Meet 81 year old Don Aslett. He built and paid for the "Museum Of Clean" in Pocatello, Idaho.
This is not just about vacuum cleaners although he does have a dinosaur one....
Shades of Keith Ham?
It's also about Don spending $120 million so that he can deliver dad jokes. As well as promote his country wide janitorial business, he's also has written 20 books on cleaning. Actually the "Museum" is set up as an education centre for school groups. The program teaches kids to have clean health, food, air water, teeth, breath, arteries, thoughts, image, habits, conscience, mind and language.
All with a little twisted humour.
Here's a couple of quick exibit snaps to give you some idea...
Dustbin girl
Gandhi tames the vacuum snake,
Not to be missed, unlike Don who still spends most days showing visitors around his creation.
On to Salt Lake City and a date at temple square...
... with Joseph and Emma Smith and
the LDS temple.
I didn't get removed like Bill Maher but then the same creepy smiling people were manning the visitor centre. They were pretty evasive when I asked about buying some magic underwear.
I had parked up the top of the city near of the Capitol building so headed across town to The Gilead gardens. On the way they have little red flags on each side on the crosswalk for you to wave...
...as you walk across the road. Yes. You do look silly.
Gilgai gardens is the back yard of a character (nutter) named Thomas Child. I'll quote from the guide and let you make up your own mind...
The Monument of the trade...
A self portrait of his love of the masonry trade and his religion. Child was particularly pleased with the coat. "I know it's egotistical" he wrote...."but I have never seen a better looking or more interesting coat."
Every back yard needs a Sphinx...
"The Sphinx represents Child's belief that the answers to life's great mysteries cannot be discovered by intellect..." So get out your chipping hammer and some marble this weekend.
After realizing that I had covered six miles to get there I started to head back to the car. Now Utah is hilly and the capitol building was at the the top of the town I thought I'd circle around the busy bits to get back. Once I got level with my goal I found that there was a bit of a ravine between the car and I.
What's another couple of miles?
... relax the peds at Monti-La Sal National Forest.
A morning trout in the fishing pond...
I know. I know. No pictures no proof. I'll have to buy a catch net to stop the little buggers escaping while I arrange tripod, camera and the timer.
Manti-La is high country mesa. Pretty and the sick pines aren't so prevalent.
This is the start of Byway 95 which proved to be the most scenic, so get ready for a photo blast in landscape...
On the way the Capitol Reef National Park
The peds make their virgin landscape appearance.
Yep.
Got the idea...
A final thundery BOF.
Plenty of wildlife to spot in the park. The camp hosts had Hummingbird feeders out and guess what were coming for a feed?
Need a higher speed camera.
At first glance I thought they were flying cockroaches. Lucky I didn't swat one.
No high speed film needed for these guys...
They were almost tame.
Now if you think squirrels are cute then Marmot's are their clown cousins. As I walked around the trail this guy tried to make his escape up a six foot rock face and couldn't get his footing. He panicked and fell back twice before finally giving up and just blending in with the rock. He's Marvin the Marmot (HHGTG reference is real).
"I know you can see me but I just don't care. Just take your photo and let's end this ignominy."
Ask me about the other one that was doing its best to get off the road but failing miserably.
More canyon trails...
The Western ambush cliche.
Capitol Reef was pretty laid back. See...
Just my footprints in.
Not a people snob but it's nice to go somewhere where your not herded everywhere. This one's for the Mustang....
A Typical hikers car parked at the trail head. At least they get there first.
Last look back at Capitol Reef.
On the way out there are some some Petroglyphs. These are rock art drawings made by some unknown and long gone people between two to three thousand years ago...
Lucky I bought my hammer and screwdriver and could finish it for them...
Actually here's a Rorschach Petroglyph that nature has been working on for a lot longer...
Is it a lady and a cow?
Put the Cadillac through it's paces at the Factory Butte Recreation area where they tested the moon buggy...
Check out the locals' tracks up the side of the hills of the Luna landscape.
Pictures just don't give you the perspective....
Neither will this...
But you can drive down to the Colorado River and catch a fish here...
Small Crappie here (pronounced Crarpy you juvenile!)
...and still no catch net yet..
Complete with the weather at the summit.
This little feature is called...
the Mexican Hat. Duh.
I spent the night in Monument Valley at the Navajo Reservation where your tent site comes with...
Lots of red dirt but...
A pretty impressive view...
\
even as the sun comes up.
There is a driving trail through the reservation that you can do....
and take lots of pictures ....
however perspective is something you have to see for yourself.
I would really recommend the 95 route to arrive at the Big Hole from the East. I'm not going to post any other pictures from here...
apart from the mob still hoping for the afternoon rain to clear...
You'll just have to go and look for yourself. Be one of the over 4 million tourists each year. A picture just doesn't show the scale even though it is not the prettiest of canyons... Where else would I stay while here...
I haven't tried Wilma's chilli yet.
Out and around to the Western side. On the way Kingman has taken responsibility of being one of those places trying to keep the myth of Route 66 alive...
The main street is like a little theme park.
You too will get it!
Here's a better picture...
...and welcome to the Mohave
Final trip out to the edge of The Big Hole is to take a walk on the glass floored Sky Walk...
Now I don't mind paying them what it costs for the bus out there and to gander about. It's about 35 paces around and works out to be about $2 per step. The engineering involved is worth the appreciation.
However they won't let you take any cameras or personal belongings out on the floor. In case you drop them and scratch the already marked floor is the reason given. Then they have their own photographers working the punters. Price $65 US for electronic copies!
Obviously you don't get any pictures and I get to keep the little booties they made me wear...
