Well maybe not completely, but we have probably travelled less this week than since the trip began…

Last Sunday we were in Salt Lake City as you may remember, celebrating Matt’s birthday with the Mormons.  What a party!!  Well actually not much of a party – but we did have a good time and loved the setting of SLC – surrounded by the snow-capped mountains. 

On Monday, we checked out of the hotel, after having sneaked in some of our dirty washing from Reg into the hotel laundry…(classy), had our final use of the spa & fitness room (phew) and had our last made to order omelette from the unsmiling chef (tasty).  It was a welcome break from life on the road, but Reg had managed to get a parking ticket so we thought we ought to move on before he was clamped!

Embarrassing in the extreme was discovering on Monday afternoon when we went to have his tyres checked that we have never had his air shock absorbers set up correctly.  A man got busy with an air compressor machine and Reg literally wafted up in the air!  To say we felt foolish was an understatement.  I think the man obviously thinks we don’t have air in England.   Well, that’s how we played it anyway!

Monday night after all these jobs and revelations we purred our way up about an hour from SLC to Willard Lake.  A dam which helps separate fresh water from the Great Salt Lake.  Very quiet spot and we stayed two nights as it turns out as we were killing time waiting for our kayaks to be delivered to Walmart in Salt Lake City. 

Willard Lake was charming, but on Tuesday when we went for a cycle ride around the lake, which turned out to be a 20-mile marathon, we discovered that all bugs in the United States live there during the first week of May.  It was like a biblical plague – they were in our mouths, eyes and ears and we had to cycle with one hand covering orifices and the other hand on the bike.  In the middle of this we saw a Utah prairie dog who stood on his back legs and let everyone know that Matt and I were coming.  It was hilarious and Matt does a very good impression of him, complete with his own whiskers of course!

The insects drove us out by Wednesday when we went back to SLC to collect the kayaks.  Whilst we were waiting for them to arrive we took a hike up Middle Creek Canyon which is part of a national forest.  Located very close to the City so skiing in winter, cycling in summer. The path was packed with bikers, walkers, dogs and runners.  Very pleasant indeed and good to see everyone exercising!

On Wednesday night after we had collected the kayaks we drove up to East Canyon State Park where we have been ever since.  Slight hiccup on the way as the proper road was still closed for the winter, so we had to drive up a very bumpy and dusty Jeremy Ranch Road.  It was a ride of rattles.  Of course, when we get here the ranger asked why we had not taken the other road in!  Oh dear – I think we just wanted to get the air out of the shock absorbers!

Lovely setting – we are beside a lake near the original Mormon pioneer trail. We have mountains all around, covered in snow – yet I have been a bikini this weekend as it has been very warm.  Weird feeling!

The kayaks are amazing.  Awfully yellow as you will see from the pictures, but they have given us a lot of fun this week.  Going in a straight line required a bit of effort and technique – but we are getting there.  I hope that bingo wings will be a thing of the past by the end of this trip – but then heard if you are using your arms too much you are doing it wrong..?!   Who knows.  But we have had a blast.

We are off tomorrow northwards.  Time to get on the road again to Yellowstone and Grand Teton.  Enough of this messing about in water – we need to hunt for bears…