SALT LAKE CITY BUS TOUR - LAST CHANCE!

Following out trip north to Bear Lake and Gary's trip to a Car Show, we spent July 4th at home!!
We did not realize until too late that Utah is big on fireworks.  So we could have found some place to go to see them up close.
Instead I just watched them on TV and got a couple pictures over the tree tops from our side window in the motorhome.

Remembering our fallen Heroes,
who gave their lives that we might be FREE!
Thank you all who have served!

Taken from the MH window.

Sunday, the 5th was also a quiet day for us.  We went to church but ate dinner at home.  We began to make a few preparations to move on down the road on Wednesday.  Our goal was to have it all done on Monday as we had a bus tour of Salt Lake City scheduled for Tuesday.

We realized right after beginning the tour on Monday, Tuesday July 7th, that we should have done it when we first got into the northern part of Utah, a month ago!!  There are so many things there to do and see that we did not know about.  All we can say is that we will have to come to Utah again!!

Our guide was Mormon and was very knowledgeable and personable.  We really enjoyed him and learned a lot.  I wish I had used a recorder since he talked so fast.  I will be able to relate only a very little of what he told us.

Utah territory was originally called the State of Deseret.  We had seen that name on many businesses and now we know why!!  Such as Deseret Book Stores, Deseret Thrift Stores, Deseret News.

Our guide's broken ankle did not slow him
down or keep him from driving our
seventeen passenger van.

He started us off going through the historic wealthy area of the city and pointed out the many mansions and other churches also.  He rattled off the former owners of the mansions and what they made their fortunes from.  He also told the demographics of the city as well as the industry.  There was no end to the information.
Some of the churches that he pointed out were 7th Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Jehovah's Witness.  Unfortunately, I can not remember which building was which and many times did not even get a picture since we were by so fast.
He did tell us that the Mormons are about 50 percent of the population of Salt Lake city with the highest concentration being Polinesion rather than Hispanic which was surprising to us. And about 40 percent of the population of the entire state of Utah is Mormon.  He also told us that the Mormons started out being very liberal, but over the years as politics has changed, they are now very conservative.  The largest population of Mormons in the world is in Hawaii.

Enjoy the architecture in the following pictures.

Some of the wealthy from Utah, that I can remember him mentioning, were the men who started Flying J and Crystal Inn, Grand American Hotel, and the Little America Hotel which was built for the Olympics when they were held in Utah. There was also another building built for the indoor sports for the Olympics which was torn down after the Olympics were over.  The outdoor sports were held out where the ski slopes are.
We made a stop at a Heritage Historic Village which had buildings that had been dismantled and moved from their original locations, as well as statues of historic figures.  We wish that we would have had more time to spend here.  Next time!

The pony express riders.

This Heritage Village was where our neighbor, the blacksmith worked.

We had lunch in the Lion House on the lower floor of this building near Temple Square.  The
 pulled pork sandwiches and corn chowder were delicious.

We stopped in front of Brigham Young's residence, office, and reception area.

 After lunch we went out back of the restaurant to see the gardens.  Beautiful!

And the fountain --

 

In front of another LDS office building.

From there we were taken around Temple Square and left off at the west gate to go into the Music Hall to listen to organ recitals, only to find out that they had been cancelled because of preparations for a funeral to take place in two days.  But I got to take pictures, at least.

 

From there he took us up the hill to the Utah State Capitol. We entered at the east entrance and left by the front so that we could see the views out over the city.

East Entrance

Salt Lake City skyline.

Mountain view from the Capitol.

I finally got a picture of part of one oil refinery
along the freeway.  I think that there were three
different ones.

Enough for one day?  We thought so, but kept kicking ourselves for not having done this tour earlier in our stay near Salt Lake City.

Stay tuned as we leave on Wednesday to move on into Wyoming.