(a nod to Simon & Garfunkel)
Actually, I said "Thomas!" as we boarded the Greyhound in St. George.
So here is the next leg of our journey.
I may have mentioned that we found that there were no rental cars for us at all in St. Geo. None. Nada.
So our next option was to take the Greyhound to Salt Lake and then rent our car there. This would take some major strategy.
First, we had to leave the ranch by at least nine. It takes about an hour to get through Zion Park, on a good day. So we rose fairly early, stuffed the car back with our luggage (practically jumping on the suitcases to get them in the trunk), and flew out of there as fast as possible. Drive through the park again (with the top down again so we can see the beauty AGAIN of the park), snapped a few more pics for the photo journals, and found ourselves racing against time AGAIN through Virgin, LaVerkin, Hurricane, and finally into St. Geo.
We had to be to the bus station at least 30 minutes before boarding BUT had to return the car to the airport before. Thomas dropped us off at the Greyhound station -- which doubles as a McDonald's. Or should I say the other way around. Which works since we were starving. Buy your tickets, eat a McBurger.
Thomas is on his way up to the airport, I'm getting the tickets and trying to consolidate all the extra bags because I find upon arrival that we can only have one under the bus bag and one carry on bag. Yeah right. So I'm shoving all the dirty laundry in other bags as well as anything extra in whatever room we have at the same time worrying whether or not Thomas is going to make the bus in time.
The kids see me in panic mode and are helping as much as possible - which is wonderful actually.
Finally a taxi screeches up to the stop as we are loading the baggage and it's Thomas. Why does he always make an entrance? And always in the nick of time?
So we board the bus. I haven't been on a Greyhound bus in years and years. This will be a huge adventure for the kids. This is going to be a good time for reading, sleeping, playing, and working on homework and journals. Some of that got done; some not. I know that didn't I get any sleeping in since I was working and playing with the kids (we switched seats halfway through the ride). It was better than driving, I will say that. It wasn't crowded or loud. It wasn't even very dirty as I had imagined. And the kids did have a good time. It was just long. Longer than driving ourselves.
We had a break in Cove Fort (Historic Cove Fort) and then the last one in Provo. In Provo, a woman boarded the bus who decided to sit in the isle and back one from me. And after she sat down, she started talking on her cell VERY loud. So loud that I heard her most recent history several times (because she talked to several people) and can now recite, verbatim, her bus schedule from Provo to Buffalo, New York.
She mentioned that she was released from the hospital because her water hadn't broken and they felt she was okay to travel. She mentioned that she had gone through two lighters and had no way to light any more cigarettes. She mentioned that her boyfriend was turning himself in in the next two days but wanted to see the baby first. She mentioned that her sister wasn't happy about the almost-locked-up-boyfriend staying with her and he would stay in a motel. I heard this story five times with five different people.
Luckily, Salt Lake was only 45 minutes away. I wouldn't have to throw myself from the bus.
After we de-boarded the bus, we had a car left by Emilee and Eric so we could drive to their house to celebrate Ryan's 3rd birthday.
The day ended by crashing into our respective beds at the Marriott Courtyard and falling fast and peacefully to sleep -- just so we could be up and running for the next day.
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