Utah is other worldly. From the cold, dry air to the strange, martian landscape, Utah surprises me every time. In four days we went from four thousand to ten thousand feet and back, more than once, and experienced warm fall to the depths of snowy winter.

The trip started with a jaunt to Antelope State Park, an island in the Great Salt Lake, where buffalo roam free. Then it was on the highway south to Zion National Park, a truly great canyon, the definition of majestic. The next day Bryce Canyon National Park tested our National Park endurance, one park a day is a little too much. At first the intense density of formations made it difficult for me to really see the beauty, but once we were down in the canyon, I began to understand the appeal.

We had planned to head on from Bryce Canyon, into the Escalante National Monument area in south central Utah, but a huge winter storm descended on us, with predictions of 28 inches of snow in the southern mountains. Instead of spending a day driving along scenic vistas, we headed back north and bunkered down in Park City for two days. There are worse places to wait out a snow storm than in a fancy condo, bigger than our apartment, in a trendy ski town. Somehow we survived. Then, sadly, it was time to head home.

I’m already planning our next trip to Utah. We’d like to go back to Zion and hike the narrows. On the hike you spend a fair amount of time in the river, going up the ever narrowing canyon. Then it would be on to Escalante and finally Moab and Arches National Park. Ofcourse, nearby is also the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde in Colorado. Really, I think I need three more vacations to see it all.

(The photo above is from Bryce Canyon, and below, in order, Zion and the Salt Lake. You can see many more photos in my Utah Collection.)

I’ve been in Utah all week for work. This is my second work trip in recent months and once again I’ve flown across the country to stay in a hotel, get up early and drive to an office building. It is strange to travel elsewhere in order to experience a daily commute and a cube farm.

It is the height of fall here and I can’t get enough of the mountains. Luckily SB is flying in to join me tomorrow and we are off for a little tour of some big national parks. I can’t wait for a little vacation.

Being a lone tourist makes my neck tired. I’ve got to look in all directions at once. Oh beautiful scenery, it is hard to soak it all in and drive on narrow mountain roads. Saturday I drove up to Park City and then took the long way back, through aspen lined canyons. Today, I headed out to the Great Salt Lake where I found sails raised and big skies.

All this sight seeing would be so much better with a friend at my side, someone to enjoy the stark beauty with me.

Forget loaner fish at your hotel, what is truly modern in Salt Lake is the public library! I’ve never visited such a great, inviting, beautiful public library. I had huge library envy! Beyond the light filled architecture they have the city NPR station INSIDE the building, plus a cafe, a gift shop and even a comic book store. The building has a beautiful sweeping ramp walkway up to a rooftop garden with panoramic views of snow covered peaks.

You can see more of my photos and check out the library’s own website.

Thank you to my librarian husband for guiding me to the front door.

This morning I found little fish no longer zooming around the bowl but floating on the surface. Poor little fish, at least you will live on in infamy on this blog.

With the end of little fish came the end of my time in Salt Lake City. Back into the arms of my full-time pet, Zoe. Good-bye fish hotel!