twenty-five (years, not miles)

On August 25, we celebrated our twenty-fifth (!)(!!)(!!!) wedding anniverary.  Amazingly, we have been out in Utah for most of our marriage, despite having met, originally lived, and married in Maine.  To celebrate the occasion, we took the day off.

This hawk was entirely unimpressed with us

First order of business was a family hike.  In Millcreek Canyon, the odd-numbered days are the off-leash dog days, so that synced up perfectly.  We didn't want to go anything too long and settled on the Desolation Trail to the Salt Lake overlook.  The last - and first, and only - time we've done this trail was back in July 2011.  After doing it again now, we are kicking ourselves for having left it for so long.  It's a great trail!  About five miles round trip, mostly shaded with mostly packed dirt underfoot, it rises steadily (about 1,200 elevation gain) but never steeply.  

Thirsty work

The fact that we were there early on a random Tuesday morning certainly helped - I suspect this trail is very, very busy on the weekends.  We encountered fewer than five people on our way up; while there were definitely more people heading in as we headed out, it wasn't ever what I'd call busy.

At the overlook

There are lots of picnic tables at the trailhead (also a four-stall outhouse), so we got out our cooler and sat in the shade, having celebratory post-hike beers and recounting some of the last twenty-five years.  We did some more recounting back at home, dragging out the photographs from our wedding (everyone was so young in 2001!).

Holy moly

And then because I decided I didn't want to cook on our anniversary, we three went to the Watershed, the local scruffy dive bar with a big vegan menu and a big dog-friendly patio.  Their misters were going full-blast; the waitresses and the bouncer fawned over Milton; and we enjoyed our vegan buffalo wings and vegan bacon (vegan) cheese (vegan) burger with great relish.  

Smooch!

Here's to the next twenty-five!