Freedom City Sirens Sing the Night Away

This entry has twenty-six pictures. It will take forever to load on your dial-up, and it will take up a lot of space on your Google Reader. What're ya gonna do, stop reading? Actually yes, that's exactly what you're going to do. My readership is way down lately. What's your problem anyway? Wait I take that back. If you're reading this you're not part of the problem. You're part of the cure. A true F.O.M. Look, whatever. We have bigger things to talk about here. Things greater than any of us. Things like freedom.

So this picture of a Bald Eagle is pretty great.


Look how free that thing is. He didn't have to get no permit to flap those wings. Anyway, follow me here. This is Leland G. Horton.


As of press time he's only hours away from marriage. By the time you read this the deed will be done. He's marrying one Lisa Williams. If you ever need me on a Thursday night I'm probably at their house watching reality television. Idle chatter, a few nights ago:

Lee:

I might be up for some type of adventure.

11:28 PM me: some sort of bachelor adventure

Lee: Yes.

If only there were a town called Freedom City.

It'd be a perfect trip for a bachelor.

11:29 PM me: Oh man.

hmmm

I've caught the trail of a "Freedom, UT"

11:30 PM Lee: Pardon?

me: there is a Freedom, Utah

11:31 PM I'm trying to figure out where it is

Lee: What the.....?

So for his last day of "freedom" we decided to take a road trip to Freedom, UT (founded 1871). A perfect adventure day.

Man, freedom, am I right? Lee can say goodbye to that and say hello to in-laws and APRs and arguments because he wants to watch the big game but she wants to drink tea. What a life he's giving up! Take a look at me. Sitting here. 3:30 in the morning. Blogging. Taking pictures of my tiny viking. Wearing one shoe. Listening to Fake Plastic Trees over and over. Soon to fall asleep on the loveseat. Cold. Sick. No one to dance with. No one to care whether or not I allow the bed bugs to bite...

Hey a drive-in theater!

Just to give you a sense of geography, this adventure took us through Spanish Fork Canyon and a ways on Highway 89, a very similar route to the one used on the
Dec. 15 Adventure Day.

Departed from Highway 89 in the city of Mt. Pleasant. It boasts that it's the "Hub City; the Center of Utah."


Guess what? It totally is. Mt. Pleasant is right there in the middle. Look it up. I think there's a certain psychic energy because while in the Mt. Pleasant area I really felt completely surrounded by Utah.

You know I love a Main Street.


A statue. It's positioned across from the Veterans Memorial, and Lee pointed out that she's making an obscene gesture toward it.


This area is known as Little Denmark, as you can see by this sign.


It was discovered by the viking Leif Ericksen, who founded a moderately successful meat and grocery company before moving on to conquer the Jutland Peninsula.


Remarkably, this song was playing on the itune right as I took the above picture.


In Little Denmark you can only buy little Danish things.


After a wrong turn or two we finally discovered Freedom. The wrong turns were good because they reminded us that freedom isn't easy. You can't get to freedom without passing through a Valley Forge and the Articles of Confederation.



Not much of a town, but there were several houses amongst the ruins.




Freedom is home to a moderately sized poultry operation, and also a lot of hounds.


Tried to make it over a snow ridge but the little Scion couldn't do it. Betty wouldn't have had a problem with it. Not at all. Sometimes I miss Betty.



Cemeteries are required viewing whenever I'm in town. This one came with a stern warning.


Probably because it's guarded by this trippy owl.


This burial site belongs to "Indian Jim." He was a friend to the settlers because he'd warn them about impending Indian attacks. They rewarded him by giving him a dugout on the west side of town. "Thanks for saving our lives! Now go live in a hole."


They also spelled his name wrong on his original headstone. No respect for Indian Jim.

Anyway, cool cemetery.


Hey, there's too more of those majestic lords of the sky.


That cow understands freedom. You know he do.


Backtracked to Mt. Pleasant for some foods. A building on Main St. had a bunch of 20+ year old movie posters hanging on the side.

The Fifth Monkey, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Mr. Crumpet.

Can't get enough of this.


We were way out of place here. The counter was occupied by old prospector types, and the booths were full of guys that probably know what tractors are for. And here I am with my New York Mets cap and an Obama sticker on my car and traveling aromatherapy kit. No joke, but the waitresses seemed fascinated by us. They excitedly asked where we were from, probably hoping that we'd say "Hollywood."

I think the one girl liked me because she left this on the table before we sat down. It was filled with packets of sugar and sugar-substitute. Probably because I'm so sweet.


They didn't have a sushi menu so I went with a cheeseburger and onion (moyone) rings. TOP SHELF. The only non-Training Table onion rings I've ever enjoyed, and probably the 8th best burger I've ever had. I love Utah. I love exploring. I'm excited for Lee and Lisa. I love that food. And with that we'll end.