September 4, 2011 Utah Trip - Part I

BACK IN TEXAS

It is HOT in Texas.  Having said that, I would like to emphasize . . . IT IS HOT IN TEXAS!  Stepping off the bus in McAllen, we were almost instantly soaked in sweat.  The next morning, we stepped outside into air so warm and humid it was hard to breathe.  Same thing on Wednesday and Thursday.  In spite of the heat, we were able to do everything on our To Do List and were ready to travel bright and early Friday morning.

Jim and Betty met us at the Salt Lake City airport and we were absolutely "on the go" until they took us back to the airport the following Thursday.  I am happy to report the very mild weather we enjoyed while in Utah. 

The Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon Mine. 

 Visible for miles, the tailings alone were an awesome sight, and the mine itself is visible from space.  It's huge!

 This is the world's first open-pit copper mine and the largest man-made excavation on earth. 

Did I mention that this is one great big hole in the ground??????

Even without the extraction of minerals, the terracing is a work of art and science. 

As the mine got bigger, equipment grew in proportion.  Take a look at the tire.  Everything is bigger at the Bingham Canyon Mine.

Coming and going . . . Uphill and downhill . . . Full and Empty!  Trucks!  Huge trucks. 

Here goes one load of rock into the crusher.  It takes a lot of crushed rock to yield a small amount of copper, but the stuff is valuable and used in a wide variety of applications.  With great demand for copper, the hole keeps getting deeper and the trucks keep rolling. 

From a hole in the ground to spires that pierce the sky!

BRIGHAM YOUNG HISTORIC PARK

Sweeping lawns and broad paths

Bordered by wide stretches of blooming plants

And sculpture honoring the rugged lives of the pioneers.

Walking from the garden to the Beehive House, we found this lovely shot of the temple.  I know that every tourist in Salt Lake City has the same picture, but it was irresistible.

BEEHIVE HOUSE

At the Beehive house, more flowers.  Flowers were everywhere!

Inside the Beehive house, beautifully restored rooms

depicting the everyday life of Brigham Young, 

and his service, 

and his family.

I resisted taking photos of all the cabinet displays except this one.  A bracelet made with Brigham Young's hair.  Talk about devotion to the prophet.

TEMPLE SQUARE

More flowers and a beautiful plaque.  The beautiful people with Stanley in the small photo are Betty and  Jim, our hosts and tour guides.

While taking a break, I noticed a family standing outside the temple, obviously having just come from a ceremony inside.  It took several minutes of arranging themselves, but finally . . .

the pose was set. 

The museums were so full of information and displays . . . I was overwhelmed.  This cutaway view of the interior of the temple was very interesting.

A quick look inside the assembly hall,

and on to the tabernacle where we heard a wonderful organ concert.  What a treat.

As we walked to the Museum of Church History and Art, we caught another great shot of the temple. 

 Inside the museum, I saw two things that really impressed me.  This quilt and

 this painting, my favorite of the paintings by LeConte Stewart, a landscape artist/native of Utah.

After a full day of all things Mormon, we stepped into the Beehive Pub for a pint.  It had been quite a day!