theNavajo Loop, into the Queen's Garden walk. This was listed as a full day walk by the guidebook, but we finished bylunchtime. In part this wasprobably because one loopof the Navajo loop was closed due to a rock fall. As you get lower into the canyon pines begin to spring up and I really enjoyed the contrast of the green pines with the red sandy background. It was a pleasant olfactory experience also being spring. Once again I realised that the "spirit" that I like to take these walks with, is at odds with the rest of the family. That made for some tension.

For lunch we went to the park's lodge (being much smaller than the grand it has a single lodge - which is very stylish while still being traditional) -which I highly recommend. The food was top notch - delicious,fresh,innovative, and very reasonably priced. We tried to have dinner there that night, but even those with bookings were experiencing delays.

After lunch we took in some of the well known viewing sites (e.g., Inspiration Point...jokes about "parking" will go unsaid) before heading to the Mossy Cave walk. This is a family-friendly walk as it is short, is water based (a nice rapidly flowing stream and waterfall), and has some greatscenery. We spent a good chunk of the afternoon there that included disturbing a baby snake (unsure of the type - it slithered into the water and was swept away), having a water-fight, and climbing up a steep gravelly path to a high arch.

We ended up having dinner at a place called Ruby's which, as opposed to the Lodge, I recommend you steer well clear of (I was that $%^-off with their service and pricing). Perhaps it was this on top of other cumulative factors that made me on this day feel quite weary with the trip.

Driving back to our hotel we had 2 close encounters with deer; one rather dangerous as they were in the middle of a dark mountain road that we were descending with some rapidity.