I don't think it's any secret that I have wanted a little girl to do fun, girly stuff with, but no girl could ever compare to the amazing 3 boys I have the privilege of raising! Who says moms can't do fun stuff with their boys?! This week, I let the boys play hooky on Thursday (8th) and Friday (9th) to go ski/snowboard at Brian Head. The idea all started when I noticed that the Piano Guys were holding a concert in Cedar City. I have wanted to take Danny to a concert since Danny started playing cello. Their cellist is AMAZING! I really wanted Danny to see what dedication and practice could lead to. In any case, when I realized they were having a concert in Cedar City, I decided to loop Dallin into the trip. With their unlimited passes, the boys get to ski/snowboard for free up to three days at Brian Head. They have always wanted to try out another resort so this just seemed like the perfect trip! We woke up early on Thursday to get to the resort when it opened at 10:00.
Seeing as snow and I still have a love-hate relationship, I obviously wasn't going to spend the day on the slopes so I went into Cedar City to go to the temple. This temple just opened for use in December. It's a smaller temple, but no less beautiful. I enjoyed feeling the peace that abounds in those walls. I needed that. In fact, I needed some time alone. Sometimes I feel like I forget who I am as I run around serving everyone else. I relished the opportunity to be alone with my own thoughts. I also enjoyed being able to eat where I wanted and do what I wanted without compromise!
After the temple, I grabbed some lunch before heading back to Parowan (the small town north of Cedar City) to eventually head up the canyon to Brian Head. I had seen a cute little downtown area and a few old buildings that I wanted to explore. I first stopped at the Rock Church. This church was built in the 1860s when some of the first Mormon pioneers settled that region. I was sad to see the church in mild disrepair, but the exterior rock face was beautiful. Unfortunately, it wasn't open for tours so I quickly walked around it then set out for more exploration in this small town.
As I was leaving the parking lot, I saw a house across the street with a historical plaque on it. When I got closer, I could see a sign hanging from the porch that read: Jesse N. Smith! I couldn't believe it! My great-great grandfather had built and lived in that house before he moved to northern Arizona! I was so surprised!! I had visited the homes he in which he lived in Arizona and have even seen where he was buried, but I had no idea that he had lived in Parowan! Again, much to my dismay, the house was not open for tours, but I could peer inside the windows and walk around the property...and simply feel the historical connection I had to that place.
This discovery prompted me to visit the Visitors Center on Main Street to learn a little more history about the area. Brigham Young had sent settlers to this are in search of iron. Parowan became the "Mother Town" of southern Utah because it was the first settled area. The efforts to mine ore were fruitless, but the town has lived on. It is not very big, but I loved feeling connected to it. I found a little park with bronze statues of early settlers. Parley P. Pratt (another great-ancestor by marriage) was the original leader of the 117 men, 80 women, and 18 children that went to that area. At one point, he erected a wooden flagpole on a small hill and hoisted a flag symbolic to them as an emblem of the hopes to come. It was really cool to see the flagpole still on the hill behind the park.
I ended my exploration with a quick look at some industrial tools and the small, one room schoolhouse before I had to go pick up the boys.
As soon as I opened the car door to greet them, they regaled me with stories of their amazing feats! They had a blast! They described all the jumps, runs, and mishaps that occurred as we drove to the hotel in Cedar City. They cleaned up and we grabbed some dinner before heading to the Piano Guys concert. This was my first attendance at one of their concerts, but I don't think it will be my last! They were amazing! I knew they were talented but I didn't know they were funny. It seriously felt like we were in a comedy show
and a concert. Even the boys enjoyed it! Danny was definitely inspired to be more diligent in practicing his cello. It was the perfect way to end a fun day with my boys!
The following day was much like the first. I dropped the boys off to ski/snowboard then I went out to explore on my own. Today I started by visiting the small cemetery in Parowan. I knew my great-great grandfather wasn't buried there, but there is always so much history in a cemetery. My heart broke as I found the old gravestones that marked the resting places of children. I felt sad to see some gravestones to be illegible because of the ravages of time and weather. I spent a few minutes wandering the rows before moving on.
My next adventure took me out of town to Parowan Gap, a small "gap" between two small mountains wherein native Paiute Indians inscribed their history on the rock faces. There were dozens of petroglyphs on the rocks. I was grateful for a few signs that explained what some of them probably meant because most seemed like simple, random designs. However, I was impressed with the time it must have took to carve those designs and marveled at their dedication to preserve a part of their history.
On my way back to Parowan, I made another pit stop at the Parowan Dinosaur Tracks. I am not a huge dinosaur fan, but it was interesting to see what is assumed to be dinosaur tracks preserved in stone.
Finally, I found my way back to the freeway and headed towards Cedar City to explore their downtown area. They had bronze statues of early settlers, yummy places to eat, and fun little boutique stores. I had lunch at Charlie's BBQ. It was delicious! I chose the burnt ends sandwich with fried cauliflower! Yummy! I love finding local spots to eat. Before leaving the downtown area, I grabbed an ice cream cone at Bulloch's soda shoppe.
By this time, I only had about an hour before I had to go pick up the boys and head home. I decided to make a quick stop at the Frontier Homestead State Park. It was an interesting little museum filled with relics from the past. There were coaches, houses, industrial equipment, a school and more. I wandered through ages past to pass the time. Ironic huh? Finally, I headed back up to the resort to grab the boys then head home. I again enjoyed hearing all their stories as we ended our adventure. I really loved being able to do this for and with Dallin and Danny. They truly are amazing boys! I am lucky to call them my sons.
