On this page we visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Southern Utah. The first poem speaks to a LARGE question and the second takes you on a scenic hike in Glacier National Park.
Guest Vignette: Some thoughts by the Dalai Lama (Power point converted to a video)
Recommendations
Posing by the Statue of Liberty replica made from Twirlers licorice at the Hershey Chocolate display in Las Vegas.
Opening Comments from Bob
This Page: Though we have finished our trip to Glacier, one of our poems The Cedars and Avalanche Lake Trails takes you on a gorgeous hike via a poetical video. The poem A Miracle speaks again to a big issue. Pictorially, we stay close to home except for a few shots taken in Las Vegas, NV. Our son Craig and his wife Nicole accompanied us for this long weekend jaunt. The vignette is a power point I received ten years ago. I converted it to a video. It is worth the 1 minute and 26 seconds of your time.
Bridal Veil Falls, UT: A few miles from home this small falls is experiencing record amounts of water due to the heavy snow melt.
Another view of the falls
Mirror Lake high in the Uinta Mountains opened to the public in late June. The road was closed due to snow.
Several sections of the campgrounds were still closed in mid July.
Two Poems
A Miracle
One can wonder how existence came to be.
Perhaps mere chance against the odds allowed the miracle to pierce the crust of time.
Days and years pass as the trunk of life expands branches reaching out to absorb the brilliant light.
For all, life is a struggle, sometimes simply to survive the day.
Yet, despite the many seasons, why not rejoice in the mystery of existence?
For perchance you are not an accident but destined to explore this miracle.
Comments: I like to believe none of us are accidents.
Presenting my poem Thompson Road at the annual talent show held at Dr. Paul Lam's Annual Tai Conference.
A pond taken at Sundance Ski Resort; note the sculpture behind the log.
Comment: One of the most beautiful, tranquil hikes I have taken recently was on a combination of two trails in Glacier National Park, The Cedars and Avalanche Lake trails. I created this poetical video to describe the experience.
In case you have problems opening the the link, here is the YouTube link.
Midway/Heber Valley: Despite it being summer, the snow remains on the peaks,
A gorgeous, rushing mountain stream taken at Robert Redford's Sundance Ski area.
A side street in Park City, taken in June.
Guardman's and Empire Passes opened a couple weeks ago. The picture above and three below were taken there.
Vignette
Some thoughts by the Dalai Lama
A decade ago someone sent me a power point sharing some of the Dalai Lama's wisdom. Though ten years have passed, great wisdom never truly ages. Hence, I converted it to a movie and decided to share it with you in this issue. I hope you appreciate the photography along with his comments.
If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, I will print it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. It should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.
Grasses covering Silver Lake near Brighton. In winter, the area was covered with 700 inches of snow. On
our last visit in May, there were still 72 inches.
Provo River Falls has an abundance of water due to the heavy snow fall this past winter.
Las Vegas is not everyone's cup of tea. However, some of the best restaurants and shows available in the U.S. are found there. Below are several recs that our son, his wife, Jan and I enjoyed during our long weekend visit. It is only a 6.5 hour drive from Midway, UT, relatively close by western standards.
Hash House A Go Go in the LINQ: Craig and Nicole had eaten here before and explained that it was like no breakfast options we had experienced before. They were correct! We each had a different dish, unusually named so I won't try to repeat here but all delicious. Be warned, the servings are huge, some would say, "decadent." Obviously, the place is popular as we had a 25 minute wait and the crowd was still there when we left. The service was superb though the restaurant was definitely noisy.
Mat Franco Performance in the LINQ Casino: Mat won the America's Got Talent Contest in 2014. His performance is magic at its best. The show includes active audience participation along with clean, astute humor.
A pond taken at Sundance Ski Resort; note the sculpture behind the log.
