I've always stood up against that criticism of Utah County because it's obviously ignorant. But I've been corrected! It really is sheltered down there! You'll never believe this. I was browsing around in Google Earth today and when I came to Provo I was blown away at what I saw. See the graphic below.
I guess there really is a bubble. And it looks like Adam's house is contained.
9 comments:
Excuse my ignorance...what is that blue area representing, for reals? Did you just click on it and there was a blue bubble?
I wouldn't say those criticisms are obviously ignorant. Utah county is very conservative, sheltered, and Mormon (that's not a bad thing). I wouldn't go as far as to say naive, though. Utah county is just like any number of counties in the intermountain west. Madison county (Rexburg, ID) is even more conservative, sheltered, and Mormon. The funny thing is that the people who most voraciously defend Utah county are usually the ones that poke the most fun at Madison county. And it is usually well deserved. I am not naive enough to think that Utopia exists. Any place in the US that is as homogenous as the Utah valley or the Snake River valley is going to get made fun of whether it is deserved or not.
I do love the bubble. It brought a smile to my face. Nice job.
While thinking about UT county, I opened GE and took a look around the southern end of the valley. I love looking at the photos that people have posted. Most of you are too young to have remembered it but in 1983, there was a big landslide east of Salem. The slide dammed up a couple of creeks and created a lake, destroying the town of Thistle. Although the lake has largely been drained, you can still see the slide. By rotating my field of view, I was also able to see the two mountains that I secretely considered "my mountains" as a child. I don't remember their names any more but they are the two mountain faces that are just south of the Spanish Fork canyon. Back in 1975 or 76 they burned like crazy. Since we lived just below them at the time, we went over to Grandma Teichert's house across the valley and watched the fire. I was facinated by the air tankers.
I don't remember the Thistle slide, per se, but I have hiked around the area quite a bit - although usually at night. Once the natural dam was formed, and they stabilized the area, they had to drain the lake. The Corps of Engineers built a tunnel one of the adjacent mountains to help drain the fella. I've led "expeditions" through the tunnel at night. One time I even had Adam go ahead of us, hide in the tunnel, and then do his famous cougar growl as we walked upon them (I wouldn't allow flashlights, so the poor unsuspecting hikers would soil their pants).
It is a great place.
Yeah, I certainly remember that "expedition" you led your loving sisters on. That was so cruel! Of course, after that I continued to lead expeditions to follow in your footsteps. :)) That was an awesome place.
Lindsey
Ok, so no one has answered Adrianne's question. What is the bubble supposed to represent? Where did it come from? (Or did you put it there, Jess?)
The bubble is supposed to represent a supposed "bubble" assumed to exist over Utah County (and Provo in specific).
It is fake. I have this extremely funny sense of humor (but I'm the only one who laughs, so maybe "funny" isn't the the right word), and this graphic represents my efforts to make people laugh at Utah County's expense. It made Jason smile, so I've succeeded.
I did laugh. I thought you put it there but from how you wrote your post I wasn't positive. I just had to be sure. It really is funny, Jess.
Yeah Jess, it really is funny.
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