My husband currently does a lot of travel for work, and when my schedule lines up, and the fares are just right, I love to join him. I absolutely feel guilty when I finish my work early and can head out to explore whatever town we’re in, but it gives me time to sketch & paint on location, which I also feel guilty indulging in when he’s with me!

I started at Union Station in Downtown Ogden, and learned that it was closed on Monday & Tuesday. Nevertheless, I found a shady spot and got a pencil sketch done before the heat drove me inside.

What I didn’t know was that Ogden is home to quite a lot of beautiful architecture, including some astounding Art Deco sites, like the Exchange Building, formerly part of the Ogden Stockyard.

Another amazing example of Ogden Art Deco is, of all things, Ogden High School! It’s stunning!

We headed up to Huntsville, Utah one evening for dinner at the Shooting Star Saloon, which is a VERY casual, down & dirty, simple bar in a beautiful small mountain town. This was also very fun to draw!

On the way out of town I couldn’t resist turning off the road to snap this old barn for a later sketch.

Even though it was hot as blazes, I did an early morning walk to the Ogden Botanical Garden, which was a delight. The route takes you through a residential neighborhood before you make your way onto the Ogden River Walkway, which leads directly to the Garden. It’s a lovely small space, with little pockets of plantings, a very sweet vegetable garden and my favorite, a Japanese Garden.

On another note, I was completely blown away by the progressiveness of Ogden, and kudos to them for that. Pride flags were proudly flown, and we found some amazing places to eat and drink - namely Side Bar at Ogden’s Own Distillery, which became a favorite very fast.

If you go, hopefully, Mason will be your bartender. He’s got great suggestions and looks uncannily like a young Keanu Reeves!