Unexpected vacation high point

The family is gradually recovering from a US vacation of 3,000 road miles from the spectacular desert scenery of southern Utah (Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce) to the unique splendour of Yellowstone.

Amid all the memorable wonders of those great National Parks, my personal fondest moments came in between - literally. Driving up from southern Utah we stopped off a a little town in the north, Brigham City. The usual motels were all booked up, but we found a little family-owned place called the Bushnell Motel. It didn't have a pool or a breakfast facility and it wasn't arranged in the cookie-cutter lay-out that we found everywhere else (yawn). But our room(s) had plenty of space for the five of us and it felt just like home. It was such a wonderful change.

And instead of using the standard-issue motel pool, we drove a mile to the magnificent municipal pool and had a great few hours in the desert sun there with the the local people. And when the pool closed at 8 pm, we noticed a ball park nearby. So we wandered over and enjoyed the warm wind, the metallic clunk of baseball bats connecting with the ball and the gorgeous evening light on the mountain. Perfect.