Boise, ID to Salt Lake City, UT – 5/12/2017

May 12, 2017 (Friday)

Slept pretty well. Got up and had breakfast downstairs and got to talking to some people who were visiting from Norway and on their way to Pendleton, Oregon. Was fun and reminded us of our foreign exchange daughter, Helga, from Norway that we had for a year in 2008. Fun times. We filled up the gas tank and headed out at around 9:00 AM. The drive today was to Salt Lake City, Utah – about 350 miles. The weather was cold and cloudy but as we headed South, it got warmer and nicer. The roads were all highway and clear. We stopped only once for gas and a potty stop somewhere in Utah.

Started off cloudy in Boise and cleared as we went east and south.
Another state line.
Some really pretty valleys in Utah.
Getting into the mountain country.

We got to the Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, at around 2:00 PM. Found free parking right in front of the Visitor’s Center. Salt Lake City is such a beautiful place. The Capitol is huge and perched on the highest hill overlooking the Great Salt Lake Valley. Gorgeous.

Our first glimpse.
Dramatic with the snow capped mountains in the background.
The Capitol.

We walked part of the grounds before we headed inside. Once inside portions of the rotunda were roped off because a wedding had taken place just before we arrived. We also heard singing and went to explore what that was all about. Sounded so angelic. Turns out there was an a Capella group from the Philippines who were singing. Loved all of their music.

A monument to the Mormon Brigade – 500 volunteers during the Mexican American war.
We went in the East entrance.
Pretty woman taking a picture.
Pretty woman’s picture.
Lions at the entrance.

The wedding dinner.
I liked the marble stairs with the steel frame.
Climbing the stairs I see the work is lovely and pleasing to the eye.
The beehive state.
Nice leaded glass.
Lots of symmetry here.
Pretty woman under the dome.
Nice lines leading to the dome.
Singing group making wonderful music.

We walked around and went up the four levels. We found the House, the Senate, the Governor’s office, and a bunch of other offices, but the Supreme Court was closed today. We saw statues and murals and granite and marble and all the usual stuff we find at the Capitols. This was a very lovely Capitol to us, very fitting for Utah in that it was so clean and well maintained. Not on our top five list, however.

Lots of historical murals.
Post wedding setup.
Grand scale.
Lots of sky lights.
The doors were locked.
All the interior doors are made of steel and painted to look like wood.
Looking from the House, past the dome and at the Senate entrance.
Four statues in the rotunda.

House of Representatives.
Four murals in each chamber.
Women voting.
Skylight ceiling in the House.
Left side.
Right.
At the great Salt Lake.
Elevator.
Landscape murals in the Senate.
Twin ceiling in both chambers.

Monument Valley.
Senate.
Left side, only roll top set up we have seen.
Right.
The inventor of television. Claimed by Idaho as well.
TV inventor is celebrated in Utah. Idaho claims him as well.
Many busts and displays on the top floor.

I think his nose gets touched.
No state seal.
Banister top at the bottom of the stair rails.
Dome appears to be looking to heaven.
Lots of fancy cutting with the marble. Slabs were sliced and then juxtaposed.

We left the Capitol building and wandered in the back mall area, just looking. We then went back in and to the basement floor, then up and out the front doors, beautiful.

Out the back door into a mall.
We really liked the pool with waterfall. It was loud with a pleasing sound.
Liberty Bell bond drive.
Portraits in the basement.
There are several major motion pictures that have been filmed in this state.

The Beehive State.
Brigham Young on the move.
The statue captures his movement well.
View out the front door.

Beehive state, with bees.

Our Capitol selfie.

We then headed for our home for the next two nights – Embassy Suites. We had gotten a certificate for $100.00 off a stay at one of our timeshare presentations. The certificate expires after six months so we wanted to use it. We figure the two nights will end up costing us about $50.00 per night. Not too bad for a two room Embassy Suites.

We got to our home and it’s quite lovely. We’re at the end unit, up high, and we have a pretty spectacular view of the mountains. Around 5:30 PM, we went downstairs for their complimentary drinks and snacks. We ended up getting water and some popcorn with M&M’s. Later on in the evening (I haven’t been feeling well, coughing and wheezing a bit), Michael went out to get us a quick bite at In N Out.

We are out by the airport. Pardon my whining about the place. It seemed like everything was a struggle here. Not focused on guest comfort.
Nice lobby and great breakfast.
Sitting room, pretty uncomfortable. The couch beat me up.
Nice work station, only 1 electrical outlet on the lamp. USB charger ports on the credenza but old style and not a fast charge.
Nice bath but Edie was visibly displeased when she saw no bath tub. She loves her baths.
Horrible light switches. Don’t work half the time. Kind of a rocker device with a slow response from the fixtures. We’d stand there and push them 3 or 4 times to get some light where we were going. I have to bend over to be able to read what switch I am pushing.
Edie loved the sink. You put the lever just a little to the hot side and it came out scalding.
Nice toilet, best part is that it is tall.
Nice bed, for me too soft.
Nice old thick TV.
A wardrobe closet in the living room area. Nice.
Okay storage.
Room safe and micro.
Coffee maker and the 3 drawer black box is full of coffee fixings. Nice little fridge.

That was our day. Hope yours was great!