From Layton, UT to Moab

The drive from Layton to Moab was very scenic, and made more so with the changing autumn leaves on the mountain slopes.  Come travel with us as we travel 250 miles of postcard quality scenery on US 191. (Click on Photo for slide show)

Salt Lake City, UT area – part 3, Temple Square

(To see any of the photos on the blog larger, click on the photo)

Regardless of your religious persuasion, you cannot help but be moved by the beauty, artistry and craftsmanship of Temple Square.

Temple Square is the headquarters and hub of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ church, commonly referred to as the Mormons.  It sits as a 10 acre oasis in the amidst the busy Salt Lake City.

 

The grounds are lavish gardens, dotted with statues; the buildings, examples of master construction.  

We spent a short time in the Family Center where the genealogy work starts.  Temple Square houses the largest genealogical collection of its kind in the world.  Having worked several years on our genealogy in the past, we decided to spend the rest of our afternoon seeing the square.

  As we entered one of the two Visitor Centers, we were greeted by two young ladies, working as guides during their 18 month mission period.  Young adults have the option of serving as missionaries for the church for 18 months.

The girls we had as guides were delightful, giving us an excellent tour of the grounds.  The  lavish Temple is visible from anywhere in the square.  It is open only to members of the church. 

Our tour began in the visitor center with the displays as our guides described the building of the temple and other buildings.  Taking almost 40 years to build, the story is amazing. 

Each stone for the temple had to be transported many miles, and eventually a railroad was constructed to aid in moving the rock.  Displays show examples of the elaborate furnishings.

The next building we visited was the domed Tabernacle.

   Another young lady demonstrated the acoustics of the building.  From the front of the building, with no electrical amplification, she dropped a pin on the podium, and you could hear the distinct ‘ping’ at the rear of the building. 

The huge columns, appearing to be marble, are actually pine, realistically painted.  One of the massive organs is also located here, but we weren’t visiting on the right day to hear a recital of the organ playing or the choir.

We were next escorted into the Assembly Hall, the 1882 meeting hall,  with its white spires and beautiful stained glass windows. 

   

The gigantic Conference Center (seats 21,000) actually has a four acre garden, complete with trees and fountains located on its roof.  A waterfall cascades down the south facade.

     Normally the tours include the roof, but it had rained the day we were there, and for safety reasons, the roof is locked when wet.

There was only time for a quick stop in the second visitor center.  Here, murals depicting the life of Christ fill the walls.  There are two art galleries, and a large walk-around interactive map of Jerusalem.

A spiral staircase leads you to the top floor where an awe-inspiring 11 foot statue of Christ, The Christus, dominates an atrium with the walls depicting the universe. 

We enjoyed a quick, delicious  meal in the one of the squares restaurants, then headed for the train station to return home. There were many more buildings and areas in Temple Square that we did not have time to investigate … another reason to return to the area some day.  For more information on Temple Square, CLICK HERE.

Layton, along with other nearby communities is linked to Salt Lake City by rail, with the Frontrunner, a commuter train.  It made it a lot easier for us to visit the city than driving.

Salt Lake City, UT area – part 1, Layton and Ogden

Salt Lake City has many suburbs, both to the north and south.  We chose a campground in Layton, to the north, for our base.

On Saturday morning, we drove to nearby Ogden for the weekly farmer’s market.  It was one of the better farmer’s markets we’ve found this trip, with offerings from fresh green beans and peaches to breakfast goodies.  (The breakfast burrito was great!)    

Historical 25th street is home to the farmer’s market, as well as the communities “horse herd”.  We were amused and delighted at all the painted horses ‘roaming’ the street.

   

Leading east from Ogden is one of the nations scenic byways,  State Road 39. 

We expected outstanding scenery, but were not prepared for the magnificent waterfall beyond the first curve.  It rivals many we’ve seen in national parks. 

As the  rushing water hits the many angles of the rock, it twists and bends in surprising ways.

   Here are some more photos from the drive:

We even spotted a sheepherder’s wagon at summit top: 

On the way back down, we stopped at a yard sale, and learned of the mini-festival, Taste of Ogden Valley at a nearby ski resort, Wolf Mountain. 

We enjoyed crab cakes, spinach and goat cheese enchiladas, and mini bison burgers.

The resort was offering chair lift rides to the top of the mountain.  The ride offered a great view of the festival and valley below.

  

 

 

It’s amazing how many things you can find to see and do on a day that is virtually unplanned, and just happens.