Antelope Island Loveliness

Sometimes you live in an area and never really explore all the interesting things that are nearby.  Sometimes there is a good reason why you shouldn't explore all the interesting things that are nearby.  And sometimes both situations apply - such is life at Antelope Island.

First the awesome - there is a big lake with an Island that we haven't really explored with some awesome beaches!

Here Ben is expressing his joy at throwing rocks in the lake!

And here is a cool 360 degree sunset shot!

And finally here is Sam on one of the high outcroppings.

Those were all the awesome things about the trip.  Now on the dark side - the invisible biting gnats!  (Note, the graphic has Cedar Gnats - I think the Great Salt Lake ones were related but weren't called Cedar Gnats - rather the horrible Gnats from hell)

(from http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2009/05/road-trip-part-3-all-about-cedar-gnats.html)

These guys are horrible.  Luckily for most of the trip the wind was blowing pretty well, which confined these little guys to the bushes everywhere.

However, when we were packing up the wind died down.

A slow buzzing started...

Which turned into a very high pitched buzzing...

And then the kamikaze attacks started...

Luckily I had sent the kids into the van while I hooked up the trailer.  My mistake was thinking that I could manhandle the tent trailer onto the trailer hitch without any issues.

I folded up the trailer with one hand, the other hand being dedicated to wildly swiping the gnats.  I would have preferred being attacked by a cloud of mosquitoes - at least I would have been able to see them and smash them.  These guys are small enough that you don't see them clearly unless you have a microscope.  All you can see in the air are these little dust motes with jackhammers and chemical weapons.

After moving the van into place to hook on the tent trailer, I realized that I would have to again go out and manhandle it onto the hitch.  This would require both hands.  Arrgh!

I took a deep breath, ran out yelling, and muscled the tent trailer onto the hitch, connected everything else, took a good look at everything again because there was no way I was going back out there, and dashed back into the van.  I look down at my arms and feel my neck - it looks ok initially...

12 hours later I'm counting the bug bites on my arms, on my neck, and in my hair!  At least 2 dozen, all within the 5 minutes I was out putting the tent trailer back on the hitch to leave.

Ouch....

Anyway, we all learned a valuable lesson.  Do go explore the wonders near your home.  Don't explore the Great Salt Lake while the flies are hatching.  Do trust all the websites and reviews which say the flies are horrible in May and June at the Great Salt Lake.

We had fun, just won't be back until September or later when all the flies die down.  :)