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Follow me every step of my journey across America, 'wwoofing' on ranches and farms to explore what life is like for those who choose to live a little bit different than we do.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Provo, Utah

I left California at 7am on Monday morning and arrived in Provo, Utah at 5pm that same day. It wasn't hard to get up early because I was so anxious to get going, but the drive was really long- 10 hours. I stopped in Baker to get snacks and gas, then passed the Las Vegas strip. I was really tempted to stay there but decided to keep driving so I could get to Utah by the time it got dark. So I passed on Las Vegas, and drove through Nevada. There were so many beautiful sights along the way; canyons, rivers, mountains and perfectly clear skies. When I crossed the state line into Utah I had to get gas again, so I stopped in St. George to fill up again. Utah was so beautiful and clear. It was an immediate difference from Nevada and California. So I filled up and had to drive about 4 more hours to Provo to see my friend and his family. When I pulled into his neighborhood, it was so clean and quiet. The housing tract he lives in is newer so the homes were beautiful. From his front porch you can see the mountains covered in snow right across the street. He has two little boys, 1 and 2 years old and an awsome, hyper bulldog named Thor. I spent the next few days exploring Utah and all the natural scenery it had to offer. I went to visit BYU and Utah Valley University; both of which are wonderful schools with great campuses. I also got to spend a couple hours in downtown Salt Lake City, where I got to see the Mormon Temple, the Tabernacle Choir room and the visitor center where there is a giant statue of Jesus carved out of marble. The statue is one of three in the world, and was carved about 200 years ago. The entire temple was also carved out of marble at the same time as the statue, and it was so beautiful. It was really hard to believe that the temple was made so long ago because it was in perfect condition. I walked around downtown SLC but it was all under construction so there wasn't much to see. Also, every shop closes down around 5pm so there weren't many stores to go into. I spent 3 days  in Utah and left early Thursday morning; around 7am again. Overall, Utah was a wonderful trip with beautiful scenery and very polite people. I enjoyed seeing Utah very much and plan on going back at the end of summer so I can hike, rock climb and wake board in the lake. My friend and his family were very kind and generous, and I really appreciated them allowing me to stay there. It made the trip so much more enjoyable when I had a local to show me around.

Arizona state line

river running through Nevada mountains

driving through canyons in Arizona

Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah

 Gold Moroni on top of Temple

reflection of Temple on Reflection Pond (you are looking at the pond)

giant Jesus statue! only one of three in the world

1 comment:

  1. Hello Sam, Hi it is Ed, a friend of your mom a few years back. I know what you mean by fast pace in Cali, although I still live in Cali, I live in a mountain community that is pretty laid back, which is nice cause I get to slow life down a bit a look back on life as it was. I wish this program was around or at least as known about back when I was young. We have farms and ranches here as well. I work for a woman who's husband owns a cattle ranch up here, and when times are slow for us I go and help out on the ranch. Mostly rounding up and branding. But with this I am able to see life with a better view. I wish you all the luck in world, and I know you can do what ever you set your mind to.

    Ed

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