Just to start things off, I have to say that HP was awesome! The end.

But on to what I really want to blog about ... our anniversary trip! I had been pondering what to do for our anniversary for awhile. After Matt's aunt mentioned a few months ago that her 2nd anniversary was the last before kids....well, that could be true for us too! (With the way things are going, it might not be, but ya gotta make it count!) Last year, our anniversary sort of snuck up on us. We did dinner and a movie. How boring ;) So as I was trying to come up with ideas, I was thinking a night or two in a B&B would be kind of nice. It had to be far enough away to warrant paying money, though. And it also should be in an area where there is something to do during the day. Oh! And it had to be affordable. Let me tell you now, these three criteria are not met in Utah.

I really didn't want to just stay in a nice hotel in Provo or Salt Lake (or anywhere in between). We did SL for our honeymoon. It was nice, but I wanted to do something! Well, I got a BRILLIANT idea! One that I think meshes my desire to go somewhere and Matt's desire to take the bike everywhere - a motorcycle road trip! I told you it was brilliant!

Then I had to decide where we were going. Initially, I was thinking south - just take roads besides I-15 and explorer rural Utah. Being on the bike with no real set agenda would mean we can stop at random history markers or whatnot along the way. I decided Southern Utah was hot and boring in this regard, though. So why not head North? August is still way hot, and it might be nice to go somewhere a tad cooler.

My cousin Natalie and her husband, Dave, are in Montana for the summer working at the Pinecone Playhouse. Natalie had said we should come see a show... unfortunately, we won't be able to actually see one. However! we can at least see them and say hi :)

So here's my current plan (I'm so stoked!):
Saturday - Aug. 8:
After Matt gets off work, and we're all set to go, we will head up to Heber for a bite to eat, and then to Park City to browse the outlets. Then we'll head over to Evanston to stay the night.

Sunday - Aug. 9:
Sacrament meeting at 9 in Evanston then head north. Make a slight detour to the east to see Fossile Butte National Monument and maybe get a snack. Then we'll head up to Alpine, WY and get lunch near Palisades Reservoir. After lunch, we head up to Jackson, where we may or may not stop (I still don't understand why people flock there - and we'll be too early for the Scottish Festival), then a drive through the Grand Teton National Park - where being on a bike pays! ($20 instead of $25 - and the pass is good for Yellowstone, too!) After we fight through traffic (they're doing construction :p), we'll head up through Yellowstone and stay overnight in West Yellowstone. Hopefully Nat & Dave will have some time to play with us that night or Monday morning.

Monday - Aug. 10:
Do a little more Yellowstone and then head down to Malad, where my Grandpa Wilson grew up. I've driven past a bit, but never actually gotten off the freeway to see what is there. We'll probably stop for lunch in Idaho Falls. After wandering around Malad, we'll head down to Promontory and visit the Golden Spike National Monument. Then we'll spend the night either in Ogden or SL.

Tuesday - Aug. 11 (our actual anniversary):
If we're in Ogden (which is what I'm leaning towards), we'll go to the dinosaur park. Then we may stop in SL at the zoo, too. I don't think I've been since our honeymoon. Then it's home! However, Grandma Wilson's birthday is the 11th, so I'm thinking we may go to a nice dinner and take her and Grandpa.

So this is how it is working out in my head. Now we have to assess if we are going to buy luggage for the bike. (I don't know if I could sit on it with saddle bags - but perhaps a nice tank bag?) I'm going to make hotel reservations so we can hopefully get better rates, too. I also have to talk to Natalie to see if they can play with us, and find out if Grandma and Grandpa will let us take them out to dinner..... and I have to make sure we have the funds to pay for all of it!

Matt already has the time off (I was going to be so mad if he didn't get it), and I will definitely take the camera. My goal is to not only get pics of the places, but of us, too! I have like 3 of Matt from our honeymoon is all. lol I'm getting better, though. So you all have something to look forward to mid-August now ;)