To Warmer Places

         I figured I needed to get this post out before Christmas comes. Otherwise, it would be weird to talk about a family trip during Thanksgiving. The first half of the week of Thanksgiving was unfun for me as I had a nonstop running nose. I had to skip every lunch and dinner appointment with friends. The second half was a road trip to visit family friends in St. George, Utah.

         One of the stops along the way was the Scipio Petting Zoo. The zoo was closed for the season, but we could still see the animals through the fences.

         The geese were there to greet us. They came up honking whenever people were near.

         It's hard to see, but we also saw chickens, peacocks, ducks, and turkeys in the mix.

         The sparrows love to dine with the other birds during mealtimes.

         Looking around, we saw larger animals as well. There were emus, llamas, donkeys, and a single camel. The keepers were doing some maintenance work when we stopped by.

         It took us about six hours to drive down to St. George, including breaks. A straight shot from Salt Lake City would have taken less than four hours.

         While in St. George, my friends and I took the children to Thunder Junction All Abilities Park. I won't post most of the photos I took there. Most of the photos were of the kids playing together. You can find pictures of this location online. It's one of the fanciest playgrounds I've seen in my life.

         The park had a dinosaur theme. There was even a fake volcano (that did spew steam) to go with it. The cherry on top was a train going around the perimeters. The weather was relatively warm, so it was a great way to spend the evening.

         We spent three days with our friends. It was good to catch up. I haven't seen them since 2010 back in Pennsylvania. Since everyone's children and grandchildren are old enough to withstand road trips, a group spring break trip is possible for 2023.