Utah Vacation-Going Home

Today was our last day in Utah. We started the day by packing sandwiches, eating what we could, and throwing away what we couldn’t. We went through the check-out checklist one more time and left the house around 8:05 AM.

The drive up through Price Canyon was gorgeous. We tried to drive straight through, but we did stop once to take a few pictures. Before reaching the airport, we stopped for gas at Costco. We also bought some drinks in preparation for lunch. I was looking for a park near the airport but couldn’t find one. Instead, we returned the Rogue and carried our stuff into the terminal.

Salt Lake City has a beautiful airport. It has lots of open spaces and places to hang out. Near the check-in area, we found some tables and ate lunch. Afterwards, we checked in our bags and headed for the gate.

Our plane at the gate at Salt Lake City

Our flight home was on JetBlue. We boarded and taxied to the runway. Along the way, we had to detour around some construction. It’s not every day that you see a flagman while taxing an airplane.

Flagman on the taxiway at Salt Lake City

The flight to Orlando was pretty cool. The mountains around the Salt Lake Valley were closer than ever as we climbed out. We soon entered the clouds, then came out between layers. I eventually fell asleep and woke up over the Gulf of Mexico. Soon we passed Tampa and descended into Orlando. It was nice to see green after weeks of nothing but tan.

Beautiful clouds and shafts of light near Tampa, Florida

Back in Orlando, we picked up our luggage, caught the van to the parking lot, and found Mom’s Escape. We loaded our bags and climbed in. I started the car, but nothing happened. I tried again and nothing happened. I sat there and thought, “Now what?”. The thought of my bad experience with the CR-V ran through my mind. I thought, “Are we going to be stranded here?” For some reason I opened and closed the door. I turned the key one more time, and the car started. The relief poured over me. We were soon on our way home. Another fantastic National Parks vacation in the books.

Click the image below to see all pictures from the trip.