A Sunny Day in Salt Lake City (Despite the Forecast!)
We woke up around 9:30 a.m. and headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast—always a solid way to start the day. After that, we set out for a nice walk around Salt Lake City, revisiting a few places we’d been to on a previous trip. The weather was absolutely perfect—bright and sunny—the exact opposite of what had been forecasted. We got really lucky considering the original prediction called for rain every day for the foreseeable future.
After our walk, we went back to the hotel, ate some leftovers for lunch, and I finally tackled the mess I’d made on the desk with my souvenirs, papers, brochures, and other assorted travel clutter. In the process, I discovered there actually WAS an outlet on the desk. I complained to Cheryl about that on Day 1! Guess I covered it up with all my crap. Then I created some FB posts for my author talk at AM Coffee & Co. this coming Wednesday, cleaned up, and got ready to catch our bus for our visit to the Antelope Island State Park.
That’s when things got silly. Cheryl looked at me like I’d lost my mind when I told her we needed to head out. I was convinced the bus would be there soon. She calmly pointed out that the bus wasn’t due for over an hour. Turns out, I had completely forgotten about daylight savings time. I thought it was 2:30 PM. It was only 1:30. Oops.
Since now I had a full hour, I asked Cheryl to read Chapter 1 of my WIP (Work in Progress)—the story of Scott’s great-grandmother, Catherine Seeley FitzAllen. Cheryl played a key role in helping me write an earlier version of this story several years ago. That version was a nonfiction account of Catherine’s fall from a high-society woman to someone once described as “the best sneak thief in the Midwest.”
Since then, my writing skills have grown, and this new version is a creative nonfiction retelling—far more engaging! (Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay updated on my progress.)
Cheryl really enjoyed the new version. She felt the setting pulled her into the time period. She could clearly see a woman striving to fit into high society, unaware that the very people she sought approval from were looking down on her. She also picked up on her husband’s dissatisfaction with the marriage. I was glad to see she noticed all the conflict I had set up. She could see the plot unfolding and wanted to keep reading to find out where it would go.
Since Cheryl was the first person to read this new version, I was pretty pleased with her feedback!.
The tour bus to Antelope Island was fantastic. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, but it was a four-hour trip filled with stunning landscapes and incredible wildlife. As I type this (or rather, dictate it into my phone, because I’m being exceptionally tech-savvy on this trip), we’re heading back to the hotel. It’s 7:16 PM, and I have to say, today was a success.
For those of you who have known me for a long time, I think you’ll be properly impressed by the pictures of me hiking up to an elevation of about 4,750 feet. I did drive Cheryl a little bit crazy because I took my purse with me – a really nice leather tote that I got with Caitlin at a consignment shop. She kept making me hide it in pictures because, apparently, it didn’t exactly scream “rugged hiker.”
I’m going to suggest to my friends, John and Doreen, that they consider replacing their Sprinter RV with this unique covered wagon setup!
Cheryl and I both enjoyed a “horse ride.”
We had dinner in the hotel lobby in front of the fireplace—last night’s leftovers, gourmet-style. After that, we decided to check out the pool situation. Not only is the Starbucks closed for renovations, but the pool is out of commission too! We pressed our noses against the glass, trying to get a look through a gap in the paper covering the other side. Naturally, I took this as an opportunity to test the structural integrity of the window—with my forehead.
After we finished laughing (to the point of tears) and I confirmed that my dignity was only slightly bruised, we figured we might as well round up our walking distance for the day. We were at 4.66 miles, so obviously, we had to push it to an even five. Because what’s a little more walking when you’ve already smacked your head on a window?
We settled back in the room for the night. Tomorrow – the Family History Library for more research!
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