Hubby was asked to speak at a conference in Park City, Utah this week. Since it started on our anniversary, he brought me with him–smart guy I married.
Our flight was scheduled to leave Nashville early Wednesday morning and we had to be at the airport before the sun woke up. We usually take a cab since we’re only a few miles away. It prevents the whole parking hassle and makes it easy to get home after the trip. The cab arrived at our house promptly at six, and we were on our way.
We got to Nashville International Airport only to find the travel agent who’d made our reservations had cancelled Hubby’s ticket. Now, this isn’t OUR travel agent, mind you, but the TA for the entity requesting his services. They’d not cancelled my ticket, by the way, only his. Fortunately, there was room on the plane and we were “allowed” to repurchase the ticket (for which we’ll be reimbursed) for the low, low price of $1100.00. (My ticket was around $400—go figure.)
Normally, a flight to Salt Lake City is an all day affair, but Delta now has a nonstop, so it took less than four hours. We actually arrived in time to have an early lunch with the conference coordinator. This was after we’d found out our rental car had also been cancelled, but before we got to our hotel where we discovered we had two reservations. We only needed one.
Hubby and I have been to Salt Lake City several times, but always in the summer, usually June. Each time I’ve been stunned at how beautifully landscaped and well kept the area is. I wasn’t sure what we’d find this time of year. I knew the summer colors would be long gone and it was too early for the heavy winter snows that blanket the region, although they have already had a couple of snowfalls, but nothing worth mentioning, I’m told. A major storm almost came in with us, but skirted Utah and dumped between one and two feet of the white stuff in the Rockies. Good thing. I didn’t even pack my snow boots. In Park City, they are making artificial snow on the slopes—to get a good base, I suppose. At over two miles above sea level, they’ll get plenty of the real thing for the ski season.
As we drove to in from SLC, the colors gracing the stark mountainsides were brilliant. There wasn’t the mass array of hues to which we’re accustomed in the southeast, but the reds and yellows were so . . . well, so red and yellow. The locals say this is the latest fall they’ve had in a long time. Intermixed with the miniscule snow showers they’ve already had, were temperatures in the 70’s as late as last week—but it’s cold now.
There are still remnants of the 2002 Olympics both in Park City and Salt Lake City. Park City and nearby Deer Valley hosted the ski, snowboarding, bobsledding events. The bobsled/skeleton/luge track is still visible on the drive into town. According to the locals, this is the most liberal part of the state—must be the altitude.
Hubby finished his conference obligations, so today was a play day. We took long scenic drives during the morning and spent the afternoon stimulating the local economy. At least we made a dent in our Christmas shopping list.
We head home tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be no canceled reservations and all will go smooth as glass. If not, we’ll figure it out and call it an adventure. After all, that’s what life is.
Have a great weekend.
~Kay
