We started the day early, at 5:00 a.m. or so, nature called us (in more ways than one). So, we got up and got on the road, hoping to reach Bloomington Lake by sunrise. Dawn was breaking over Bear Lake and it was absolutely serene.
The roads were pretty bad, and they got worse and worse until they became impassable because there was still SNOW blocking the road. So, we had to stop. Luckily the sunrise was still pretty from where we were in Bloomington canyon. It was quiet and calm.
Steve captured some really honest photos telling of the beauty we were amongst.
Since Bloomington Lake didn't work out, we thought we'd go to the free bird refuge and get some pictures.
We saw lots of cool birds, but they were moving targets, or too far away, and difficult to take pictures of.
The mud swallows by the bridge were nutso, though.
You can see in this next photo how they have built their nests in huge colonies under the bridge.
I thought this next photo was ironic- an airport sign next to the old pioneer cabin.
Next, we were off to the Paris Tabernacle for a free tour. The building was pretty and I liked how it still had so many of the original charms from when it was built.
 |
| I got to walk behind that organ. Ever done that? |
After our tour of the tabernacle, we went back home to rest a bit, mind you, it's still like 11 in the morning since we woke up before dawn. We were greeted by hummingbirds when we got to our cabin, so Steve got a nice close up of this one-
We rested, then ate some lunch and decided to nix the idea of going golfing, and go rent an off-roading side-by-side. That turned out to be a fine idea. We rented it for 4 hours and drove up several different canyons admiring them all.
When our four hours with the OHV were done, we had to get a raspberry shake, so we asked the workers at the rental shop where we should go, and they both suggested their favorite, Zips. So, it was off to Zips for dinner, a mere 30 second drive down the road.
Zips was GOOD. They had lots of shake options, and the raspberry one was tasty. Steve also ordered one of their hand-dipped corn dog, and fried buffalo chicken triangles.
I got their roasted chicken sub and with each bite I tried a different sauce, they offered lots. I remember liking the teriyaki and wasabi mayo and moose sauce, but they all were good.
Evening was upon us, and Steve and I still hadn't had a chance to go out to Bear Lake, so we thought we'd just drive down the path the owners had, but that plan didn't work. We got our front tires stuck good. We had to tell the owners who rounded up some neighbors with a tractor and chains to pull us out.
The owner pushed from the the front, and his slacks got plastered in mud as the tires spun backwards. I felt so bad for him and for inconveniencing their entire evening.
But when our van was pulled out, we finally went for a walk down to the lake. This time we walked down a different private path, just to take in some more scenery.
Bear Lake was a short walk away, and it was really pretty. I loved that there were no other people around.
I did touch the water and was surprised by how warm it actually was. Apparently Bear Lake is pretty shallow and the water is a nice temperature.
On our walk back, we took the route our van was pulled from. Here's the mess we left-
This place would be a nice gathering spot for a family reunion or church group!
Our hosts had a nice garden between our cabin and their home.
Their property was really pretty.
We built a campfire before we headed off to shower for the night. The hosts let us use their shower in their home, which we REALLY appreciated. We were covered in dirt and bird droppings thanks to our off roading adventures.
We sat and watched the fire as the sun set behind us. It was a perfect day at Bear Lake, one we will remember forever.
1 comment:
:D
Post a Comment