24 hours in Toronto

On Monday (October 28th), Jeff and I flew to Toronto, Canada for a quick 24-hours. No...it was not a vacation (although we always try to make the best of the time we're in an area); we flew there so that Jeff could look at a piece of equipment he is considering investing in for the business. We landed at 4:30 p.m. on Monday and flew out at 4:50 p.m. the next day. It was a quick trip...and I think we saw enough of Toronto to know we don't need to come back. I had done a little research prior to the trip (like always) to pick out a few things to see or do while we're there. I knew we would be staying outside of the city (closer to the location of the crane we were going to see), but we still decided to drive into the city to see a few quirky things and grab dinner. That was a mistake! Driving anywhere in the city is a nightmare! Yes...it was fun to see the smallest little house in the city and the half-house, but wandering around Kensington Market (which is a neighborhood rather than a market) to find a place to have dinner was pretty sketchy. I couldn't believe this was on several "must-do" lists that I had researched. We did find a decent burger place and the neighborhood had a quirky charm to it, but I left that area with a less than favorable opinion of Toronto. The next morning (Tuesday, October 29th), Jeff went to see the crane and weigh the pros and cons of the purchase while I slept in a little then we headed back to Toronto. We parked the car and went walking. It was pretty rainy all day and we got pretty wet, but it was better than trying to maneuver the streets in a car. The old town/downtown area had a much cleaner vibe. It honestly redeemed the city a little for me. I loved seeing the historic architecture being preserved amongst the new modern sky rises. We walked by the Gooderdam building (an old flat iron building), wandered through Dundas Square (a mini Times Square), and enjoyed a yummy meal at St. Lawrence Market (an actual market). We were going to go up to the observation deck in the CN tower (which used to be the highest freestanding building in the world in the 1970s), but the fog was too heavy and we knew we wouldn't see much. I can't say that I ever need to go back to Toronto, but spending time with Jeff on another adventure is always a memory worth treasuring.

St. George Girls Weekend

No sooner had we come back from Iceland and I was off again! This time it was a quick weekend trip to St. George with my mom, sisters, and a couple of nieces. Krystle, Addie, and I drove down together on Thursday, October 10th. We got there a couple of hours before the rest of the AZ crew arrived so we took Addie to the local children's museum. She had so much fun, especially in the "store".

Once everyone arrived, we had dinner and found a yummy paleta shop! (The rest of the short time we were there, we kept figuring out when we could get back there to try another paleta! We never did make it back because there was other yummy food to enjoy.)

After our dessert, we quickly ran back to the condo where we were staying so that the AZ peeps could drop off their stuff and freshen up for the real reason this whole weekend came to be - a performance of Anastasia at the Tuacahn theater. It was phenomenal! For most of our group, this was the first time they had seen a Tuacahn production. The stunning red rock backdrop is amazing, but the talent displayed on stage was next level. We all thoroughly enjoyed the performance (although Addie did fall asleep half-way through it).

The next morning, the adults in the group woke up early to attend a session at the St. George temple. I love these old pioneer temples. There is something about their history that adds a level of sacredness to the edifice. 

After the session, we went back to the condo to grab Kate and Addie before heading to Snow Canyon State Park to explore. This small nearly 7-mile canyon had several little hikes that showed off the interesting sand rock formations. We hiked two short trails: Jenny's Canyon and Pioneer Names. At the latter, there were several pioneer names written with axle grease on the red rock. What must their lives have been like? What hardships did they endure? What joys did they experience?

As we left the state park, we headed a little further down the road to a tiny town called Veyo...for pie. Yup...you know us! We'll do anything for a good dessert. We enjoyed a variety of pie slices before we headed back to the condo to relax a little. 

We were all a little exhausted from the late night and early morning, but Addie still wanted to swim so Krystle grabbed her suit and Mom, Nichole, and I joined the short excursion. 

After swimming, we met up with our cousin's (Shawna, who recently passed away from cancer) daughter for dinner. Kate Backus has been attending Utah Tech. It was good to see her and take her out for dinner.

Nichole, Jackie, and I ended the evening with a choir concert in the historic tabernacle. Nichole ran into Ryan's aunt in the temple. She told us about the free choir concert that she would be singing in. Mom, Krystle, Addie, and Kate opted to stay back at the condo. The concert was amazing. It was incredible to hear the choir sing songs of praise and inspiration, including Come Come Ye Saints, inside a pioneer tabernacle. It was the perfect way to wrap up our trip. Even though it was a quick trip, we enjoyed what we were able to do and the memories we made together. The next morning (Saturday, October 12th), we all packed up and headed home.