Today looks like a glorious day in Utah. There is not a cloud in the sky and the temperature is very comfortable, although I know it will be hot by mid-afternoon. Yet again, we’ve had a significant change in plans. We originally wanted to attend the Mormon Tabernacle organ rehearsal. But the choir rehearsal last evening had the organ playing in full throat. Then we planned to go to Park City for the afternoon. Instead, we decided that we couldn’t visit Salt Lake City without visiting the Great Salt Lake.
While our destination was Antelope Island State Park - a large island very close to the city, we first started by going to Temple Square.
As non-Mormons, we could not go inside the Temple, but we could certainly take pictures.
While Antelope island was close, its entrance was not. We had to venture out onto I-15 for 25 miles and put Susan through the dreaded 70 MPH urban traffic again. It took about an hour to arrive at the entry gate, including the time for a quick carwash that did not get the mud off the car.
I had bought a state park pass that saved us $10 and we were on our way across the causeway. The lake was low. We learned at the information center that this wasn’t unusual. The lake is very shallow and its level fluctuates with the season. The summer is dry so its level decreases and the level increases with the melting snow pack in the spring. Its record low was in 1963, prior to global warming. When Anglos first settled on the island in the 1840’s, they took a horse and buggy across the lake bed.
The Fielding Garr historic ranch was our ultimate goal but we drove around the island looking for wildlife first. There were bison and horses, but no bighorn sheep. They must have been on the mountaintops. We did see another visitor looking at a black dot in the field. She said it was a burrowing owl.
The ranch was interesting. It started in the 1840's and operated into the 1980's. The original structures were still there but with additions and "modern" improvements.
This bathroom may be more modern than our room in Glacier. It certainly is roomier.
Some of the ranch workings were of particular interest to those of with agricultural ties. One of the ranch's was wool. The shearing area was cool.
Susan's family raises calves and their first home is a calf box that protects them. This ranch had a older version - a steel frame over which would be draped cloth to form a small tent to protect the young sheep.
There were plenty of swallows around the ranch.
After several hours on the island, we opted to skip lunch to beat the traffic back to Salt Lake City. We rested for a while before walking to dinner at Red Rock Brewing where we had halibut and their own root beer. Both were very good. I have to say that the seafood out here is better than I can get in the east. I'm not a huge seafood fan with my favorites being halibut, walleye, and trout. I've had all 3 on this trip.
Susan went window shopping at the mall and we topped off that visit with milkshakes at Johnny Rocket's.
After dark, we went for a ride around the city and captured the Temple at night.
Susan’s quote of the day: “People were smarter back then. Today, they don't know where anything comes from." At the Fielding Garr house, we learned that natural water ponds were built in the island mountains to capture spring water. Those ponds were used to feed water into the cellar where the evaporation cooled the air enough to store dairy products.
The highlights - Antelope Island.
The regrets - None.
Today's total miles - 122
Today's miles from start to destination - 0
Today's miles on side trips - 122
Today's miles driven by Paul - 122
Today's miles driven by Susan - 0
Today's hours in car - 5
Total Miles Hiked - 2.5
Cumulative total miles - 4,387
Cumulative miles from start to destination - 3,333
Cumulative miles on side trips - 1,054
Cumulative miles driven by Paul - 3,800
Cumulative miles driven by Susan - 587
Cumulative hours in car - 86
Cumulative Miles Hiked - 16.9
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