So i had one full day to see Salt Lake City. The center is quite small and therefore whilst still hot early in the morning it was a rare occasion to walk around a US city. The main feature is Temple Square which is effectively the headquarters for the Mormons with both religious and operational buildings.
Having been door-stepped a few times at home, i had some expectations on what i might find- very devout, enthusiastic and friendly people. As you walk around everyone says hello and there are lots of people to guide you around or answer questions. Its slightly surreal, nearly all the people are young ladies (probably 16-20) wearing a flag to represent where they have come from, as they have come to spend a couple of years as missionaries. Apparently young men are more likely to have administrative roles.
I decided to take a walking tour which was hosted by two of the female missionaries - one from Virginia and the other from the Philippines. At the outset they made it cleat that they would be happy to talk about anything, and not to worry about potentially offending them It was an interesting experience, they were both pleasant, intelligent and obviously very devoted to the religion, They talked openly about the different roles of men/women in the church and a desire that over time women can take on more responsibility.
Whilst you are not allowed into the main temple which dominates the center of the city, you are shown a number of historical buildings including the Tabernacle which has the 11th largest organ in the world. I went back later to listen to a short recital and the acoustics were extremely good - in particular for a building built in the late 19th century by a bridge builder!
Apart from one large 1960's building which acts as admin hub (even Church can make a mistake with architecture) the buildings are all impressive.
Overall it was an interesting experience but slightly surreal. There is quite a bit of security, a number of people walking around with shades as though auditioning for Men in Black and as the guides said themselves, the young men can look like cheap store security guards. If door stepped in the future, then i will tell them that they still don't have a chance of converting an old atheist like me, but i might chat about SL city.
Driving out of the city the next morning actually saw the most traffic of the trip, but gradually as i got further south it thinned out into more normal levels. My destination was Bryce Canyon, as a base for Zion Park the next day. Arriving early afternoon gave me the opportunity to go into Bryce Canyon National Park, where i could spend a couple of hours driving around. Once again very interesting, less about wildlife this time, more about stunning scenery.
Following day saw a couple of hour drive to Zion where i arrived late morning. This was the first park which felt crowded and a number of the parking areas were full. This probably was the reason i stayed for a shorter period than the other parks, even though the scenery again was amazing.
So that was it for the National Parks. I had bought a "America the beautiful pass" at the first park i went to, and for $80 it saved me money on this trip - and is valid until end July next year.
Final driving day was to Las Vegas. Itself a very scenic route and you get to see the city from around 20 miles out - a solitary vision in the desert, Leaving the car at Hertz i had completed 4,371 miles over the three week period. I cant say that i loved the Toyota Corolla but it did its job (just as the Maintenance Required sign had been on for the last few days).
I now have 10 days in Vegas playing bridge, and then 2 nights in San Diego on my home.
Having been door-stepped a few times at home, i had some expectations on what i might find- very devout, enthusiastic and friendly people. As you walk around everyone says hello and there are lots of people to guide you around or answer questions. Its slightly surreal, nearly all the people are young ladies (probably 16-20) wearing a flag to represent where they have come from, as they have come to spend a couple of years as missionaries. Apparently young men are more likely to have administrative roles.
I decided to take a walking tour which was hosted by two of the female missionaries - one from Virginia and the other from the Philippines. At the outset they made it cleat that they would be happy to talk about anything, and not to worry about potentially offending them It was an interesting experience, they were both pleasant, intelligent and obviously very devoted to the religion, They talked openly about the different roles of men/women in the church and a desire that over time women can take on more responsibility.
Whilst you are not allowed into the main temple which dominates the center of the city, you are shown a number of historical buildings including the Tabernacle which has the 11th largest organ in the world. I went back later to listen to a short recital and the acoustics were extremely good - in particular for a building built in the late 19th century by a bridge builder!
Apart from one large 1960's building which acts as admin hub (even Church can make a mistake with architecture) the buildings are all impressive.
Overall it was an interesting experience but slightly surreal. There is quite a bit of security, a number of people walking around with shades as though auditioning for Men in Black and as the guides said themselves, the young men can look like cheap store security guards. If door stepped in the future, then i will tell them that they still don't have a chance of converting an old atheist like me, but i might chat about SL city.
Driving out of the city the next morning actually saw the most traffic of the trip, but gradually as i got further south it thinned out into more normal levels. My destination was Bryce Canyon, as a base for Zion Park the next day. Arriving early afternoon gave me the opportunity to go into Bryce Canyon National Park, where i could spend a couple of hours driving around. Once again very interesting, less about wildlife this time, more about stunning scenery.
Following day saw a couple of hour drive to Zion where i arrived late morning. This was the first park which felt crowded and a number of the parking areas were full. This probably was the reason i stayed for a shorter period than the other parks, even though the scenery again was amazing.
So that was it for the National Parks. I had bought a "America the beautiful pass" at the first park i went to, and for $80 it saved me money on this trip - and is valid until end July next year.
Final driving day was to Las Vegas. Itself a very scenic route and you get to see the city from around 20 miles out - a solitary vision in the desert, Leaving the car at Hertz i had completed 4,371 miles over the three week period. I cant say that i loved the Toyota Corolla but it did its job (just as the Maintenance Required sign had been on for the last few days).
I now have 10 days in Vegas playing bridge, and then 2 nights in San Diego on my home.
Updated list of States travelled through:
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)
Nebraska (back over bridge)
Iowa again
South Dakota (where i changed time zone within the state as we went to Mountain Time Zone)
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana (yes they criss-cross quite a bit)
Idaho
Utah
Arizona
Nevada
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)
Nebraska (back over bridge)
Iowa again
South Dakota (where i changed time zone within the state as we went to Mountain Time Zone)
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana (yes they criss-cross quite a bit)
Idaho
Utah
Arizona
Nevada
Updated car music list (i managed to keep a US theme solely from my music library) :
Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin
Talking Heads
Hootie and the Blowfish
Meat Loaf
Moby
Madonna
Frank Sinatra
Paul Simon
Bob Dylan
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin
Talking Heads
Hootie and the Blowfish
Meat Loaf
Moby
Madonna
Frank Sinatra
Paul Simon
Bob Dylan
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