Provo's Center Street...So Much To See

 Today, I found myself in Provo, Utah. I'm not a frequent visitor to Utah's second-largest major university city. I've never lived in Provo, or even Utah County. I'm not familiar with much of the city, but I have found myself on Center Street many times.

There's several writing conferences held at the convention center on Center Street. When I go to the conferences, I've checked out stores along the street. I've attended work meetings in an office building on Center Street and we often break for lunch, so I visit businesses along the street at those meetings.

Center Street is varied and diverse--a photographer's dream.

Today, we drove east in the morning and west in the afternoon. I was a passenger in a moving vehicle and I snapped a couple of pictures of what I saw. There's SO much more I could have captured had I been walking or had I been quicker with the shutter (even though there's no shutter on an iPhone...). 

In short, I spotted a temple, a Ferrari, and a giant chicken.

I also spotted, but did not take a picture of the convention center, NuSkin corporate offices, the Provo Covey Center for the Arts, an abandoned gas station, a couple of bars, many many restaurants, and a mortuary. If I return to Center Street tomorrow, I'd probably see the same things, minus the Ferrari.

Provo's Center Street...so much to see.

An Absolutely Beautiful Truck...

My boss and I went to lunch yesterday. Since I ventured to his domain--Utah County--I thought it best that he choose where we'd eat.

He chose Seven Brothers, Hawaiian, and the burgers were delicious!

As we entered the Provo Beach complex (where Seven Brothers is located...) we walked by a classic, 1960s-era VW bus/truck. I'm not sure the year--I'm not as up on my buses as I am on the bugs. Absolutely beautiful. My boss, I believe, is not a VW fan. As we walked by, I said, "See that van there?"

He said, "Yes."

"That's probably worth $20,000, maybe more."

"Really?" he said.

"Yup," I said.

Now, seeing as I'm not a VW bus/truck expert, I really don't know. It could be less, or a lot more. It might not even have an engine (you can legitimately joke that even with an engine, it doesn't really have an engine...). Point is, for those who are interested in antique, the vehicle was more than just an advertisement--it was art, it was beauty, if was something to behold.

Well done, Provo Beach...well done.

Riding The Train...From Provo

Earlier this week, I took the train to Provo. After our team Christmas party, I took the train home. It was the ride home where things got interesting.

I love taking trains. It reminds me of when I lived in Europe decades ago. I know trains are not the answer to our transportation needs--in fact, trains were that answer two-hundred years ago. Still, there's something about riding in trains that I love. Our Christmas party was in Provo--I could have driven, but I took the train.

Like anywhere, there's decorum and rules when you're on a train. Usually, you don't talk to one another. When I rode the train into Salt Lake on the way to Provo, no one spoke to each other. We all had our headphones in, listening and watching whatever it took to make the trip more interesting. When I climbed aboard the northbound train after the party, the "usually don't talk to each other" rule sort of went away.

Not that I talked to anyone, mind you. No, I kept to myself and just listened.

It seems people leaving Provo on the train at this time of year are from all over the planet. Two people behind me were a good example. One lived in California, the other from Washington State. Both were on their way home for Christmas. A few seats down, another couple struck up a conversation. One was from the east coast, another from the midwest. They chatted, swapped "what it's like to be a BYU student" stories, how they felt going home, how Utah is too cold for the warmer-climate people. You know, basic stuff.

I heard nothing like that on the way down.

Maybe people are just friendlier who ride the train leaving Provo.

Inspiration...From Inspiring Places

Las week at this time I was in a city about fifty miles to the south of where I am right now. It's called Provo, Utah. Maybe it's just me, but I don't believe a lot of people are indifferent to the city. It's one of those places you either love, or do not love.

Personally, I think it's a beautiful valley with a shimmering blue lake to the west and incredible mountains to the east (I still like the mountains in Weber County better, but that's just personal preference...). Each day I was at the writing retreat I took a break and went up to a small canyon just east of my friend's house. It's called Rock Canyon.

And it's incredible.

I took my camera and tried to get some good pictures. Of course, it's impossible to capture the true beauty of a place with a camera because being there--living it--is part of what makes the experience so memorable. 

Taking a daily hike also helped my writing. I had sent my main character on a trip through a rocky, barren canyon from Jericho to Jerusalem. I've never been to this area of the world myself, but if you do a google search, as I did, a lot of Rock Canyon looks like the area thousands of miles away. It helped me write the scene. It put me there. And if you've ever tried writing something--creating something, you know how important a spark of inspiration can be.

So, if you've never been up to Rock Canyon directly east of the Provo Temple, here's a couple of pictures. I really didn't go up very far. Next time I need to explore more.