Well.. it looks like the start of a new adventure for team Deletant. I've just accepted a job offer to teach in Utah.. so just after New Years Rowan and I flew out here to get things organized while Aidan finishes up at work. We've been here a little over a week now, and have been able to get all the major things sorted out, such as daycare for Rowan until Aidan arrives, buying a car, finding somewhere to live, etc. I haven't even though about work yet! When Rowan and I weren't busy with our searches we've been off having adventures in the local area. Doing some hikes and seeing the sights.
Here are the mountains near Salt Lake City, where we flew in to (and where we ended up going back to buy our car). They're amazing.. just massive blocks of rock rising out of a flat valley.
This is the Unitah Basin, which our town Vernal is part of.
Red Fleet State Park.. there were some guys out ice fishing on the lake.. but I didn't fancy walking out there myself, especially with little Rowan on my back.
There were some amazing rock formations there.
The area is full of these small bonsai style pine trees. They seem to grow about ten foot tall.. and are always some distance apart.. I've not seen them in a dense grove. Maybe them are a bit territorial, which I guess you have to be in a desert.
Rowan and I visited Dinosaur Nation Park, they have half a mountain enclosed in a building, to display and preserve all the exposed bones. The woman said it took 30 years of digging to show all the bones that we could see.
Rowan liked playing in the gravel the best.
This is the 'econo' car we rented from the airport. Some how at 11.30pm after a 24 hour journey the sales guy convinced me this was the better deal. His math made it $20 cheaper than the one I had booked. I did love driving it around.. I felt invincible.
Next up was Flaming Gorge National Park
It was amazingly beautiful. I almost couldn't believe I was standing there looking at it.
I know Aidan and I will be having lots of adventures around there. It will be amazing to do some kayaking there in the summer. Maybe even load up a canoe with Rowan and Finn, and do a bit of camping a days paddle down the reservoir.
Snow caped mountains in the background.
It was so lovely and peacefully. I enjoyed watching flocks of birds fly below me.
The local deer (or goats?) didn't seem all that bothered by my SUV.
They didn't seem to like I leaned out the window for a better shot though.
We returned to Salt Lake City to buy our new 2012 Subaru Forester. I've only had it a few days, but it's a joy to drive.
A few more pictures for the men to enjoy (that's you Dad and Uncle John).
I love the shade of blue.
Rowan likes playing in the rocks.
Today we went off to see the dinosaur tracks on the opposite side of the lake from Red Fleet state park.
I didn't really think much about it, other than it being a bit of a destination as it's a three mile hike there and back.. I was really going for the walk. It surprised me though, how much I enjoyed the sense of history it gives when you can put your foot in the same place a dinosaur stepped all those years ago.
The foot prints weren't that huge.. and there were a number of even smaller ones around as well.
This site is special because there are a number of tracks of foot prints made by the same dinosaur, which seems to be quite rare from what I've read.
The rock was pretty smashed up in places, and you can see it's from the ice. I'm sure a number of the prints are being destroyed every year that way.
This one was near the water, and you can see the rock just crumbling away.
This is from the hike down to the lake to see the dino tracks.. it's what I would term 'desert scrub'.. not really forest, but not completely desert either. It was amazing how dry it was, even with snow on the ground. The sand was loose and soft.
This area is only about a ten minute drive from our house, so I imagine we'll be up here quite often for walks with the dog.
So far it's been a grand adventure. I can't wait until Aidan is with us, so he can enjoy the best of Utah too.
