October 16, 2013

Today we left for Salt Lake City with no definite plans.  38 degrees here this morning.  Sure do feel sorry for our Maine friends. It seems that you have suffered terribly with the weather this fall.  Just kidding.
Our usual plan is to visit a State Capitol Building if possible.  The Capitol Building is very beautiful on the inside and spacious.

 There are very good paintings in the Rotunda.

 This is a view of the painting over the Supreme Court entrance.

One of the things that the state has become proud of is the fact that many movies have been filmed in Utah.  The scene in Forrest Gump was filmed in the Moab area.  We were disappointed that of all the Capitol Buildings we have visited,  this was the only one where the House and Senate chambers were closed and locked.  Also the tours for today were cancelled.

 You know that something is going on when Fox News is on the scene.  There were some people standing out front of the Capitol with signs.  We just caught a quick glance of the name Lee on one sign being held by a person dressed up as a typical veteran.  Apparently the veterans had a problem with Senator Lee and the way he was going to vote today...or at least that is what we surmise.  Typically people who have signs aren't passing a compliment along.

A late edition of today's Deseret News  Deseret News  wrote that "Among Senate Republicans, Cruz and Lee are near pariahs, publicly slammed for a tactic that has taken a heavy toll on the GOP's standing and privately criticized for helping outside groups targeting Republican incumbents before next year's congressional elections."

Because the Capitol Building is on a hilltop, this was a great opportunity for another pic of the Wasatch Range.

We headed down to the home of the Mormon church that split with the other group that finally settled in Missouri.  It seems that the group that stayed in Salt Lake were fleeing from persecution at the time but also their preference was Polygamy.  Mormons applied for statehood as early as 1849 but the request was not granted until they abolished polygamy in 1896.

The inside of the Mormon Tabernacle where the choir performs.  We did get a tour here but were not invited into the temple next door.

 This is the Lion House where Brigham Young used to live.  It is said that the steep dormers were the rooms for the wives who lived there. (count 10 on this side) Young ultimately fathered 57 biological children by more than two dozen wives, and had many adopted, foster, and stepchildren too. He owned residences throughout Salt Lake City and the Utah Territory, but many of his wives and children were housed in The Lion House. The house contains large public rooms on the ground floor with 20 bedrooms on the upper floors, and was home to as many as twelve of Young's wives including Eliza Roxey Snow and to many of the children in Young's extended family. (Wikipedia)

The mountains were calling and away we went.  The scenery on the way to Park City.

 The site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. (at least some of it anyway).

 We went on a tour and would you believe where Tom found Grammie?

The site of the aerial skiing events.  Right now, there is a lot of activity getting ready for the World Cup events which will be held here in Park City.

We just happen to hit it right.  Today, members of the Olympic skiing teams were practicing their aerial jumps.  No snow, not a problem.  The plastic material of the jumps are covered with water and they land in a pool.  Just before they hit the water, a stream of bubbles is turned on so they actually land in an area of air bubbled so they don't hit the water hard from a height of 50 feet.

To ensure the future of the success of US teams, they even have a ramp for the 6 year old jumpers  program.

The pool will be emptied at the end of this weekend.  This area will soon have a new coat of homemade ice and snow to land on.

The Nordic ski jumps are also used during the summer for practice.  The landing areas are covered with plastic fibers and watered down replicating conditions of snow.  The last white stripe in the middle towards the bottom is the 120 meter mark.

 A view from the top side.  The ramp is covered with plastic but the actual practice tracks are covered with ceramic bumps.

A closeup of the jump.

Can you imagine standing at the top....and you have an audience....of 21,000 people.   Notice the little kid on the left with the number F2.  He was the Guinea Pig to test the jump before the athletes jumped.

 (12 years old)  This is a picture of a poster on the wall at the top of the Nordic jump from the 2002 Olympics.

 We went over to the toboggan and luge tracks.  This is the top of the run with ice already on it.  The concrete is cooled by Ammonia and parts of the track are covered to keep it from melting.  Would you believe that it doesn't take very long for the Zamboni to clean the track.

 Have you wondered where Tom has been in most of the posts?  Right behind Grammie.

 They were practicing the 1 and 2 man luges today so we went to see a few runs.

We hope you didn't blink.  These practice runs were in the mid 70 mph.

 

 In 2002, none of there condos were here.  What a boost to the economy since the Olympics.

 The sky was getting cloudy so not as bright.  The yellow parts are Aspens (Poplar). 

 Grammie wanted a picture.  Aren't you glad it is not a picture on a golf course.

 The 2002 medals.

Have a good day.