Going Home- the LONG way

We just got back from a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We went to a Payne family reunion. We had been planning to go to this for about a year. We were all getting together to celebrate what would be my Grandpa Payne's 100th birthday.

We left on Friday morning. It should be about a 10 hour drive. Well, we took it nice and slow. It took us about 14. I have been on this route from New Mexico to Utah (or vice versa) so many times in my life. I have always enjoyed the drive because there are many beautiful places along the way. And some places that are not beautiful at all. I have not been this way for so many years that it was really fun to get to reminisce the whole way down.

As we traveled along, I told Kent and the kids stories about memories I had in the places that we passed through. I told them about playing basketball games in Price when I played for Ricks in college. I told them that Green River is famous for it's watermelons. When we got to Moab, I explained what people come to Moab for and showed them all of the rafts and rock crawlers. I also told them about how I remember being young and having my Dad stop in Moab for a treat or a hamburger. He would take us to the Tastee- Freeze and get us an ice cream. I showed them where the Tastee-Freeze used to be. It is some kind of restaurant now. I loved getting a treat in Moab. We stopped for gas, so I went in and bought a bag of gummy worms so our kids could get a Moab treat. They thought that was great. Not as good as that ice cream was though! As we traveled down the road from Moab, I told the kids about Hole in the Rock. I have driven past this place for at least 25 years, and have never stopped. I have always wondered how they could have made a house in a rock. The kids were really intrigued about Hole in the Rock after I was telling them about it. As we came up on it, I told Kent to pull over so we could check it out. I am an adult now, and we were already taking all day to get there, so we stopped, because why not? I went in and asked what it cost for a tour. I decided that we were going to do it. That is so not like us. But fun! So we took the 12 minute tour of Hole in the Rock. I guess in the 50's a couple moved there and decided to blast out this rock and live in it. They made it a restaurant as well. It was pretty interesting and cool to see once in your lifetime. I told the kids to look really well, because they were never going in again. What would ever make a couple want to do that? I have no clue. To each their own. They also had a little petting zoo that is free. It was actually a very worthwhile stop. The tour, well, if you have an inquiring mind that has to know, do it once. That will last you a lifetime.

They have a little place that you can walk around. They have all sorts of little displays, and fun places to take pictures. My camera ran out of memory before I was done taking pictures, or there would have been more.

They had a decent little petting zoo. I don't know why they call it a petting zoo though. There were sign everywhere saying don't touch the animals unless you want to donate your fingers. Some of the animals looked a little rough, but the kids loved it.

Who would want to try and pet this ostrich? NOT ME!!! It was staring me down, and I wasn't even that close to it!

They had this neat license plate wall, that is a great place for a photo. Too bad we had been traveling all day and looked a little rough.

After we had explored Hole in the Rock, it was back in the car until we got to Farmington. That was where I grew up. I gave them a tour of the town. I showed them our house on Rosa, the first house we lived in on Yale, the "wilderness", my high school where I spent a great portion of my life doing basketball, the airport, and anything else I could think of to tell them. I love kids. They love to hear stories about when you were a kid. I am glad that I could show them and tell them this now, before they are a little older and don't really care to go down memory lane with you. I loved Farmington. It was a great place to grow up. It is not the prettiest or cleanest of places, but I loved it and was happy there. I had great friends.

I have told the kids about when the boys went to Fathers and Sons how our Mom always took the girls to Long John Silvers for dinner. That was a BIG deal to us, because we never ate out. I have joked about it with my siblings for years. So we were cruising around town, and finally decided to eat at Long John Silvers. Just sitting there pouring the malt vinegar on my fish and fries made me smile to remember back to the good old days. I lived for the fathers and sons outings. Camille loves them already too.

We got back on the road and headed to Albuquerque. When we got to Cuba we filled up at

7 /2/ 11. I bet I have stopped there a hundred times on road trips in high school. We always got out and got a snack there, whether we were hungry or not. I didn't go in this time. I was too tired, and I already know what they have in there! :)

We got to Albuquerque after midnight. Boy, was that ever a long day. But I was so happy and felt like I had been able to enjoy the trip. Kent was such a good sport. He just let me go and do whatever I wanted. And the kids were awesome. They were such good travelers. It is nice to be able to slow down sometimes and enjoy the ride. And that I did.