Spring 2023 Adventure Episode 18: St. George, Utah

On Monday morning May 8, 2023, we left Moab for a long drive to St. George, Utah. We planned a few extra days there to visit our niece and her partner and check out the area before a couple back-to-back driving days.

This is Living by Damian Radice

St. George City

Had we known St. George possessed a rich array of art in the city, we would have stopped before on one of our trips along Interstate 15. Murals grace sides of buildings, sculptures stand center stage in the middle of roundabouts, and bronze statues and other art pieces pop up on sidewalks.

Utah Pioneer Robert Gardner Jr. by Jerry Anderson

Athletics are another attraction in St. George with a Triathlon in April and the North American Ironman 70.3 Championship Qualifying event in May. Whether outdoor enthusiasts prefer hiking, biking, walking, or running they are sure to find a trail to satisfy their wants and needs among 23 trails covering 62 miles around the city.

Flight Time Girls and Boys by Gary Lee Price

Morman families settled the area in 1861 to raise cotton. While the cotton crops never became an important commodity, the communities consisting of farmers, masons, blacksmiths, businessmen, and men in other occupations continued to thrive and grow.

Desert Trumpet by Reven Marie Swanson

Elder Erastus Fairbanks Snow served as the president over the Cotton Mission from 1861 to 1888. He also supervised the construction of the St. George Tabernacle and the St. George Temple at the same time.

Elder Erastus Franklin Snow Memorial

A couple invited us into the tabernacle and told us about the history of the building and the recent renovations made during 2016 to 2018. The renovations updated the structure and returned the interior and exterior to represent its 19th century appearance.

Mormon Tabernacle

While collecting my resources on the history of the tabernacle, I noticed a discrepancy in dates. One source stated, “a place for community gatherings since 1869—before its completion in 1876.” Yet a plaque below the clock tower and steeple claims, “Holiness to the Lord Commenced A.D. 1863 Completed A.D. 1871.” What was correct?

The construction timeline in another resource showed the first cornerstone laid on June 1, 1863, the limestone foundation completed on July 30, 1865. The timeline further states last stone laid on December 29, 1871 and the last roof shingle placed the following day dates consistent with the plaque.

So, was it completed in 1876 or 1871? The timeline continued and finally I found the missing piece to the puzzle. Although the exterior of the building was completed in 1871, it took almost five more years to complete the interior work before Brigham Young Junior dedicated the building on May 14, 1876. Whew! Mystery solved. It shouldn’t have been so hard to find the pieces that fit. I must be losing my sleuthing skills.

Ascent by Gary Lee Price
Spiral Spirals #2 Yellow by Christopher Thomson
Oh what fun it is!
Book Peddlers by Jack Morford
Gold Star Families Memorial Monument
Ready to Play by Deveren Farley
I never saw a carousel without taking a ride
The old next to the new
We ate lunch at Kairos. Sad to read they closed permanently. They had good food.
Mural by TJ Eisenhart who used local athletes as models
Brigham Young by Ed Hlavka
Hitchin’ A Ride by L’Deane Trueblood
Nice pony!
Honoring the Ironman 70.3 Competition
Bird Woman by Cheryl Collins and Trent Ripplinger

Snow Canyon State Park

Our niece Denice and her partner John took us on a short hike in Snow Canyon State Park. Like much of the land in Utah, artifacts reveal human activity in the park dating back to 500 B.C. way before the 19th-century settlers.

One of the Snow Canyon State Park trails

Hmmm, Snow. Was the park named after Elder Snow who we met at the tabernacle? Yes indeed, according to the park pamphlet.

Visitors will find rolling petrified dunes, red and white sandstone cliffs among the shiny black of lava flows. Activities include hiking, climbing, canyoneering, biking, equestrian, and camping. I counted 22 hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult with distances from 0.5 mile to 16 miles.

John and Denice had recently moved into the house in the photos below. I was impressed at how the home integrated with the surrounding landscape as if it had invited the outside inside.

Welcome. Come on in.

So, what was our assessment of the St. George area? It was a great place to stop and spend time. There are other things we could have done had we planned to do so such as: explore more of Snow Canyon State Park, visit Sand Hollow State Park, check out the Gila monster in The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, paddle board in Ivins Reservoir, and take in more of the city offerings.

On May 11, 2023, we left St. George and Utah behind as we continued west. We crisscrossed the Virgin River a few times as we drove through the red rock canyon until, bam! As if someone pulled the stage curtain to reveal a desert backdrop. We continued on Interstate 15 through Las Vegas until we arrived at the Barstow KOA to rest for the night. The next day we slid into the Lost Hills KOA, and then on to the Bay Area and home.

Wrap Up

Over two months and eighteen episodes, we incurred a broken trailer axle, spent time with family, and visited four presidential museums or historic sites, two railways, an heirloom seed company, gardens, lakes, nuclear museum, caverns, a national park, and much more.

Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride. We appreciate the dear readers who take time from their busy days to read about our adventures.

It’s always good to pull up in front of the house after a long trip and after this one, it was especially gratifying to go behind the house to see how our four-month-old plants fared while we were gone. We were pleased to see they had not suffered from our absence, thanks to the drip irrigation system Jon controls with a phone app.

Our backyard

Next up: We sleep in a tent cabin and go on safari.

Safe Travels

Spring 2023 Adventure Episode 16: Manitou Springs and Pike’s Peak Railway

We missed riding the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway during our visit to Colorado Springs in September 2018 because it was closed for renovation. Instead, we made it to the top by driving about halfway up the mountain and taking a shuttle the rest of the way.

2018 Visit to Pikes Peak summit by truck and shuttle

So, on our way back to California in May 2023, we made a point to stop and ride the brand-new train and allow a couple days to acclimate to the higher altitude. We arrived at Pike’s Peak RV Park in Manitou Springs on May 2, 2023. Dinner at the Cliff House Hotel was a good idea after our long drive. The salmon and trout were delicious entrees accompanied by the tastiest rosemary bread I’ve eaten and the peach cobbler was the perfect choice for dessert.

Cliff House Hotel and Restaurant

We booked reservations at The Miramont Castle for the next day where we enjoyed high tea at the Queen’s Parlour Tea Room. They serve up mouthwatering sweet and savory bites that satisfy the taste buds, along with several varieties of teas.

Miramont Castle

City of Manitou

After stuffing ourselves, we needed a walk along the streets of Manitou. We hadn’t taken the time to wander the streets the last time and were surprised to find the colorful buildings, spring water fountains, and art pieces along the sidewalks.

A spring runs through it
Shops along the street

We stopped at the Stratton and Cheyenne Springs for photo opportunities. In all, there are eight carbonated springs that flow under the town.

Spring Maiden sculpture by Fred Darpino

For anyone wanting to take a tasting tour of the springs, stop by the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau to pick up a map and collapsible souvenir cups for $2.00.

Untitled sculpture by Paul Roger

In front of the Armadillo Ranch Bar, Restaurant, and Live Music Venue is where the guitar sculpture “Comforting Melody” by Flaminio Antonio was installed in September 2022 under a one-year contract.

Armadillo Ranch Bar, Restaurant, and Live Music

On January 30, 2024, Creative Alliance Manitou Springs began a campaign to raise $6,000 to purchase the scrap metal sculpture for a permanent installation. As of March 11, 2024, they have collected $4,525 toward the purchase. To learn more or to donate, visit Here.

“Comforting Melody” by Flaminio Antonio
Detail of guitar sculpture

Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway

We have Zalmon G. Simmons to thank for the creation of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. In 1888, after a two-day trip by mule up Pikes Peak while surveying Englemann Canyon for telegraph lines, Simmons wanted a mode of transportation that was a quicker and more comfortable ride to the summit. Fortunately he had the means and the will to fund the construction of a railway. Construction began in 1889, limited service opened in 1890, and by 1891, the trains reached the top of Pikes Peak.

Railway yard and barn
Depot
Cog railway tracks
Inside the railway car

We boarded the train, excited to see what changes had been made at the visitor center. In a word, it was ‘awesome’. Where the cramped shed-like building commanded the top spot, a sprawling multi-story building with glass walls took its place. The views from inside the building were as spectacular as those outside.

Come on everybody, here we go

Steam locomotives were the first workhorses, then diesel in 1938, followed by self-propelled railcars purchased from Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works in 1964.

Balancing rock
Aspen grove

To accommodate the increase in tourism in the 1970s, two passing sidings were built at Minnehaha and at Windy Point to allow trains to pass on the hill. This allowed the railway to operate eight trains per day instead of only three. And business boomed.

First passing siding
Second passing siding

While preparing for a major maintenance project in the fall of 2017, the work crew realized the maintenance project would not be sufficient. A complete overhaul was required. In March 2018, the railway was closed indefinitely.

The owners, Anschutz Corporation, and the City of Manitou Springs signed an agreement in November 2018 to fund the estimated $36 million renovation through tax breaks over a 50-year period. The project consisted of replacing the track infrastructure; rebuilding the visitor center, depot, other facilities, and older railcars; and purchasing three new trainsets. Work began in March 2019 and reopened on May 20, 2021.

We’re here

It’s interesting that the railway took three years to build initially, and 138 years later, it took a little over two years to completely rebuild the world’s highest and longest cog railroad in the Northern Hemisphere.

Pikes Peak Visitor Center

All interior and external areas surrounding the visitor center are ADA compliant. Inside, guests will find a snack bar, interactive and interpretive exhibits, and a gift shop. And the 1,500 pound donut machine has returned to the delight of previous travelers to the mountain.

Snow piled high
View from second floor of building

Although we enjoyed the ride up and down the mountain, we found that one day was not sufficient to acclimate to conditions at the peak. Within minutes, Jon’s altitude sickness attacked him so badly that he returned to the railcar.

View from top deck

I ignored the awful feeling the best I could and walked slowly on the ice and snow while taking photos. I wanted to enjoy the views as much as I could since I figured we’d never make it to the top again. The air is too thin at fourteen thousand feet for our bodies to function properly.

View from upper level
Time to go

We recommend riding the Broadmoor and Pikes Peak Cog Railway when traveling near Colorado Springs. Just be aware that altitude sickness is real, especially for those of us who live near sea level. More days of acclimating and staying hydrated can help reduce symptoms, but they may not eliminate them.

If interested in reading about our trip to Colorado Springs in 2018, go here.

Next Up: We continue west toward Arches National Park

Safe Travels

Spring 2023 Adventure Episode 15: A One-Night Stop in Goodland, Kansas

We’re Back! And We’re Glad!

Our last post was on December 5, 2023, which featured our visit to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum during our Spring Adventure. Jon’s hernia surgery, my broken arm, and various medical appointments limited my time at the keyboard for several weeks. I’ve been playing catchup ever since. A word of caution: Jetways may be slippery when wet, so hang onto the handrails.

Now, on to this week’s post. A short one as we get back into the groove.

We headed from Salina, Kansas, on May 1, 2023, and traveled to the Goodland, Kansas, KOA. We arrived early enough to poke around close by. Goodland’s claim to fame is the “Big Easel,” a reproduction of van Gogh’s painting “Three Sunflowers in a Vase” by Cameron Cross. At 80 feet tall, it is known as the World’s Largest Easel, according to the World Record Academy.

The Big Easel

Down the road is the High Plains Museum, operated by the City of Goodland. Artifacts include items donated, such as a replica of the first patented helicopter, the Goodland’s Flying Machine co-invented by William J. Purvis and Charles E. Wilson.

Replica of first helicopter to receive a patent

The displays also included a 1902 Holsman Auto owned and driven by Dr. A. C. Gulick, a Sherman County Physician. The car is missing a few safety features compared to our modern vehicles.

1902 Holsman Auto

Dioramas reflect the town as it might have appeared during its founding, along with various machinery, equipment, and household goods.

One of many dioramas

Next door to the KOA sits a historic farmhouse under renovation. I wondered who once lived there and who might live there again some day. According to the owner, they bought the house 37 miles away and moved it to its new location. She was out watering the trees, which were not doing well because of the drought in the area.

Historic home under renovation

If we pass through this area again, we might stay more than one night and take in other roadside and historical sites. I hear the Giant Grasshopper made from tractor parts is a must see quirky tourist sight.

Next stop: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Safe Travels

Spring 2023 Adventure Episode 14: Dwight David Eisenhower Library and Museum Abilene, Kansas

As we approached the Dwight David Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum on April 29, 2023, I tried to remember what I had learned about this man. Only three tidbits popped up: 1) he was a military general, 2) had something to do with the country’s interstate system, 3) and his nickname was Ike.

Eisenhower had been my president for the first eight years of my life as I obliviously watched Romper Room, donned my cowgirl outfit—complete with pistol, holster, and boots—and later played with my Barbie. I also attended Eisenhower Junior-Senior High School in my hometown. Go Eagles! Shouldn’t I have learned more about the man, at some point? Maybe I did and don’t remember, or maybe I didn’t because my dislike of World War II history never held my interest.

Eisenhower as a young boy

Here are the highlights of what I learned about the president that polls rank in the top 10 of all presidents. As with all the presidential museums we’ve visited, we walked through Ike’s life, starting with his boyhood.

Dwight David Eisenhower (nicknamed Ike) was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. His family moved to Abilene, Kansas, in 1892, where Dwight lived with his parents and five brothers.

Ike entered West Point on June 14, 1911, and graduated on June 12, 1915, as a Second Lieutenant. Although he didn’t make the baseball team, he played varsity football as a halfback until a knee injury ended his sports career.

Ike, the West Point graduate

In October 1915 while stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Eisenhower met Mamie Geneva Doud while visiting friends in San Antonio. Was it fate she and her Denver, Colorado, family had rented a house in San Antonio for the winter? Dwight’s and Mamie’s romance was a whirlwind, announcing their engagement on February 14, 1916, and married by July 1, 1916. They had two boys, the first of which died of scarlet fever within four months. The military family moved extensively from post to post until World War II broke out and Mamie settled in at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.

Fun Fact: Dwight David Eisenhower II, Ike’s and Mammie’s grandson, is married to Julie Nixon, Richard and Pat Nixon’s daughter. Richard Nixon was Eisenhower’s vice president.

Dresses worn by Mamie during Eisenhower’s presidency

Between 1915 and 1922, Eisenhower served in the Infantry and Tank Corps, earning promotions along the way. In 1919, he volunteered to participate as a Tank Corps observer in the First Transcontinental Motor Convoy. The lack of roads that could accommodate the heavy equipment the Army moved across the country made the task difficult.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Eisenhower racked up promotion after promotion while serving in various posts under the command of several generals. Then, on December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor dragged the US into World War II.

The War Years

In May 1942, Eisenhower was designated Commanding General, European Theater, London England. By November 1942, he was named Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, North Africa. In December 1943, he was appointed Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces and commanded forces of the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944.

On December 20, 1944, promoted to General of the Army with 5 stars and after the German surrender on May 8, 1945, he was appointed Military Governor, US Occupied Zone, Frankfurt, Germany.

He held the position of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in Europe and had operational command of US forces in Europe from December 1950 to July 1952.

In Abilene, Kansas, on June 4, 1952, Eisenhower announced his candidacy for the Republican party nomination for president. He won the nomination and the presidency against Adlai Stevenson II and beat Stevenson again for a second term.

Campaign memorabilia

During Eisenhower’s presidency, the economy boomed. I suspect the pent up demand after the bans, restrictions, and rationing during the war had as much of a hand in the bounce back as the president in office did.

From 1950 to 1960, the number of cars on the road increased by nearly 22 million and home ownership increased from 55% to 62%

Eisenhower occasionally drove the car below. It belonged to Mamie’s mother, Elivera Doud. It cost $4,300 when new and the driver could use either the front or rear seat controls.

1914 Rauch & Lang electric car

The National Interstate and Defence Highways Act (1956) was one of Eisenhower’s notable achievements as president. This display claims, “No public works project comes close to equaling its impact on the country’s economy, security, people, and culture.”

Map of projected Interstates by 1971

Eisenhower’s foreign policy focused on reducing military aid and preventing the spread of communism. These policies ended the fighting in Korea with the Korean Armistice Agreement signed in July 1953. They also increased the country’s nuclear weapons and delivery systems and prevented other countries from acquiring or using them against the US.

Eisenhower relied on secret CIA missions to fight communism in Southern Asia, South America, and the Caribbean instead of using the military. Some critics argue these actions have left the US with unresolved foreign policy issues that continue to cause havoc to this day.

Desegregation was another contentious issue his administration dealt with. Eisenhower continued President Truman’s orders to desegregate the federal workforce and armed forces. The Supreme Court decision in Brown vs the Board of Education, came down in 1954, which led to the Civil Rights bill.

The bill established a bipartisan congressional commission to investigate civil rights violations, created a civil rights division in the Department of Justice, and gave the Attorney General authority to pursue contempt proceedings against violators of civil and voting rights.

After exploring the museum, we took a break outside and discovered a statue of Eisenhower in the “Champion of Peace” circle. In the background are memorial pylons. Phrases on the pylons commemorate Eisenhower’s life from birth through presidency.

Across from the museum is the library building. During our visit, we found the Women’s Suffrage Centennial exhibit upstairs. It celebrated the women who campaigned for Eisenhower and those who served in his administration. His was the first presidential campaign to focus on the vote of women.

Library entrance
Eisenhower and troops in the library

Below is the chapel, or mausoleum, where Dwight and Mamie are buried.

Inside are quotes from Eisenhower’s speeches. The one on the back wall is from his Guildhall Address, London, June 12, 1945. It says, “Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends.”

Also outside is Eisenhower’s boyhood home, which we toured with a guide. Under the National Archives website, is a video tour of the house and historical detail for those who are interested.

Eisenhower painting of his boyhood home

A few photos of the surrounding area in Abilene, Kansas.

Is that Ben Franklin reading the paper?

Well, I finally learned about my first president and I’m not sure what to think. He impacted the country in positive ways when you consider he ended the Korean War, authorized the construction of the Interstates and signed the Civil Rights act, among other good deeds. Yet the use of the CIA for covert operations has left lasting damage to relationships with other countries.

Analyzing all of his actions to determine if Eisenhower deserves a top ten rating would require more research than I wanted to do. So I read the Farewell Speech he gave before leaving the White House. He made several points I found interesting and relatable to current affairs around the world and in today’s political climate:

1) He talked about how the President and Congress need to work together to find the best solutions to shape the nation’s future.

2) He said, “America’s leadership and prestige” does not rely only on our “unmatched material progress, richs and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment.”

3) He spoke at length about the buildup of the country’s military-industrial complex during the previous years and the importance to “guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” And he recognized that “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.”

4) On conservation, he said we must, “Avoid the impulse to live for today, plundering … the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”

And his parting prayer at the end of his speech asked for a utopia for the world I fear will never exist. However, that doesn’t mean we should stop striving for the dream.

“We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to diappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”

Reading the speech brought me closer to agreeing with Eisenhower’s ranking in the top ten of all presidents. I like how he laid out the threats to the country that existed then and gave warnings or advice about the future. And I’m sad more people didn’t pay attention.

Up Next: We stop in Goodland, Kansas, for a few days