Dot- Rock straightened her multicolored flowing skirt and slung her large pink leather bag on her slim shoulder.  At her sandaled feet, a small fluffy dog with a rhinestone-studded bright blue collar looked up at her expectantly.

She knelt to pick up the white dog with bangled arms as her best friend, Kit -Kit-Kat, shut the car door.  “I can’t believe we found such a great parking spot.  This is sooo cool Dot- Rock!  What a great idea!”

A large blue topaz sparkled on Dot- Rock’s right hand as she stroked the little dog’s head.  She smiled at Kit -Kit-Kat.  “I told you that you would like it.”

The old mining town of Park City, Utah lay before the two California Rock Traveler™ teens.  The girls had seen coverage of the ski resort during the 2002 Olympic games but had no idea that the town was a hidden mecca of art galleries and shops.

It was Dot- Rock’s art teacher who had told her of the festival when he learned that she and her father were heading to Park City.  The moment she learned of it, she knew she had to bring Kit-Kit-Kat with her. 
The two girls walked towards Main Street, chatting about their surroundings.  Normally, the street was open to cars but it had been closed for the festival and hundreds of colorful booths were now standing between the rows of new and restored buildings.  It was packed with visitors.

“I had no idea it was going to be this big,” Kit -Kit-Kat commented when they arrived at the bottom of the sloped street and had paid their entrance fee.

ot- Rock’s eyes sparkled.  “I’m so glad that we came.”

“I am too,” Kit-Kat replied.  She loved art as much as Dot- Rock.

The two blonde girls stopped first at a booth selling jewelry.  “Kit-Kat, this would look fabulous on you,” Dot- Rock exclaimed, picking up a silver sculpted bracelet with a large turquoise stone set in the center of it.

Kit-Kat held up a necklace of turquoise and pink-hued corral.  “This would match your earrings.”

“Oh, I love it!” Dot -Rock responded as she set the bracelet down. 

“You have to buy it.”

“You think so?”

The lady running the booth smiled and nodded.  “It would look beautiful with your blouse.”

“Okay, I’ll take it.  Kit-Kat, will you hold Mixsie?”

Kit-Kat took the small white dog as Dot -Rock paid for the necklace and then put it on.  “That’s perfect,” Kit-Kat told her as she handed Mixsie back.

“I hope Dad likes it,” Dot -Rock said as they walked away from the booth. 

They took their time as they walked from booth to booth.  There was a lot of Indian jewelry and Dot -Rock convinced Kit-Kat to buy a turquoise ring at one of the booths.  Other booths offered brightly colored glass art, sculptures, wood carved bears, deer, and other woodland animals, photographs, and lots and lots of oil paintings.
“People are so friendly here,” Kit-Kat commented as they walked away from a booth where she had been looking at still-life paintings.

Dot -Rock nodded.  “I’m getting hungry.  Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Okay.”  They slowly made their way through the mass of tourists to a small booth selling Navajo Tacos. 
“Is it my imagination or are there a lot more people here?” Dot -Rock asked Kit-Kat as she paid for her taco. 
“There are tons more people here,” Kit-Kat responded as she took a bite of hers.  “These are so good.”
ot -Rock bit into hers.  “You’re right.  Let’s get an extra one and share it.”

After the girls had bought another Navajo Taco, they continued browsing the booths.  Modern music from a live band blared from speakers set up along the street and they watched some of the activities that were planned for the smaller kids like face painting, games, and crafts.  The midday August sun shone down on them and Dot -Rock was glad that she had worn a loose skirt. 

“Dot -Rock, look at this,” Kit-Kat said, nudging her. 

They walked over to a booth selling the most beautiful pieces of cloth the girls had ever seen.  Kit-Kat picked up a shimmering piece of pink fabric.  “This is gorgeous.  I think I’m going to buy this for my bedroom.”

When the girls finished with the booths, they directed their attention to the galleries.  The Meyer Gallery offered what they called contemporary representational paintings.  Dot -Rock and Kit-Kat didn’t find the pieces interesting.  They did enjoy the Scanlan Gallery though. 

The Scanlans, a husband and wife, had produced beautiful photographs of places around the world, the salesman told the girls.  “I love that one—Is it Greece?” Dot -Rock asked.

“Yes,” the guy told them.  “They just released it this last year.”

“Your Dad would like that one,” Kit-Kat said, pointing at a photograph of a row of houses that had been taken in Calabria, Italy. 

“You’re right.  It would look perfect in his office,” Dot -Rock responded and glanced at her watch.  “Speaking of which, we better get back to the hotel.  He should be there by now.”

The girls left the gallery and made their way to their car.  Wait a minute Dot- Rock said, she reached behind the front seat and pulled out her Rock Box.  Dot- Rock carefully placed a beautiful blue Rock Traveler™ agate with her unique number outside the gallery door, placed just carefully enough that it wouldn’t be too obvious.  “People here are really cool” said Dot- Rock to Kit-Kat.  Whoever finds by Rock will become part of my RTW family and next year when we come back, we can meet and talk and maybe ski together.  “Cool uh!” said Kit-Kat.  The girls climbed into their car, wrote a note in their journal, smiled at the downtown hustle and bustle and hit the road for the next adventure.

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