Trip to Salt Lake City

When I was a young girl, our family of nine would all pile in the Dodge Dart station wagon and head east across the very hot, very boring and very flat Nevada desert to visit cousins and family in Utah.  I hated that long drive...for one, we did not have air conditioning.  To help alleviate our suffering, my mother would hang wet cloth diapers from the windows to keep the sun out and cool us off.

After being on the road for 15-18 hours (sometimes we would stop at a rest stop to give my parents a break from driving) excitement filled our car as we exited the highway at 33rd South and headed east toward my grandma's house.  After we passed State street, we would watch for the big neon lit plumbing sign that hung from a building  across the street from her house...something similar to this:

Squeals of delight emanated from the car..."I see it! I see it! We're here!"  The back screen door creaked open and my smiling grandparents with wide opened arms would greet us.

Since we were the only family who lived outside of Utah, we would gather with all of our cousins and relatives.

A whole lot of kids...

At my Aunt Leone's house where she an an indoor pool.  I always thought that was so cool.

As you can see...we loved to gather for picnics

Sometimes we would head to the family cabin in Wyoming... where lasting relationships, bonds and memories were made.


Let's fast forward fifty years....


For the first time in several decades, all of my sisters, brother,dad and I made an epic trip to Utah in September to not only visit the aforementioned relatives but to also celebrate what would have been my parent's 65th wedding anniversary.


Cramming into a car is for the birds.... This time we all hopped on a plane



 and in 1 1/2 hours arrived in:

We had reunions with our cousins and aunts...

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So much fun

My sister with some of my cousins.
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My dad and I did a session in the Salt Lake Temple and afterward, sat in the very room he and my mother were married. I will always treasure the very tender moment we shared together.

The newly married couple outside the Salt Lake Temple

Celebration at Beau Brummel in Salt Lake City circa 1948

My sisters, brother, dad outside the temple walls.

My wonderful family

We even had time to do a bit of sight seeing  There is so much to see and do... Salt Lake is a hip hopping place.  If you are ever passing through (or live there for that matter) here are some fun things to see and do: 

Check out the Pioneer Museum...filled with one of the largest collections from Utah pioneer Mormon history



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You would not be disappointed in the Church History Museum

My sisters had a chance to spin around the handcart.

 

Temple Square is the nucleus of the city...and is always a delight.  We caught an organ recital at noon time...the acoustics in the Tabernacle are exquisite.

 

There is a hip little business district called  9th and 9th filled with fun shops.

 

Downtown Salt Lake has had some major improvements over the last dozen years or so.  Lots of music, action, eating and drinking in the dozens of breweries.   One of my all time favorite "buildings"is the ZCMI...which is now only a impeccably restored façade.

 

There is a fabulous Downtown Farmers Market during the summer on Saturday mornings.  One of the top in the nation I hear.  Picked up one of their bags for when I go to my own Farmer's Market.



One night we ate dinner at the  Red Iguana .  My friends who live in or visit Utah all rave about Café Rio...which is good.   The Red Iguana is more like the real deal.

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Loved their killer mole sauces.





We ended the weekend by attending the Mormon Tabernacle Choir live  broadcast in the Conference Center.  A most moving concert indeed.



It was so much fun to visit the place of my roots with my dear family.