Summer Recap or "The next weekend" Part 1

This summer has been a continuous stream of friends visiting or weekend trips.  Is every summer that way and I just forgot? Or perhaps it only seems different because there is more driving involved now.

At the end of April we met up with Alisa and some of her friends in Moab to go hiking then out for dinner.   Beautiful arches and I love having more than 3 restaurants to choose from. 

Summer really started though, a month later when Alisa (my sister) and Eric Dowdle came to visit.  We got lots of site seeing in Blanding style… Natural Bridges, Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck Canyon, and a drive through Monument Valley.

Out Hiking

Gooseneck Canyon

Natural Bridges

And no… Alisa and Eric are not holding hands.

The next weekend (first weekend in June) we headed to CA for the Pulido family reunion.  Man, I love California.  We hit the San Diego Zoo, some amazing restaurants, Balboa Park, the appropriately named Extraordinary Desserts, and a walk on the beach. 

My question is how often does that lion hit somebody?

With the fam at the zoo (my presence is implied as someone has to take the picture).

Martin finds a like-minded friend.

Balboa Park

yum.

Dad Pulido contemplating life, the universe, and everything.

Yoga?

We will down play the fact that several thousand dollars worth of electronics and computers were stolen out of the car while we were in the zoo (the doors were locked), including Marty's snazzy Alienware laptop he got for Christmas. 

Happy-ish ending to that story though, insurance covered replacement costs for the stolen computers.  Marty is enjoying a high resolution game of Dragon Age 2 on a new laptop as we speak. Also, an amusing side note… Marty and I have a policy of keeping internet monitoring software on all our computers.  For several months we got occasional reports of the dirty sites the thief was looking at including the IP the report was sent from.  Too bad the San Diego police don't have as much time as the Blanding police or they might have been able to do something with those IPs.

The next weekend my good friend Kat, who is also expecting a boy (yay!), came to visit.  We had a really relaxed weekend and caught up on each other's lives. 

Kat and I on a nature walk

The next weekend   Leah was supposed to come with her kids, but pushed back her arrival until midweek so she could meet up with Mom.  I don't remember how long they stayed, a while though.  It was so much fun it will get its own post.

My family!  Part of it anyway. 

The next weekend was the fourth of July, which is a HUGE deal here in Blanding.  You can start it off at the mayor's breakfast if you want, complete with politically rousing, very conservative speech.  We opted for a friend's pancake breakfast instead and got the synopsis of the speech from friends during the parade.  

Crowds waiting for the parade.  The whole town plus some had to be out to get this many people.

Seth, Dustin, Sloane, and me staying cool in the shade.

Pedaled all the way to the park where this converted into a root beer float stand.

 

After the parade you can head to the park for carnival type food and sales booths.  There are all sorts of other things to go to if the heat hasn't wiped you out by then. I opted for the air conditioned quilt show and skipped the boxing, rodeo, and who knows what else.  With a BBQ and fireworks, we didn't make it to the annual melodrama until Tuesday.  Turns out the fourth of July actually is a huge deal.  Great time to visit and see small town atmosphere at it's best (hint)! 

I forgot to mention something I found amusing.  In preparation for the big weekend there was an insert sent out in everyone's utility bills reminding them of the laws governing ATV use during the parade and holiday festivities. Yes, it was needed. No, I don't think anyone actually heeded the reminder. 

To be continued...