In doing some online research my mom and Jenni found this great train tour that takes you for a two hour ride around a beautiful frozen lake. The train was this great old steam engine with big open seating, a food car, and an open air car for outside viewing. Driving around the mountains has been beautiful, but I don't think there's a better way to see that incredible scenery than to see it from a train.
Redwolf's sweet smile on the train tour.
The views over the lake were breathtaking. I couldn't decide if I liked this in color or black & white better.
My mom and my brother Matt all bundled up in the open air car on the train. It was definitely cold, but the sun was bright and warm, and there couldn't be a better way to see the scenery.
We all were having a great time, but no one more than Stori. She was unbelievably cute pointing at everything, so excited about each new tree or bend in the track. I remember a line out of the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" that says "Never loose your childish enthusiasm". Stori is the epitome of that to me. She never takes anything for granted, and never ceases to be excited by the beauty that constantly surrounds her. She's kind of my hero in that.
Jenni and I are closer than most cousins, and as she was growing up we always imagined the man she would marry. Surprisingly Tim is nothing like what we'd expected. He is so much more. I literally cannot imagine a man loving his wife more than Tim loves Jenni. As I got to know him better, I saw that he was as close to perfect for her as was humanly possible. He is strong and stable and solid, and he makes it safe for her to be a little more emotional and passionate. He is her solid, her rock. And every time I think about him, I see this funny, Godly man of integrity, that loves adventure, has a heart for young people, and more than anything loves one of the people I love the most in the world with his whole heart, and he loves her well. I couldn't be more thankful for him. And as good a husband as he's proven to be, he's an equally good father. I watch him with Stori and I see that even at her young age he is already her safe place. He makes things peaceful and stable for her too. And for a daughter I think that's one of the most important things a father can give. Needless to say, I am so grateful that God brought this man into our family, and I really can't imagine life, or our family, without him. He's probably horribly embarrassed if he reads this, but sometimes I think we should take the opportunity to proudly say how thankful we are for the people in our lives. It's too easy to let it go unsaid, and assume they know it without expressing it. Tim, we love you!
All in all the train tour was a huge success. If you ever get a similar opportunity, I strongly suggest you take it, and don't forget to bring your camera. You won't be sorry. After the tour, we headed to this beautiful resort area that had horse drawn sleigh rides that were big enough for us all to go together.
John, the rancher who took us for the ride, couldn't have been nicer. He was everything you'd think of when you picture a western horse wrangler. Not a goofy caricature of a cowboy. But the strong country gentleman who loves his family, his country, his God, and his horse, complete with cowboy hat, bandanna, and chaps. He told great stories about the surrounding area and his own family's history in there. I always really enjoy hearing personal stories about an area from someone who's got a real history there. And I fell completely head over heels for our draft horse, Marty. He was pretty impressive with how strong and sure footed he was in the snow. That sleigh was not lightweight and he pulled us through the snow like it weighed nothing. Since it was the first time any of us had ridden in a sleigh in the snow, it was really fun to discover it together. We wrapped up in blankets, sang sleigh riding songs (also known as Christmas carols), and had a really good time.
Tim, Jenni, and Stori riding in the back of the sleigh.
By the end of the train and sleigh rides, Stori was getting pretty tired and needed a little help from her dad to make it through the rest of the evening. But there was one more stop for us to make. Tim and Jenni took us to this amazing place called Homestead Crater. It's a huge geothermal crater that you can climb stairs 90 feet up to get on top of. Or you can go through an underground tunnel and see the crater from inside it. Apparently it's a huge scuba diving destination as it's the only warm water diving in the continental US. The water and the air were incredibly warm, and the scuba divers could swim down 65 feet to the bottom of the crater. From the inside, standing on the dock, you can look up and see the hole that makes the top of the crater high above the hot spring. It was pretty amazing to see such a natural wonder from the inside out.
On our way home from a long day of touring and sight seeing, Tim and Jenn drove us by one more thing we couldn't miss. There is a man in Midway, UT that constructs an ice castle village every year. He builds a complex series of frames and braces out of small pipes that have multiple holes in each pipe. All of these braces are systematically hooked up to water hoses that allow water to drip and freeze in layers and sheets of ice, building up into these incredibly intricate ice castles. By the time we got there, the sun was setting and the ice, being lit from the inside, had taken on these beautiful shades of blue against the setting sun in the sky. It really was amazing.
After our visit to the ice village, we finally made our way home. The rest of the drive to the house was still just as beautiful as everything else we saw during the day. The early evening sky against the snow turns everything a hundred shades of blue, like an old cyanotype.
(This is the view from our front porch. Amazing isn't it?)
Whether it was from a train, a horse drawn sleigh ride, or the top of a crater, everything we saw and everywhere we went was a series of one magnificent view after another. I realize it could easily sound like an overstatement, but it really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. This wasn't my first or last trip to the area, but each visit is unique and special all it's own. And this particular trip has been full of lots of firsts and little day adventures. Tomorrow I'll share the rest of our pics.
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