Salt Lake City

Today was a complete change of plans.  I had planned to go to Canyon de Chelly and the Rainbow National Monument, but when I read more about how you needed a four wheel drive or you had to take a boat to see the Rainbow arch.  Since I couldn't tell when I would arrive anywhere I couldn't make a reservation. So I decided I had enough National Parks for now and headed to Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City is pretty except its streets seem to be under construction.  Every where I needed to go the streets were torn up and it was like following a maze to get through the cones, which kept changing lanes.  It keeps you from falling asleep.

My first stop was the Cathedral of the Madeleine.  It is a beautiful building with a Gothic interior and Venetian stained glass.  It was very traditional, if you've seen one cathedral you've seen pretty much all  of them.  What was actually more beautiful and I couldn't get into was the First Presbyterian Church next door.  It was built in 1871 and has the type of stained glass windows that Tiffany did.  It must be breathtaking from the inside with the sun shining through those windows.

My next and last stop for the day was the Beehive House.  This was Brigham Young's home and workplace.  Two female missionaries took us around on a tour.  They emphasized all the gifts God had given and how the early pilgrims found so little but worked together to do God's work.  There was great reiteration of doing God's work through unity.  At the last room they had this inspirational passage they wanted read.  Who did they pick but me.  I think they realized I was the most skeptical but also had the biggest mouth so I read the passage.  The saddest part is that one of the missionaries was from Cambodia and she prays that her parents will someday understand and convert.  The house itself was very interesting.  It was well furnished, surprisingly so.  Old Brigham took good care of himself and his family.


That was it for today, who knows what tomorrow holds.