Provo and SLC

On the way to our stop for the night in Provo, we took a badly needed supper  break. It was Saturday night and we did not have many options, so we had to sit and wait for our number to be called. While we were waiting, I called the hotel to tell them we would be arriving late. The clerk said not to worry and that she would have our room warm and ready for us. I thought, "Warm? Who wants a warm room?" Well, although we had hiked in Zion in broiling heat, it was in the mid-50s when we arrived at the hotel. It was a surprise to watch the car thermometer drop ---and continue to drop as we drove. The following morning, we did laundry at the hotel and drove around Provo to see BYU. Young Mormon families were everywhere, making their way to church.


Continuing north on the interstate, we stopped in the outskirts of Salt Lake City at a fancy outlet center. While it was mostly outside, there was a long section that had a high roof over it, but it was entirely open on each end. In the middle was a huge gas fire pit. Pots of flowers everywhere also added to make it a beautiful place. We ate lunch there.

Back on the road, we found a street parking spot downtown. With very few exceptions, the stores downtown were closed on Sunday. Since it was too early to check into our hotel, we walked around Temple Square.

Now honestly, when I first started planning this trip, I did not give much thought to Salt Lake City. After all, I'm Methodist, not Mormon. But the more I looked, the more I found of interest.

Here are some images from Temple Square. This is the Assembly Hall.

The  pipe  organ inside:

The rose in the ceiling:

Windows in the rear of the building:

In the courtyard are fountains, gardens and statues. The sign below describes the remarkable history depicted in this sculpture. 

This is the auditorium, build with perfect acoustics in mind. Reportedly, a pin dropped at the pulpit can be clearly heard at the back of the hall, 170 feet away.

Another huge pipe organ and this time, also, a choir loft. 

These marble columns were just gorgeous.

I was disappointed that no concerts or public practices were taking place while we were in town.