Our life is often about contrasts, and on the first full weekend in June we traveled to Springdale, Utah, just outside of Zion National Park, for the wedding of one of Mo's best friends from high school. One of the brides herself was billing the wedding as the last illegal same-sex marriage ceremony for California residents to be performed outside of the state before the June 17th kick-off, and the shabang went down in the heart of Mormon country, with the officiating being taken care of by one of the bride's fathers, a retired Episcopalian priest - only in the good ol' US of A. As most of you know, it doesn't take much to get us motivated for a trip to the desert, and the opportunity to be a part of this joyous celebration was more than enough. We finagled some mountain bikes from our well-equipped friends (thanks Witt and Alyse!!!), filled the Eurovan to the brim with desert toys, and took the scenic route which included parts of the "Extraterrestrial Highway" across Nevada and into Utah while stopping at some killer hot springs along the way.
Being part of the larger circus traveling to Utah for a gay wedding in the midst of the landmark California decision got us thinking along those legal lines that become a bit convoluted when you start rolling across state borders. Some of the most interesting state laws in Utah have to do with their policies toward beer and liquor - the whole state is limited to 4.0% ABV beer, and to drink you must either be also eating food in a restaurant or a member of a "private club" that is licensed to serve the demon rum. We emptied out our car of contraband at the Arizona border after hearing about horror stories of out-of-state visitors being harassed for a few bottles of 6% moonshine that they trafficked across state lines. This got us thinking about Federal law, and we seemed to remember from our high school US Government classes that Federal Law superseded State Law in most cases, especially those involving interstate transport.
Being that we do live in the progressive State of Callie-fornia, we couldn't help but compare this conundrum to a legal battle constantly being waged in the Golden State over medical marijuana. Yes, a majority of the state authorized a proposition legalizing the medical use of marijuana, but of course this is only in effect statewide and not on a federal level. Consequently, in liberal bastions like San Francisco and Berkeley, pot clubs are constantly being raided by the DEA and shut down, denied their state-given rights due to the power of the Feds. If the Feds can raid Oaksterdam on a routine basis, shouldn't they be protecting our right to bring California microbrews into the fine state of Utah? Where's the ATF when you really need them?
When it all came down to it, the legal nuances were just that, and we had a grand time in Springdale. The wedding ceremony was easily the most aesthetically stunning and beautiful ceremony we have been to, with the couple being joined and blessed beneath the towering sacred sandstone peaks of Zion. The party was bumping until well past midnight, accompanied by perhaps the hardest rap music ever played on the main street of Springdale since N.W.A. came through in 1994. And the special Utah liquor laws were actually a blessing in disguise, as the strict adherence to alcohol standards has forced creative Utah microbreweries to specially design some incredibly delicious recipes for their local concoctions while spicing them up with names like Polygamy Porter ("Why have just one?") and Provo Girl Pilsner.
So yep, we survived the wedding, Utah survived a gay marriage, and now we're posted up in campsite #9 of Zion's South Campground trying our best to make use of the toys we brought and be thankful for these looooong days to run around outside. It's getting hotter every day, but nothing a dip in the Virgin river can't take care of, and we're cruising around on bikes and running through canyons each day until we can barely walk.
Wooo-hoooo summer!!!!!!
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