Summer is the time of year when most of us are planning or taking vacations. Many will go to the beach, mountains, or take a cruise or trip to Disney. But some City employees are planning unique ways to spend their vacation time.
Jessie Williams (Financial Services) is going on a mission trip for a week, June 17-24, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This is her first mission trip and it’s in connection with her church, Lake Wylie Christian Assembly.
“I’m excited and nervous at the same time since I’ve never left the country,” Jessie said. “There are about 14 of us going. My church supports a lot of missionaries around the world so we’re going to work with missionaries who live there. The focus is going to be working with children.”
While in Guadalajara, Jessie’s week, Monday through Friday, will involve Vacation Bible School-type activities with the kids in the mornings and outdoor street-type activities in the city most of the afternoons. She’ll likely spend one afternoon at an orphanage, and Saturday is a free day for the group.
Starting on June 9, Kristy and Robert Crisp (Economic Development and the Schiele Museum, respectively) are road tripping to South Dakota and will stay in a haunted hotel in Deadwood. Then they will head down to Utah where they will stay in a Navajo hogan at Monument Valley for two days. A hogan is a traditional mud hut used by the Navajo and is pictured on the right.
Deadwood, S.D., features the Bullock Hotel, where there have allegedly been sightings of the ghostly figure of Seth Bullock, the town’s first sheriff in 1876. Bullock supposedly worked with a partner to build a hotel, and reportedly still shows up from time to time to help keep the staff on their toes.
Kristy is a fan of the show Ghost Adventures which has done several shows at the Bullock Hotel. “Real or not, I enjoy watching because of the different locations and historical backgrounds,” she said. “Even though I may put on a brave face, I scare easily and it is highly probable that I will be sleeping in the car.” Robert says he does not believe in ghosts, but he might sleep with one eye open.
Inside the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, the Crisps will stay with Verna Yazee, who is Navajo and owns a hogan. “I fell in love with Monument Valley several years ago and stayed in the hogan in 2015,” Robert said. “The experience warranted another stay. The hogan is closer to camping than a hotel and the serene setting is perfect for seeing the Milky Way.”
Kristy added: “I am looking forward to spending time with Verna and being able to experience authentic Navajo culture in addition to the amazing land that we will experience. For me, that is the highlight of the trip….experiencing the Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower, Rocky Mountain National Park and Monument Valley.
“Robert didn’t mention, the hogans do not have electricity and water/sewer so for two days we will be off the grid completely.”