I can't remember if I posted a photo of us in all our Trailer Trash glory. We stopped at a Visitor's Center as we entered Utah so Ed could pick up some more paper to fill our motorhome. He's become a collector of maps and park information. I make fun of him, but when I need some information he has it!
We were very excited to see Susan and Larry Fisher - our balloon crewing buddies and full time friends.
They devoted three days to hanging out with us and showing us Salt Lake City and their home in Tooele.
Salt Lake City is a state capitol so the Fishers took us to visit it.
Utah has a very impressive state capitol building. It was built in 1912 and
dedicated in 1916. We discussed whether it was constructed out of marble or
Utah granite. Granite.
The impressive rotunda is encircled with murals depicting the history of the state.
A replica of the Liberty Bell. We never figured out why it is here.
This meeting room has a sign outside saying it can be booked and rented. It's a very popular
location for wedding photographs. Why not???
The House of Representatives has a glass ceiling with stained glass border.
The Senate is bordered with murals.
We moved on from the Capitol downhill to Temple Square.
I'm including a couple photos of the beauty that makes up Temple Square.
It's a collection of buildings that serve the LDS community, the home of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the genealogy library, the admnistration building. It
is quite an impressive place.
The Assembly Hall - built in 1882
The Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build - 1853-1893.
The interior was completed in one year!
We could not enter the Temple, but we were able to see a model
of the interior in the Temple Visitors Center.
Susan and Larry both work two days a week as volunteers in the Temple.
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building was once a hotel...
...and the lobby still looks like one. The building is beautiful - just
the kind that Ed and I enjoy.
The lobby ceiling is a work of art.
The last stop in Temple Square was at the Conference Center.
It seats 21,000 and has a 4 acre garden on the roof.
Ed took this photo from under the massive balcony.
We spent the evening watching the Olympics. We get so addicted to the Games...
The next day the Fishers took us to the Heritage Center. High on a hill in the University area, it's a collection of historical buildings - some original/restored and some recreated - with volunteers in period costume. It was built by the LDS church and given to the State of Utah.
We learned something new from every person we spoke to.
We got an entire history of blacksmithing in the Blacksmith Shop.
We were shocked to learn that parents "sold" their children as young as
seven to apprentice in a shop by signing them away to the owner. Punishments were hard.
Since these communities could not survive without the blacksmith, wagons could not roll without a blacksmith, the local blacksmith usually had the largest home.
Factoid: blacksmiths did not shoe horses. Farriers do that.
We stopped in the barn...
...to see the miniature horse and her colt. Cute!
We stopped in the drugstore where we were shown how pills were made and learned a bit about herbs.
I got into a conversation with the mountain man. I had learned so much at the Museum of the Mountain Man that I challenged him on his beard. He fessed up - he plays Santa at Christmas time so he keeps the beard even though mountain men were clean shaven. (He told me that ticks and fleas in a beard
would have been really uncomfortable.)
We stopped in one of the homes and spoke with this family who were making hard tack.
Their recipe had flavoring in it. I remember Civil War hard tack being made of just flour and water.
An old church
We walked into cabins of all sizes.
The hotel has sample rooms upstairs - standard and deluxe.
We finished off the day with dinner at Susan and Larry's followed by a park concert. Fun!
We all had brunch in the RV the next morning and went to the movies together.
What a great visit with the Fishers. We'll see them in October when they come to
Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta.
We are headed home with a stop at Zion National Park. We just felt like it since we haven't been there in more than ten years. Can't believe this adventure is winding down...
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