We're kind of pitiful when it comes to taking advantage of the amazing outdoor recreational opportunities surrounding us. When N proposed we take a field trip to the Great Salt Lake, it sounded like a super idea.
We decided to go to Antelope Island, which is west of Syracuse (20 minutes or so north of the city, then another 20 minutes west. I didn't watch the clock, so I'm totally guessing). The last 7 miles of the drive is on a causeway built through the lake, so there's water on both sides and distant mountains all around--it's gorgeous. Arriving around 5:00 p.m., we chose to start at the beach. It was a hot day--the parking lot felt like a barbeque grill. Between the parking lot and the beach is about 200 yards of sand, which had been cooking all day. I didn't know whether to wear my flip flops, which kept throwing sand up onto my legs, or remove them, thereby exposing my entire foot to the scalding sand.
Besides the heat, the other sensation we noticed as we approached the beach was the smell. It was ocean-like, but more pungeant--my son described it as a zoo smell.
We dropped our towels in a heap and headed into the water, stepping on hundreds of brine flies on the way. Now, you'd think that any person standing in the Salt Lake would have an irresistable urge to try floating, right? The thing is, the water isn't exactly clear--more greenish, with a top layer of small, rust-colored brine shrimp (you'd never know they were shrimp unless someone told you--they're tiny)--not exactly enticing. The only one of us who tried floating was our 3 year old and she loved it--couldn't get enough. She also practiced blowing bubbles.
The best thing about being in the Salt Lake, besides just being there, is skipping rocks. Littering the sandy bottom are an endless supply of flat rocks. After 30 minutes or so in the water, when I asked my older children if they were ready to go to shore, they declined--too busy skipping rocks. My daughter decided to keep one of the larger rocks. It looked like Arkansas; we named it Little Rock.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
good to be home
It's nice to go away for a few days and better to come home.
The first few days of the trip were great: lovely I-70 to Denver/Boulder area, where I'd never been. The verdant hills and farms feel like home. Spent time with two brothers' families, including new babies. Saw an old friend. Browsed through a bookstore, ate Chicago-style pizza and Italian gelato on Pearl Street. July 4 fireworks with panoramic views. Amusement park had good rides and reasonable lines. Complimentary buffet breakfast.
Then we drove north to Laramie (N had a conference there--our going along saved 6 hours driving, a car rental, and hotel room). I'm afraid we had a bad attitude going in--at least, our two older kids did, which made it hard for the rest of us to enjoy the place. The hotel was very nice, which meant it did not offer complimentary breakfast. The good news was that we had two tvs and could hook up the Xbox to one of them. We swam in the hotel pool both days and spent most of the rest of our time in our comfortable hotel room. We did leave the hotel to eat meals and drive to the Snowy Mtns--not quite as close as they appeared on the map, but lovely (and genuinely snowy). The highlight of the drive was seeing two moose 50 yards off the road, but when we opened the window to snap a photo, several mosquitoes swooped in. Daughter A says that seeing two moose was not worth 1.5 hour drive (round trip) and 13 mosquito bites (pretty sure she got most of those July 4). We missed the rodeo by 10 hours, though we probably could have taken in bull riding or mutton busting. Surely we could have gone bowling or to a movie. But my kids didn't want to go anywhere--not even the park (we did go after some bribing/threats)--they just wanted to complain about how stupid Laramie was.
I'm glad to exchange the hotel suite for multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a nice yard and swing set. And I'm starting to feel anxiety about the prospect of 6 months in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat, homeschooling my children (albeit in London, not Laramie).
The first few days of the trip were great: lovely I-70 to Denver/Boulder area, where I'd never been. The verdant hills and farms feel like home. Spent time with two brothers' families, including new babies. Saw an old friend. Browsed through a bookstore, ate Chicago-style pizza and Italian gelato on Pearl Street. July 4 fireworks with panoramic views. Amusement park had good rides and reasonable lines. Complimentary buffet breakfast.
Then we drove north to Laramie (N had a conference there--our going along saved 6 hours driving, a car rental, and hotel room). I'm afraid we had a bad attitude going in--at least, our two older kids did, which made it hard for the rest of us to enjoy the place. The hotel was very nice, which meant it did not offer complimentary breakfast. The good news was that we had two tvs and could hook up the Xbox to one of them. We swam in the hotel pool both days and spent most of the rest of our time in our comfortable hotel room. We did leave the hotel to eat meals and drive to the Snowy Mtns--not quite as close as they appeared on the map, but lovely (and genuinely snowy). The highlight of the drive was seeing two moose 50 yards off the road, but when we opened the window to snap a photo, several mosquitoes swooped in. Daughter A says that seeing two moose was not worth 1.5 hour drive (round trip) and 13 mosquito bites (pretty sure she got most of those July 4). We missed the rodeo by 10 hours, though we probably could have taken in bull riding or mutton busting. Surely we could have gone bowling or to a movie. But my kids didn't want to go anywhere--not even the park (we did go after some bribing/threats)--they just wanted to complain about how stupid Laramie was.
I'm glad to exchange the hotel suite for multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a nice yard and swing set. And I'm starting to feel anxiety about the prospect of 6 months in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat, homeschooling my children (albeit in London, not Laramie).
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