An Adventure

Is it ever strange and exciting to you that there is so much around you that you've never seen?
It is to me.

One memory I have of this idea is as a teenager traveling to a little farming town near my hometown with my sister Jen. We were attending a missionary farewell. I'd never been to this town, and had no idea it existed. As we traveled it looked like we were headed nowhere, and then suddenly this little farming town popped up before my eyes.  People were at church in their wranglers with a warm welcome. I never forgot visiting that little hidden town.

For President's Day I wanted an adventure. I wanted to drive south to land we've never seen. I wanted to see the people who lived there and the towns that surrounded mine.  To say the older kids were less than thrilled is a large understatement. Scott and I loaded them up giggling at their complete frustration with this whole idea.

We drove to Smith's and picked out snacks in teams of 2.  With our jerky, licorice, chips, and drinks we headed south.  Tickle bump road lightened the mood.  I demanded no ipods, music or books. We were going to look out the windows and have conversations.  So, I started talking.

"I wonder how long Utah lake is?"
"I wonder what the tallest peak in Utah is?"
"I wonder what they farm out here?"

The kids started thinking and talking. Scotty looked up things we didn't have an answer for on his phone.

When we arrived at a stop sign we turned right and headed to Eureka, Utah. Never been there. Tiny little mining town with old buildings.  The first cool thing we found was this brightly windowed building that covered these stairs in front of this beautiful old church.  It was an LDS meetinghouse built in 1902. Isn't that bright yellow door just stunning?

 About this time Asher had created an effigy of me using licorice as hair. Evidently I had a high pitched British accent.  The kids (and SCOTT!) would roar with laughter when he'd say, "Let's go on an adventure!"  Ok. It was pretty funny.  Every stop we'd make he'd remember my comments and repeat them in the car with this funny accent.

 Next stop. Abandoned caboose.  We explored it briefly.  Very cool to see the layout of this train car and realize people lived in these as they traveled.

 Thought this old building was a bit funny. I had to look up BPOE and found it means Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks- a well known fraternal order. Wonder if this place is hopping on a Friday night?

 Isn't this old Levi's advertisement cool.  Do you think Levi will still give you a free new pair if yours rip?

 On the right is St.Patrick's Catholic church built in 1885. It is one of the oldest in the State. It had a cool old bell out front that Aidan rang. Woops. On the left is a huge mining headframe. This was where people and equipment were lowered via cages into the vertical mining shaft.

 This was the super duper muddy Eureka cemetery.

 And lastly, on the way out of town, I spied this rock with Porter Rockwell's name  on it.
Turns out his cabin was relocated from Cherry Creek to Eureka and here it sits! Porter was a bodyguard to the Prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

On the way home we spotted some emus.  It was the perfect ending to an adventurous day.