Pat Gallagher's Blog

Well after a surprisingly good night sleep in our Norman Bates Motel, RV and Cabin Park, we head out. It is a glorious sunny day to start another leg of Fred's Western Adventure. Before we head out, we had a chance to chat to Sylvia Bloom of the Mt.Carmel U.S.Postal Service, who runs the smallest Post Office west of the Mississippi in room #1 of the Mt.Carmel Motel, RV and Cabin Park. Sylvia shares with us some fun facts about the town and Utah. Sylvia has been the Postmaster there for 50 years (in the Motel), the state flag with the beehive on it, signifies Utahans are busy little Bees and very industrious, not the honey capital of the United States. The biggest ball of string and the lady with the longest fingernails are both in Utah. Who would have thunk?

We skip the Thunderbird Restaurant, the only restaurant in a 40-mile radius and pass on a cowboy breakfast and get on our way to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon is a leisurely 25 miles ride of majestic colored rock formations. Bryce Canyon has the opposite look and feel than Zion National Park. As we approach the Canyon you are looking down into multicolored layers of pink limestone. An Artist's dream to paint and/or capture ideas along the 40 miles scenic drive through the park or miles of scenic hiking trails.

We realize we will be here all day and decide on several hikes. Today we will be a bit more particular about our hikes. Especially since we are 8000 feet above sea level, cliff walking, and not-in-shape hikers. Not much scares me in this life except my EXTREME fear of heights, dentists and having no control of Fred's Western Adventure. Thank God I only have to face two of them here. As we get started on our day, we are introduced to hoodoos (A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin), pinnacle and colored buttresses throughout the Canyon. We choose age and fitness appropriate hikes today but at every turn, I have to fight two of my fears, most pressing is my EXTREME fear of heights and the fact that Fred's Western Adventure includes cliff walking on the end of God's magnificent creations. Did I also mention that Fred is a retired firefighter? In my humble opinion, all firefighters live on the edge. Who else gets paid to fight fires, run into burning buildings, walk on rooftops and every other tall building or CLIFF! So this is how my day will be going!

The drive from one hiking area to the next wonderous sight is gut-wrenching for me because we are on the edge of a precipice at all times and all Fred wants me to do is take videos!!! Are you kidding me! We make it through four small hikes with me holding on to the edge of anything the whole time. Fred continues trying to get me to go hiking down the Canyon and stand on the edge of some cliff while someone takes our picture. The rangers tell you up front how many people die every day (not month or year) from trying to get the best picture on these cliffs. I give Fred a kiss, a thumbs up and take his wallet and car keys as he tries for that picture. Just saying!

Well, we both make it out of Bryce Canyon alive and tired after a long day. We continue 3 1/2 hours north to next small town Nephi, Utah. We find a motel with a hot tub, to rest our weary bones. The name of the town should have been a clue. You guessed it another Norman Bates Motel! There is NOT much to write about Nephi because I have no recollection of anything special in the town. Except the Hot Tub was undergoing repairs and was closed! Can you see my eyes rolling?

I don't think we even ate there. Really! I have no receipts, no business cards of restaurants, no notations in my travel journal. Nothing! Nothing in the Guinness Book of World records. All I know is I slept at the National 9 Mount Nebo Motel in Nephi, Utah. And No Art Today! We woke up alive the next morning, ready to face our next day of Fred's Western Adventure.