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Sep 2008 Issue
by Dave Ellis
We recently traveled to Park City, Utah (yes, that Park City) for a family vacation. We had never been there and it was quite an experience. The main thing is that it was 68 degrees the entire time: it was beautiful. Honestly, I could have stayed in the Pahrump municipal dump if it was 68 degrees and I would still tell you it was beautiful. Our vacation was not about the surroundings as much as the temperature.
But we lucked out with Park City. As Desert Saints Magazine official travel writer (self title), I will tell you about our adventures, and maybe even throw in an escapade or undertakings (thank you Visual Thesaurus).
Park City is east of Salt Lake City over the Wasatch Mountains, according to my GPS. I used a GPS the entire trip so I basically don’t have any idea where anything is. I just listened to the robotic British voice (extra classy!) and mostly ended up where I wanted to go.
I just feel bad that another automated system put another American out of work; namely my wife. She occasionally argued with the robot, but she doesn’t have an internal GPS chip, yet. When she does I guess I will have to get rid of the plastic one. My wife even has a touch screen; I just poke her in the nose. Gets her attention every time.
Our vacation was pretty laid back, despite my wife’s three-page, typewritten schedule. The first night was spent watching TV at a different altitude. To be fair the Olympics were on, so we caught the opening ceremonies, then decided our time could be spent enjoying the great outdoors. This meant we would do stuff we normally don’t do at home.
Let me explain my normal daily routine. I drive to work sitting down, log in to my computer and sit for eight plus hours and return home to sit while I eat dinner then sit again while I watch TV. If it weren’t for the stairs at home my muscles would atrophy (more). So as I loaded up the bikes, bike trailer and extra-large-capacity water bottles, I began to wonder if I could handle the upcoming relaxation.
Our bike trip wasn’t that hard — on the way down the hill. I soon found that it was a much more difficult trip on the way back up. Let me elaborate with a basic equation:
My excess weight + three kids in a trailer + high altitude + uphill = DOES NOT COMPUTE
Everyone slept well that night.
We fished the next day but didn’t catch anything. Probably a good thing as I haven’t cleaned a fish in a while and would probably almost cut my finger off doing it. We then decided to roast marshmallows and I nearly cut my finger off splitting wood. Let me elaborate with a basic equation:
City boy + machete + high altitude + bad aim = five stitches
My finger is healing nicely, thank you.
All in all it was a great trip. Park City is beautiful and it has one of the quickest Quick Care facilities I’ve ever been to. I look forward to returning one day to enjoy the weather and perhaps have a snake bite treated. As far as vacations go, the only change I will make next time is to replace the bikes with mopeds and the machete with a gas grill.
It’s good to be back at work so I can relax again.
