Ok, so I didn't exactly avoid the northern Utah cities like previously mentioned. I actually enjoyed them all. Utah towns and cities are clean and full of history.
After leaving the Logan Hastings we returned to the Logan Canyon Road and hiked the the 3.4-mile River Trail, a misnomer of a trail as it was more of a loud gravel road the first 1.5 miles along USHwy89. The river was mostly hidden by shrubs and trees and offered limited access for Sadie, who was thirsty. She stayed obediently on her leash as we yielded to cyclists, joggers and hikers with their yappy mini-dogs that somehow always end up off-leash.
It wasn't as scenic as a trail as expected, but we got it done and were able to drive away from Logan feeling a bit relieved. Temperatures quickly rose into the 80s by noon when we left.
We stayed south on USHwy 89 as we meandered along the Wasatch foothills, past elegant homes overlooking the most northern of the Salt Lake. From Logan all the towns bled into one metropolis. Raspberry and cherry orchards lined parts of the open road toward the lake.
We stopped briefly in Brigham City but then continued on to Ogden, where we ended up passing a few hours: the Utah State Motorcycle Raffle was taking place this weekend and the Harley riders were strutting their skills near Main Street. Antique cars graced the main drag as leathered big bellied bearded and bandanaded biker boys sauntered down the streets in full Harley regalia. The group no doubt added life to this town.
Even without all the Harleys this town was another pretty must-see, but we continued on to Salt Lake City, a city that in the late 1980s I got to see several times thanks to Uncle Sam.
The town has changed tremendously since its prudish era of the 1980s. Alcohol can now be served in restaurants without a "club price" and several very good breweries make their craft for the public. The state's drinking laws were liberated in 2004 after they were relaxed for the Winter Olympics in 2002. (Probably because city officials realized how profitable liquor consumption was.)
I drove by so many stately lawns of both public and private property that were running their water systems full force. A lot of water ended up wasted as it rolled down the streets into the gutters.
We drove around the state capital. I talked briefly to a young Chicagoan wearing a CARA running shirt, the Chicago-Area Running Club logo proudly on her front. She took our picture and off she went, up the hill toward Creek Canyon north of the capitol.
I wanted to walk around the Temple Grounds but the entire square was under massive construction and streets were one-way. There was so much construction around town that it made driving anywhere problematic, and arriving on a Friday afternoon during early rush hour probably didn't help much, either.
It was 93F in town and Sadie was suffering. After sunset it cooled down ten degrees, cool enough to wander around the southwest section of town, the upscale Sugarhouse Section, close to the University of Utah campus and its raised sports complex. Olympic banners still adorned the parking lot lamps.
I ate a big meal at a chain restaurant, Noodles and Company, where for the first time on my trip back home I saw Mexicans working in the background. While young college-aged people worked the front counter, silent Mexicans worked at bussing tables and restocking the beverage shelves.
Late at night we went back toward the Temple Square to admire the temple at night. Lovers strolled the heavily-surveilled complex and for a while I could have sworn that the shrubs near me were moaning and moving. (A few minutes later, walking past the site again, the irrigation sprayers had been turned on and the suspect couple had moved further south to further swap spit and fondle.)
I may return during the day tomorrow to better look at Brigham Young's gubernatorial home (a huge mansion in the southwest corner of Temple Square.) I may also take in a peak hike nearby, or perhaps check out "This is the Place" Memorial on the far east side of town, where the Mormon pioneers of 1846 first caught glimpse of the Great Salt Lake.
Despite the late hours it was warm in the city. I couldn't get to sleep so I stayed awake to write this, all while revelers were coming and going into a hotel bar, laughing, screaming and generally being rowdy. Two cop cars pulled drivers over at the street intersection within one hour.
After leaving the Logan Hastings we returned to the Logan Canyon Road and hiked the the 3.4-mile River Trail, a misnomer of a trail as it was more of a loud gravel road the first 1.5 miles along USHwy89. The river was mostly hidden by shrubs and trees and offered limited access for Sadie, who was thirsty. She stayed obediently on her leash as we yielded to cyclists, joggers and hikers with their yappy mini-dogs that somehow always end up off-leash.
It wasn't as scenic as a trail as expected, but we got it done and were able to drive away from Logan feeling a bit relieved. Temperatures quickly rose into the 80s by noon when we left.
We stayed south on USHwy 89 as we meandered along the Wasatch foothills, past elegant homes overlooking the most northern of the Salt Lake. From Logan all the towns bled into one metropolis. Raspberry and cherry orchards lined parts of the open road toward the lake.
We stopped briefly in Brigham City but then continued on to Ogden, where we ended up passing a few hours: the Utah State Motorcycle Raffle was taking place this weekend and the Harley riders were strutting their skills near Main Street. Antique cars graced the main drag as leathered big bellied bearded and bandanaded biker boys sauntered down the streets in full Harley regalia. The group no doubt added life to this town.
Even without all the Harleys this town was another pretty must-see, but we continued on to Salt Lake City, a city that in the late 1980s I got to see several times thanks to Uncle Sam.
The town has changed tremendously since its prudish era of the 1980s. Alcohol can now be served in restaurants without a "club price" and several very good breweries make their craft for the public. The state's drinking laws were liberated in 2004 after they were relaxed for the Winter Olympics in 2002. (Probably because city officials realized how profitable liquor consumption was.)
I drove by so many stately lawns of both public and private property that were running their water systems full force. A lot of water ended up wasted as it rolled down the streets into the gutters.
We drove around the state capital. I talked briefly to a young Chicagoan wearing a CARA running shirt, the Chicago-Area Running Club logo proudly on her front. She took our picture and off she went, up the hill toward Creek Canyon north of the capitol.
I wanted to walk around the Temple Grounds but the entire square was under massive construction and streets were one-way. There was so much construction around town that it made driving anywhere problematic, and arriving on a Friday afternoon during early rush hour probably didn't help much, either.
It was 93F in town and Sadie was suffering. After sunset it cooled down ten degrees, cool enough to wander around the southwest section of town, the upscale Sugarhouse Section, close to the University of Utah campus and its raised sports complex. Olympic banners still adorned the parking lot lamps.
I ate a big meal at a chain restaurant, Noodles and Company, where for the first time on my trip back home I saw Mexicans working in the background. While young college-aged people worked the front counter, silent Mexicans worked at bussing tables and restocking the beverage shelves.
Late at night we went back toward the Temple Square to admire the temple at night. Lovers strolled the heavily-surveilled complex and for a while I could have sworn that the shrubs near me were moaning and moving. (A few minutes later, walking past the site again, the irrigation sprayers had been turned on and the suspect couple had moved further south to further swap spit and fondle.)
I may return during the day tomorrow to better look at Brigham Young's gubernatorial home (a huge mansion in the southwest corner of Temple Square.) I may also take in a peak hike nearby, or perhaps check out "This is the Place" Memorial on the far east side of town, where the Mormon pioneers of 1846 first caught glimpse of the Great Salt Lake.
Despite the late hours it was warm in the city. I couldn't get to sleep so I stayed awake to write this, all while revelers were coming and going into a hotel bar, laughing, screaming and generally being rowdy. Two cop cars pulled drivers over at the street intersection within one hour.
No comments:
Post a Comment