After a day in the city full of religion, sno-cones, food, beer tastings and more beer tastings, those extra calories meant we (ok, mostly me) needed a little bit of exercise and hiking seemed like just the thing. If only we had a good place to spend a day out in nature… Read the rest of this entry
After growing tired of the country life (and to mostly give our legs a break), Wife and I headed into the urban jungle for a taste of Salt Lake City. After a stop off at the Visit Salt Lake Information Center (mostly to spy on the competition), we enjoyed an afternoon of religious history and the oldest painkiller of them all…beer! Read the rest of this entry
After a quick flight with some peanuts and drinks, Wife and I landed in the great state of Utah. With our Ford Fiesta and some groceries from a Super Target, we headed up the mountains toward our destination, Snowbird, for some hiking and relaxation.
During our first full day, we explored the small village to get a lay of the land, took a short and easy hike and watched a lot of soccer (hey, I am on vacation so I can do whatever I want). We took it easy knowing tomorrow would be a day full of hiking. Read the rest of this entry
Wife and I are really excited for our trip down the Grand Canyon to the Phantom Ranch via mule transport. To top things off, we booked a stay in Buckey O’Neill cabin, an actual historic landmark, that sits right on the edge of the canyon with a warm fireplace, king-sized bed and a private patio. We are excited for what should be our first White Christmas!
Here is a little background on Mr. O’Neill and his cabin from Wikipedia:
The Buckey O’Neill Cabin was built in 1890 by William “Buckey” O’Neill in what would become Grand Canyon National Park. O’Neill was, among many other things, a member of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, who had previously been an author and a judge in his native Arizona. He was killed in action in Cuba in 1898, but was instrumental in establishing what would eventually become the Grand Canyon Railroad.
The cabin is the oldest extant structure on the South Rim. It was used as an office for tourist accommodations in the area during the 1890s, which eventually evolved into the Bright Angel Hotel. After the hotel was sold to the Fred Harvey Company it remained much as it was when built. It was incorporated into the rebuilt Bright Angel Lodge complex by Mary Jane Colter in 1935.
The one-story cabin is a wood frame structure on a low stone foundation, right on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The shallow-pitched roof is covered with wood shingles. The cabin is connected to other lodge buildings using compatible, unobtrusive materials, and has been cited as an early example of an adaptive reuse of a historic structure. The cabin is one of the guest accommodations of the Bright Angel lodge.
The Buckey O’Neill Cabin was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1975. It is included in the Grand Canyon Village National Historic Landmark District.
Back in July, Wife and I flew out to freezing Arizona for another installment of the Bernasconi Family Reunion.
We enjoyed riding the quads, Montezuma Castle National Monument, driving a 50 mph or less Jeep, adult conversation in the midst of chasing small children, avoiding the lava carpet, piñatas and the Prescott Costco.
Once back in Phoenix, we enjoyed touring Ramon and Angela’s new mansion and a calm evening at the Bernasconi’s (Mario, Pam, and Vincenzo) with a little bit of rain:
Now we wait for the next reunion in 2015.