Road Trip To Cali

Pit Stop in South Dakota

To make our road trip a little more like a road trip my parents and I stopped in SD to check out Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We took a family trip there along time ago so it was really neat to see how it had changed. We got to see M. Rushmore really well, but Crazy Horse was some what of a let down. We hoped to see the lazer show and blowing off of some rock. We couldn’t get into the place because we were late so we parked about 3 blocks away on the side of the road. We were able to see the sights but it lost it’s effect without the narration and ambiance. It was still a good stop, but then it was time to hit the road again. Here are some photos to enjoy. Can you tell we had been driving for about 9 hours?

My Utah experience- summer style

One of the stops along the way to California was to spend a few days with my sister and her boyfriend, Chris, in Utah. They live in beautiful Park City, Utah. They both work hard but still find the energy to entertain and explore new things that this state has to offer.

During our short time in Utah we discovered that this state has a whole new array of activities besides skiing and snowboarding for those with an adventurous heart. My mom and I decided we almost prefer Utah in the summer verses the winter because of the variety of activities and also because it isn’t so crazy crowded with tourists and celebrities.

When we arrived we were exhausted from driving almost all the way straight from Minnesota. It was a very long drive, but we made it. We pretty much crashed for a long nap once we pulled into Carolyn’s place. Then we settled and went around town to check out their Muckers and Miners festival which was similar to the Lumberjack Days in Stillwater.

Then the next day was our hike and bike day. Carolyn took me on my first mountain biking ride. She has really gotten into it this summer. She’s learned a lot and is a great teacher. I quickly discovered that it is definitely not a sport for the faint of heart. The first time we stopped so I could catch my breath was a huge wake up call for me and the elevation. Ooo man! It took me a while to get a hang of biking upward and tackling the switch backs, but I eventually got it and each one was like a little triumph and felt awesome! Once we had climbed about 1,000 ft it was time to go back down. YIKES! It was very scary but with Carolyn’s coaching and patience I did it without a scrap or bruise. Thanks Big C!

Mom and Dad hiked while Carolyn and I biked. They had a great time, but also wanted to give the mountain biking a try. Carolyn took them on a little ride up and down a small hill. This is Mom still smiling after the experience. Mom, were you smiling when you were on the bike?

Here is a action shot of Dad and Carolyn. The bike was a little small for him.

In the afternoon we made a quick stop at a cemetery, my mom’s favorite. It actually wasn’t fairly interesting. They had a walking tour that told the stories on some of the grave stones and the people buried there. This was my mom’s favorite one. She thought it would be perfect for my day. It said, “My Husband” and had flowers around it. She loves cemeteries. Hehe.

Chris took the next day off so we went on a nice hike up to explore the Timpanogos Cave. It was well worth the exhausting hike for the sights to behold inside such a mountain. Here are some pictures from the hike and inside the cave.

Because the hike was up the mountain we Minnesotans couldn’t take the elevation as well as Carolyn and Chris. We felt very out of shape and out of breath.

Paul couldn’t come on this road trip, but we took a family photo as if he was there. Nice sunglasses Paul!

Here’s is one inside the cave. It was spectacular! There were some tight walk ways and Dad bumped his head a couple times. I learned a lot and was blown away by what our earth can do if we just give it time. The cave was millions of years old and still growing! This is Carolyn being a cave monster.

This is to show the tight, tight spaces. Squeeze in!

Yesterday Carolyn needed to do a training run with her friend John for the Twin Cities Marathon. They set out to run 20 miles. I told them I would run with them for part of it not realizing that I would end up running over 14 miles! It was out of the blue and I was worried about the elevation but it was alright. We got up bright and early and had a very nice run. Carolyn and John completed the 20 miles and she still had energy to do more things the rest of the day. She is totally ready for her fifth marathon!

For the rest of the day we spent it at the Canyons. This is the biggest skiing resort in Utah. Chris works here as a computer tech and during his lunch break gets to go skiing in the winter and disc golfing in the summer. He took us out on the course. It was an interesting event for all of us. Even though I’ve played my fair share of Frisbee these discs were totally different. Although I think I might be a little better at disc golf than regular golf. Just ask Tony, Leah, and John. They’ve seen my skills and its not pretty.

It was fun to ride the chair lifts with out skies. Tips up guys!

Chris was an all-star!

Look mom found her disc!

Before going down the mountain we decided to do a little hike and got extremely lucky. My mom was leading us and happened upon a mama moose and calf! Carolyn says they can charge at you so we were very cautious!

Hello moose friends!

It was an amazing sight! They are massive and sweet!

Now we are staying the night in San Bernardino, CA. I’m in California! Woohoo! Tomorrow is High Trails! I’m both nervous and excited! I don’t know what is in store…???