Salt Lake City. June 8th, 9th 1982

Tuesday, June 8th 1982
Salt Lake City

Missed writing this yesterday, so I'll recap if I can remember it all. We left camp at Grand Canyon at about 7:00am and drove to Desert View. A stone tower had been built in Indian style to get a better view of the desert.

It was decorated inside with Indian art, secular and religious. The view from the top was no different than that from the lockout outside, but there was interest in the tower as

an object. We travelled on after breakfast through the Painted Desert, which didn't look too painted to me, perhaps  I was looking the wrong way. 

The country was high plain country with a fairly barren landscape, the mountains were coloured in some part or just barren. Along the roadside were many Indian stands, selling jewellery and the like.

We lunched at Page, or rather Glen County Dam. The blue water contrasted greatly with the red soil. It was warmer here. Travelling on into Utah, the first 70 miles to Kanab were very windy and boring, but as we got closer to Kanab the landscape became more interesting. The mountains seemed. to run in repetitive patterns. Running to the south, where they would end in a bluff, you expected to see the sea at the bottom, so much like cliffs were they. They dropped down to a plain, then running south, repeated the pattern.

The country between Kanab and Bryce Canyon was far prettier with Pine trees and winding roads between the mountains.

In some places there were grassy meadows, running down from the valley, looked like ‘picture postcard’ stuff again. Getting closer to Bryce, some of the mountains bad exposed sides, showing pink, red and white coloured bluffs. The contrast between the blue sky and green pines was superb.

Bryce Canyon reminded me of a large sandcastle that has been partly washed away by the incoming tide. The sides of the vertical towers have been washed away, leaving long tall columns. The columns and flutes were made of pink, white, orange and red sand, in some parts they looked like the battlements of a castle, all this interspersed with pine trees and the bluest sky ever. About one hundredth the size of the Grand Canyon, far easier to take in and see. 

The bottom of some of the formations were mounds of the sand it washed away from the towers above. The wildlife was most obvious, with ground squirrels running everywhere, a fact which pleased the kids.  We even saw a deer, running away from our intrusion..

Tuesday morning we were up early, drove to the viewpoint, sunrise or sunset point I think, and had another look at the view. We left at 8.30 and headed for Salt Lake City. 

The scenery was more of high mountains with snow, and small farming communities, very attractive. Richfield and its surroundings was a nice small city, houses we noticed were quite different from those in Arizona or California. They almost were like those I imagine in Maine and the East. Mainly brick construction with shingle rooves though. Turrets and bay windows, two storeys with high gabled rooves. A totally different look to that of other states we had seen. 

We lunched at Nephi at a small park. Pine trees and green grass, with snowcapped mountains in the distance. High-plain country was evident for a while until we reached the outskirts of Provo. We arrived in Salt Lake City at about 5:00pm. I was taken immediately by its picturesque setting, tall mountains on every side, topped with spring snow. The city looked clean, with a mixture of old and new buildings. The city obviously cares for its past, and its future. The setting sun on the mountains turned the snow pink, then red, together with the sweet smell of blossoms on the air, made me very happy to be at Salt Lake City.

Wednesday, June 9th 1982.

We drove the few blocks into town, parked opposite Temple square and proceeded to investigate this pleasant city. The flowers and setting of the Mormon Temple and surrounding buildings was beautiful. The green of the grass and the cleanliness of the square were most attractive. On the surface, Mormonism is very clean, neat, a lover of beautiful things and pleasant to be around. The grounds of the square are infiltrated with 'Elders' only too happy to take you on their guided tour. 

It's worth going on, the tabernacle with its incredible acoustics is outstanding. I'm amazed that such a well-designed building could have been done all those years ago. The visitors centre gradually leads you into the Mormon faith, ever so slowly they introduce you bit by bit to what they believe, and what they'd like you to believe as well. It's amazing to see the amount of money, time and effort that they put into their faith, if only they would forget about Joe Smith and concentrate on the bible, but of course, they don't. To them, their fictional account of the American people is far more important. The city of Utah Town Hall is a massive building, the dome with its historic paintings is really beautiful. It's amazing, there's that word again, what can be done with time and money.

The whole north part of the city has a charm that is e. cross between Sydney Road just north of the Melbourne Uni and the imagined image of Maine and Boston. Really nice. Tomorrow, Lagoon and Historic Park.