Of Road Rage And Tranquility
What is wrong with people? There seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to some of the idiotic things they do. Coming home yesterday I was irritated by the vagaries of human nature. Why is it that people will speed in a 55 mph zone but curb crawl in a 75??! I have advice for you people: cruise control; learn it, use it. It's not that hard! And it saves you lead-footing it through some areas and light-footing it through others. As cruise control is standard on most American cars there is absolutely no excuse for you to not use it! So, yeah, I was a little road-ragey yesterday...
But that means that I did get to go to Spring Glen, and it was a pretty awesome trip...mostly. We didn't leave until around 10 am, and there was some question whether we'd be going at all. I had to reassure my mother that all would be well when we got to the top of Spanish Fork Canyon. She didn't really believe me (I could tell) but we went anyway.
The trip down was fairly interesting. Shortly before we left it was raining. Then it stopped. It sprinkled until just before Point of the Mountain...at which time it turned into a downpour. It cleared up just before we entered the canyon, and by the time we reached Soldier Summit is was nice and sunny. And it stayed that way for the rest of the day.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
On the journey down we had intended to stop at Hill Air Force Base to go to the commissary (and get me more lingonberry jam!). Unfortunately...or fortunately, depending on how you look at it...they were doing one of their 100% ID checks. As I don't have a military ID, I couldn't go in. We decided to drop me off at the Hill Aerospace Museum and the parental unit would go to the commissary.
Having never been to the museum before I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I know I didn't expect what I got. I was pleasantly surprised by the scope of the exhibits. This isn't just a puny collection of planes, they also have missiles, military memorabilia, and various aviation-related paraphernalia. It was impressive. I was impressed.
The complex is made up of a building and an outdoor lot. The outdoor lot hosts a collection of airplanes. The planes progress from small to ginormous and you soon discover that movies just don't give you a true understanding of the enormity of some of these behemoths! The realization of just how large they are really only strikes you when you're walking under the tail of a Stratotanker or Stratofortress...
The building is made up of three rooms; a small, antechamber-like building that houses a fascinating array of Air Force and aviation uniforms; a middle-sized (but very large) room with some early aviation memorabilia; and a huge room that houses a magnificent collection of military aircraft, bombs, and missiles.
If you are in Utah or planning to come to Utah and you have never been to this museum, I highly recommend it. Especially if you're any kind of history or military buff. Should you like to go, the museum is open seven days a week from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM. Admission is FREE, but monetary donations are, of course, gratefully accepted. The museum is closed only three times a year, on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. To get there, take the 335 Exit from I-15, turn onto East 650 North/Main Street. Follow this onto Wardleigh Road and you are there. You'll know you've arrived when you see the planes on your right.
After our brief visit to the Base we then continued on to Spring Glen. Dad made a general announcement that once we reached Highway 6 he wasn't driving any more. Mom said she didn't want to drive because she was tired, so it fell to me (I knew all along that's what he wanted, it was silly of them to act like it wasn't...). In order to change drivers we stopped at the fabulous Little Acorn. Opened in 1972, the Little Acorn has been a staple for many people who travel through the Canyon. It's certainly been a staple for our family. So trip through Spanish Fork Canyon would be complete without a stop there to at least have one of their stellar shakes! Oh, and food isn't half bad, either! Yummy burgers and sandwiches on thick homemade bread...mmmm. Don't let the ambiance turn you off...it is a little sketchy-looking...the food is really good.
Part 2 of the trip still to come. Stay tuned.
But that means that I did get to go to Spring Glen, and it was a pretty awesome trip...mostly. We didn't leave until around 10 am, and there was some question whether we'd be going at all. I had to reassure my mother that all would be well when we got to the top of Spanish Fork Canyon. She didn't really believe me (I could tell) but we went anyway.
The trip down was fairly interesting. Shortly before we left it was raining. Then it stopped. It sprinkled until just before Point of the Mountain...at which time it turned into a downpour. It cleared up just before we entered the canyon, and by the time we reached Soldier Summit is was nice and sunny. And it stayed that way for the rest of the day.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
On the journey down we had intended to stop at Hill Air Force Base to go to the commissary (and get me more lingonberry jam!). Unfortunately...or fortunately, depending on how you look at it...they were doing one of their 100% ID checks. As I don't have a military ID, I couldn't go in. We decided to drop me off at the Hill Aerospace Museum and the parental unit would go to the commissary.
Having never been to the museum before I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I know I didn't expect what I got. I was pleasantly surprised by the scope of the exhibits. This isn't just a puny collection of planes, they also have missiles, military memorabilia, and various aviation-related paraphernalia. It was impressive. I was impressed.
The complex is made up of a building and an outdoor lot. The outdoor lot hosts a collection of airplanes. The planes progress from small to ginormous and you soon discover that movies just don't give you a true understanding of the enormity of some of these behemoths! The realization of just how large they are really only strikes you when you're walking under the tail of a Stratotanker or Stratofortress...
BELOW: Stratotanker Front.
BELOW: Stratotanker from the back. You can see the fueling arm sticking out under the tail.
BELOW: B-52G Stratofortress.
BELOW: B-52G from the side.
BELOW: B-52G wingspan...so big it has to have extra wheels on the wings! According to my dad, when they are under full payload they are so heavy the extra wheels are necessary.
The building is made up of three rooms; a small, antechamber-like building that houses a fascinating array of Air Force and aviation uniforms; a middle-sized (but very large) room with some early aviation memorabilia; and a huge room that houses a magnificent collection of military aircraft, bombs, and missiles.
BELOW: Helmets. Part of the Colonel Evans Collection.
BELOW: Air sickness chair. This was used to test the intestinal fortitude of prospective pilots!
BELOW: Flight simulator. It's tiny...
BELOW: Nazi artifacts.
BELOW: M-61 Vulcan Cannon.
BELOW: Peacekeeper ICBM.
BELOW: Ambulance. Because you always have to have a meat wagon...
If you are in Utah or planning to come to Utah and you have never been to this museum, I highly recommend it. Especially if you're any kind of history or military buff. Should you like to go, the museum is open seven days a week from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM. Admission is FREE, but monetary donations are, of course, gratefully accepted. The museum is closed only three times a year, on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. To get there, take the 335 Exit from I-15, turn onto East 650 North/Main Street. Follow this onto Wardleigh Road and you are there. You'll know you've arrived when you see the planes on your right.
After our brief visit to the Base we then continued on to Spring Glen. Dad made a general announcement that once we reached Highway 6 he wasn't driving any more. Mom said she didn't want to drive because she was tired, so it fell to me (I knew all along that's what he wanted, it was silly of them to act like it wasn't...). In order to change drivers we stopped at the fabulous Little Acorn. Opened in 1972, the Little Acorn has been a staple for many people who travel through the Canyon. It's certainly been a staple for our family. So trip through Spanish Fork Canyon would be complete without a stop there to at least have one of their stellar shakes! Oh, and food isn't half bad, either! Yummy burgers and sandwiches on thick homemade bread...mmmm. Don't let the ambiance turn you off...it is a little sketchy-looking...the food is really good.
Part 2 of the trip still to come. Stay tuned.
Kommentarer
Trackback
