After work, on Aug 17th I officially began my weeklong vacation. I had booked a flight to Vegas from Bellingham leaving @ 8:30 am, Sat. Aug 18th and I was going to the Spencer's on Friday night so they can take me to the airport in the morning. Shawn & Mark picked me up and we loaded my luggage in the car and headed to the border. The ride was nice and the wait at the border was a bit longer than I wanted because Jenn wanted me there early so we can have maximum shopping time at the mall before it closed. She wants me to buy a whole new wardrobe in order to get a man, I think that's her aim at least. haha. Okay, so Shawn is set on leaving the Spencer's as soon as he drops me off but his first mistake was shutting off the engine, the second was getting out of the car, and then the third...was waiting until I called Jenn to come down and say goodbye to them. All Jenn had to do was entice them with Mexican food and they decided to stay longer...basically they didn't leave until suppertime the next day. Sheesh. Jenn, Klif, The Henry boys and I went out to dinner at Paso Del Norte restaurant that was soo delicious! What a great meal to have to start me vacation off. The conversation was a constant joke, mostly from what I have innocently said and them misconstruing it to their evil purposes. haha. There was a bar attached to the restaurant with a live band playing and I ended up knowing most of the songs due to just knowing a lot of music and Mark remarked on my ability of being able to recognise so many songs when just a few bars were played in the beginning. It's a bit of a gift I have, don't mean to brag...well maybe a little. Afterwards we went to the Spencer's new boat and just sat in it at the dock. It's a comfy boat and I tried to take a nap while the Boys and Jenn talked. Occasionally I would put my two cents in, much to Jenn's chagrin because my two cents usually involved grammar or sentence correction. It was late night sarcasm at its finest I felt. As per usual, we got back to the house late and I went to sleep at 4am and woke up for 6am. Klif then took me to the airport at 7am. It was a beautiful day and the little Bellingham airport was packed. Some people in front of me were afraid that they might not be able to make their flight because the security line-up was huge but huge being only relative to the tiny airport we were in. There was plenty of time and everyone made the flight.
Now usually when I begin a flight I pray pray pray beforehand because I get a little nervous that the lift-off will not go as planned but this time, I was completely calm and knew that everything would go well. I said a prayer of thanks and gratitude that it was a great day and I had prayed for safety first thing in the morning that I felt fine. The lift off was smooth and I was three rows from the front of the plane. I had requested a window seat but did not specify so the lift off and landing was felt a bit more but looking out the window always makes me feel better for some reason. I am afraid of heights but not while I am in a plane. I love looking down and watching the topography. The Juan de Fuca strait and the surrounding Islands are so pretty. The gentleman beside me was commenting on his trip up here and how him and his wife had been able to go to one of the island and fish. They are from Atlanta, GA but originally from Germany I am guessing or the Ukraine. I tried to sleep on the plane because two hours sleep just wasn't enough especially since I still had a three hour drive ahead of me when I got to Vegas, but it eluded me. I was doing a road trip by myself from Vegas to Kanab, Utah and spend a day or two there, then on to American Fork where I would be staying the rest of the week while I attended Campus Education Week @ BYU in Provo. The plane ride was smooth until we got to Crater Lake, Oregon and the winds there were very strong that we had a bit of turbulence to which I prayed would end soon and soon after it did. Heavenly Father was with me the whole trip and I knew that I could rely on Him for my safety. I felt safe and although I look back on some of my adventures as a little unsafe and unwise, I knew that I was safe from harm and so I did things accordingly but knew when to draw the line. I made sure I kept close to the Spirit and followed those feelings.
So, after we landed in Vegas, I waited in line for my luggage and texted Jenn to let her know I was safe, then it was time to find out where the shuttle was that would take me to my rental car. I have been blessed by getting a free upgrade that enabled me to rent the car that I truly wanted to drive, which was a Hyundai Elantra. It is great on gas and is my "perfect fit" car. I was a little anxious that they wouldn't have the car available but they did and as I am getting my car and having to sign the paperwork the guy asked if I had any car insurance to which I said that I had my visa card that took care of the liability but then he said, well you don't need insurance but they would prefer it. Well, thanks for making me paranoid now that I am not fully covered. So, I got into my blessed vehicle and said a quick prayer, I was soo tired and hungry but I had to drive. I decided to not stop in Vegas for my water, that I promised Jenn I would buy, but I just wanted to get out of the city and knew that i could stop in a nearby city as soon as I could. My first stop was Glendale, Nevada a Moapi Indian reservation with a gas station, little store and a restaurant attached. It was there that I bought a map of Nevada & Utah, my wonderful 12 case of water, sunflower seeds, red licorice (I learned that licorice can bake if left in a hot car for over a day...not tasty at all) and a yummy BLT sandwich with crinkle fries. I wolfed down the sandwich and the fries and kept thinking that my car was going to get broken into. So untrusting. Okay, the temperature was uber hot well over a 100 degrees fahrenheit and getting back into the car was horrible. Thank goodness for air conditioning. I was on the road again and about a half hour into my drive I saw a dust tornado travel across the road, the car ahead of me drove through it and there was debris that travelled across my path and then right in front of me rolled a tumbleweed and the only thing I could do was drive right over it. It seemed like no damage occurred as I was still driving smoothly but decided to stop in Mesquite, Nevada which is on the Nevada, Arizona Border and see if there was any damage. I looked under the car and there was a whole lot of water pouring out the bottom and since I had no idea if that was normal or not, I decided to drive to the nearest mechanic and have it checked. Thankfully there was a Minit-Lube express down the road and I was in and out within a half-hour. The water was just the air conditioning water pouring out which happens but they told me that the transmission wasn't very good and that the windshield wiper was torn. Since I was too far from Vegas, I didn't bother with it and got on the road again. When I get behind the wheel, it doesn't matter if I am tired I get into automatic mode, and drive. "Just do it" becomes my motto and I do it. As long as I have some good music, I am good to go (Muse & Dixie Chicks, were my faves). One thing I need to master is the changing of the CD. There has to be a better way then how I am doing it. Driving through the Virgin River Pass was so pretty and a little scary because I was keeping up with traffic for the most part which is doing 70-75 miles/hour on windy, curvy roads when all the signs say 55 miles/hour. I really tried to do that but I was a snail basically compared to everyone else. I was careful when I took the turns and there were some sharp curves which made looking at the scenery a little difficult but the drive is so pretty. The desert is a pretty magnificent place and awe inspiring. The earth is so raw there, I loved it. I eventually made it to St. George and the first thing you see is the St. George Temple set against a red rock background. The contrast is breathtaking but I didn't want to stop driving to take a picture. I was tempted to stop at a Best Buy or Walmart to check out the CD's and camera but since Utah was on mountain Standard time and an hour ahead I just wanted to get to Kanab before dark. So I didn't stop and kept on driving and exited on to Hwy 9. Through Hurricane and onto the 59/389 through Colorado City, Fredonia then eventually Kanab. Now, through these areas I was in Red Rock heaven and I was now driving on a two lane highway the rest of the way. The speed was 65miles and I was warned that the cops are around so I shouldn't overdo it on my speed so I stuck close to 65. I was a little concerned about driving on a two lane highway but as I started it was fine. I passed about five cars and there were about four cars heading the same way as me. Not all at the same time but I had a buddy for most of the way. In this area, there was absolutely no cell phone reception and the desert was quiet. It was hot and about five in the evening. This is what I learned about myself, I can look at the views to the right or left of me and my arms will keep the wheel steady. Thank goodness or I would have ended up on the side of the road lots. I couldn't help looking at the gorgeous scenery. As I neared Fredonia, I felt better because I was in familiar territory. I was so excited to be heading into Kanab. As soon as I entered into the town, everything was familiar, well there was some new shops but I knew where to go. My first stop was to the photo shop where Dan used to work because I needed film but it was closed. I went into the shop beside it and confirmed whether it was closed or not and the lady behind the counter said, Oh "So & So" (forgot the name) closed it earlier but he should still be in town, I can call him and he'll open up the shop for you." I said thank you but that's okay and then they told me to go to the Grocery store and I should be able to find film there. I called the Hollands and let them know I was in town and will be at their place soon. I was only going to spend the night at their place, attend church and then leave right afterwards so I decided to fill up the car and buy film then headed out to the Hollands. The turnoff was 10 miles outside of Kanab but there was no sign saying Jackson Canyon Road which I was expecting so I kept driving and watching how many miles I was driving and when I hit over ten miles I turned around and drove back. On the way back there was a sign and I turned off and then had to drive 7 more miles. As I was driving, I again was struck by how pretty the landscape is. It is so untouched, red and raw. I was looking for the sign that said "The hollands" and as I was driving and driving, and not seeing one, I was beginning to think that I drove too far until I saw it. Off in the distance I saw the rock that is behind the house and remembered instantly that that is where they live. Not all rock looks the same. It turned out I was right and pulled in and got out of the car. The Hollands were outside on their porch just relaxing and listening to the buzz of the hummingbirds as they flew and fed from the feeders. I was unable to call them when I got a little lost because there was no cellphone reception at all. I was completely cut off in that sense and I loved it. Sister & Brother Holland are wonderful. Dan was right and his father and I picked up right where we left off and his mother and I got along great. She drove me back into town when I mentioned that I forgot to buy contact lens solution and while we were in town she bought me a milkshake from 'The Junction' Drive-in. They have the best milkshakes anywhere. I was completely exhausted and we sat around for a bit but at about 10:30pm we headed to bed. I had a bathroom to myself and my bedroom was on the other side of the house. They had wireless so I was able to check my email and there was one from Shawn. He tried to call me but there because I had no cell phone reception, nothing. So we kept in contact by email. The next morning, Bro. Holland and I were going to go for a walk but he didn't feel that well and so we sat on the porch and just chatted, listened to the hummingbirds and took in the view (i'll upload pictures later). As we were talking he asked me if I had classes at education week on Monday and I said, no. Then I just had the desire to stay another night so I asked if that would be okay and he said fine, so I also asked Sis. Holland, to which she said, okay and then I called the Holley's and left a message letting them know that I will come on Monday instead of that night. Then I got ready for church and Sis. Holland and I went. The drive was great, the talks and all the lessons were inspiring to me. I even participated in RS regarding keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and how I achieved that. I belong in Utah basically, I truly feel like I belong when I go there. Sis. Holland and I had a great time chatting and when we got back to the house we had some lunch and then we all went out on the 4 wheelers and took an "educational" ride of their property. I was able to get plenty of rocks, iron, and some native artifacts, such as pottery pieces and "scraper' that they made from the hitting and breaking the rock into sharp wedges. They have 600 acres and it includes red rock. Later that evening Bro. Holland and I drove out along Jackson Road and then off roaded to the top of a sandy hill and then got out and explored. I found some more great pieces to bring back...well more like he did and then we took some pictures of the rock formations. He is a geologist and into collecting rocks and photography. We get along great. He tells me so much about the geology of the area and also the surrounding desert vegetation and wildlife. I have a lot of fun hanging out with him. He also told me how to more effectively use my camera and I experimented with some settings. It was starting to get dark so we headed back home. On the way out there we saw Wild turkeys! Crazy! That night we had some ice cream and just hung out. We were on our computers, looking at photos, I was telling them about my love life...not a lot to talk about but we talked anyway. I told them of my plan for this year and they are supportive. Bro. Holland told me that I need to "Fish in a different pond". That's my plan and I am also getting told to use "different bait" by some of my friends, not in those words but that's the gist. So that is my goal. Being in Kanab fills me such inner peace that I seriously did not want to leave but I had to. I also received a message from my Calgary friend on facebook and we ended up chatting through that for a bit. Overall, the first part of my vacation was very relaxing and worth every minute. The last time I was in Kanab was 9 years ago, so I promised that I would visit sooner than that. Bro. Holland said good. Well, this is quite a long post right now, so I'll do my second part of my adventure later.
