We left Yellowstone and stopped in Salt Lake City, UT. We were fortunate to stay at the Pony Express RV Resort. This was a great RV park and is well kept. It is a little more than we usually pay but with the GoodSam Discount (10% discount), we were able to stay here for about $38 a night). It was a great place to stop and see the surroundings.
We started by going to the Great Salt Lake. This lake “is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. At the current level the Great Salt Lake is approximately 75 miles long and about 35 miles wide. Located in several wide flat basins, a slight rise in water lever expands the surface area of the lake considerably. The first scientific measurements were taken in 1849 and since then the lake level has varied by 20 feet, shifting the shoreline in some places as much as 15 miles.” The interesting thing about this lake is that it is salty depending on who measures it can be 25-30% salt. So there is no swimming in the lake because you will feel sticky as soon as you get in. Think about having 1 tsp of salt with 4 tsp of water. Stick you finger in it and you will understand.
Anyhow, it was a beautiful site and we went to Antelope Island State Park to see it.
The above is the view on the way into the Park and you can see how big this lake was. We were lucky to see another Pronghorn which we enjoy.
Plus of course we got to see more Bison. We have to tell you that Bison is everywhere and after three weeks, we got kind of bored seeing them. However seeing them stand and lay in the salted water was different.
Additional views as you are driving in.
We went to the visitor center which allowed us to do a moderate walk up the mountain on the Buffalo Point Trail. As you can see from the sign, they say this is a moderate hike – only because you are are going up hill.
Mike took this panoramic picture. You will have to click on the picture to go through the 360 degree view.
In addition, you will see all these birds in the water. There were hundreds of them and it was amazing to see them.
On another day, we went to the Utah State Capital. They have tours every hour on the hour for free. So we were able go on the tour. It was amazing to hear all the stories about the original State Capital and then the renovation of the Capital to its original glory. “From 2004 to 2008, the Utah State Capitol underwent one of the largest historical preservation projects in the United States. In addition to safe-guarding the building against the risk of an earthquake, the project also repaired and restored the original beauty and artwork of the Capitol. Each year, thousands of people visit the Capitol to witness its modern magnificence and historic significance.”
Outside of the capital is this Mormon Battalion Monument. “This monument commemorates the sacrifices made by 500 Mormon pioneer volunteers who joined the U.S. Army during the Mexican War. The 100-foot rose pink granite and bronze monument was sculpted by Gilbert Riswold and dedicated in 1927. Figures appear on all sides of the monument, chronicling different periods of the Battalion’s history: the Enlistment, the March, the Discovery of Gold in California, and the Arrival of the Pueblo Detachment at the Capital.” Of course that is a statute of Brigham Young.
Of course being the Beehive State, they also had a monument for that.
Here are some pictures from the Capital. Below are some displays that show all the fossils that have been found in Utah.
There also is a replica of the Liberty Bell in the center of the atirum.
The State Seal. While you cannot see everything clearly, you can see the beehive deadcenter above the 1847 which was the date the Utah was first found. It became a state in 1896. The eagle holds 6 arrows as symbol for the Native Americans.
You go to the second floor and see this large atrium. On one side was House of Representatives and on the other was the Supreme Court area.
This is the Supreme Court main room.
This is the Senate Chamber with the original roll top desks that has been preserved since it was built.
Then we were able to go into the House of Representatives.
The Office of the Governor – who was not in attendance. What was interesting about his office was the Tornado Desk which as provided after the 1999 Tornado.
“This natural phenomenon was as unexpected as it was destructive. Due to the mountains that surround the Salt Lake valley, the area very rarely sees tornados. The tornado hit downtown Salt Lake, passed the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds, and left destruction in its wake.
The tornado uprooted 93 fully mature trees on Capitol Hill. What used to be a very green, forested lawn was now stripped of trees. However, the destruction gave way to something creative when Chris Gochnour volunteered to construct a desk for the Governor’s office out of wood from the fallen trees. He used maple trees, linden trees, and japanese pagodas to create the desk that remains in the Governor’s office to this day.”
We then visited the Latter-Day Saints downtown area. This was the view you could see from anywhere was the LDS Church, which was magnificent and very large.
From there, as we walked, we walked by the Beehive House. Lorraine read about this building when she read The 19th Wife, which was a story of the 19th wife of Brigham Young. “Young was a polygamist, and the Beehive House was designed to accommodate his large family. At the time of his death on August 23, 1877, Young had married 56 women–19 predeceased him, 10 divorced him, 23 survived him, and 4 are unaccounted for. Supposedly many of these wives lived in the Beehive House at one time or another.” (wiki)
Unfortunately, we could not see much of it because when we went into building for a tour, within 10 minutes of our tour, we were being ministered. We had to interrupt the two Sisters and tell them that we were not here to be ministered but wanted to see the building. We told them appreciated their time and then we left.
Walking down the street was another status of Brigham Young.
Besides seeing this historical area, we also had to go Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolate Factory. We had to go on a tour in this chocolate factory especially since they give you lots of samples. “It all started with her aunt’s pecan-rolls recipe. As she made them for the first time, Marie Cavanaugh added her own little twist and the treat became a hit with her friends and neighbors, who then encouraged her to open her own candy business. Dipping chocolates and making pecan rolls became a homemade staple for holiday gifting, and soon she expanded, enlisting her husband and five children to help meet her rising demands. The rest is chocolate history!” The business is still owned by family and is on its 3rd generation.
So that ended our week in Salt Lake City with yummies in our tummy from Mrs. Cavanaugh’s. Off to Zion National Park next.
