I'm Still Here

Tru Hotels feature murals like this showing the location
Notice the cool looking couches and little tables.
Notice that the Salt Lake mural features beer!

End of April! That's to long to stay silent. But as I think about things to write about I keep coming up empty.

I did spend nine days in May back in Salt Lake. I wanted to keep up being a volunteer at Red Butte Garden. 2017 was my tenth year. I'm aiming for 20 now just like for Sundance. So I did an intensive week+ of volunteering, and put in enough hours to qualify for another annual membership for 2019.

California poppies are some of my favorite flowers.

I went during the annual spring plant sale week because I knew I could get in extra shifts by working whole days at the sale. It wasn't the greatest experience because it rained, sometimes very hard, the whole time. I had brought with all my rain gear, and made good use of it, but still I was all soggy.

The other days I worked mornings with my various volunteer groups in various garden sections, and then they let me return alone each afternoon to work alone in the same sections. So many people know and trust me there. I just kind of found places to weed and had at it each session, which was ok with everyone.

Wisteria was at it's height in May.

The rose gardens were not yet in bloom, but other sections of the garden were just amazingly lovely. The terrace gardens were particularly beautiful. Lilacs were in full bloom. The new water wise terraces had all kinds of interesting things in bloom too.

I stayed at first with my friend Jen who nows lives at the summit of the mountain where Park City is located. The summit is right off Interstate 80, only a few miles from the Garden. I felt ok about having to come and go from there because I figured (correctly) that there would be no snow. Jen has a very comfy new (to her) mountain home with a large guest suite. She said I could stay as long as I wanted because she knew I would be "low maintenance." I enjoyed her home and got to know her young kids a bit better.

But I did move out on the Sunday because her mom was coming for a visit from the east coast. I went to my favorite new chain hotel, Tru by Hilton. I had intended to write a bit about this new chain back last fall when I stayed at one of their prototype hotels in Cheyenne, WY. I guess the prototypes worked out because now there is one opening soon in nearby Deadwood and others just starting to get built in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. AND there are two of them in the Salt Lake valley, one an easy drive on I-80 out near the SLC airport.

The concept of the Tru Hotels is that they are low priced, intended to compete with Motel 6, La Quinta, Day's Inn and the likes, but that they are DESIGNED to the max and specifically appeal to younger travelers. But this older traveler loves them. The overall design is modern, colorful and happy. I can see many of the cost-cutting aspects, like having all the products in dispensers not individual packages, not having carpet, having mostly built-ins not freestanding furniture, using glass enclosed showers not bathtubs and shower curtains, not having a pool. But the the bed is very comfy. The TV is big but not too big. The window blinds have a great design on them. The room has everything you need, is designed so well and is just delightful to stay in. The lobby is set up to be a gathering place, and people do that. There is a big pool table in the lobby, plus lots of board games. Coffee is there 24/7. There's a patio with a grill. I'll be selecting Tru Hotels across the country when I find them where I'm going in the future.

Circular checkin desk in the Tru Hotel lobby

Since returning to South Dakota, I haven't done much of anything that is new or interesting. I've been going out at least once a week for a long drive to and from someplace, but no place that is new to me. But I do like just driving around this part of the world because, as I've said many times before, it's beautiful. For example, I drove down to Hot Springs on the highway just outside the Hills. I checked out a local art fair, and then turned north to go home via highway 385 in the middle of the Hills. I drove through Custer where I had lunch, and then on up to Hill City and home.

SockMonkey had never been to Wind Cave.
We just stopped at the visitor's center.
I have toured the cave before, & you need a reservation for that.

While in Custer a total stranger who was a motorcycle rider from Scottsbluff Nebraska bought me ice cream. He was just in a generous mood and paid for everyone nearby including me. I had coffee flavor. Now I need to find an occasion where I can pay for someone else's ice cream some day.

We have been having a lot of rain here lately. Overall it's on the chilly side too. I'm not complaining in the least unlike when I was in Seattle. In fact I welcome the rain.

It doesn't rain all day every day. When the rain stops, the sun pops right back, and things dry out quickly. And it's overall real good for the countryside. The reservoirs are filled, too high sometimes even. The danger of forest fires is moderate, always a good thing. But there seems to be no danger of flooding. The rain made all the pine pollen, which causes me really bad allergic symptoms, to wash away. And since I HATE hot weather, as you know, I'm really glad that we don't have that. we'll get it soon enough, and I'll be complaining then, I assure you. But not now. Now I love this rainy weather here. Keep it up!

A bit of knitting. Penguin socks!

I'm thinking about going down to Colorado to do some traveling around there. For sure I'm going in August and maybe some in July too. Right now they are having forest fires in the southern part near Durango, but my friend who lives near Boulder says they regularly get bad air from the fires. I've decided to hold off going there for now, but it will be easy to change my mind and just take off if I want.

So that's my report to you for now. I'll let you all know about anything new that comes up as it happens. Meanwhile I hope you all are having a nice summer so far this year.