Still getting caught up on my blog and all the things we've been up to this past year. I posted a lot of pictures and updates about a surprise trip Jace was planning for my 30th birthday, but never updated you all on what we actually did!
My birthday was November 8th, but starting October 1st I started receiving an envelope every day, always in a different location and at a different time of the day, to keep me guessing.
Inside the envelopes were little numbered strips of paper. On one side Jace had written something that he loves about me (very sweet).
And on the other side, a small piece of a puzzle.
All I knew was that by the end of October I would be able to figure out where we were going on our trip. We were leaving on October 31st. If I didn't figure it out, all Jace would tell me is how to pack for the weather. He is HORRIBLE at keeping secrets, especially when it comes to giving gifts, so I was really surprised (and impressed) that he was able to hold it all in. It may have had something to do with the fact that he was conspiring with my sister, so he had an outlet for his excitement :)
By around the 28th day or so, I figured out that the writing on the back indicated an exact location using latitude and longitude. I was able to google it and find out we were going to Park City, Utah! A friend of ours who grew up in Utah had recommended it to Jace and we were both super excited to get out of California and go somewhere peaceful, COLD, and with beautiful sites to see.
My parents picked the kiddos up from our house after work on October 31st, and we set out on the first leg of our trip. We made our way through Nevada, had to jump off the freeway to see the craziness that is the Las Vegas strip on Halloween. Plus Jace has never seen the strip!
A quick shot through the very corner of Arizona and we reached the Utah border. It was almost midnight by the time we got to the hotel we were stopping at for the night, which is why this picture is so terrible :)
The next day we continued our drive but took it slowly and made some stops along the way. One place I really wanted to see was Zion National Park. I have heard from several people how breathtaking it is. Of course, you really need to dedicate several days to see the whole thing, and the variety of natural beauties it holds. We just barely saw the tip of it and loved it!
At last we reached our final destination, Park City. Jace had made arrangements to stay at the famous Waldorf Astoria, an absolutely gorgeous hotel!
When we arrived we were informed that since it was their slow season we were receiving a room upgrade! It was more like a spacious one-bedroom condo than a hotel room. I don't know if I've every stayed somewhere so nice.
Dining area, family room and kitchen
View from our patio
S'mores by the fire pit every night!
Park City is the home of the Sundance Film Festival. Here we are on the famous Main Street. And you can see in the background the theater where most of the film screenings take place. It is also jam packed with shops and restaurants as well as historic buildings.
Anyone who truly knows me knows that I L.O.V.E. the Olympics. During the two weeks every other year that they are on I pretty much don't do much else but watch every nail-biting, tear-jerking, awe-inspiring moment. When Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Games in 2002, Park City was the location for many events, including bobsledding, luge, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboarding, and some skiing events. Being only about 30 minutes away from Salt Lake City, and a town historically known for it's ski resorts, it was a perfect location.
All around the city there are still landmarks and tributes to the 2002 Games. I was in heaven.
This is me in my USA gear, receiving my gold medal and waving to the crowd :)
We visited Olympic Park where the bobsled/luge track and ski jumping venues are located. This is also now a training center for current and aspiring Olympians. We took a tour and checked out the museum. SO awesome!!
On our last day we drove a little ways outside of the city to Mirror Lake, a very highly recommended location, and very well worth the trip. It was GOR-GEOUS!
It's called Mirror Lake because most of the year the water is so still and clear that it creates a perfect mirror image of the surrounding mountains and forest. It was fa-reezing, literally, when we were there so the lake was iced over. Not a perfect mirror image but breathtaking all the same.
Seriously, the grass was frozen. It was cold!!
We walked about halfway around and had fun "skipping" rocks on the water. It actually makes the coolest sound bouncing on the ice. We were the only people for miles and miles.
What an incredibly fun, relaxing, beautiful and special time we had! I am so blessed to have a husband who is so thoughtful and generous. He seriously thought through every detail of this trip, from where we would stay, what we would eat, and what activities we would do (he even made sure I got a massage in - something I LOVE to do!), and every one of those details was intended to make it the BEST trip for Tracy Lynae Allbright that it could be. Thank you so much Jace! You definitely know me better than anyone and I appreciate all you do for me. I love how much joy it brings you. You are the best!
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