East Canyon State Park in Morgan, UT
From Victor, Idaho, we began our journey to our next destination: Utah. Having researched our state park options, we were excited to see a number of parks around Salt Lake City. Hong decided that he would prefer to stay in Salt Lake City–I think he is really tired of our limited space, remote areas, and lack of salsa dancing. So, with sadness, we parted ways with Hong, who happily found a hotel with a pool and spent a glorious few days of relaxation in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, we went in search for the perfect state park to call home for the week.
After checking out two state parks that weren’t bad but just didn’t feel right, we pulled into East Canyon State Park in Morgan rather late in the evening. We agreed that even if the park was not all we hoped for, it would need to be home for the night as it was getting late and a storm was moving into the area. As usual, I was monitoring our internet situation while Chris was driving. The closer we got to the park, the weaker the connection grew. “Oh no!” I thought, “Not another one of these weeks!” When we pulled in to the park, we were excited to see a sign that advertised “Free Wifi.” At a state park! Awesome! Sadly, it did not work and neither did our Mifi. But, we were exhausted and decided to deal with the issue in the morning.
We searched for the pot of gold...but didn't find it.
The following day Chris worked with a weak internet signal at various points around the park, both at picnic tables and in the car due to rain. Not wanting to move again, we went ahead and paid for another night…although we did move campsites to one where he had a stronger cell phone signal and would at least be able to take calls in the Airstream rather than outside. We also spoke with the park ranger about the internet issues and she said she would speak to the IT people. I was doubtful anything would be done. To our magnificent surprise, however, the park ranger came through for us and the following morning, the park’s wifi service was working. (Here’s a shout out to Park Ranger Liz for her awesomeness!) East Canyon State Park became our home for the week. High five!
East Canyon at sunset
The park was eerily quiet and at times, we were the only people there. As noted by a friend of mine, it could easily be the setting for a horror movie. Thankfully, there were no psychotic killers on the loose in the park. Instead, we had a wonderful week! We had fantastic views all around us and although the weather was quite rainy for most of the week, our time was very pleasant. Sometimes, a rainy day is a good thing. And, nothing beats the sounds of raindrops on aluminum! The storms would usually occur in the late afternoon and by sunset we were entertained with gigantic rainbows right over the campground. In the evening, we had visits to the campground by deer and skunk. One night, we actually saw a porcupine waddling down the road. This was my first porcupine…a very exciting moment.
Another Airstream picture. Sometimes I just can't resist taking a picture of my shiny home.
While not an adventure-filled week, East Canyon State Park may find a place on our campground top ten list. It had wonderful amenities, huge sites, and amazing views. All in all, it was a nice place to call home for a week. Our week ended with a great laugh…for one of us. Upon our departure of the park, as usual, we had to empty our gray and black tanks, a task to which we are now well accustomed. It is typically a team effort; neither of us wants to do take sole responsibility for the unpleasant task, although one of us always tries to find some excuse as to why we cannot participate. Without discussion, we each proceeded with our assigned roles: I gathered the sewer hose parts while Chris began the connection. As I leaned over to place the sewer hose into the drain, Chris yelled, “Look Out!” I dropped the hose and jumped back out of the way, moving faster than I had ever moved. My heart was pounding. I looked back expecting yucky tank contents to be spewing everywhere but instead see my husband laughing hysterically at his own joke. Yeah…that’s funny. I’m thinking next time he’s on his own with this task.
