A few more photo sets have been added. The Washington photos are not that great due to the lighting.
August 17, 2008
Washington: Ocean Shores - beach near hotel
August 19, 2008
Mt. St. Helens
August 26, 2008
Nevada - Elko - Western Folklore Museum
Monday, September 8, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Photo Upate
More photos have been added...
August 17, 2008
August 27, 2008
Stagnant water near Great Salt Lake with salt along edges
August 29, 2008
August 30, 2008
August 17, 2008
August 27, 2008
Stagnant water near Great Salt Lake with salt along edges
August 29, 2008
August 30, 2008
August 30, 2008 - Yellowstone Day 1
Note: Most photos for this day have not yet been posted.
Complained about the lack of Internet access
As I checked out of the hotel, the clerk asked me how I liked the stay. I made it very clear that I was displeased about the lack of Internet service. He apologized said he had heard there was an outage that evening. I told him the night clerk said it worked sometimes and not others. He said he was new and wasn't aware of everything there.
I took pictures of the rental car damage. Since I purchased the liability damage waiver, it didn't really matter. But, I wanted photos for the trip album.
Another Rental Car
I drove to the rental agency. I noticed something new on the rental agreement. If they had to clean anything up, there would be a $150 charge. I found this a bit strange considering the fact that I paid for the liability damage waiver. Afterall, if a crack in the windshield or a deer smashing most of the driver's side of the vehicle would not incur extra charges, why would cleaning up the vehicle cost extra? The clerk specifically mentioned "excess bug juice" on the exterior. I signed it nonetheless because I needed a new car. I figured I'd argue it out with the office in my home area if necessary.
They were able to provide me with a nice car as a replacement. At first I looked at it and assumed I would never get all my junk in there. However, as I started moving things, it turned out that much more fit in the trunk than before. A lot more fit in the back seat. Therefore, the passenger front seat did not need to be occupied with so much junk.
After at least an hour, I finally got everything moved. I asked the clerk if the car I was turning in would incur an extra fee. There were lots of dead bugs on the exterior. I could have just taken it for a car wash. She told me that what I turned in was expected. They just made people sign the waiver in case there was food strewn all over the car, or a deer left on the car. I mentioned that I had hit a deer with my first car when I was in Montana. A customer said "How can you NOT hit a deer in Montana?" She then said she was in western South Dakota and hit a deer. That really didn't make me feel good because I would be in western SD in a few days.
Trying to find the Texas Roadhouse
After driving away, I decided I wanted to go to the Texas Roadhouse for lunch. This is a chain of restaurants which, despite the name, are great. They have the most delicious rolls which are different from anything I've ever tasted before. The hotel clerk from last night told me there was one in Idaho Falls on Hitt Road. But, there was no Internet access and no phone book. So, I couldn't verify it. I plugged in Hitt Road on the GPS. This was a total waste of time because there was no Texas Roadhouse restaurant on that road.
Idaho Falls and my National Parks Annual Pass
I went back the way I came and visited the actual Idaho Falls. See photos. I then had a sub for lunch. I was about to drive on to Rexburg, ID to see the next hotel. Then it hit me that I left my National Parks Annual Pass on the dashboard of the car with the damage. The agency closed at noon and it was 12:05pm. I quickly drove back there. I noticed the closed sign on the door. My former vehicle was no longer in the parking lot. I called the airport rental office to see if they had any idea what happened to damaged vehicles at that agency. They said they had no idea and that I could leave a message on the agency's machine to see if they could mail the card to me on Monday. Well, on Monday September 1st, that card was no good. I noticed someone open the door to the agency. The clerks were still there and provided me with the key to my old vehicle. I was able to get my pass. Since I was going to Yellowstone that day, with a $25 entrance fee, that was very helpful.
Rigby, ID
As I drove on to Rexburg, I noticed a sign for Rigby, ID. It said that Rigby was the birthplace of television. I was puzzled by this for a few minutes because I knew the first television station was in Schenectady, NY. I didn't really think about the set itself. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the museum. In further reading, it appears that electronic television was invented by a young man named Philo Taylor Farnsworth in Rigby. Electro-mechanical television had been developed previously by others. But Farnsworth made the first working electronic television.
View Larger Map
Finding a Church
A couple of days before, I had called every church nearby any of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park to find out their Mass schedule. The ONLY church I could not get ahold of was in Rexburg, ID. And of course, that would be where I was staying. I drove to the church, expecting to find the Mass times listed on the outside. When I got there, I found nothing on the outside. There was a building indicating it was a "Christian Center." It lisated someone's name as a pastor along with a phone number. When I called the number, I got a husband and wife's personal answering machine. I figured this was a Protestant church that may have purchased a Catholic Church's building. When I walked up to the building, it was locked but there was a sign which read St. Patrick's Catholic Church. I looked in the window and it did indeed look like a small Catholic Church inside. But, I had no idea whether it was actually in operation.
However, I planned to go to Yellowstone via the West Yellowstone, MT entrance. I knew the Mass schedule for that church. They would have Mass on Saturday evening at 7:30pm and again at 10:30am on Sunday. So, I decided to just go there.
Drive to West Yellowstone, MT
It was an eighty mile drive to Yellowstone. By this point, with the saturation effect in full swing, the ride was really boring. I decided that although Yellowstone is the nation's premiere national park, I probably would only spend a few hours there. The drive was so long and boring. I was also just really getting tired of sightseeing.
View Larger Map
City of West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone is a tourist area. It's in the narrow strip of Montana between Idaho and Wyoming. There are souvenir shops, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, etc. I found the church just so I knew exactly where it was. It was a small church but there was plenty of room for parking along the street.
Entering Yellowstone National Park
The Yellowstone entrance was only about two miles away. After entering, I realized that I was finally there. Yellowstone is the premiere national park and a "must see" on my list of places to visit. But, at first my reaction was "This is just a bunch of nice forests." I pulled over and examined the map. Thankfully, Old Faithful was not far from this entrance.
Entering Wyoming
After a short distance, I officially entered Wyoming for the first time on my trip. Most of Yellowstone National Park is within Wyoming though a little bit is in Montana and Idaho.
Buffalo
As I drove along, I noticed a bunch of people stopped along the road, taking pictures. At first I didn't notice anything other than a river and forest. Then I realized the attraction...a buffalo was in the water. The bison took his time. Then he slowly walked up the mountain, pausing quite a bit. I took lots of photos just like the onlookers.
Elk
As I drove on further, I noticed another congested area. This time, an elk was in the river, drinking. After he got done, he slowly stepped out and just stood there. He slowly turned his head this way and that, basically as if he was providing profile photo opportunities. He actually reminded me of one of those lighted wire mesh reindeer that people place on their lawns around Christmas time. The elk continued to do this for quite some time. Other elk were in the woods eating.
I drove along further and noticed an off-white substance along the ground. Having been to the Salt Lake City area, I assumed this was like the salt on the ground there. However, this was a bit different. In the distance, I noticed a mound with a gas substance coming out of it. A short while later, I saw a sign indicating the "Fountain Paint Pots" were coming up.
Fountain Paint Pots
This was my first unique Yellowstone experiences. Yes, the bison and elk were interesting, particularly the way they practically posed for photos, but those animals are not unique to Yellowstone. I was kind of amazed at this area, however. The thermal areas had dead trees and water running around various areas. There were boardwalks so people could walk over these areas without disturbing them. Some of the areas where water streamed out of the pools or geysers were bright orange or red with algae.
There were various pools with light blue water. They were very deep. Some were bubbling in a particular spot with hot water.
The actual Fountain Paint Pot was an area with light brown mud that was bubbling, This was like something out of a cartoon. I'll be honest....at first it seemed almost fake. I didn't realize something like this would occur naturally.
The next area was a set of holes in the earth which had steam coming out. There was a constant sound coming out. I really thought this was fake because it seemed like something dramatized in a movie. But, in actuality, movies have been inspired by naturally occuring but rare geothermal features like this.
As I went along further, there were more geysers. I think I got sprayed with one of them when it erupted.
Driving to Old Faithful
Old Faithful was still ten or twenty miles away. There were a number of other geyser areas along the way. However, I figured I'd come back to them after seeing Old Faithful. Old Faithful was not on the main roads. You had to take an exit ramp and then drive for quite a bit. Suddenly, you are in a big tourist area with restaurants, souvenir shops, a gas station, and even a post office. This is all inside a national park.
Old Faithful
I didn't have dinner yet, so I had a quick pizza and some lousy ice cream. I then went on to Old Faithful. Basically, it's a mound with a boardwalk around it. There are other geysers in the area. The next eruption was expected at 6:54 pm. It was about 5:50pm at that point. I didn't have time to wait around. The sky was overcast so photo opportunities were not that great. I decided to go back and see some of the other geothermal areas that I had missed previously.
Biscuit Basin
I stopped at the first area available. This was called Biscuit Basin. It was a collection of geothermal pools with a creek running by. The parking lot even had a vent below it. There were swahorses over a particular area which had steam coming out of it. The pools had very nice colors. Some were very deep. There were some geysers which erupted quite frequently. I got sprayed a couple of times.
I was running out of time because I wanted to go to the 7:30pm Mass. I skipped the remaining geyser areas so I could get back to West Yellowstone, MT. Unfortunately, the traffic slowed down so much that it was bumper to bumper with lots of stops. I assumed it was congestion because an animal decided to pose for photos. But, it turns out it was because someone's car broke down. By the time we got moving, it was 7:50pm. I was very frustrated because I didn't know what time the Mass would be at the church in Rexburg, or if there even was a church in Rexburg. I started to think about coming all the way back here and dreading the notion of having to drive the same eighty miles again, particularly when I had to drive eighty miles to get back to the hotel.
Drive back to the hotel
Of course, driving back there were deer signs along the way. I drove slower than the speed limit in order to avoid another possible deer incident.
Once I got back to the hotel, they were able to give me the Catholic Mass schedule. The church I visited in Rexburg (less than half a mile from the hotel) was indeed an operating Catholic Church. However, the Mass was at 1pm. I didn't have time to hang out in Rexburg that long. I decided to go back to Yellowstone the next day and just go to Mass at the church in West Yellowstone at 10:30am. I was heading east anyway and this was along my route.
Internet via an electrical socket
Internet access was not available. The hotel staff said that sometimes it doesn't work at the far end of the building. This hotel advertised wireless Internet access and didn't say it was only in some rooms. But, unlike the hotel from the day before, they did have a solution. They provided a booster. The booster plugged into an ordinary electric socket and delivered Internet access. I had read about this years ago but this is the first time I had seen it in real life.
Complained about the lack of Internet access
As I checked out of the hotel, the clerk asked me how I liked the stay. I made it very clear that I was displeased about the lack of Internet service. He apologized said he had heard there was an outage that evening. I told him the night clerk said it worked sometimes and not others. He said he was new and wasn't aware of everything there.
I took pictures of the rental car damage. Since I purchased the liability damage waiver, it didn't really matter. But, I wanted photos for the trip album.
Another Rental Car
I drove to the rental agency. I noticed something new on the rental agreement. If they had to clean anything up, there would be a $150 charge. I found this a bit strange considering the fact that I paid for the liability damage waiver. Afterall, if a crack in the windshield or a deer smashing most of the driver's side of the vehicle would not incur extra charges, why would cleaning up the vehicle cost extra? The clerk specifically mentioned "excess bug juice" on the exterior. I signed it nonetheless because I needed a new car. I figured I'd argue it out with the office in my home area if necessary.
They were able to provide me with a nice car as a replacement. At first I looked at it and assumed I would never get all my junk in there. However, as I started moving things, it turned out that much more fit in the trunk than before. A lot more fit in the back seat. Therefore, the passenger front seat did not need to be occupied with so much junk.
After at least an hour, I finally got everything moved. I asked the clerk if the car I was turning in would incur an extra fee. There were lots of dead bugs on the exterior. I could have just taken it for a car wash. She told me that what I turned in was expected. They just made people sign the waiver in case there was food strewn all over the car, or a deer left on the car. I mentioned that I had hit a deer with my first car when I was in Montana. A customer said "How can you NOT hit a deer in Montana?" She then said she was in western South Dakota and hit a deer. That really didn't make me feel good because I would be in western SD in a few days.
Trying to find the Texas Roadhouse
After driving away, I decided I wanted to go to the Texas Roadhouse for lunch. This is a chain of restaurants which, despite the name, are great. They have the most delicious rolls which are different from anything I've ever tasted before. The hotel clerk from last night told me there was one in Idaho Falls on Hitt Road. But, there was no Internet access and no phone book. So, I couldn't verify it. I plugged in Hitt Road on the GPS. This was a total waste of time because there was no Texas Roadhouse restaurant on that road.
Idaho Falls and my National Parks Annual Pass
I went back the way I came and visited the actual Idaho Falls. See photos. I then had a sub for lunch. I was about to drive on to Rexburg, ID to see the next hotel. Then it hit me that I left my National Parks Annual Pass on the dashboard of the car with the damage. The agency closed at noon and it was 12:05pm. I quickly drove back there. I noticed the closed sign on the door. My former vehicle was no longer in the parking lot. I called the airport rental office to see if they had any idea what happened to damaged vehicles at that agency. They said they had no idea and that I could leave a message on the agency's machine to see if they could mail the card to me on Monday. Well, on Monday September 1st, that card was no good. I noticed someone open the door to the agency. The clerks were still there and provided me with the key to my old vehicle. I was able to get my pass. Since I was going to Yellowstone that day, with a $25 entrance fee, that was very helpful.
Rigby, ID
As I drove on to Rexburg, I noticed a sign for Rigby, ID. It said that Rigby was the birthplace of television. I was puzzled by this for a few minutes because I knew the first television station was in Schenectady, NY. I didn't really think about the set itself. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the museum. In further reading, it appears that electronic television was invented by a young man named Philo Taylor Farnsworth in Rigby. Electro-mechanical television had been developed previously by others. But Farnsworth made the first working electronic television.
View Larger Map
Finding a Church
A couple of days before, I had called every church nearby any of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park to find out their Mass schedule. The ONLY church I could not get ahold of was in Rexburg, ID. And of course, that would be where I was staying. I drove to the church, expecting to find the Mass times listed on the outside. When I got there, I found nothing on the outside. There was a building indicating it was a "Christian Center." It lisated someone's name as a pastor along with a phone number. When I called the number, I got a husband and wife's personal answering machine. I figured this was a Protestant church that may have purchased a Catholic Church's building. When I walked up to the building, it was locked but there was a sign which read St. Patrick's Catholic Church. I looked in the window and it did indeed look like a small Catholic Church inside. But, I had no idea whether it was actually in operation.
However, I planned to go to Yellowstone via the West Yellowstone, MT entrance. I knew the Mass schedule for that church. They would have Mass on Saturday evening at 7:30pm and again at 10:30am on Sunday. So, I decided to just go there.
Drive to West Yellowstone, MT
It was an eighty mile drive to Yellowstone. By this point, with the saturation effect in full swing, the ride was really boring. I decided that although Yellowstone is the nation's premiere national park, I probably would only spend a few hours there. The drive was so long and boring. I was also just really getting tired of sightseeing.
View Larger Map
City of West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone is a tourist area. It's in the narrow strip of Montana between Idaho and Wyoming. There are souvenir shops, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, etc. I found the church just so I knew exactly where it was. It was a small church but there was plenty of room for parking along the street.
Entering Yellowstone National Park
The Yellowstone entrance was only about two miles away. After entering, I realized that I was finally there. Yellowstone is the premiere national park and a "must see" on my list of places to visit. But, at first my reaction was "This is just a bunch of nice forests." I pulled over and examined the map. Thankfully, Old Faithful was not far from this entrance.
Entering Wyoming
After a short distance, I officially entered Wyoming for the first time on my trip. Most of Yellowstone National Park is within Wyoming though a little bit is in Montana and Idaho.
Buffalo
As I drove along, I noticed a bunch of people stopped along the road, taking pictures. At first I didn't notice anything other than a river and forest. Then I realized the attraction...a buffalo was in the water. The bison took his time. Then he slowly walked up the mountain, pausing quite a bit. I took lots of photos just like the onlookers.
Elk
As I drove on further, I noticed another congested area. This time, an elk was in the river, drinking. After he got done, he slowly stepped out and just stood there. He slowly turned his head this way and that, basically as if he was providing profile photo opportunities. He actually reminded me of one of those lighted wire mesh reindeer that people place on their lawns around Christmas time. The elk continued to do this for quite some time. Other elk were in the woods eating.
I drove along further and noticed an off-white substance along the ground. Having been to the Salt Lake City area, I assumed this was like the salt on the ground there. However, this was a bit different. In the distance, I noticed a mound with a gas substance coming out of it. A short while later, I saw a sign indicating the "Fountain Paint Pots" were coming up.
Fountain Paint Pots
This was my first unique Yellowstone experiences. Yes, the bison and elk were interesting, particularly the way they practically posed for photos, but those animals are not unique to Yellowstone. I was kind of amazed at this area, however. The thermal areas had dead trees and water running around various areas. There were boardwalks so people could walk over these areas without disturbing them. Some of the areas where water streamed out of the pools or geysers were bright orange or red with algae.
There were various pools with light blue water. They were very deep. Some were bubbling in a particular spot with hot water.
The actual Fountain Paint Pot was an area with light brown mud that was bubbling, This was like something out of a cartoon. I'll be honest....at first it seemed almost fake. I didn't realize something like this would occur naturally.
The next area was a set of holes in the earth which had steam coming out. There was a constant sound coming out. I really thought this was fake because it seemed like something dramatized in a movie. But, in actuality, movies have been inspired by naturally occuring but rare geothermal features like this.
As I went along further, there were more geysers. I think I got sprayed with one of them when it erupted.
Driving to Old Faithful
Old Faithful was still ten or twenty miles away. There were a number of other geyser areas along the way. However, I figured I'd come back to them after seeing Old Faithful. Old Faithful was not on the main roads. You had to take an exit ramp and then drive for quite a bit. Suddenly, you are in a big tourist area with restaurants, souvenir shops, a gas station, and even a post office. This is all inside a national park.
Old Faithful
I didn't have dinner yet, so I had a quick pizza and some lousy ice cream. I then went on to Old Faithful. Basically, it's a mound with a boardwalk around it. There are other geysers in the area. The next eruption was expected at 6:54 pm. It was about 5:50pm at that point. I didn't have time to wait around. The sky was overcast so photo opportunities were not that great. I decided to go back and see some of the other geothermal areas that I had missed previously.
Biscuit Basin
I stopped at the first area available. This was called Biscuit Basin. It was a collection of geothermal pools with a creek running by. The parking lot even had a vent below it. There were swahorses over a particular area which had steam coming out of it. The pools had very nice colors. Some were very deep. There were some geysers which erupted quite frequently. I got sprayed a couple of times.
I was running out of time because I wanted to go to the 7:30pm Mass. I skipped the remaining geyser areas so I could get back to West Yellowstone, MT. Unfortunately, the traffic slowed down so much that it was bumper to bumper with lots of stops. I assumed it was congestion because an animal decided to pose for photos. But, it turns out it was because someone's car broke down. By the time we got moving, it was 7:50pm. I was very frustrated because I didn't know what time the Mass would be at the church in Rexburg, or if there even was a church in Rexburg. I started to think about coming all the way back here and dreading the notion of having to drive the same eighty miles again, particularly when I had to drive eighty miles to get back to the hotel.
Drive back to the hotel
Of course, driving back there were deer signs along the way. I drove slower than the speed limit in order to avoid another possible deer incident.
Once I got back to the hotel, they were able to give me the Catholic Mass schedule. The church I visited in Rexburg (less than half a mile from the hotel) was indeed an operating Catholic Church. However, the Mass was at 1pm. I didn't have time to hang out in Rexburg that long. I decided to go back to Yellowstone the next day and just go to Mass at the church in West Yellowstone at 10:30am. I was heading east anyway and this was along my route.
Internet via an electrical socket
Internet access was not available. The hotel staff said that sometimes it doesn't work at the far end of the building. This hotel advertised wireless Internet access and didn't say it was only in some rooms. But, unlike the hotel from the day before, they did have a solution. They provided a booster. The booster plugged into an ordinary electric socket and delivered Internet access. I had read about this years ago but this is the first time I had seen it in real life.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Photo Update: Lots of new photos added
I've been having a hard time keeping the photos up to date with the daily reports. But, a number of photos have been added in the last few days. They include:
August 22, 2008:
Drive to Shoshone Falls
August 23, 2008:
Craters of the Moon National Park
August 24, 2008 - Idaho and Nevada:
August 25, 2008
August 26, 2008
August 27, 2008
August 22, 2008:
Drive to Shoshone Falls
August 23, 2008:
Craters of the Moon National Park
August 24, 2008 - Idaho and Nevada:
August 25, 2008
August 26, 2008
- NV - Downtown Elko
- NV - West Wendover, including "Wendover Will" Neon Statue greeting people to Nevada
- UT - Bonneville Salt Flats
August 27, 2008
August 29, 2008 - My first geyser and another damaged rental car
This was my last morning in Salt Lake City. I was ready to get moving north again. Utah was very nice. But the saturation point was starting and I was getting bored of Utah. My plan was to have lunch and then just head north so I could get to Idaho Falls, ID for my next hotel.
Leaving Utah
I was able to get out of Utah without any sidetrips, even though I had been tempted by some state parks. I also had thought about one last look at the Great Salt Lake.
However, after getting into Idaho, I saw something tempting enough to get me to leave I-15. There was a sign which mentioned Lava Hot Springs and Soda Springs on a particular exit. Lava Hot Springs is a resort area near the Snake River. Supposedly, there are actual hot springs. I didn't care about the resort; I just wanted to see an interesting natural feature. Soda Springs was a point on the Oregon Trail computer game I played in elementary school. I couldn't be that close and not visit Soda Springs.
View Larger Map
Lava Hot Springs
When I got to Lava Hot Springs, I found a local park that bordered the Snake River. People could go tubing down the gentle falls of the river. I didn't do that as I didn't have time. I got some nice pictures, however. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Soda Springs Geyser
After that, I went on to Soda Springs, which was 33 miles from the I-15 exit. As usual, there was beautiful mountain scenery along the way. There were markers talking about the Oregon Trail. At first I assumed Soda Springs was just a small town. See town photos. I'd see it and turn around. But, I noticed a sign indicating a geyser. I have never seen a geyser before. I knew I would see some in Yellowstone but since I was already here...
It was definitely interesting. There was a small "fountain" of water continuously flowing out. But there was also a small pipe next to it. Every so often, a huge eruption would take place. I was able to get photographs of the eruption. See the photos.
As I was leaving, I saw some signs describing the geyser. Apparently, this is not a natural geyser. It is the world's only man-made geyser. So, the first geyser I ever saw was artificial! Oh well, I would see plenty of natural ones in Yellowstone.
Cracked Windshield
After getting back on I-15 and driving for a while, I heard a loud noise and saw a stone bounced off my windshield. A tractor trailer was in front of me. I then noticed a small spider-web crack in the windshield. The truck evidently kicked up a stone and it landed right on my windshield. It was not directly in the line of vision, but it was on the driver's side. I remember hearing a radio ad saying that unless these are taken care of sooner rather than later, they can get bigger. See photos taken the next day.
From looking at signs along the interstate, it appears I was in the Pocatello. ID area. I got off at the nearest exit. I knew the agency I rented my car from had an office in Pocatello. I called and they had a Chevy HHR that they could give me. I was not pleased because I know it gets less gas mileage than the G6. When I got there, I found it had Washington state plates. I had just turned in another car to avoid having West Coast plates. The staff person told me they give out the West Coast plated ones to people who are not going to return them directly to their agency. He suggested I might have better luck getting a non-West Coast car in Idaho Falls. He said the crack would be okay for the remainder of the drive to Idaho Falls.
View Larger Map
I called the Idaho Falls airport rental office. They did not have cars in my class and suggested I go to a downtown office outside the airport. They were not open but did have cars in my class. They also said there would be a good chance I could get a car with an Idaho, Utah, or Wyoming plate.
View Larger Map
Perhaps just fix the windshield?
I really liked this car and thought perhaps it could just be fixed so I didn't have to give it up or lug all my stuff to another car. I called road side assistance to see if they could just have someone fix it. They said that was not a possibility; I had to do a swap or just drive with the crack. There was absolutely no way I was going to drive back to the northeast with a cracked windshield.
I liked this car quite a bit. It had nice room and drove a lot smoother than car #2 (a Dodge Caliber). I only had it for just a few days. I only put about 600 miles on it!
No Internet Service
Finally, I got into the hotel. This was my last freebie night thus far. It was an okay hotel. But then I opened my laptop and tried to get online. It took forever to connect and then provided local access only. In other words, no Internet. This was a hotel which indicated free wireless Internet was available in all rooms. I took my laptop down to the lobby to test it. It wasn't any better there. The clerk informed me that "sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't." That's not acceptable in a hotel that advertises wireless Internet service. It's fine if it was just down for a day. But if it's routinely not reliable, that's not right. I filed a complaint with Choice Hotels but as of September 4, I still have not received a response.
At this point I was making reservations each night. I would see Yellowstone National Park the next day. Of course, this was Labor Day Weekend so it was the worst possible time to see Yellowstone. Since I had no Internet service, I had to call Choice Hotels and have the clerk tell me the distance between where I was now and each hotel plus the distance between the hotel and Yellowstone. The Choice Hotel brand hotels were terribly expensive near all the Yellowstone entrances. Some were totally booked. I found one in Rexburg, ID, which was reasonable. This was only twenty-six miles from Idaho Falls. However, it was eighty miles away from the Yellowstone entrance at West Yellowstone, MT. I decided to go for it because
it was the cheapest of all Choice Hotels in the area.
Leaving Utah
I was able to get out of Utah without any sidetrips, even though I had been tempted by some state parks. I also had thought about one last look at the Great Salt Lake.
However, after getting into Idaho, I saw something tempting enough to get me to leave I-15. There was a sign which mentioned Lava Hot Springs and Soda Springs on a particular exit. Lava Hot Springs is a resort area near the Snake River. Supposedly, there are actual hot springs. I didn't care about the resort; I just wanted to see an interesting natural feature. Soda Springs was a point on the Oregon Trail computer game I played in elementary school. I couldn't be that close and not visit Soda Springs.
View Larger Map
Lava Hot Springs
When I got to Lava Hot Springs, I found a local park that bordered the Snake River. People could go tubing down the gentle falls of the river. I didn't do that as I didn't have time. I got some nice pictures, however. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Soda Springs Geyser
After that, I went on to Soda Springs, which was 33 miles from the I-15 exit. As usual, there was beautiful mountain scenery along the way. There were markers talking about the Oregon Trail. At first I assumed Soda Springs was just a small town. See town photos. I'd see it and turn around. But, I noticed a sign indicating a geyser. I have never seen a geyser before. I knew I would see some in Yellowstone but since I was already here...
It was definitely interesting. There was a small "fountain" of water continuously flowing out. But there was also a small pipe next to it. Every so often, a huge eruption would take place. I was able to get photographs of the eruption. See the photos.
As I was leaving, I saw some signs describing the geyser. Apparently, this is not a natural geyser. It is the world's only man-made geyser. So, the first geyser I ever saw was artificial! Oh well, I would see plenty of natural ones in Yellowstone.
Cracked Windshield
After getting back on I-15 and driving for a while, I heard a loud noise and saw a stone bounced off my windshield. A tractor trailer was in front of me. I then noticed a small spider-web crack in the windshield. The truck evidently kicked up a stone and it landed right on my windshield. It was not directly in the line of vision, but it was on the driver's side. I remember hearing a radio ad saying that unless these are taken care of sooner rather than later, they can get bigger. See photos taken the next day.
From looking at signs along the interstate, it appears I was in the Pocatello. ID area. I got off at the nearest exit. I knew the agency I rented my car from had an office in Pocatello. I called and they had a Chevy HHR that they could give me. I was not pleased because I know it gets less gas mileage than the G6. When I got there, I found it had Washington state plates. I had just turned in another car to avoid having West Coast plates. The staff person told me they give out the West Coast plated ones to people who are not going to return them directly to their agency. He suggested I might have better luck getting a non-West Coast car in Idaho Falls. He said the crack would be okay for the remainder of the drive to Idaho Falls.
View Larger Map
I called the Idaho Falls airport rental office. They did not have cars in my class and suggested I go to a downtown office outside the airport. They were not open but did have cars in my class. They also said there would be a good chance I could get a car with an Idaho, Utah, or Wyoming plate.
View Larger Map
Perhaps just fix the windshield?
I really liked this car and thought perhaps it could just be fixed so I didn't have to give it up or lug all my stuff to another car. I called road side assistance to see if they could just have someone fix it. They said that was not a possibility; I had to do a swap or just drive with the crack. There was absolutely no way I was going to drive back to the northeast with a cracked windshield.
I liked this car quite a bit. It had nice room and drove a lot smoother than car #2 (a Dodge Caliber). I only had it for just a few days. I only put about 600 miles on it!
No Internet Service
Finally, I got into the hotel. This was my last freebie night thus far. It was an okay hotel. But then I opened my laptop and tried to get online. It took forever to connect and then provided local access only. In other words, no Internet. This was a hotel which indicated free wireless Internet was available in all rooms. I took my laptop down to the lobby to test it. It wasn't any better there. The clerk informed me that "sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't." That's not acceptable in a hotel that advertises wireless Internet service. It's fine if it was just down for a day. But if it's routinely not reliable, that's not right. I filed a complaint with Choice Hotels but as of September 4, I still have not received a response.
At this point I was making reservations each night. I would see Yellowstone National Park the next day. Of course, this was Labor Day Weekend so it was the worst possible time to see Yellowstone. Since I had no Internet service, I had to call Choice Hotels and have the clerk tell me the distance between where I was now and each hotel plus the distance between the hotel and Yellowstone. The Choice Hotel brand hotels were terribly expensive near all the Yellowstone entrances. Some were totally booked. I found one in Rexburg, ID, which was reasonable. This was only twenty-six miles from Idaho Falls. However, it was eighty miles away from the Yellowstone entrance at West Yellowstone, MT. I decided to go for it because
it was the cheapest of all Choice Hotels in the area.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
August 28, 2008 - Another Canyon and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Note: Photos for this day have not yet been posted.
I didn't get much sleep the night before. I was quite tired when I woke up today. But, I started to realize the trip is getting to me a bit. It's been great and I've had a lot of fun. But, it had started to become a situation of seeing too much at once.
My plan for today was to see the canyons around the Timpanogos Cave National Park. This was south of Salt Lake City just off I-15. From there I would see Provo.
Canyons in the Uinta National Forest
The Uinta National Forest surrounds the Timpanogos National Park cave. In fact, the National Park is just a small area. I was able to use my national parks pass to get into the national forest without paying an entrance fee. The ranger told me to just leave my pass on the dashboard whenever I parked my car. This became a problem a few days later because I didn't bother putting it back in my wallet.
The national forest was nice. There were a lot of nice rock formations. However, I will say that other areas had better displays. The foliage was becoming too much like the foliage seen in the Northeast. Being out west, I've grown accustomed to seeing much different types of plants.
Timpanogos Cave
I finally got to the national park portion. There were group tours of the cave. Several tours ran each day and you needed to purchase a ticket in advance. From what I saw via postcards, the formations in the cave were amazing. They were much nicer than what I saw near Whitehall, MT.
When I went to purchase a ticket, I was told it was a 1 1/2 mile walk up a steep mountain with an 1100 foot grade. I was just too exhausted due to lack of sleep the night before. I asked the ranger if there were groups of people going up at once. She told me people go up by themselves. Between the wildlife, the potential for an accident with nobody around to help, being so tired, etc. I decided to skip it. It would be 1.5 miles up, possibly a mile through the cave, and then a 1.5 mile trek down the mountain (not so bad going downhill). With all of that, I could justify skipping it. I thought about possibly coming back the next day after more sleep.
More Scenery
I drove further along to examine more of the canyons. I got some nice photos. But, I just wanted to get on to the next thing. Finally, I got myself to turn around and head towards Provo.
Provo, UT
I had been told by the Mormon volunteer that Provo is a college town. Brigham Young University is the biggest thing in that city. Everything was geared towards B.U. In the mountains that border the town, there is a big "Y." Even the streets have "Y"'s on them.
This was a very congested area with lots of impatient people. The downtown area was nice. But the surrounding area was not fun. I remember seeing a 1950s malt shop (literally there since 1956). I decided to go there for a quick dinner. I was in the left turning lane waiting to get across. Someone got behind me and kept leaning on his horn, despite the fact that there was a solid line of cars between myself and the parking lot. When he leaned on the horn again, it was like he wanted me to plow through a tractor trailer! A Pontiac G6 vs. a tractor trailer... Hmm... Which one would win? I just waited until everything cleared up and allowed him to amuse himself blowing the horn.
After having a quick dinner, I started back to Salt Lake City. I planned to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. But, I wanted to rest a bit in the hotel first. It was rush hour traffic so the trip back north took a little while. Finally, I got back to the hotel and had a rest for an hour.
Temple Square
When I got to Temple Square, I immediately went to the Mormon Tabernacle. There were some people explaining the Mormon faith to visitors. They demonstrated a song. It was absolutely beautiful. But, they were humble and said it was due to the acoustics.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
I found out that the choir was practicing across the street in the convention center that night. The LDS Convention Center is beautiful. It seems to be fairly new but is very tasteful. There are interior and exterior fountains. There is a huge auditorium where the choir was practicing. A number of the songs were the same as what I hear in Catholic churches. But, the singing was beautiful. I stayed for a short time. But, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to get back to the hotel.
Once I got outside, I noticed the temple was lighted up at night. It was beautiful and allowed me to practice night photos. The exterior fountains were also lighted up.
Drive to Walmart
I needed to pick up more water and lens cleaning solution. I found a Walmart via the GPS. The route took me through a not so nice part of the city. There were tattoo shops and other not so pleasant things there. It was of course congested.
"Multi-level" Walmart
Finally, I got to Walmart. Because this was on a hill, the parking lot was above the store. There was a device to send a full cart up to the parking lot level. That was something I've not seen before.
Notes on Street Names
I should also note that Utah has a strange street naming system. While some streets have a traditional name (Redwood St., for example), others have things like "3800 West." There is no street, avenue, boulevard, etc. that follows. I saw this in both Salt Lake City and Provo.
I didn't get much sleep the night before. I was quite tired when I woke up today. But, I started to realize the trip is getting to me a bit. It's been great and I've had a lot of fun. But, it had started to become a situation of seeing too much at once.
My plan for today was to see the canyons around the Timpanogos Cave National Park. This was south of Salt Lake City just off I-15. From there I would see Provo.
Canyons in the Uinta National Forest
The Uinta National Forest surrounds the Timpanogos National Park cave. In fact, the National Park is just a small area. I was able to use my national parks pass to get into the national forest without paying an entrance fee. The ranger told me to just leave my pass on the dashboard whenever I parked my car. This became a problem a few days later because I didn't bother putting it back in my wallet.
The national forest was nice. There were a lot of nice rock formations. However, I will say that other areas had better displays. The foliage was becoming too much like the foliage seen in the Northeast. Being out west, I've grown accustomed to seeing much different types of plants.
Timpanogos Cave
I finally got to the national park portion. There were group tours of the cave. Several tours ran each day and you needed to purchase a ticket in advance. From what I saw via postcards, the formations in the cave were amazing. They were much nicer than what I saw near Whitehall, MT.
When I went to purchase a ticket, I was told it was a 1 1/2 mile walk up a steep mountain with an 1100 foot grade. I was just too exhausted due to lack of sleep the night before. I asked the ranger if there were groups of people going up at once. She told me people go up by themselves. Between the wildlife, the potential for an accident with nobody around to help, being so tired, etc. I decided to skip it. It would be 1.5 miles up, possibly a mile through the cave, and then a 1.5 mile trek down the mountain (not so bad going downhill). With all of that, I could justify skipping it. I thought about possibly coming back the next day after more sleep.
More Scenery
I drove further along to examine more of the canyons. I got some nice photos. But, I just wanted to get on to the next thing. Finally, I got myself to turn around and head towards Provo.
Provo, UT
I had been told by the Mormon volunteer that Provo is a college town. Brigham Young University is the biggest thing in that city. Everything was geared towards B.U. In the mountains that border the town, there is a big "Y." Even the streets have "Y"'s on them.
This was a very congested area with lots of impatient people. The downtown area was nice. But the surrounding area was not fun. I remember seeing a 1950s malt shop (literally there since 1956). I decided to go there for a quick dinner. I was in the left turning lane waiting to get across. Someone got behind me and kept leaning on his horn, despite the fact that there was a solid line of cars between myself and the parking lot. When he leaned on the horn again, it was like he wanted me to plow through a tractor trailer! A Pontiac G6 vs. a tractor trailer... Hmm... Which one would win? I just waited until everything cleared up and allowed him to amuse himself blowing the horn.
After having a quick dinner, I started back to Salt Lake City. I planned to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. But, I wanted to rest a bit in the hotel first. It was rush hour traffic so the trip back north took a little while. Finally, I got back to the hotel and had a rest for an hour.
Temple Square
When I got to Temple Square, I immediately went to the Mormon Tabernacle. There were some people explaining the Mormon faith to visitors. They demonstrated a song. It was absolutely beautiful. But, they were humble and said it was due to the acoustics.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
I found out that the choir was practicing across the street in the convention center that night. The LDS Convention Center is beautiful. It seems to be fairly new but is very tasteful. There are interior and exterior fountains. There is a huge auditorium where the choir was practicing. A number of the songs were the same as what I hear in Catholic churches. But, the singing was beautiful. I stayed for a short time. But, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to get back to the hotel.
Once I got outside, I noticed the temple was lighted up at night. It was beautiful and allowed me to practice night photos. The exterior fountains were also lighted up.
Drive to Walmart
I needed to pick up more water and lens cleaning solution. I found a Walmart via the GPS. The route took me through a not so nice part of the city. There were tattoo shops and other not so pleasant things there. It was of course congested.
"Multi-level" Walmart
Finally, I got to Walmart. Because this was on a hill, the parking lot was above the store. There was a device to send a full cart up to the parking lot level. That was something I've not seen before.
Notes on Street Names
I should also note that Utah has a strange street naming system. While some streets have a traditional name (Redwood St., for example), others have things like "3800 West." There is no street, avenue, boulevard, etc. that follows. I saw this in both Salt Lake City and Provo.
August 27, 2008 - The Great Salt Lake and the Mormon Temple
Note: Photos for this day have not been posted yet.
Salt Lake City is well known to genealogists. The Mormons keep track of family history regardless of the person's religion. Major genealogy web sites like Ancestry.com are run from Utah. I looked up the Family History Library and found it was only a short distance from the hotel.
Finally swapped my rental car
After leaving the hotel, the first thing I did was to finally get this rental car exchanged. It was not an easy thing. I had a car with a California plate. I wanted something with a plate from either a western state (Montana, Utah, Idaho, etc. but not the West Coast) or a midwest state as I headed further east. Most of the cars that could go one way had West Coast plates. Finally, they found a nice Pontiac G6 with Ohio plates. I was a bit nervous since Ohio was so far east. But I didn't complain because it was the best they could do. At least it wasn't an East Coast plated car while I was driving around Utah.
It took an hour to move all my junk from the old car to the new one. I have to learn not to pack so much junk in the future. I used very little of it compared to the amount of things I packed. I also have to learn not to pick up travel books and brochures along the way. I usually do all my research online.
The Great Salt Lake
I decided I needed to see the Great Salt Lake. You can't go to Salt Lake City and not see it. The first thing I did was go through the gift shop. They had some placards on the wall (I couldn't find any for sale) with humorous sarcastic "warnings" to visitors. But on a serious note, they warned visitors that brine sharks (presumably living in the Great Salt Lake) are an endangered species. If attacked by a brine shark, you cannot fight back.
The beach was amazing. There were areas all over the beach with salt that looked similar to ice that develops on the ground where there are puddles. Some of the salt was "polluted" and was red or yellow colored. In some cases, just like ice in the northeast, there would be a thin solid layer of salt on the top. If you cracked it, there would be saltwater below. See photos of the beach and Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake is very shallow. It has lots of tiny islands. Each island is covered with gnats. But, unlike other gnats, they do not go after people. In fact, if a person disturbs their island, they all swarm and leave. Many will land right on the water. The water has lots of dead gnats floating on it.
This part of the lake had a beautiful canyon in the middle of the lake. I kept wallking along, going from island to island. The water typically did not go above my knees. I went further and further away from the beach....and away from people who could help me if there was a problem. This was really not such a good idea. I also had my camera with me. If that got submerged in the salt water, that would be the end of it. As I went out further, the ground became very muddy. At times, I would sink almost to my knees. Walking became difficult because with each step, I would sink. The beach wrapped around, so there was a beach area further out. But that part of the beach had a mud problem too.
While I was out there, I kept wondering about the Family History Library. I had not called them before going into the water to find out their hours. But, I wanted to see the Great Salt Lake while it was daylight. I just had to hope the Family History Library was open until 6 or 7pm.
Seagulls would usually congregate on islands. Unlike seagulls at ocean beaches, these seagulls did not seem to want to be around people. On the ocean beaches, they typically hang around people looking for handouts. In this case, they just kept flying further away as I approached.
On the way back, I did not want to go near the beach closest to where I was. There was just so much mud and I didn't want to keep sinking. Still, it would have been a less stressful experience. I went through the water to get back to the beach area from where I started. At times, I became very nervous because there was lots of mud and I kept sinking. I really thought there was a possibility I would get stuck there. I also kept getting nervous about the camera getting submerged. It was around my neck but if I ended up falling in the water, that would be it for the camera. I was also nervous about the brine sharks mentioned in the gift shop. I prayed that I would get back to land safely. God came through.
The beach area had showers to wash all the salt off. I had initially walked through the water with my sandals. After a while, I left them on the beach. But, the showers did not get all the salt out of them. That night when they dried, they were white with salt.
I called the Family History Library and found they were open until 9pm. That was great. I started heading that way.
Across the road from the beach, there was a pond of saltwater. It had salt along the ground and salt along the edges. There were even salt formations within the water. I found this to be so interesting because it looks like ice along the edge of a body of water in the winter. However, it was 85 degrees outside. See the photos.
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City, while less congested than Seattle, reminded me of why I do not usually include very large cities on my vacations. In this case it was necessary to swap out the car and because there were things I wanted to see in the area. But, parking was difficult and there were so many places with road construction.
Temple Square
Salt Lake City has an area called "Temple Square." This includes the main Mormon Temple, some Mormon churches, and the Mormon Tabernacle where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. Across the road is a huge convention center built by the Mormons. The Family History Library is just across another street from Temple Square. Inside Temple Square, everything is very well maintained with lots of beautiful landscaping. See the photos.
There were lots of people visiting Temple Square. There are lots of volunteers from the Mormon Church available. I took a number of photos of the outside of the Mormon Temple. I asked a volunteer if I could go inside. Only Mormons are allowed inside. Anyone who entered was wearing very formal clothes. The volunteer immediately found a book with photos of the inside of the Mormon Temple and showed them to me. She explained the Mormon beliefs. She asked about my trip and various things in my life. I kept expecting that at any point there would be an attempt to get me to join the Mormon faith. But, it never came. She just explained their beliefs, talked for a while, and then had to move on. She invited me to hear the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice the next evening. I was non-commital on whether I'd hear it or not. I hadn't developed plans for the next day yet, other than wanting to see the city of Provo.
Family History Library
Finally, I went to the Family History Library. It was about 8pm. I was nervous about only having one hour to do all my research.
I walked in and explained that I had never been there before. They sent me to watch a video presentation about how to use the library. I got a paper where I could fill in the names of my grandparents and great-grandparents. The video came from the pretense of people not knowing who all their grandparents and great-grandparents were. Of course, I did not havwe that problem.
There are lots of visitors here. This is a huge building with five floors.
After watching the video, I was ready to go out on the main floor to start looking up information on the computer. A volunteer sat with me. He asked me to insert the first name. I chose my ggg grandfather, who was born in 1804. The volunteer was in shock. He said "You can go back that far?" Of course, my ggg grandfather was not that far back. I could have really surprised the guy by picking someone born in 1595. All we could bring up were census records, which I've already seen. The volunteer asked if I planned to print any of the census records. I had no need to do that.
Anyway, I soon realized that what we were searching could just as easily be found at www.familysearch.org . The volunteer began to recognize that I was savvy at this. He left me alone. After a few minutes, I became very bored of this and left. The only advantage this library has over the web site is that if you find a book with information about your ancestors, it's available right there. However, many of the books have been digitized if their copyright has expired. So, they are available in PDF.
Salt Lake City is well known to genealogists. The Mormons keep track of family history regardless of the person's religion. Major genealogy web sites like Ancestry.com are run from Utah. I looked up the Family History Library and found it was only a short distance from the hotel.
Finally swapped my rental car
After leaving the hotel, the first thing I did was to finally get this rental car exchanged. It was not an easy thing. I had a car with a California plate. I wanted something with a plate from either a western state (Montana, Utah, Idaho, etc. but not the West Coast) or a midwest state as I headed further east. Most of the cars that could go one way had West Coast plates. Finally, they found a nice Pontiac G6 with Ohio plates. I was a bit nervous since Ohio was so far east. But I didn't complain because it was the best they could do. At least it wasn't an East Coast plated car while I was driving around Utah.
It took an hour to move all my junk from the old car to the new one. I have to learn not to pack so much junk in the future. I used very little of it compared to the amount of things I packed. I also have to learn not to pick up travel books and brochures along the way. I usually do all my research online.
The Great Salt Lake
I decided I needed to see the Great Salt Lake. You can't go to Salt Lake City and not see it. The first thing I did was go through the gift shop. They had some placards on the wall (I couldn't find any for sale) with humorous sarcastic "warnings" to visitors. But on a serious note, they warned visitors that brine sharks (presumably living in the Great Salt Lake) are an endangered species. If attacked by a brine shark, you cannot fight back.
The beach was amazing. There were areas all over the beach with salt that looked similar to ice that develops on the ground where there are puddles. Some of the salt was "polluted" and was red or yellow colored. In some cases, just like ice in the northeast, there would be a thin solid layer of salt on the top. If you cracked it, there would be saltwater below. See photos of the beach and Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake is very shallow. It has lots of tiny islands. Each island is covered with gnats. But, unlike other gnats, they do not go after people. In fact, if a person disturbs their island, they all swarm and leave. Many will land right on the water. The water has lots of dead gnats floating on it.
This part of the lake had a beautiful canyon in the middle of the lake. I kept wallking along, going from island to island. The water typically did not go above my knees. I went further and further away from the beach....and away from people who could help me if there was a problem. This was really not such a good idea. I also had my camera with me. If that got submerged in the salt water, that would be the end of it. As I went out further, the ground became very muddy. At times, I would sink almost to my knees. Walking became difficult because with each step, I would sink. The beach wrapped around, so there was a beach area further out. But that part of the beach had a mud problem too.
While I was out there, I kept wondering about the Family History Library. I had not called them before going into the water to find out their hours. But, I wanted to see the Great Salt Lake while it was daylight. I just had to hope the Family History Library was open until 6 or 7pm.
Seagulls would usually congregate on islands. Unlike seagulls at ocean beaches, these seagulls did not seem to want to be around people. On the ocean beaches, they typically hang around people looking for handouts. In this case, they just kept flying further away as I approached.
On the way back, I did not want to go near the beach closest to where I was. There was just so much mud and I didn't want to keep sinking. Still, it would have been a less stressful experience. I went through the water to get back to the beach area from where I started. At times, I became very nervous because there was lots of mud and I kept sinking. I really thought there was a possibility I would get stuck there. I also kept getting nervous about the camera getting submerged. It was around my neck but if I ended up falling in the water, that would be it for the camera. I was also nervous about the brine sharks mentioned in the gift shop. I prayed that I would get back to land safely. God came through.
The beach area had showers to wash all the salt off. I had initially walked through the water with my sandals. After a while, I left them on the beach. But, the showers did not get all the salt out of them. That night when they dried, they were white with salt.
I called the Family History Library and found they were open until 9pm. That was great. I started heading that way.
Across the road from the beach, there was a pond of saltwater. It had salt along the ground and salt along the edges. There were even salt formations within the water. I found this to be so interesting because it looks like ice along the edge of a body of water in the winter. However, it was 85 degrees outside. See the photos.
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City, while less congested than Seattle, reminded me of why I do not usually include very large cities on my vacations. In this case it was necessary to swap out the car and because there were things I wanted to see in the area. But, parking was difficult and there were so many places with road construction.
Temple Square
Salt Lake City has an area called "Temple Square." This includes the main Mormon Temple, some Mormon churches, and the Mormon Tabernacle where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. Across the road is a huge convention center built by the Mormons. The Family History Library is just across another street from Temple Square. Inside Temple Square, everything is very well maintained with lots of beautiful landscaping. See the photos.
There were lots of people visiting Temple Square. There are lots of volunteers from the Mormon Church available. I took a number of photos of the outside of the Mormon Temple. I asked a volunteer if I could go inside. Only Mormons are allowed inside. Anyone who entered was wearing very formal clothes. The volunteer immediately found a book with photos of the inside of the Mormon Temple and showed them to me. She explained the Mormon beliefs. She asked about my trip and various things in my life. I kept expecting that at any point there would be an attempt to get me to join the Mormon faith. But, it never came. She just explained their beliefs, talked for a while, and then had to move on. She invited me to hear the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice the next evening. I was non-commital on whether I'd hear it or not. I hadn't developed plans for the next day yet, other than wanting to see the city of Provo.
Family History Library
Finally, I went to the Family History Library. It was about 8pm. I was nervous about only having one hour to do all my research.
I walked in and explained that I had never been there before. They sent me to watch a video presentation about how to use the library. I got a paper where I could fill in the names of my grandparents and great-grandparents. The video came from the pretense of people not knowing who all their grandparents and great-grandparents were. Of course, I did not havwe that problem.
There are lots of visitors here. This is a huge building with five floors.
After watching the video, I was ready to go out on the main floor to start looking up information on the computer. A volunteer sat with me. He asked me to insert the first name. I chose my ggg grandfather, who was born in 1804. The volunteer was in shock. He said "You can go back that far?" Of course, my ggg grandfather was not that far back. I could have really surprised the guy by picking someone born in 1595. All we could bring up were census records, which I've already seen. The volunteer asked if I planned to print any of the census records. I had no need to do that.
Anyway, I soon realized that what we were searching could just as easily be found at www.familysearch.org . The volunteer began to recognize that I was savvy at this. He left me alone. After a few minutes, I became very bored of this and left. The only advantage this library has over the web site is that if you find a book with information about your ancestors, it's available right there. However, many of the books have been digitized if their copyright has expired. So, they are available in PDF.
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