Really getting away from it all in Utah

Our wonderful guide McLean led us on a Western mule ride adventure.

I haven’t posted in a while, not just because I’ve been on vacation, but because we were in such a remote location, we had very spotty Internet access. Our Utah vacation has been full of surprises. I knew it was going to be pretty, but had no idea there was such diversity of beauty.

After leaving the lap of luxury of my Park City retreat, we traveled four hours south to Bryce Canyon National Park.  We stayed at a little place called B ryce Canyon Inn, that had small cabins that were very nice. The best part of it was that they had guided mule rides right from the place. Mike, Chrissy and I had our own private guide named McLean, who looked like he was straight out of a Western movie. His family had been living in the little town of Tropic for five generations and his brother and nephew have participated in rodeos. 

We were in the middle of beautiful country he said he rode around as a boy and didn’t see a single person the whole way. As you can see from the picture, we rode through these rock crevasses that were too cool to describe. We stopped to see some ancient Native American engravings on one  of  rock walls. McLean was so nice, and it was great hearing about life in southern Utah. I learned that he lost his mother to breast cancer when he was a child and his grandma had it and survived. I gave him a card, and he said he was going to buy my book, From Incurable to Incredible. Yes, I’m always “on!”

Bryce Canyon is spectacular. The orange rock formations, called “hoodoos,” looked to me like God made this huge sandcastles all over the landscape. I’m a little afraid of heights and got nervous – especially after hearing McLean’s stories of people falling to their deaths off the cliffs. I’d say the highlight was on Rainbow Point when we saw this elk gracefully trot along a sheer cliff face right before us.

From Bryce, we went to Pinewoods Resort in Dixie National Forest (about an hour’s drive). With huge pines and cool weather, it was a nice break from Bryce’s dry, dusty topography. Dixie National Forest is one of three places in the country that has Bristlecone Pine trees, some of which are over 2,000 years old. Our friend Sheridan, who recently moved to New Mexico, drove up to visit with us. We loved Cedar Breaks National Monument, which was at its height of wildflower season. The lush greenery and flowers stood in stark contrast to the rocky formations below.

I really enjoyed the camp atmosphere of the resort, where we had a campfire and played a fun game of badminton at night. We had some real, quality family time while enjoying the company of our long-time friend.

On a sad note, we received an email from Christine Dittmann, who is featured in our book. Her last surgery was unsuccessful and her future is uncertain. Like all the survivors in my book, Christine is not giving up easily. She is a wonderful wife, mom and friend. Please send out your prayers to Christine and her family.

We’re in Salt Lake City now, ready to fly home early tomorrow. I’ll be busy going to Louisville for my SIRT consultation and planning for the book signing when we return. If you live in Cincinnnati, I’d love to see you there. See the News and Events page for details.