The long drive home

It was finally Saturday, time to pick up our grand son from EFY, pack up the grand girls, and return them to their families in Arizona.  But we had a few more stops to make along the way.  If you have never pulled off the I 15 at the I 80 to visit Cove Fort, you MUST do so on your next trip north or south.  It is a wonderful step back in time.

Cove Fort was built in the 1867 to provide protection from the Indians and to provide shelter for travelers who were on the "Mormon Corridor."  It is located about half way between Fillmore and Beaver.  The tours are informative and you will love seeing things and furnishings from long ago.

Cove Fort was also a telegraph station, Pony Express station, and stage coach stop.

One could get a meal and find a place to sleep.

Twelve rooms surround the yard in the middle, six on the south which include the telegraph room, office, kitchen and dining rooms, laundry sewing room, and one bedroom with access to a cellar.

The kitchen end of the dining area.

The loom in the laundry area.

Clean long johns.

Boys bedroom.  Each room had a door to the yard as well as a door to the next room allowing one to move from room to room if needed.

The building in the background was the blacksmith shop of Ira Hinckley, the builder of the fort.  Ira Hinckley was the paternal grandfather of Gordon B. Hinckley.

Beautiful vegetable gardens have been replanted on the west side of the fort.  Six missionaries are called each summer just to work in the gardens.  I may have found my missionary calling.

My favorites, hollyhocks.  These were growing every where, but I especially loved these in front of the rock wall. The fort walls are thick and made of lava rock which was found nearby.

The six rooms are on the north side of the fort are bedrooms.  Notice how each room has it's own fireplace chimney.  You can't miss TJ in his orange shorts.

I loved the quilts and coverlets in each room.

They were large rooms with room for sitting or for more than one bed.

Looking through this doorway, you can see just how thick those lava rock walls are.

The three black locust trees were planted by Ira Hinckley.  They were large and beautiful and have outlived their usual life span by many years.

If this were a B and B, I would reserve a room in a minute.

Once again, very thick walls.  The outer walls were a couple of feet thicker than the inner walls.

There were gun portholes on each wall.  Luckily, they were never put into action.

The wheel in the background is not a spinning wheel.  It is called a weasel and was used for winding equal length skeins of yarn.  When there was enough yarn for a skein the weasel would make a popping noise and stop, thus the term, "Pop goes the weasel!"

Another view.

This is what you do when you run out of red.  I always run out of red.  I love red in quilts.

That is a photograph of Ira and his wife, Eliza Jane, on the wall.

The dress is a replica of a dress worn by Eliza Jane.

This is a chair of Ira's and was donated back to the fort by Gordon B. Hinckley.

This upper walkway has been restored on the east side.  It use to encircle all four walls.

The very tall black locusts trees provide the feeling of being in a tree house.

Long stairway back down.

View of walkway from below and the gates at the main entrance which were wide enough for a wagon and team of horses.

The barn has been recreated on the north side.  Horses were kept here and provided fresh teams for the stage coach lines and the Pony Express.  We explained to the kids that Cove Fort was much like a service station, the horses got fuel to eat and travelers could find something as well.

More gardens on the south side.  The missionaries are provided with fresh produce from these gardens.

Just look at that sky!

It was Ruby's birthday.  She is standing in front of the cabin where Ira Hinckley lived in Coalsville.  It has been moved to the Cove Fort grounds.  Ira was essentially called on a mission to build Cove Fort from Coalsville.

The fort in the distance.  Stop by sometime to experience a long ago time.

Our EFYer had a hard time staying awake on this trip.  He had essentially stayed up the night before saying goodbye to all his new friends.  Here he is asleep on his great aunt Wylene's couch in Hurricane.

And at Tuachan in St. George.

Grandpa encouraged him to move to the grass after the table left marks.  We had a Dr. Pepper intervention as we didn't want him to sleep through. . .

The Wizard of Oz!  This was our final stop for the day and it was a great one.

Some people carry a book where ever they go.

The Dr. Pepper worked and he was up for the show.

The birthday girl sang along and wished she had been cast as a munchkin.  We met three other people celebrating their birthday that day, the waitress at Arshel's Cafe in Beaver, the concession stand helper with Dr. Pepper, and the lady sitting right behind Ruby at the play.  They were both beyond excited about that connection, two people celebrating their birthday by hanging out with Dorothy!   Grandpa had purchased great tickets with seats center stage and just three rows back.  The Yellow Brick Road passed by in front of the first row so we felt like we were in the middle of the action.  The wicked witch flew in right over our heads!

When we arrived back at our rooms just before midnight, Ruby asked for a picture with July's Supermoon on her magical 10th birthday.  Love you sweet girl!  The next day we delivered our grands to their parents.  We were so happy to have created some special memories with them!