Utah Trip, Part 2 -- Logan, Pepperoni Pizza, and Salt Water

The nieces were anxious to get up and get rolling on Monday, July 31 -- the second day of our trip. They wanted to scurry over to Utah to see Stage 1 of the Tour of Utah. 

It's probably good we left when we did. 

There are a couple things you should take note of regarding this trip. 

First of all, while "The Big Fat Rolling Meatball" (the girls' nickname for our RV) keeps pace pretty well, it sort of goes "chug-chug-chug" up hills and mountain ranges, leaving you to think the steel beast is knocking on death's door. (We later learned that diesel RVs don't have this issue, but TBFRM is a gas RV, and we were advised to use "the cheapest gasoline available." Enough said.)

Secondly, my nieces have yet to meet a gas station they don't like. More to the point, they are highly amused by the random, kitschy stuff sold at various stations and truck stops. 

Our first stop on the second leg of our journey was "Little America" in western Wyoming. I'm pretty sure we stopped for fuel (Bridget's note: Actually, we stopped to plug in the generator cord), but the place also boasts 75 cent soft serve ice cream cones (which looked delicious), snow globes (Veronica found an addition for her collection), and lovely restrooms (the girls had me peek into the "sitting area" of the women's restroom, and it looks like a department store dressing room). 

It seems like we stopped at an insanely high number of Sinclair stations along our journey, and the Little America Sinclair station was no exception. Emily and Lauren have a tradition of taking pictures of themselves riding Sinclair's green dinosaurs:

After 30 minutes of fun at Little America, we set out for Logan, Utah. 

The rugged terrain near the Wyoming border features open, flat spaces full of these metal cylinders. I don't know if it is some sort of water-well system, or something else, but they were everywhere:

We also had to stop and get our obligatory photos with the Utah sign. This was the first time in Utah for all of us, and it is fun to be able to cross a new state off the list.

We soon found ourselves along the route of the first stage of the Tour of Utah. The stage featured a lap around Bear Lake -- a beautiful recreational area featuring inviting rolling mountains and amazing turquoise water (kind of wishing we'd been able to stay a little while -- the water looked like it was straight out of the Caribbean). 

Part of Bear Lake is in Utah, and part is in Idaho (we really should have found a way to cross Idaho off our "never visited" list). 

I took this picture from a scenic overlook at the top of the Beaver River Mountains, a range which sits along the west side of Bear Lake:  

Race volunteers were stationed around the winding roads in the mountains, ready to close off the road to vehicles.  

We needed to scoot because we weren't terribly far ahead of the cyclists, and "The Big Fat Rolling Meatball" needed time to maneuver us toward the finish line -- so we could see the conclusion of the stage, and greet the riders.

What ensued was a rather lengthy journey through the mountains. It was slow going for the RV, and the wireless data situation wasn't good. (Lauren reminded us all of this fact every mile or so.)

We arrived in Logan (which is the home of Utah State University) in the nick of time, and found a place to stow the RV. We trekked a few blocks to the make-shift media room (located in the basement of a mental health center). We were meeting Fitzalan Crowe (press officer) and Nick Shuley (marketing director). Both worked with my brother-in-law Sean during his tenure as press officer for the Axeon Hagens Berman cycling team, and both were glad to see my nieces (taking time to pose for pics):

They also gave us access to the media area near the finish line. I'm not sure that was kosher with all involved, but it gave us the opportunity to see the race close up, and snap some pictures.  

It was kind of emotional to be in "cycling territory" -- the natural habitat of my brother-in-law during his career. The announcer at the event mentioned Sean over the PA system, and talked about how much he was missed at this year's tour. 

My niece Julia broke down at one point:

As I stood in the media area, I kept thinking about how much I missed Sean, and how many questions I wanted to ask him. Having seen him in action (I'd worked with Sean on various PR-related projects over the 26 years I knew him), I knew he would have been zipping around the media area, finish line and podium ceremony like a tightly-wound Whirlygig. 

After the conclusion of the day's Tour of Utah festivities, Axeon Race Director Jeff Louder gave the girls bouquets of flowers that had been presented to the riders who were on the podium after Stage 1. 

Axel was wearing a commemorative t-shirt the team had designed to honor cyclist Chad Young,
who had died while racing the Tour of the Gila earlier in 2017. #AlwaysBeYoung

The flowers were a nice gesture, and the girls had fun posing for various pictures with them near the vendor area: 

We met some wonderful folks after the race -- people who had fond memories of my brother-in-law. These ladies remembered Sean when he was the press officer for the BMC team, and were super excited to see the girls:

After chatting with the fans and staff members, our entourage was ready to take a break from the heat (it was kind of brutal during our stay in Utah), and get on the road for Odgen -- the next stop on our journey. 

Ogden is about an hour south of Logan. After our long morning and afternoon traveling and chatting at the Tour of Utah, we were all hungry.  

After a cursory Google search of places to eat, we settled on The Lucky Slice Pizza in downtown.



The downtown area has a certain bucolic charm to it. We "window shopped" the quirky storefronts as we walked to the restaurant. It felt like a cross between Dundee and Benson here in Omaha. I got a selfie with one of the "horse sculptures" located along the sidewalks:

The pizza and breadsticks that we had at The Lucky Slice were solid, and the portions were hearty. I'd definitely eat at that Lucky Slice location again.

On our drive into Ogden, our group discussed things to do after we had dinner. Since Ogden is along the shores of the Great Salt Lake, we decided to go see the lake. 

My niece Emily looked up spots where we could find a beach and try out the salt-filled water. 

Antelope Island State Park looked like the best option. It was about 30 miles away from the pizza place, and the girls were excited to swim.  

To say I wasn't prepared for the Great Salt Lake is an understatement. I knew it was salt water, but figured it was like salt water in the ocean. I guess I should have known better.

The first thing we noticed as we pulled into Antelope Island State Park was the stench. It didn't smell good, and we learned through a Google search that the smell is normal around the Great Salt Lake. 

The next thing we noticed (as we parked "The Big Fat Rolling Meatball") is that the water had receded away from the beach. That fact meant a long and frustrating walk down to the water -- the sand was loose and full of sharp rock chips. 

In addition, there were thousands of little flies that would flitter to-and-fro in your wake along the sand close to the water (where the beach was more hard packed and covered with dried seaweed). 

In my mind, it was kind of disgusting, and I had no desire to go into the water. But my traveling companions all went in. 

They said it was fascinating how easily your body floats in the salty water. I had to take their word for it, but this picture shows how buoyant your body is in the Great Salt Lake. 

Bridget waded into the lake. She said the salt sort of stung her legs as she walked around. At that point I was tired of the fly situation, and the heat, and I trudged off the half-mile back up the beach to the RV. 

A while after I made my way to the RV, I spotted my niece Olivia headed up (she said she was ready for a shower), and the rest of our crew followed shortly thereafter. 

Lauren found a souvenir in the lake -- a giant rock that she lugged up the beach:

My seven companions got cleaned up at the outdoor showers. The nieces loaded in the movie "Nerve" on DVD, and we headed back into Ogden for the night. 

(Thanks to Bridget Brooks, Emily Weide, Lauren Weide, Olivia Weide, and Julia Weide for supplying additional photographs for this post!)

Stay tuned tomorrow for "Utah Trip, Part III"...

And check out yesterday's post: "Utah Trip, Part I: One Guy, Seven Girls, and an RV"

Utah Trip, Part 1 -- One Guy, Seven Girls, and an RV

A few years ago my brother-in-law Sean had asked us about the possibility of Bridget and me taking his five daughters out to the Tour of Utah -- one of the cycling races he worked over the years as press officer for the various teams he represented. 

It sounded like it might be fun, but it just hadn't worked out (as is often the case with these sorts of things in life). 

Bridget and I had taken a day trip with Sean down to Kansas for KCCX (Kansas City Cyclocross) back in 2008, and had had a good time (you can read about that journey in Sean's blog here). 

After Sean's death in May, Bridget decided it might be fun for us to make good on Sean's idea, and take the girls out for the multi-stage race in Utah. She also had the idea to rent an RV for the excursion. 

I'm not a big traveler, although each time I travel I say, "I really should travel more." 

(I'm kind of like those aspiring writers who "love to have written" more than they "love to write" -- I really enjoy trips once I am on them... I just don't love the logistics and anticipation.)

Our journey began on Sunday, July 30... early! We departed Omaha at 5 a.m. and trekked west across on I-80 toward Utah (a stretch of interstate that can take travelers straight from New York to California). 

The passengers for this voyage were Bridget and myself... our nieces Emily, Lauren, Julia, Olivia and Veronica.. and their mom, Danielle. 

The nieces had loaded up the RV with snacks and supplies. We brought along a DVD player to hook up to the camper's TV, and had plenty of movies along for the ride. 

Western Nebraska isn't the most scenic place in the world. The terrain is primarily a series of farm fields, rolling grasslands, and soft-sloped sandhills. But our state does have a lot of towns along the way, and plenty of rest stops. 

We made a pitstop in Sidney, NE (a town whose claim to fame is being the global headquarters of wilderness-gear retailer Cabela's -- whose fate is now uncertain after a recent acquisition by Bass Pro Shops). 

We ate lunch at a Dairy Queen (owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway), and took pictures by this Union Pacific train caboose (which was by a visitor center).

We also managed to kill the RV when we left the lights on (rookie mistake), but were able to get it back up and running with the backup power supply (and a quick call to Tony from the RV center where we rented the vehicle). 

Sidney sits out in Nebraska's panhandle, and we were just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Wyoming border. 

While I am a sucker for cowboy terrain, Wyoming is a long haul. 

Don't get me wrong, there were some interesting sights along the way, like this stone statue of Abraham Lincoln:

We also saw a couple of these power plants (that look like something out of a "Mad Max" movie). 

After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, we finally made it to the western part of Wyoming -- an area where the land becomes more scenic, and the vibe more touristy. 

We stayed in the Rock Springs/Green River area, and had dinner at Penny's Diner (the food was "decent"... I had pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs).

While it wouldn't rate at the top of my diner experiences, the place did have a nice ambiance, and the girls got to write messages with markers on the wall of the restaurant. 

As the sun dropped over the western horizon, and the day wound down, the first chapter in our trip was coming to a close. I was exhausted from the early departure (I only slept for two hours the night before), and ready to get some shut-eye...

Stay Tuned Tomorrow for "Utah Trip, Part II"... 

And while you're waiting, check out: Dunkirk Review: "There's No Hiding From This, Son."

"Dunkirk" Review: "There's No Hiding From This, Son."

Christopher Nolan has become one of cinema's most dependable storytellers. My belief is that he is this generation's James Cameron -- a director who can't be pigeon-holed into a particular genre ... a filmmaker who creates ambitious pieces of cinema (sometimes a tad too much, as was the case with "Interstellar") that serve as gripping big-screen experiences. 

Nolan is "appointment movie going" at its best. 

"Dunkirk" arrives with a significant amount of early buzz. The film is an ambitious tale focusing on the disastrous and heroic events at the Battle of Dunkirk in World War II (this story zeroes in on the evacuation). 

Nolan chooses to craft the narrative using three different threads -- he tells the story of the participants on land, in the sea, and in the air. It is told subjectively and focus is very, very narrow. This isn't the sort of World War II film that shows generals and admirals in large rooms moving game pieces across table-sized maps. Nor is this a film that features much in the way of exposition. 

Nolan describes his structure for "Dunkirk" in this interview here:

Each storyline runs at a different pace, which removes the linear timeline for events. "Dunkirk" is meant to be taken in for its atmospherics, visuals, mood, and vibe. 

The land part of the story focuses on allied soldiers on the beaches at Dunkirk, waiting to be evacuated (the beach was a breakwater wall referred to as "the mole"). Most of this thread's narrative focuses on the lowest ranks as they try to survive being "sitting ducks" for German forces to pick off. There were some 400,000 troops waiting to flee the military conflict. 

The "sea" part of the story is centered around the civilian boat owners who were pulled into the efforts. The focus is on a single boat owned by a man named Dawson (Mark Rylance). 

The "air" part of the story focuses on a pair of Supermarine Spitfire pilots (one of them played by the enigmatic Tom Hardy) as they try to thwart Messerschmitt Me-109 fighters and Heinkel bombers. 

Nolan mixes the three threads up into a compelling cocktail. 

I alluded earlier to the fact that this movie is essentially about mood and vibe. There is little in the way of exposition or dialogue. The film uses action to build suspense and drive the story home. 

"Dunkirk" runs just under two hours -- short by today's blockbuster movie standards. As a result, the film never feels blogged down or bloated. In many respects, it leaves you wanting more. 

I built many model airplane kits as a kid, and the Spitfire was one of my favorites. The last time I saw the plane so prominently featured was in a British TV series I watched with my parents on PBS's "Masterpiece Theatre" back in the late 1980s -- called "Piece of Cake" -- that told the story of a group of Spitfire pilots in World War II.  

I don't know if CG was used for any of the aerial sequences in "Dunkirk" or not, but the dogfighting scenes feel authentic, and it is a treat to see the old birds in action on the big screen. 

There are also a couple of solid performances worth noting in "Dunkirk." 



Mark Rylance won an Oscar for his supporting performance in "Bridge of Spies." His calm demeanor serves these sorts of historic dramas well, and his subdued -- yet commanding -- performance as the owner of a small, private boat called into rescue service is solid (and might yield him more accolades during awards season). Likely the best performance in the movie.



Kenneth Branagh is also on hand as Commander Bolton. The character's scenes in the movie are confined to a dock along the shores at Dunkirk. There isn't a lot of material for Branagh to work with, but his performance gives context to the story.  

Also of note is Tom Hardy as Spitfire pilot Farrier. It's very possible that Hardy has less dialogue here than he had in 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road." But his performance as stone-steady fighter pilot (whose Spitfire has a broken fuel gauge) is actually pretty compelling. 

Oh...and that kid from the band "One Direction" (Harry Styles) is decent as a British soldier trying to escape the beach. 

Also of note is Hans Zimmer's score for this movie. While he doesn't provide a memorable anthem for the film, his musical stylings serve to help drive the narrative forward and ratchet up the tension.

His "Supermarine" is an example of this:

Overall, "Dunkirk" is movie worth experiencing. It is a beautifully crafted World War II epic -- something that feels fresh, original, and its own unique thing. 

Nolan also deserves credit for creating an intense, driving film, but was able to do it without being exploitative with the on-screen carnage (something that can be overdone in this sort of genre film). 

Rated: PG-13, Runtime: 1 hr, 46 min

Take a look at my other recent movie review: It's "Spider-Guy!"  

It's "Spider-Guy!"

I must admit up front that I didn't have any particular expectations going into "Spider-Man: Homecoming" — the latest effort by Sony and Marvel Studios to reboot the Spider-Man franchise. 

Attitudes have changed on the crime-fighting arachnid since Tobey Maguire's first outing as Spider-Man in 2002. Moreover, there have been oodles of superhero movies the past 15 years -- including a not-so-beloved reboot of the character in 2012. 

Spider-Man ranks as one of the most visible and well known protagonists in the comic book realm, so it stood to reason that they'd give the character another shot. 

The first appearance of our "next-gen" Spidey came in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." Brit actor Tom Holland's portrayal of Spider-Man was part of a brief "battle royale" of various Avengers at an airport, but seemed to be well received. He provided many of the scant laughs in that rather dreary third outing for Cap and Friends. 

There was a youthful, exuberant energy that hadn't been seen in the character before.

I must admit I was happy to see Sony and Disney come together and work to mesh Spider-Man into the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe -- having him on screen with Iron Man, Ant Man, Black Widow and the rest of the superhero crew that fans have become enamored with the past decade. 

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" arrives just in time to save the 2017 summer movie season. 

While the movie might not be the epitome of perfection, there is quite a bit to like this time around. 

Gone are the tried-and-true origins of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. Those elements are relegated to a few brief mentions when Peter and his friend Ned are bantering back and forth. 

Instead, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" picks up with the character after "Captain America: Civil War." 

We see Peter Parker going through his daily life in high school (the Midtown School of Science and Technology). His "cover identity" for interacting with Tony Stark (Iron Man) is that he is part of a Stark Internship. 

Peter fights crime in and around his New York neighborhood, but longs for more after his heroics with the Avengers. Yet Stark (along with his business associate Happy Hogan) seem to be giving Peter the cold shoulder, and would prefer he remain "a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." 

Parker quits his academic decathlon team -- and sets aside any sort of social life -- to focus on proving himself to his mentor. 

After a harrowing effort to thwart an attempt to rob an ATM (by criminals wearing plastic Avengers masks), Peter returns home to find his friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) waiting for him, holding a Lego Death Star the two had planned to work on. Ned is initially shocked, but soon elated to find out his friend is the masked superhero -- believing it can help their "street cred" at school. 

Ned peppers Peter with a number of questions about his secret identity. As the two are discussing the topic, they overhear a group of girls in gym class talking about their favorite superheroes. When they realize that their classmate Liz (an arm's-length crush for Peter) is enamored with Spider-Man, it results in Ned informing the class that Parker knows Spider-Man. 

The two are then invited to a party at Liz's home (which Peter is reluctant to attend). As they set in motion a plan reveal Spider-Man at the party, Peter observes an explosion in the distance. 

The explosion is the result of high-tech arms dealers (who happen to be the criminals behind the ATM robbery) showing off weapons to a ne'er do well named Aaron (an oddly cast Donald Glover). 

The arms dealers work for the film's main heavy, a man named Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton). Toomes was a salvage operator who was working on clean-up after the Battle of New York (featured in 2012's "Avengers"). His contract to salvage debris from the battle was cut short by the government, who turned operations over to the U.S. Department of Damage Control (operated by Tony Stark). 

Feeling slighted by the government (he mentions that he had to purchase new trucks for the clean-up job), and holding a grudge against Tony Stark, Toomes and his team develop some of the high-tech gadgets he was able to salvage into top-of-the-line black market wares. He has even developed a set of flying wings for himself to use on robbery jobs (Toomes is the character Vulture).

When Peter decides to investigate the explosion he observes from Liz's party, he meets Toomes' winged alter-ego for the first time. He nearly drowns in the confrontation, and is ultimately saved by Tony Stark (who had included monitors into the Spider-Man suit). 

On Peter's walk back to the party, he discovers a glowing, purple orb from Toomes's operation. 

Peter believes this might be his big chance to hunt down the criminals, and prove himself to Tony Stark. 

So he and Ned go rogue, hack the Spider-Man suit to remove the trackers (and disable the "training wheels" mode), and set forth on their own investigation -- which sets up the final two acts in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." 

While none of this is particularly new superhero territory, there is an energy and pacing that makes "Spider-Man: Homecoming" work. There is also a healthy dose of self-effacing humor in the film, something that is sorely lacking in many recent superhero outings. 

The film is light and fun. I wasn't sure how Tom Holland would be in the titular role, but he proves himself a likable sort, and has the chops to carry the film on his shoulders.

Michael Keaton does his best with relatively little screen time as the main villain. 

He has been a dependable actor throughout his career, and has the ability to pivot between light comedy material and dark dramatic fare. (One of my favorite film moments is his "chainsaw scene" in 1983's "Mr. Mom").

While Keaton's casting as Bruce Wayne in 1989's "Batman" caused quite a stir among fanboys at the time, his acting range added a subtlety and nuance to his portrayal of Batman -- and movie-goers have seen unconventional casting choices in superhero films ever since.

Some fans have grumbled that certain pillars of Peter Parker's origin story have been tossed aside (ex. the MJ character isn't named "Mary Jane"), but considering that this is the sixth "Spider-Man" movie in 15 years, they needed to take a fresh approach. 

It was nice to have Tony Stark/Iron Man along for the ride. Robert Downey Jr. is enjoyable in that role, especially when his has the opportunity to do some of his humorous riffs. 

There were also some corny "Captain America PSAs" shown at Peter's school during the movie, and they worked to great effect. 

There was also a twist in the movie that I didn't see coming.

I enjoyed "Spider-Man: Homecoming" more than anticipated. After a series of relatively dreary superhero outings recently (like 2016's "Doctor Strange"), it was nice to see something that had the tone and heft of pink bubblegum. 

I also liked "Wonder Woman" earlier this summer, but enjoyed this latest Spider-Man outing a tick more. I'll leave you to determine which superhero movie you preferred this summer, but both entries prove there is still vitality in the genre -- which is great news for fans. 

P.S. -- Be sure to stay through the entire end credits scroll. There is a fun "easter egg" at the end. 

Rated: PG-13, Runtime: 2 hrs, 13 min

Check out my previous post: "Omaha Live!" - Premiere Party, Season 6 Debut