Last Days of Freedom: Salt Lake City Trip

A 4.5 Hour Drive to Salt Lake City I shall go!

So Thursday, I woke up and drove back to Kelly to pack up some things I'd need while in Salt Lake City, placed all of my other things in the basement of the Main Lodge of the Teton Science School, and drove back to Jackson to spend the day in town while I waited to take my drug test later that afternoon.  I had some great coffee and breakfast at the Cowboy Coffee Co., called my mom for a little, and then met up with some of the WFR students before we all had to head our separate ways.

Took some time to gather myself and clean up my car and some financial and computer things, then waited around until 4:00pm MST to take my drug test.  After my test, around 4:30pm, I filled up the car with gas and was en route to Salt Lake City.  Since I had a few additional days until I could move into my new TSS home, I decided to spend the weekend visiting my friend Chris, from back home who has been living in SLC since college.

He has been trying to convince me to visit SLC for years, and so finally, 12+ years later, I have come to visit!  Haha.  I got into town around 10:00pm MST on Thursday evening, totally exhausted.  Had a drink on the back porch with Chris catching up talking about my new grad program, my WFR experience, and news and updates about home in DE and at DNS.

The next morning (Friday), slept in FOR ONCE!  While Chris was at work, I just did some shopping for school and wandered around SLC.  Had lunch with Chris and two of his friends at a Thai place (so delicious) and then went to visit the Patagonia outlet.  A good and bad thing!  Luckily, since every female is practically my size, there was very little to choose from.  Womp womp.  Which on the other hand, my bank account was thanking me!  Haha.  But I did manage to ramble through some bins and found a size xs/s top and bottom base-layer and a new pullover with thumb holes! Happy Day!!!!

Sunset from the Top of the Living Room

After my shopping day in SLC, I headed back to the house to wait for Chris.  When he came back, we headed up on a hike in back of the University of Utah's property up on Mt. Wire to a place called 'The Living Room.'

New type of tree to look up - Scrub Oak.  These were very cool.  Unlike a lot of Oaks back home that grow tall, these get to be 'shrub-level' in height!

View from The Living Room!

This was such a cool hike, although my body is STILL getting used to the altitude difference.  So I was kind of struggling up the incline.  In due time, I'll get better...DON'T RUSH ME!  haha.

Watching the view from some comfy seats! haha.

When we got up there, you could totally overlook the entire SLC and part of the Great Salt Lake.  Very cool!

Can I Try to Change the Channel?!?

The view was very cool from there, and what was really nice about it was that all the slabs of rock were placed in formations of chairs and couches!  Hence the name, 'Living Room.'  Clever.  There was even an old remote control on one of the arm chairs!  So funny!

Such a beautiful sunset over Salt Lake City!

On our way down, we found some remnants of a Mule Deer (from what I think)!

Chris was offered a new job during work, so we went out into the town to celebrate with some friends at some of his favorite bars.  Totally stumbled on some karaoke with some very 'talented' singers!

The next morning, we woke up went to a Farmer's Market in town and had some JERSEY Bagels!  Ok, fine, they were not really Jersey bagels, but the couple who made them were from Jersey and started making them out here.  They were pretty close to the delicious ones back home.  So home sick for a REAL bagel...wah.

After the hike we met up with some of Chris' ATO brothers and friends and hiked up Millcreek Canyon Hike in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest up to Dog Lake.  Took all morning to get up there and back to the cars.  The best part of the hike was the Female Moose Chris spotted when we parked the car.  I literally cried tears of joy and excitement!  She was sooooooo beautiful and so calm as I took a photo of her and with her from the side of the road.

We hiked about 5-6 miles to Dog Lake and back.

Up to Dog Lake, we hiked up the Lower Mill Creek Canyon trail and once we got to Dog Lake, took the Upper going down.

Stining Nettle as tall as ChristyBel...so glad we don't have it that intense back home!

Beautiful wildflowers...Still Trying to learn all of the plants out here!

Sheila, if you are reading this, you now have TWO reasons to come out west!!! Wish you were here with us on the hike!

12+ Year Friendship - Thanks Delaware Nature Society!

View from the top of Mill Creek Canyon!

Dog Lake was a really cool hike.  Mostly because this hike invites and welcomes Dogs to hike on the trail!  I couldn't even tell you how many dogs we saw going up and down the trails, not to mention how many we saw swimming in the lake.  Brenna, if you are reading this, I bet you, Ben, and Padfoot would LOVE this hike!

Dog Lake

After the hike, we got back into town around 2:30pm MST.  So, we went to grab some lunch then head into Downtown for the Utah Beerfest!

I know, ChristyBel does NOT drink beer, but it was a cool experience to see 14+ local Utah Breweries in one place and sample some of their beverages.  Tried a variety of beers.  From what I could remember (ha) I sampled:

Boulevard Brewery Boulevard Wheat

Bonnerville Brewing Company Antelope Amber Ale

Avenues Proper Gose the Goserian

Uinta Brewing Company Sum'r Organic Summer Ale

Wing Nutz Nut Job Beers Tree Hugger Organic Amber Ale

Squatters Bumper Crop Honey Lavender

I am definitely missing a few, but from what I can tell you, I liked most of them...surprisingly.  The one that I did NOT like was the Gose the Goserian.  It was terrible.  It had a sour tangy taste...actually it tasted like OLD, Salty Ocean Water and Lemon Juice...why would you create a drink like that?!?

Bonnerville Brewing Company Antelope Amber Ale

The one I most enjoyed was Squatters Bumper Crop Honey Lavender.  You could totally taste the Honey and Lavender in the beer!! Such a unique flavor!!

Wing Nutz Nut Job Beers Tree Hugger Organic Amber Ale

Sunday morning, we went out to brunch to meet up with some of Chris' ATO Brothers and Alumni and then headed to the Museum of Natural History of Utah, located on the University of Utah's property.  This museum was so beautiful and focused on the cultural aspects of the Native Americans that used to and still live in the region, the local geology, and local fauna and flora.  So cool!!!  Not to mention they had a special exhibit going on about Natural Disasters.

Sky Deck with Solar Panels Galore!

Also, this museum had one of the largest collections of Dinosaur bones!!! It was so cool, and some of them were even the real bones, not just the castings!  I felt pretty weird seeing real bones up close.  Nerd Moment.

Ancient Sloth...this thing was huge, twice the size of ChristyBel

Sure seeing my favorite dinosaur, the Triceratops was so cool and all, but seeing an over-sized Sloth, Mammoth, and Crocodile was pretty awesome as well!

Jurassic Park Time.

Don't tell anyone, totally stepped on the footprint to get a size for the size magnificence!

That afternoon/evening, we traveled about 45-min to an hour east of Salt Lake City to Park City.  Chris brought his Stand Up Paddle Board and he taught me how to SUP at Jordanelle Lake at the Jordanelle State Park.  Very cool activity.  I definitely want to continue to try that.  And the best park was I didn't fall even once when I was learning!  Although my legs were pretty shaky from being nervous on that thing! haha.

After eating some awesome Fish Tacos we went to High West Distillery and had Whiskey Desserts!  Very cool and very delicious!

Whiskey Desserts!

Woke up around 7:00am MST on Monday morning to make the 5-hour drive back to the Tetons to finally say, I would no longer be living out of Little Blue anymore and move into my new little cabin at the Teton Science School! Oh, Happy Day!

I thought this quote was pretty inspiring and a great segway into my new journey of going back to school. :)

So, now I leave you with one of my favorite pictures of my trip to Salt Lake City, a picture with my moose!

More to come on my move into my little cabin at the Teton Science School...stay tuned!

Xoxo,
TheChristyBel

Moose sighting at the Millcreek Canyon Hike!