2017-03-30

Second attempt: Utah 2016

Why, hello there. It's been a while.
It could have been a slightly shorter while if I didn't delete the original post of this I had finally gotten myself to start on like two weeks ago, but let me not get into that before I get mad again and stop. Again. !@#(*!&#*^@!#*&^
Sorry, if I seem a little brisk in this post aka no emoticons. I had to upload and write everything a second time. Good thing I realized (two years late) that my shitty laptop has a shitty screen/display so all the feeble attempts at editing my pictures were all for naught since they weren't even actually turning out the way I wanted them to the entire time so I don't have to bother doing that anymore and can churn out posts faster now HAHAHAHA EVERYTHING IS GREAT ‎(ノಥ益ಥ)ノ︵┻━┻・/ 
*******
Thursday the 11th
Stopped by Firecakes after work to pick up Tina's birthday sweets.
So many choices~

These are the ones I made.
But to be honest, we didn't even try them until like three nights later because we were too full the night we got to Utah and then forgot to take them with us the next morning. So sad because it was all our first times trying them. Gotta try them again fresh.

My dad always thinks I'm gonna be late for my flight so we rushed to airport without getting food. I was really early and starving so I resorted to an $8 airport mcmuffin.
My soul still hurts.

Snaps from the entire trip. This is the closest I'll ever get to vlogging lol.

Kevin wanted to try In N Out on a not completely full stomach so we had it for dinner.
Tina read somewhere that getting the fries doubled fried would make them more edible so we tried it. Still terrible.

Friday the 12th
It was nice waking up in a place with topography again.

Headed to Arches National Park for our first hike.
 *stolen from Kevin*
I can't stay awake for more than ten minutes in the back seat of a car. I don't know what it is.

We made it! 

Then we had to drive out to the trail we chose.
How did it get up there?

Something about those clouds above the snow tops was so cute!


The start of our trail.
 Wondering who's been eating.


 Y'all ready for lotsa pictures of rocks? Y'all know I like rocks.
Oh, by the way, I didn't realize there was a smudge on my lens the entire time so yeah....
Kevin got a new camera. Now Tina has two people to wait for lol.

 Lotsa nice dead trees.
 Cute little window

 Those rocks remind me of Egyptian statues.

So crazy that there used to be water this high!

Kevin thanking the wall for providing much needed shade LOL. 
 *stolen from Kevin*
This probably happened earlier in the hike but I can't remember exactly when. A much needed break. Supposedly the trail is only 2.5 miles? But felt sooo much longer.

Close to the end!
 We thought this was a nice place to take a group picture for some reason.

It's the Tower Arch! Finally! 
 Such a cool feeling walking under a natural stone arch~

 *stolen from Kevin*
Wasn't the one trailing behind for once.

Walking up and then turning around to this reveal was surreal. Pictures never do justice. Ah~ I love the feeling of getting to the end point of a hike. So worth the pain. 

 I love how we just abandoned our bags.

 Lol Kevin looks so serious with his protein bar.

I like how the big rock penis is perfectly in the shot.

Going back is always sad.
 Almost there!

*stolen from Kevin*
Always super behind.

On our way to the campsite we were spending the night at.

Set up our tent before getting dinner.

El Charro Loco!
 Ah that case with a ton of desserts that I didn't get any of. It felt wrong to the donuts that were just sitting on Tina's counter.

 Tina's mole enchiladas I think?

My enchiladas bandera. These were actually really good.
I guess I forgot to take a picture of Kevin's steak tacos cause they came out late. 
All the portions were huge!

Continued our scenic viewings.
 That rock looks like Queen Nefertiti.

Love Utah sky. Especially with all the rock formations around.

I don't remember which park this is... but I think this entire day is all in Moab.
 That powerpoint background.


The rocks were still warm and it was so nice to just lay on them like lizards. One of the people there told us that there was supposed to be a meteor shower that night so we waited for a little bit. Everyone but me saw a few shooting stars. :(
 *stolen from Kevin*
Can you spot me and Tina in the corner? Heh heh.

We had to get up early so we got back to camp where we showered, I ate my enchilada leftovers, and slept.

Saturday the 13th
 Donkey from Shrek: "On the road again~"

Finally what I was most excited for: Utah Olympic Park!
 Some interesting things on the wall to look at while waiting to buy tickets.


This is actually where Olympians train for the ski jump. And where that free fall climbing wall is. It's nice that they have a show. Some of the kids in it were really young!
 Crazy!!

Even the "background" is super scenic!
 All three hills are for extreme tubing.


 The lifts up are super slow, so we ended up hiking back up after the first ride.


This is the Alpine slide. I think this is their main attraction. The wait I think was like an hour long but soooo worth it! It's my favorite thing ever!
 My shit picture going down. I was snapping it but I ended up accidentally deleting it! ARGH. So mad because it was so pretty and super fun! This is a must do if you're ever in Utah. I want to go back just for that.

Tube time!
 *stolen from Kevin*
Look at the cute little rainbows the water sprays made! We were hoping that the water would be on when it was our turns to go down and it was! But it was actually painful and ice cold so we hoped for the opposite the second time we went down. We got pelted by water bullets the second time too. Super fun but the end hurts your butt.

 The view while waiting for the zip-line. We weren't allowed to hold our phones while we went down.

 We really wanted to go on the obstacle course but we had to leave for our appointment at Homestead Crater. Must go back and do all the activities!

My first hot spring!
 There were scuba lessons happening at the time we were there.

 Where people can peep down at you from the top of the crater.


I asked one of the dads to take a picture for us and they came out blurry lol. Kevin has the Galaxy S7 in all it's waterproof exploding glory so we had him risk his phone. 
*stolen from Kevin*

*stolen from Kevin*
The water was so nice and warm~ Our time slot ended just as I was getting comfy so we had to leave.

How it looks from the outside.

 Slightly creepy looking entrance.

It's actually in the middle of a resort complete with a golf course and everything. Capitalism, amiright?

Nice to catch golden hour.

It took us a while to figure out how to get to the top cause we had to cut through the middle of a "stage" where people were actually performing.
The view from the top was nice too. Mountains all around!

The sky on the way back home was sooo pretty!
 Hot pot for dinner!

Sunday the 14th
I woke up to Tina and Kevin laughing at something which I later found out was:
 I'm still dying LMAO.
It was even funnier because Tina took a snap too but only sent it to me and Kevin so we couldn't save it.

Lunch at Even Steven's Sandwiches. The place was super cute.
 Even the outside was cute.

HOOO MY GAWD!! This was hands down one of the best sandwiches I've ever had in my entire life!!! The turkey roast and au jus were soooo damn good but star was the jalapeno marmalade!!! I cry at the perfection. HNNNGHHH!!!! I would also go back to Utah just to eat this again. 

Props to Tina for always driving. You are a freaking CHAMP!

 *stolen from Kevin*
It's a giant Sudowoodo! I actually didn't see it cause I was knocked out but I thought it was funny when I saw it in Kevin's pictures.

The Bonneville Salt Flats.
I was the one who really wanted to go here because I thought they were always wet and reflective and pretty but....they were all dried up. We didn't stay long lol. My bad....
 
 Literally how I was the entire ten minutes we were there. It was SOOO BRIGHT to the point it was painful. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Even when we had just driven up to the parking lot, I was blinded as soon as I woke up inside the car.

Kevin wanted to squeeze in one last hike before his flight so he googled up a trail nearby.
 Had to cross the street to get to it.
 You know how I'm always behind cause I'm taking pictures? This was not the hike to be lagging on cause Kevin was in a rush. It was a pretty steep hike and in the time I was turned around to take this picture and turned back, I lost them. There were a few times where I would lose sight of them and then catch up to them but I made a wrong turn somewhere lol. Eventually the "trail" I was taking turned into a climb.

 Perched on here and came to the conclusion this probably wasn't the right way.

 Yeah, no.

Made my way back down to where I had service again and found out Tina and Kevin were on the way to the airport, so I lizard lounged on a rock while waiting for Tina to come back and get me lol.

Tina's birthday dinner.
 We had Thai for her birthday dinner the last time I visited too.

Gelato for dessert.
 I had the hardest time picking. I wanted them all.

 Went with boring sweet cream and mint choco chip but hey, they're good!

Then we went to Antelope Island which is actually where Kevin wanted to go. To be honest, I wasn't too keen on it because the pictures looked meh on google, but I'm sooo glad we went because it was honestly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been! Not the best smelling though. We got there at golden hour and it was just amazing!
 A bison!

Two bison!

I wanted them to come closer but they just kept going farther and kept showing us their butts.

We drove further in to the trail where we could walk.
 Turns corner and...
 BAM!! Like, what kind of magic???

 Y'all know I'm ALL about that sky porn!! AHHH!!!!!
The best sunset I've witnessed to this day!

 Was super sad to leave but we had to cause it was getting dark. Le sigh...

Monday the 15th
Kept sightseeing local since I was leaving that day. Went to Temple Square which is basically the Mormon mecca just cause we could.
 I really want to hear/see these organs played. :O They're incredible!
 Really pretty architecture.


And really pretty doors.

Can't go inside so a model will have to do.


They had a museum with paintings and wax figures too.
 Was kinda creepy but interesting.

I dunno what that building is but it has it's own fountain built into it!

Last meal before leaving at R&R (I think) ;(
 That brisket was gooood. I really liked the sauce too.

 A great last glance of Utah. -_-;

Wendy's welcoming me back home.
);