Priceless

Hey Folks,

When we last left you I spoke of our upcoming trip to Price, Utah.  The gas company we are working for here in Salt Lake serves the little town of Price and actually many more Utah towns; even into Wyoming.  They all have to be surveyed so they sent a crew of 6 of their guys plus yours truly for a 4 day survey this past week.  Price is not a big place and not fancy but still has the personality of a small desert town with a wide Main Street, angled parking and the namesake theater.  It’s about 120 miles southeast of SLC on the other side of the Wasatch range – the mountains that frame Salt Lake on its east side.

 

The only green you see in Price is where the sprinkler hits so it’s a combination of irrigated residential areas and green farm land immediately adjacent to brown scrub that didn’t get to have a drink this year.  Not much rain comes down in the high desert.  It was a pretty straight forward survey and by Thursday we had finished the job.  For those of you new to the blog who may wonder what it is I do on a survey I wrote about it last year.  You can find the post from Dalton, GA here - "Walkin' the line". 

 

Downtown Price, Utah. 

The real story though is where we stayed.  The gas crew stayed in a hotel in Price but we have the benefit of having a house on wheels.  I looked on-line for a good spot to park LuLu for the week but Price didn’t have many options except for an “RV Park” behind a hotel which was really just a dirt extension of their parking lot.  Instead, we chose to stay at Scofield State Park, up the road from Price and way up the mountain. 

The Schofield State Park teepees are for rent.  30 skins a night.

Click for a larger pic to see LuLu.

As you can see from the pictures this place is gorgeous.  The reservoir with the same name serves as a source of drinking water for the state and also home to Tiger Trout, Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout.  It’s one of the main fishin’ holes for miles around.  Various other four footed critters call it home as well.

Margos' companion for the week.

This one's for North Carolina gas man and blog reader Mark.  They say they've heard of you.

When I say the state park is way up the mountain I mean 7,600 feet up.  It’s quite remote. There was no Internet or even cell phone service so Margo had to do without.  She caught up on her reading, stalked the local wildlife, and baked cookies. She had to use the high altitude recipe.  You’ve all seen the high altitude directions but I bet you never had to use them.  They worked wonderfully by the way. 

The strangest thing by far though was on Tuesday evening.  A weather system had been forecast to blow through.  When I left Price after that days’ survey work it was sunny and 73 degrees.  Making my way up the mountain I noticed the thermometer dropping, and dropping and dropping.  When I pulled into our campsite it was 34 degrees and snow was falling.  Now realize last Tuesday was JUNE 17^TH.  I don’t recall us leaving the northern hemisphere so very strange indeed.  Add to this the electric power was out at the campground.  We were on battery power and doing fine but still a bit disconcerting.  Let’s see – a winter storm blowing in summer, no cell service, batteries that would make it through the night but not through the next day….

It's snowing in June!!!!!

Same pic as above - 24 hours later.

Picnic table date book - 4 days from summer solstice.

We drove up the road and found a Division of Natural Resources employee and had him contact the state park people then to add a little insurance onto that we found cell service another few miles further and called the local power company ourselves.  Within a few hours the power was back on, our batteries were recharging and we were watching the snow come down.  Who needs TV…..

 

As I write this on Friday afternoon we’re back at the KOA in sunny 90 degree Salt Lake City, connected again to the world, with plans to hit the farmers market on Saturday morning to resupply.  We also plan to take a look at the Natural History Museum in town and of course finish off those cookies.

So in a nutshell:

• Five nights at an incredible state park… $25.00 per night.
• Forty hours chasing the gas line in Price… a weeks pay earned.
• Snow in June… PRICEless. 

Farmers and Friends

Hey Folks,

Summer has made its presence known here in the Salt Lake Valley and with that comes fresh farm produce.   Bring on opening day for the Salt Lake Farmers Market and I have to say they put on quite a market.  Starting this Saturday (and Tuesdays later on) until Old Man Winter starts knocking on the door, a couple hundred vendors gather at Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake to peddle their wares.

Margo and I, as well as our good friends Don and Sandi, boarded the TRAX train from right in front of the KOA and within 10 minutes we were at our stop downtown just a few blocks from the market.  Don works for the company, as I do, living full time in their motorhome.  It’s not an Airstream but we don’t hold that against them.  We’ve actually had the pleasure of their company since Virginia.  Another perk of the job – meeting and working with people that become lasting friends.  

 

Don and Sandi - co-workers, neighbors, friends

Everything you can think of was for sale but done right.  I’ve been to farmers markets that are more like flea markets but not this one.  Strictly community driven and only that which was in season was sold.  No tomatoes ripened with chemicals while in transit from down south.  No melons or corn.  A true farmers market only sells what is locally available.  Want a good cantaloupe, it’ll be here in time.  

Some of the local entertainment

This duo - strummer and beat box player -  had more money in their tips box than any of the other musicians.  

The four of us though did manage to fill Don and Sandi’s collapsible red wagon with tomato plants, local honey, fresh herbs, kettle corn, urban farm fresh eggs, and boiled peanuts with sweet tea.  Yes -  we found a guy that knows the South’s gunna rise again and he’ll be there manning his booth with the peanuts and authentic sweet tea.  Our friends, who are from California of all places, didn’t feel the love for the warm wet legume.  We didn’t hold that against them either. 

Once a dog photographer.......

The local sheriff has a program called "Sewing Seeds for a New Future", a horticultural program at the county jail.  It empowers inmates by giving them job skills in agriculture.  Margo spent some time talking to them and purchased some tasty microgreens. 

Talking to the inmates

One taste of Pioneer Valley Strawberry Rhubarb jam made the sale for Margo

Some local characters...

...ditto

The haul for the day

Tomorrow (Sunday) we hook up and head down to Price, UT – about 130 miles to the southeast of SLC.  I’ll be surveying there for the week then it’s back here to the KOA.  We’ll take some pics of our new digs at the nearby state park and report back when we can. 

Till then thank a farmer and buy local.

Bike Salt Lake

Hey Folks,

As you all know, Margo and I like to ride our bikes.  If you DIDN’T know that, well – we like to ride our bikes.  I'm a little more intense about it than she is.  I love the simplicity of getting from place to place by pedaling there or experiencing a wooded trail with the wind in my face.  I’ve never been one to dream of a 13 pound titanium road bike with weight saving water bottle cages or a full suspension mountain bike with custom fit frame.  My aluminum GT mountain bike has served me well for over 12 years.  It looks like it’s been through a wreck or two because it has.  The drive-train components have been replaced a few times after being ripped off by various branches and rocks over the years.  It feels like an old pair of shoes and I’d have a hard time replacing it. 

But to experience a good ride you have to have a place to ride.  In the woods or an urban environment it all comes down to what the real estate agent always says, location, location, location.  Florida with it’s swampy wooded trails YES!  But don’t even think about riding anywhere there is traffic.  Chattanooga and Nashville have some nice bike trails both wooded and urban but again you won’t find bike lanes to provide a safe commute.  Back in September 2013 I posted about biking in Nashville (I’ll link it at the bottom of this post).  Metro Williamsburg/Norfolk/Virginia Beach – leave it in the shed. 

Salt Lake on the other hand is all about the bike.  With the nearby mountains there are hundreds of miles of off road trails.  Many of those are way over the head of my little GT but many I can happily traverse.  However, it’s the urban riding that is most interesting.  The city encourages bike riding.  They promote it on electronic road signs.  There’s even a division of the road department solely dedicated to the bike – with accompanying web site even - “Bike Salt Lake” (I’ll link that one at the bottom too).  There are dedicated bike paths that traverse the whole 80 mile Ogden –Salt Lake – Provo corridor.  Rails to trails conversions utilizing old railroad right of ways are paved and car free.  All the major roads have bike lanes – not little bitty lanes no – most are wide enough for side by side riding and my favorite “bikes may use full lane”. 

Because of this you can get anywhere safely and efficiently.  Couple that with the TRAX in-town electric train and buses that all happily invite you and your bike aboard it’s a wonder anyone has a car around here.  They do though because that’s what our culture demands.  I do my part in burning up a good share of fossil fuels as well so I’m just as guilty but on a Saturday morning it’s me and my GT.  Take a ride with me and I’ll show you a bit of downtown SLC.  We won’t kill any dinosaurs but will use that whole bike lane.  

Bikes rule in SLC.  Take a whole lane if you like.

The best Mexican food I've ever had - hands down.  The Red Iguana.  As featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri.

Temple

Conference Center

The sea gull is a cherished figure

The house that Brigham Young built

TRAX train. 

Rail history restored

Bike racks and gas meters are everywhere.  Both a good thing for me. That's my trusty GT on the left. 

Sunset over the valley

I've only scratched the surface of things to see here.  Salt Lake is a huge place with lots to explore.  We also have some more adventures coming up soon that we'll be taking you on.  The local gas company we are working for has asked for someone to take care of a one week gas survey in Price, UT (pop 8200) in the southeastern part of the state.  They offered it to me and I grabbed it.  We'll be taking LuLu along and will stay at a nearby state park.  The campground is called "Mountain View" so that sounds promising.  Even better, my youngest daughter is flying out to visit in early July and we plan to head south to Zion National Park for a little vacation time and roadrunner searching so stay tuned.  

Here are the links I mentioned earlier. 

My post about biking in Nashville is here.

Bike Salt Lake website is here.