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akaihyoShort version: Utah has some beautiful natural scenery, my family on my mother's side are all interesting people, and I had a good time. My leg held up through it all and seems well on the way to a full recovery, though I was careful not to push it.
Trip begins on Friday (24 June) driving into Atlanta after work to stay at a hotel just a little outside of the airport so Laura and I do not have to get up at 5am to come into Atlanta. Arriving at the Atlanta Days Inn (Airport West) we are told that the water main is down and may not be back on until 10pm and that we might want to find other accommodations. As the place is a total dump (and difficult to get to), we take that advice. I try to call Airwise, the on-line company I made the reservations with, to see about transferring my reservation. While waiting to get through, we check in at the Motel 6, get dinner at Waffle House and finally get through. By that time I had waited over 40 minutes (!) before I even can get through to speak to someone, who could not help at all, is not overly helpful and "there is not a manager available" but at least he gave me the contact info for Days Inn customer service. I call Days Inn, within ten minutes everything is sorted out and my reservation is canceled and my account credited. So, please, never do business with Airwise they do not deserve your money. Got an OK night's sleep.
Saturday (25 June), Laura dropped me off at the airport at 8am for my 9:10am flight, I have my ticket in hand, so I am feeling confident about the time. But, things do not work out that well. First, having never been at Atlanta airport on a Saturday, the lines to even get to security screening are huge and take time to wade through. Then the plates in my leg set off the metal detector, so I get pulled aside to be searched. More delays. Then the shuttle train just mysterious fails to continue beyond Concourse B, and my flight in on C. In any case, I finally made it to my flight and get aboard. I am flying AirTran for the first time, no frills but nice. No complaints.
Arriving in Las Vegas, I find my sister Becky and her two kids (Peter, 16, and Eva, 14) which was not as easy as it seems as it has been about 15 years since I last saw Becky . . . Then caught up with my mum and Dan. There to the rental car place where we all packed into a minivan and headed for Lake Powell . . . in Utah. We left the airport at 1:15pm and arrived at Lake Powell at 1:30am. Unpacked onto the houseboat and fell asleep.
Sunday-Wednesday (26-29 June), all spent on Lake Powell. My brother Chris, his wife Alexis, and their two children (Devon, 20, and Alex, 18) had rented a houseboat for our trip around the Lake. We left from Bullfrog Marina and over the course of our journey, anchoring on shore each day, we went as far at Dangling Rope Marina, visited Rainbow Bridge, walked up and down over rocks and sand, Peter caught three catfish (very tasty), played Scrabble, Fluxx and cards and generally had a good time. The scenery around Lake Powell is amazing.
Thursday (30 June), returned the houseboat and headed out on the road more or less back towards Las Vegas. Passed through Capital Reef national park (which has no paved roads and it is the only way to travel through that park), more spectacular views but slow going. Ended the day at the Days Inn in Torrey, Utah, which was a really nice hotel, the polar opposite of the one in Atlanta. Had a wonderful dinner at the Capital Reef Restaurant, then retired for the night.
Friday (1 July) down to Zion via Bryce National Park. More beautiful vistas and a short walk. Arrived at Zion in the mid-afternoon, getting to drive through the Zion tunnel (just over a mile long tunnel carved through a sandstone mountain in 1930) on the way. I was the only one of our group not staying at the Zion Lodge (as a late addition), so I stayed in Springdale which is literally just outside the southern end of the park. Had a nice, but pricey, dinner at the Lodge Cafe with everyone. Saw a wild fox while plans for the rest of the evening were being made. And then went for a walk with Mum and Dan, which ended with me getting a blister on my heel as I was not wearing sock (had not been planning to hike just over a mile). Then back to the hotel.
Saturday (2 July), day of treking around Zion, avoiding difficult hikes and enjoying the wonderful views. Dinner in Springdale at the Panda Gardens, then to an outdoor amphitheater for a performance by the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Said goodbye to Chris, Alexis, Devon and Alex as they were headed back to north to Portland (OR) while we were head southish toward Las Vegas the next day.
Sunday (3 July), viva Las Vegas! We made good time and I was dropped off at the airport early, early enough that AirTran allowed me to catch an early flight which got me into Atlanta at 6:30pm (rather than at 8:30 for my original flight). Laura meet me and we drove home.
It was a wonderful trip and I hope to share some of the photo from it soon.
Trip begins on Friday (24 June) driving into Atlanta after work to stay at a hotel just a little outside of the airport so Laura and I do not have to get up at 5am to come into Atlanta. Arriving at the Atlanta Days Inn (Airport West) we are told that the water main is down and may not be back on until 10pm and that we might want to find other accommodations. As the place is a total dump (and difficult to get to), we take that advice. I try to call Airwise, the on-line company I made the reservations with, to see about transferring my reservation. While waiting to get through, we check in at the Motel 6, get dinner at Waffle House and finally get through. By that time I had waited over 40 minutes (!) before I even can get through to speak to someone, who could not help at all, is not overly helpful and "there is not a manager available" but at least he gave me the contact info for Days Inn customer service. I call Days Inn, within ten minutes everything is sorted out and my reservation is canceled and my account credited. So, please, never do business with Airwise they do not deserve your money. Got an OK night's sleep.
Saturday (25 June), Laura dropped me off at the airport at 8am for my 9:10am flight, I have my ticket in hand, so I am feeling confident about the time. But, things do not work out that well. First, having never been at Atlanta airport on a Saturday, the lines to even get to security screening are huge and take time to wade through. Then the plates in my leg set off the metal detector, so I get pulled aside to be searched. More delays. Then the shuttle train just mysterious fails to continue beyond Concourse B, and my flight in on C. In any case, I finally made it to my flight and get aboard. I am flying AirTran for the first time, no frills but nice. No complaints.
Arriving in Las Vegas, I find my sister Becky and her two kids (Peter, 16, and Eva, 14) which was not as easy as it seems as it has been about 15 years since I last saw Becky . . . Then caught up with my mum and Dan. There to the rental car place where we all packed into a minivan and headed for Lake Powell . . . in Utah. We left the airport at 1:15pm and arrived at Lake Powell at 1:30am. Unpacked onto the houseboat and fell asleep.
Sunday-Wednesday (26-29 June), all spent on Lake Powell. My brother Chris, his wife Alexis, and their two children (Devon, 20, and Alex, 18) had rented a houseboat for our trip around the Lake. We left from Bullfrog Marina and over the course of our journey, anchoring on shore each day, we went as far at Dangling Rope Marina, visited Rainbow Bridge, walked up and down over rocks and sand, Peter caught three catfish (very tasty), played Scrabble, Fluxx and cards and generally had a good time. The scenery around Lake Powell is amazing.
Thursday (30 June), returned the houseboat and headed out on the road more or less back towards Las Vegas. Passed through Capital Reef national park (which has no paved roads and it is the only way to travel through that park), more spectacular views but slow going. Ended the day at the Days Inn in Torrey, Utah, which was a really nice hotel, the polar opposite of the one in Atlanta. Had a wonderful dinner at the Capital Reef Restaurant, then retired for the night.
Friday (1 July) down to Zion via Bryce National Park. More beautiful vistas and a short walk. Arrived at Zion in the mid-afternoon, getting to drive through the Zion tunnel (just over a mile long tunnel carved through a sandstone mountain in 1930) on the way. I was the only one of our group not staying at the Zion Lodge (as a late addition), so I stayed in Springdale which is literally just outside the southern end of the park. Had a nice, but pricey, dinner at the Lodge Cafe with everyone. Saw a wild fox while plans for the rest of the evening were being made. And then went for a walk with Mum and Dan, which ended with me getting a blister on my heel as I was not wearing sock (had not been planning to hike just over a mile). Then back to the hotel.
Saturday (2 July), day of treking around Zion, avoiding difficult hikes and enjoying the wonderful views. Dinner in Springdale at the Panda Gardens, then to an outdoor amphitheater for a performance by the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Said goodbye to Chris, Alexis, Devon and Alex as they were headed back to north to Portland (OR) while we were head southish toward Las Vegas the next day.
Sunday (3 July), viva Las Vegas! We made good time and I was dropped off at the airport early, early enough that AirTran allowed me to catch an early flight which got me into Atlanta at 6:30pm (rather than at 8:30 for my original flight). Laura meet me and we drove home.
It was a wonderful trip and I hope to share some of the photo from it soon.
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Date: 2005-07-06 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-06 12:53 am (UTC)