Hello from Park City

Well, I've been on the road from Atlanta for a week now. It has been fun and tiring all the same. I stopped in Memphis to see my friend, Kristin. Then, it was off to St. Louis to see the Wilson's. I also saw my friends, the Laughlin's in St. Louis. Great visits with all. Next stop- Oklahoma City. I toured through Tulsa on the way and then went to OKC. I viewed the memorial at the bomb site, wandered around town and had lunch at a fabulous Italian place downtown. From OKC, I headed toward Albuquerque but only made it as far as Amarillo. I stopped several places along the way, including the display of the cross below. It is the "largest cross in the Northern Hemisphere." You can see the cross from at least five miles away. I wondered if there might be more there than just the cross. There were several smaller (but lifesize) statures depicting Jesus walk to the cross and the people he encountered (i.e. when he fell, when he spoke to his mother, when Simon took the cross for him) the crucifixion scene, and an empty tomb. I was there around sunset which made for an even more beautiful experience. After leaving Amarillo, I headed (again) toward Albuquerque and made it to Gallup, NM. I stopped in Bernalillo along the way. Bernalillo is referenced in the play I just did (Sam's Shepherd "Buried Child" written in the 70's). I enjoyed seeing the old town and wondering why Shepherd chose it. Anyway, my stop in Gallup was fortuitous. There were signs from the "famous El Rancho, home to the stars." Well, along Route 66 everyone claims their place is famous. Curiosity took me to the El Rancho which turns out is (or was) famous. Tons of movie stars stayed there when many films (Westerns, particularly) were being shot in the Southwest. i.e. Mae West, Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart, Betty Grable. I had a really nice stay there. I passed through N.M. the next day and went on into Arizona. I passed by a meteor crater and stopped to see that before arriving at the Grand Canyon (I'll have to post those pictures later). I only saw the South Rim, though. I passed by Desert View and the North Rim on my way up to UT but it was pitch black in the early morning. I arrived in Park City last night and walked around the downtown village area. It is beautiful. Of course, Park City is home to the Sundance film festival. It is also home to one of the Olympic parks and great skiing. Into Idaho today.