Starling Travel

The Sands Motel has been a fixture in St. George, Utah for a LONG time. In the Fifties, it was called the Sleepy Hollow Hotel:

When the Vegas craze hit during the Sixties, it became The Sands Motel and outlived its namesake:

A few years ago, when we were driving through St. George, we took photos of it in all its glory:

You can see all the photos here:

• Sands Motel – a set on Flickr

Where:

Sands Motel
581 E Saint George Blvd
Saint George, UT 84770 Google Map

Phone: (435) 673-3501

NakedJen moved to Salt Lake City less than a year ago and has been eagerly exploring the culinary delights that the city has to offer. Here is her review of Hatch Family Chocolates:

• nakedjen: It’s Better Here

I took a straw. I took a sip. It was so thick, so creamy, it got stuck washing over my tongue and coated my throat like a warm, chocolate flavored river. I couldn’t help but think of Augustus Gloop slurping from the river in Willy Wonka. I thought perhaps that’s why Calvin insisted on the straw?! So I don’t slurp like Augustus Gloop and end up drowning in my eagerness to drink it all.

If you would like to try Hatch Family Chocolates, here is their information:

Hatch Family Chocolates: Hand-Dipped Chocolates, Hot Chocolate
390 4th Ave
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Google Map
Phone: (801) 532-4912

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-10pm

In the middle of May, we went with Stacey and Dan in the Hummer up Kane Creek Trail. It was a really intense trail, and I took videos of it:

Download this video for your iPod

My favorite highlights are:

• At the 3:38 minute mark, the dirt bike riders watch Dan drive up the trail and say, “It’s nice to see someone use a Hummer for what it’s for!”

• At the 6:55 minute mark, the Hummer is right on the edge of the drop off and is balanced on two wheels. Dan and Stacey get past the hard part and make it look easy!

• At the 13:57 minute mark, you can see some dirt bike riders make it up the hill. I used to think that dirt bikes would be easier than off-roading with the Hummer until I saw how tired these guys were.

• At the 18:45 minute mark, there is a photo of a Jeep that didn’t make it through the trail and went over the edge. Unable to retrieve it, the owners have left it to rot in the ravine.

• At the 18:57 minute mark, we are in the Hummer at the point where the Jeep went over the edge. It’s easy for the Hummer, but we laugh about it uncomfortably.

• At the 20:03 minute mark, Stacey asks us if we’re ready to do the Lionsback Trail. I unequivocally answer, “No, no, actually, this is our final, final trip.” Of course, two months later, I’m excited about it again and want to go on Lionsback!

• At the 24:00 minute mark, we are at the watering hole with lots of other people. Dirt bikes, quad-runners and Jeeps have only gone this far and stopped. The driver of the Jeep mentioned to us that he didn’t know it was possible to go any further. I guess you need a Hummer to get past that point.

We had a lot of fun on that trip and are looking forward to our next chance to go off-roading with Stacey and Dan in their H3.

When you go on a road trip, so much of the travel is… well… on the road. Our drive to San Diego from Salt Lake City last month was quite a harrowing experience. Not only did we leave in a horrible snow storm, we took a back route through the mining roads of California. Here is a glimpse of our 14 hour drive.

Download this video for your iPod

When a drive to your destination is as harrowing as this one, it makes you start to wonder if leaving town is really all that worth it. It was sheer stubbornness that drove us to leave that morning with the huge flakes falling. My mom called in a panic when we were on the road, “It’s snowing like crazy here. You’re not really driving out today are you?!” I assured her that we were already on the road and well past the point of the mountain (we weren’t) and that the weather was much better in Provo than in Salt Lake (it WASN’T).

Of course, we’re fools.

If you are planning on leaving town and the snow is as bad as this video, don’t be stupid like us. Call your hotel and see if you can delay your travel for a day without a fee (fat chance, but it can’t hurt to try). A nervous and anxious drive to your vacation is the polar opposite of what a relaxing trip should be.

Jared, our friend, is only four years old, but he has been diligently practicing his writing. He sent us this postcard last month and we were delighted!

Here’s the front:

Here’s the back:

The postcard reads:

Timpanogos Cave National Monument Utah: A column guards the entrance to a lighted alove against the greenish flowstone and drapery-covered wall of the Big Room in Middle Cave. Photographer – William Hendricks

They write:

Dear Laura and Mike,

I opened the door to the cave.

Love, Jared

Please send me a postcard from your travels or your hometown. If you do and it’s interesting, I will publish your postcard on Starling Travel.

Send your postcards to:

Starling Travel
Attention: Laura Moncur
P.O. Box 522032
Salt Lake City, Utah 84152

It’s like sending a postcard to the whole world when you go on vacation. It’s like bragging about your hometown to the everyone on the planet.

Photowalking is getting a group of photographers together and walking around areas of town taking pictures. You don’t need a fancy camera or attitude. It’s open to anyone who wants to wander town and snap photos. It started in Silicon Valley, but Salt Lake City has an active photowalking group. They post their photos to the Flickr pool here:

• Flickr: Photowalking Salt Lake City: See photos of Salt Lake City, Utah

I’ve found a ton of other photography pools for cities and countries. Here are a few:

• Flickr: The SF Bay Area Shooters (sfbas) Pool: See photos of the San Francisco Bay Area in California

• Flickr: The Photowalk.at – Photowalking in Austria Pool: See photos of Austria

• Flickr: Grand Rapids, Michigan: See photos of Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Flickr: Duluth Flickr Photowalk: See photos of Duluth, Minnesota

• Flickr: Photowalk Cleveland: See photos of Cleveland, Ohio

If you would like to see if there is a photowalking group in your town, search Flickr here:

• Flickr: Search for a photowalk group

If you can’t find one for your town, it’s easy enough to create your own and start inviting people. Make sure you post the event on Upcoming.org.

Via: Photowalking SLC v2 | Thom Allen Weblog

Scott took a quick trip to Moab to attend the Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab. You can read about his adventure here:

• the.Inevitable.Org/anism » Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab

It’s a short trip to Moab from the Salt Lake Valley:

We all piled into their Winnebago on Sunday afternoon, and we took the 4 hour drive down to Moab. The event was out in the desert about 13 miles south of Moab at Area BFE. It was a beautiful site, and the weather was great … not too warm. We arrived as one of the concerts had just finished, so we broke out the BBQ and got dinner going. As the sun set (which was incredible) we got our act together and wandered down to watch the Fire Dancers, and then head over to the main stage to see Kan’nal. I was impressed … they rocked!

All around you are small festivals like Desert Rocks. If you have been feeling trapped by work but don’t have any vacation time available, plan a quick weekend trip to a nearby festival. The change of scenery is refreshing and the experiences will help you return on Monday with a clear head. You don’t need to take a two week vacation to an expensive destination to get a boost. You just need to keep your eyes open for opportunities.

Couldn’t finish it. Probably shouldn’t have started it. We had the Brew Cheese for an appetizer and frankly, it could have been my meal. The steak was too good to pass up, though.

Mike says their Nitro-Stout is a pretty good imitation of Guiness. Looks like a rootbeer float to me. You get a bad surprise if you taste it. That’s not a rootbeer float AT ALL.

Hopper’s Pub and Brewery: 890 East Fort Union Boulevard, Midvale, UT
Google Map
Phone: (801) 566-0424

The Smithsonian Magazine has posted the finalists for their photography contest. You can see the entries for the travel category here:

• The 4th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest – Travel

I always feel a sense of pride when something from Utah is featured. Here is “Sunrise in Canyonlands National Park” by Diane Kroupa from St. Louis, MO. Canyonlands National Park is in Southern Utah near Moab.

Yes, my state is an exotic locale on par with worshippers in Taiwan and Buddhist photographers. Head on over the the Smithsonian website and see the rest of the beautiful photography submitted.

Here is an excellent entry written by Phil Burns about his hike up to Bridal Veil Falls in Utah.

• Phil’s Personal Take » Bridal Veil Falls

He gives you a good idea of how difficult the hike might be:

It’s a very easy hike, more of a stroll, until you go up to the base of the waterfall, that was a bit rough for the twins. As usual, I brought my camera with me and got what I think are a few decent shots… The walk from the parking lot to the base of the falls is short and paved and wanders through a park. Watch out for idiots on longboards though, they think it’s a good idea to ride their boards 30 miles an hour down the hill at kids.

If you like his entry about the Bridal Veil Hike, you might also like his description of hiking Battle Creek Canyon:

• Phil’s Personal Take » Hiking Battle Creek Canyon

Utah is filled with such lovely beauty that is accessible almost all year round. From the city, there are so many awesome places to visit that I find myself surprised at how much I still haven’t see. Come enjoy the early spring hiking in Utah at Phil’s Personal Take.