Houston, We Have a Problem

We have left the charming world of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Park City, Utah and entered the land that NASA uses to train its astronauts for an eventual trip to Mars. Seriously. Mars.


It's not as though we didn't try to stay longer in Park City. A few hours in the home of the Sundance film festival convinced us that we would be happy to spend more time there, but it was not to be. The hotel was booked for tonight, so we accepted our destiny: leave the land of Redford and head for the land of John Glenn.


However, we did make a pitstop at Sundance before heading into the barren landscapes of Utah. It's amazing how diverse the landscape is in this state, as the lush trees and sapphire blue lakes leading up to Provo are as different as they can be from the red rock canyon we are now occupying. While I can appreciate the stark beauty of Moab, I'm more of a Sundance girl. Stunning scenery, chic surroundings, and a latte when you need one can all be found in Park City, Provo and Sundance. Our fine dining experience in red rock country was the Moab Diner, where a lovely motorcycle riding gentleman teased Daniel that his headlight must have shined into Daniel's eyes when he parked his hog outside. I'm sure tomorrow will reveal the majesty of Moab, but so far our impression of the town itself is less than stellar. Jackson Hole this ain't.

Therefore, the highlight of today was definitely our trip to Sundance. We shopped in the Sundance store, ate in The Foundry (the Sundance restaurant), and took a 40-minute ski lift ride up the mountain. The drive to Redford's oasis was breathtaking, and the entire experience was particulary amazing for a film lover. Along the walls are photos of the various actors and directors who have workshopped films in those very buildings (including Quentin Tarantino and Tim Roth for Reservoir Dogs). The mountain is filled with gorgeous homes; we speculated whether they were owned by studios or agents. Or perhaps even Redford himself. It was a very delightful detour, indeed. Even though Bobby never showed his ruggedly handsome face.

So, today's photos are a potpourri of Utah's best and most intriguing. Enjoy. I'll let you know tomorrow how the arid (100 degrees outside!) and "inhospitable" (our guidebook's word) Arches National Park treats us. Wish us luck :-)