Quiet times...and BEDS!!

We've been quiet for the past couple of days because things have been mellow. We went for a nice bike ride on Wednesday through part of the Dixie National Forest. There's a terrific bike trail that seems to be vastly underutilized, so we had it to ourselves as we swooped through prairie and woodland scenery.

Yesterday we drove to Salt Lake City for a bit of civilization (including showers, laundry, and beds). It was something of a shock to go from camping to being in the middle of a large city. So many people and cars! We had lunch at a shopping mall in the downtown area and I clung to my espresso cup as people shuffled and squawked around me. We'll venture out to explore a bit today, since we've opted for a second night in the hotel in order to to the laundry and let the boys have some pool time. We've heard that the Salt Lake Public Library is amazing, so we'll head there, library geeks that we are.

It is hard to believe that we are about halfway done with our vacation. We're all a bit homesick, I think, wondering how Poe is faring and missing the routines and conveniences of our house. Still, I think we're all retaining our sense of adventure. I know I'm excited about our upcoming Tetons-Yellowstone-Glacier segment. We're trying to make the trip back East more than just a sprint across the country, so we're contemplating swinging back down to the Black Hills, then up to southern Minnesota for a couple of days before we head for home.