Wyoming: Lyman and Fort Bridger

 I'm really not sure if this is in Wyoming or Utah.  I think it was Utah.  At any rate, we stopped at a Mormon trail historic site, Echo Canyon.  It was a different kind of beautiful.  It was also important to me because it is history I could directly relate to; it's really cool when you can walk the same trail some of your ancestors probably did as Mormon pioneers.  

 The plant life in the mountains is very different from what I'm used to.

 Look at that beautiful red rock!  Though some of the mountains are only gray, some are this beautiful sedimentary red.

 This plant was so fragrant!  I couldn't quite place it, though.  It was spicy, but also a bit sweet... I think my dad ate some....

 A little after arriving at our friends' house in Lyman, we  decided to go shooting, a rare opportunity for those of us on the east coast.  

The crazy thing was that all we had to do was drive to where nobody was, set up some targets, and start shooting.  What?!  It was freedom I had never experienced.  

The place we chose was gorgeous.  I chose to forgo most of my shooting time to take different kinds of shots: photos!

 I climbed to the top of some ridges to get the best shots.  It's not easy with a camera bag, but I'm glad I did it.  

And do you notice something else about this photo?  The winter jacket, perhaps?  It was so cold!  Mind you that this is August.  I did not pack one, but I am so thankful for our wonderful friends to lend me this wonderful thing.  

There were cacti all over!  I think this was actually my first time seeing a wild cactus; my previous experience had cacti in pots.  (In my last few trips out west, I didn't notice such things.  Just family we visited, tourist attractions, and BYU.)

 My mom took this with her phone.  How awesome is this.  And the sunset I could see from there was just gorgeous. 

 Next was Fort Bridger!  

On our way in, we stopped at the restored Lincoln Highway Cabins.  This was so interesting--a fantastic piece of early 20th century history.  

 I was so happy to find this beautiful meadow area.  I love seeing new things, but there is something about green and trees that I can't seem to live without.  

 It was so pretty!

 This was Bridger's trading post site.  They had been excavating the site and studying it.

 They actually had a covered wagon!  So cool!

This is Bridger's fort.  It was really amazing to see, especially with the inside restored. You could even see the inside and imagine Bridger in there.

The Great Salt Lake-- and Kaysville!

 Airport story: Originally, we were scheduled to take off from Newark, connect in Detroit (with a 30-minute layover).  We asked the man at the desk if that would even be possible with the likely delay caused by a storm.  He was immediately finding us a nonstop to SLC leaving hours earlier.  It was wonderful.

 Monkeybutt at the airport.

 This was the first flight I had ever been on with little cloud cover the entire time. I could see everything!

 The rare cloud sighting.

Poor Bentley. We had too much fun with this.

 My cousin at a park in Kaysville or some town like Kaysville....

 This was the cutest thing!  She was unhappy the entire time, but when I let her play with the TARDIS, she was instantly enthralled.  

 On our way to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.  It was gorgeous!  And also very large.

 A buffalo crossing.  Because apparently, that is what happens in Utah.

 On our way to the beach.

 Oh, Austin...

 Sister Townsend,our friend who left us and moved to Utah.

 My mother

 Amanda, my best friend who also was of them who moved to the Beehive State.

 My cousin again.

 Most of the lake is very shallow; I was not even up to my knees.

 I dropped my glasses in the Great Salt Lake.  Oops.

 There was this super cool buffalo sculpture!  So cool!

 This was back at my cousins' house as the sun was setting.  Tip: never run down the sidewalk barefoot, no matter how beautiful the shot; in Utah, there are really painful things that fall off of plants and embed in your feet.  That is also why you should take your shoes off in the house; otherwise, those prickers actually will embed in your shoes and then come off in the carpet, waiting for a victim.