More Utah

By Katrina Kane, on December 5th, 2009

Getting cold here and got some snow. I had a terrible time trying to sleep for a week until I finally gave in and bought a heated mattress pad. Checked out all the opinions online on heated blankets versus heated mattress pads. Decided on the pad because it has some added benefits for those with back problems and those who don’t like that initial cold on the feet from the sheets. Very nice to slip into bed now and sleeping perfect. The control goes up to 10 but I find 2-3 is just fine. For more money, you can get a heated pad or blanket that responds and automatically adjusts itself to the temperature in the room.

We went to Hill AFB Air Museum. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to another air museum until I found a travel bug in a geocache that is a tribute to a female airman who was stationed there and died in Iraq. The bug’s mission is to go back to Hill AFB and then on to her home in Dover, Delaware. So we went to the museum for the day with the TB. It is an interesting museum with a few things I had not seen before. My favorite display was the White Cliffs of Dover. They made it from an actual piece of the cliffs and included excellent text about it. It seemed most appropriate for a picture of the travel bug since they symbolize coming home.

We had Thanksgiving here in my trailer. Nothing special but a good dinner. My brother is getting me to cook “real” food more and use the oven I have been ignoring for so long. No more TV dinners every night. It helps that I found a market nearby named Reams with an excellent meat counter with good prices. Walmart meat counter sucks in my opinion primarily because it is all packaged for families instead of singles and the prices aren’t as good. Yes, Mom, he is getting me to eat my vegetables and fruits too.

I hit the local Black Friday sales and scored pretty well. I know it is scary but you really must try going to them as the best deals all year really are on this one day. Trust me. It truly is worth getting up at 5am for these sales.

We checked out Union Station in Salt Lake City. Like most train depots, it was quite lovely and in it’s day. Today it is home to many specialty shops. Behind it in the courtyard are fountains and a street full of more cute specialty shops to while away the hours in.

Ogden, UT is home to a nice train and auto museum. You can climb all over the locomotives and see lots of different types of train cars. The depot has some beautiful pioneer murals. Inside it is an auto museum with some wonderful old cars like the Pierce Arrow. The Frontrunner commuter train runs past it so it is still alive with the sound of the rails.