17 June 2015

Go West Big Ladies, 2015

My mother made me an amazing proposal this summer.  She offered to take our big ladies - Rachel and Samantha - for a ten day road trip out west.  I reminded her that I was the last teenage girl she had been stuck in a car with for days on end.  Did she really understand what she was offering?  She was undaunted.  The big ladies - now 17 and 15 - were apprehensive.  Will she make us drink milk?  Will she make us go to bed before midnight?  Will she make us ride the kiddie rides?  It became clear to me that this trip was a fantastic opportunity for my big ladies and my mother to spend time together.  What better way to bond with - or fight with - your family than on the highways of America doing 65 mph?  Off they went.  Here are some highlights and pictures:

First picture from the road - Rachel braiding her hair.  They had lots of car time and they were amazed by the scenery of the west.  They quickly discovered that Arkansas mountains pale in comparison to the Rockies.


The big ladies remembered Rita's from when we lived in North Carolina.  Out west - this one was in Utah - they found a Rita's in a food truck!  Rachel said she just wanted to drive away in it!

While in Utah they did the Mormon scenic stuff - Temple Square.

Visitor's Center.  They also saw the Tabernacle and the new Assembly Hall.  They went up to the roof, where there is apparently a waterfall and a great view of Salt Lake.

The Salt Lake Temple.  Even though there are no other people in this pictures, they said it was crowded and they had missionaries talk to them all over.  They just said, we are Mormons, from Arkansas, just here seeing the sights.

Lion House for supper.  They loved the rolls.

A rainbow in the mountains.  This was taken the day they rode the trains.  The big ladies have lived in small towns all their lives, so Salt Lake was a big city and the trains were fun and fascinating.

Food truck stop.  Burritos and Rita's.  The good life.

More mountain pictures - that yellowish haze is sunlight hitting the distant slopes and reflecting back.

The beginning of sunset - beautiful colors in the mountains over Kenneth's (Ma's little brother and their gracious host) house.

A day in Park City.  They went ziplining and toured around the area.

And IKEA.  I love IKEA.  I have only been a few times, but, there's just something about that store that makes me want to come back and just wander around.  For years the big ladies have heard me talk about IKEA and Ma took them to the IKEA in Centennial, Colorado.

And a selfie while eating IKEA cinnamon buns after a day of wandering around and dreaming about taking it all home.  They did bring us all home IKEA stuff - plates and glasses and bowls and utensils - and tshirts from Colorado.  But mainly what I hope they took from this trip was time with their grandmother and an appreciation for getting out of town.  Ma said they were well behaved.  They were respectful and they travel well.  More adventures, undocumented by pictures - are a visit to a trampoline park, a shopping trip at Deseret Books, the movie Jurassic Park and lots of hotel hanging out time with Ma.  They were glad to be home and glad to get to go.  Thank you, Ma.

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