Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Hotel Tour of 2014 -- night 96

Sniff, sniff, sob, sob -- my vacation in Utah has come to an and.  Boo hoo hoo!  I've been to Salt Lake City many times, but I have never really fallen in love with this state.  I am usually inside, working, while it's blisteringly hot or the inversion is in during the winter months.  I always thought it was "fine" here, but my heart didn't go pitter-pat.

After this week, though, my heart is going pitter-pat.  This is one amazing state and I'm so blessed that I got to see so much of it!  We are definitely planning to visit again and see the parts we missed:  Bryce Canyon, Zion, Dinosaur National Monument, Natural Bridge, Four Corners... Maybe we'll need to come back several times to see it all!

Today was a simple day:

1.  Leave Park City and drive to Salt Lake City.  Farewell, Park City; I shall miss thee!

2.  Stop at Bruges Waffles and Frites:


Belgian waffle with chocolate, creme fraiche, and fresh strawberries.  Need I say more?

3.  Head to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake and see the bison:


RIGHT OUTSIDE MY CAR!  They are HUGE!

I saw antelope, too, but they blend in so well that the photos would just look like photos of the hillside.  I wish I had seen the bighorn sheep, but there are very few on the island and most of the island was closed today due to a bicycle race.  Sigh.

It was very hot and sunny today and I don't do well in the sun.  I didn't get to dip my toes in the Great Salt Lake because I was hiding in the shade inside of my car.  I'm sad about that, but my (shockingly pale) body is thanking me for my sacrifice.

4.  Go to The Mandarin for dinner and order my favorite honey-walnut shrimp:


5.  Share the shrimp with my husband, but only because I like him -- a lot.  For those who have eaten at The Mandarin with me, you know that I DON'T SHARE MY SHRIMP!

6.  Eat one very emphatic fortune cookie:


If it gave me the same message three times, maybe I should pay attention?

7.  Check back into my favorite hotel:


When I checked, the gal at the desk (Jolene) said, "You're back!"  This place is like Cheers!  Everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came.

I'm flying back to the real world tomorrow morning at dawn.  All good things must come to an end, but fortunately, all great things have a way of staying with you forever.


2 comments:

PatSloan said...

what a fun trip!!

LiahonaGirl said...

didn't get a chance to wish you safe travels when I saw you at the office yesterday. Gotta love the Mandarin -- and the honey walnut shrimp is the best! (did you know the sauce is made by mixing mayo, sweetened condensed milk, and honey? Yes, too easy. My other fave at the Mandarin is the green beans with black bean sauce. (Equally easy to make at home.) Nancy