This weekend found us attending the 26th annual Be Happy Chili and Wing Cook-Off at Loyd Park. We signed on as judges of the chili competition, which meant gathering with 30 other judges at mid-afternoon on Saturday to sample 11 entries. We were somewhat surprised at how they tasted more alike than distinctive. Another surprise:…
We began the weekend with the Western Governors University (WGU) alumni event at Texas Live!, an entertainment center with a variety of restaurants, cocktail bars, live music stages, and giant video screens. For the event, WGU took over the entire venue, displaying the university’s brand elements throughout, deploying an excellent DJ in the main concourse…
While the rest of the known universe focused its attention on the historic showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, we spent the weekend listening to birdsong, watching squirrels frolic in the forest, and finding respite from the Trump Administration’s firehose of activity. We set up on a…
The death of Jon’s mother earlier this month, while sad, was not unexpected. For the better part of the past two years we have traveled monthly to stay with her for several days at a time, sacrificing our regular camping life along the way. Now it’s time for us to recalibrate our camping life, directing…
We chose the weekend of the winter solstice for our monthly camp-out. Despite the weekend having the shortest day of the year (only 10 hours of daylight), we enjoyed relatively mild temperatures and calm conditions. In addition to enjoying an excellent Date Night steak, accompanied by a 2021 Treana Cabernet Savignon, and a crackling campfire…
We thought about going to the 15th Annual Blues, Bandits, and BBQ event at Kidd Springs Park, but when we saw the ticket prices we decided to camp out instead. For just a few dollars more, we enjoyed an entire weekend at Loyd Park rather than just a few hours at the festival. It gave…
We decided to camp out the weekend before Election Day, for both expected and unanticipated reasons. We expected that, by this time in the 2024 campaign season, we would be eager to tune out the relentless barrage of political ads. But we hadn’t anticipated needing the weekend to familiarize ourselves with our new tow vehicle:…
After seven weeks without camping, we made our way to Loyd Park for a magnificent fall weekender. The weather was ideal, with warm temperatures, low humidity, and clear skies. We spent much time outdoors, walking around the park and relaxing under the pavilion, enjoying cookouts and campfires. We’ve missed the regular cadence that has been…
The ninth day of our Salt Lake adventure found us traveling from Utah to Colorado for an overnight stay at the Denver West/Central City KOA. We opted for a route that included mostly U.S. Highway 40 rather than I-70, considering we had read several reviews that advised against using the interstate because of its road…
Our final day in Salt Lake City was spent working, with Cliff attending meetings at WGU’s main campus and Jon working remotely from Cloud 9. The day’s main event was the alumni celebration at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The original Salt Palace, constructed in 1899, was lost to a fire in 1910. A new…
Garinns on the Go 