Gadlinks for Wednesday 10.7.09

by Brenda Yun on

TGI Wednesday! I am really craving some down time and am ready for the weekend already. Only two more days to go, everyone. Hang in there. To keep your week plugging along, here are the latest and greatest travel reads from around the web.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks here.

Largest corn maze in Utah pays tribute to Twilight for a perfect Halloween pairing

by Jamie Rhein on

Last year American Idol runner-up David Archuleta made it into corn maze fame in Utah. This year “Twilight” gets the honors. Black Island Farms in Syracuse, Utah has mowed its 24-acre maze into four labyrinths that are devoted to the next installment of this teen vampire love story. “New Moon,” also marketed as “Twighlight 2” and scheduled for release November 20, was the inspiration of this intricately rendered seasonal attraction. The efforts have made this maze Utah’s largest.

One of the main sections is the face of Edward (Robert Patterson). The other main section boasts Jacob’s (Taylor Lautner) visage. Mowed labels “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” are also part of the design.

Admittedly, these corn field creations make seasonal pop culture sense. Vampires and Halloween do go together.

For teen girls there’s a certain metaphor here–at least for those who are way into Robert Patterson or the character he plays. Here’s a chance to get lost in his eyes, particularly the eye on the left (can you tell why?), although by the looks of the maze, it may take a while longer to get out of his hair. [See maze after the jump.]

According to the Black Island Farms’ website, the corn fields used for the mazes are animal feed, thus not good for munching as you try to find your way to the exit. For sweet corn, head to the Farmers Market where you’ll also find other fresh vegetables that have been grown here.

The last day for the maze is Saturday, October 31. How perfect is that? For Halloween night, as on other Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, you can head into the mazes armed with glow sticks and flashlights.

If you can’t make it to Utah in the next three weeks, look for a corn maze near you. As Scott posted, mazes have become popular seasonal attractions. Several, like Black Island Farms and Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest, where Archuleta graced a corn field last year, also offer Halloween inspired haunted tours.

[Deseret News]

Tours of polygamist cities now available

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you were in Hildale, Utah or Colorado City, Arizona yesterday, it was either because (a) you live there or (b) you were taking the first tour of polygamist country. Former Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members Richard and Heber Holm, brothers, have launched four-hour tours of the two towns that are controlled by the largest FLDS community in the United States. Of course, don’t expect much interaction from the locals.

These two towns are known for being uncomfortable with outsiders, given their beliefs and the interaction they have with law enforcement officials – which stems from their practice of plural marriage and a history of sexual assault charges (to which the group’s leader, Warren Jeffs, was convicted in 2007). Jeffs’ church has maintained control of the towns’ economies and governments, with the FLDS staffing the police department, schools and public offices with like-minded employees.

Now, you can step into this isolated world, learn about the belief system you’ve seen on HBO’s Big Love and even talk to people who once lived in the towns. Richard Holm was exiled from the community in 2003 by Jeffs, while his brother left the twin towns35 years ago.

It doesn’t come as a shock that the FLDS is not excited about this new development. Its spokesman, Willie Jessop, a member of a prominent family in Hildale and Colorado City, calls it a scam.

Want to know what another member of the Jessop family thinks? Find out after the jump.

Scenic America: The Four Corners

by Sean McLachlan on

When you’re figuring out where to go for vacation, you might want beautiful vistas, clean air, ancient ruins, and traditional cultures. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they have to go to some remote country to find all that. You don’t. Head over to the Four Corners region and you’ll get all that and more.

The Four Corners, where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet, is home to several national monuments and parks as well as some of the most stunning scenery in the country. Much of the area is taken up by various Native American reservations, including the Navajo Nation, which is the largest. This region has been a center of native culture for thousands of years, and includes several well-preserved pueblos, adobe villages preserved by the elements and their builders’ natural ingenuity. The best are Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde.

“Awe inspiring” is a hackneyed phrase in travel writing, but you’d have to be a robot not to be moved by the vast open spaces, rugged mountains, and varied colors of the landscape. The desert has a subtle beauty to it that grows on you the longer you stay. Sometimes it’s not so subtle, like when you pass through the massive buttes of Monument Valley or watch the sunset change the sky from pink to crimson to purple over the course of a quiet half hour.

While the region seems remote, it’s quite easy to get to. One scenic route is to fly into Phoenix (definitely not a scenic start, but it gets better), drive a rental car up to the old logging town of Flagstaff in the mountains, stop at the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert, and continue on to the Four Corners. You can see a lot in a long weekend, but you might want to consider staying a whole week and exploring some of the more untrod areas.

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Hole N” the Rock in Utah, one-of-a-kind-roadside must see

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota that pays tribute to one man’s vision of turning solid rock into the faces of U.S. presidents. And there’s Hole N” the Rock in Utah–one man’s vision to turn a rock into a home and a gift shop.

Not far south of Moab, Utah on U.S. 191, along gorgeous red rock cliffs that glow almost neon against the blue sky, you’ll see billboards that shout out statements like “Hole N” the Rock, Must See Attraction!!!” Curiosity builds. What is it? What is this “Hole N” the Rock? you might think. I know I did when the Hole N” the Rock came into view as my family and I tootled along the highway on our way to Montana from New Mexico on July 1. Because it was right off the highway, 12 miles south of Moab, it would have been an easy stop, however, we were there after closing.

I craned my neck to see what I could for future reference. Besides the obvious large white lettering on the side of the mountain that said “Hole N” The Rock,” inside the fence was a cacophony of statuary and hard to place items. It is difficult to see exactly what’s there when going 70 mph.

After reading up on this place, I’m thinking we missed out on a must see roadside attraction. Twice. TWICE. How could we have passed by it twice?

On our way back from Montana to New Mexico, with a side trip jaunt to Colorado in our plans, we sped past Hole N” The Rock after closing as well. Too bad. It seems like it might have more heart than Mount Rushmore–and I love Mount Rushmore.

Hole N” The Rock is not just a Hole N” The Rock. It’s a 14-room house and gift shop that was created as a roadside attraction from the 1940s through most of the 1950s by Albert Christensen. To make such an attraction, Albert carved out 50,000 feet of cubic sandstone.

Unfortunately, Albert died in 1957 before he totally finished his masterpiece that includes a carved face of Franklin D. Roosevelt above the home.

His wife Gladys kept Albert’s project going. Even though she died in 1974, the attraction continues to grow. A petting zoo was recently added.

Regardless of what you can buy in the gift shop, the tour of the home would be worth taking the time for, in my opinion. I’m always interested to see what passions people have to create such places. I can’t imagine one day Albert noticed that the sandstone was carvable and merely thought, “I have nothing else to do today. Maybe I’ll start making a house.”

If you are going to stop here for a look, timing is key. Hole N” The Rock closes at 5 p.m.–even in the summer. It is open all year. If you don’t have time to stop, still look for it. The place is in-your-face obvious.

Next time we are ever in the vicinity, we are stopping. I’m not letting the opportunity pass by one more time.

Guided tours of the house cost: Adults $5; Children, 5-10, $3.50; under 5, free.