Last day in SLC

I had had very little time in the city apart from walking a few blocks on the first night to find a grocers, so although I was tired and would have liked a rest I had to get out there and discover!  Decided to start with Temple Square just next to my hotel. But first I had to find the Post Office as I found Dawn's keys in my bag! That done I strolled back up the hill to the Temple.

The tabernacle where the famous Mormon tabernacle choir practise and give concerts on Sundays

This is the statue commemorating the pioneers who moved their belongings to the valley on carts.

Flowers are everywhere in the main area of the city as well as in Temple

Square. The Mormons have nurseries to grow their own.

I had to wait for the cleaner to finish cleaning the pool, everywhere was immaculate, even at 10 in the morning it was in the 80's.

 I was happy strolling and taking photographs of the many statues and gardens but it was hot and although I had decided I wasn't going to go into the visitor centres I did just go and sit in the South one and watched some videos of people from all over the world giving their take on what it means to be a Morman. Again food for thought.

This is some of the Book of Mormon because although they follow the bible this is their own addition.

It was pleasant to just sit and surprisingly peaceful given that it's in the middle of the city.

Back on the street again 

These two are of the Main Street, the roads don't look as wide as they really are!

Lunch time and as I had been told about the Lion House that's where I went.

This is Brigham Young's House which is now an excellent Morman restaurant.

Fed and watered I crossed the road to have a wander around Creek City, a Shopping Mall.

It's a very classy shopping mall, Tiffanys, Macy's, and all the designer shops. A big Deseret book shop. (Mormon)

Nordstrom, also a big department store in all the cities also. Pricey shop! Went in there in Seattle to get a nightie as I left mine hanging on the hotel  bathroom door in Vancouver. Wasn't persuaded to spend £90 on one though.

 I sat having a coffee by the fountains watching the little ones playing in their water fountain and I was debating wether I should take shots of them or not and of course I missed a great picture. He was really loving them and then when they died down he put his head right down over the hole and it came up straight in his face!  I thought he would cry but he didn't.

The creek

I haven't been tempted to go into the shops really because I'm not going to buy things. My luggage is heavy enough to pull around as it is. But I  thought I might just have a look in Macy's.  Of course they had a sale on so ended up buying a pair of denims!

I had dinner with the lady I met in the shuttle bus. We had met at various times in the hotel. She was waiting for her friend to join her from Nebraska later that evening. She was supposed to have arrived the day before but had got her days mixed up!  Can't believe that really, Julie had travelled from Texas to meet her so now had an extra day on her own. She was loving the weather at a mere 90 degrees because it had been 104 in Texas.  They, as many other people, come to SLC just to do their genealogy. The main Family Search ( Morman) records office is right next to the Plaza. I didn't intend doing any while I was there but was going to have a look at it but didn't get the time but  I had to take 

time off from the packing to stroll up to the temple and take a picture of it lit up.

When I got I to the lift a woman spoke to me who I thought was English but turned out to be Irish. We had a quick conversation going from L to floor 6 and she got out at 6 with me and carried talking!  She had also come with two friends to do some genealogy and it turned out that she came from just outside of Chicago. She was going home on Saturday and insisted on giving me her phone number in case I needed any help in when I was there and also said she would come and pick me up if I fancied going out anywhere!  Thanks Maureen.

On checking my flight details for the next day ( must admit I hadn't read them thoroughly, only how much weight I could carry) I found out I had to pay $20 for a case in the hold and $30 for a carry on bag.  If I checked in at the airport I had to pay $5 more on each.  The airline is a bit like Ryanair I think, it was $100 cheaper but they charge for everything.  What an outrage! I couldn't print my boarding cards from my ipad. I tried putting everything in the suitcase but when it came to putting my camera in I couldn't bring myself to do that and I had a fair bit of other stuff I didn't want to be with out if the case went missing. I would probably have been overweight anyway and I was still dollars in.

But .....thats  the joy of staying in a decent hotel. Decided I would ask the reception staff if they would do it for me but there were two computers and a printer in the lobby so job done.

On my travels I have seen many people dressed up in comic costumes... It's Comic Con....in Vancouver it was a Japanese one.  Portland had one also and for the past three days I've been in the lift with all sorts of weird people, some of them I haven' t a clue who they are meant to be but the costumes are wonderful. It's been between 80 and 90 and still they wear them.

Thought I was doing this discreetly but they waved at me!

These two lovely ladies posed for me, the one in red is suppose to be a dragon from Lord of the Rings.

Don't know who the other is supposed to be but they looked good.

So...... As for Salt Lake City....beautiful city to be in. Has it's share of beggars same as everywhere else but I felt very safe there.