Salt Lake City UT, July 6/7

Leaving cowboy country for a bit and taking on farming areas. There is something I have to ask drivers in Idaho and Utah, now this is not directed at all drivers in these states, "Do you know where your turn signals are?" It was frustrating and nerve wracking at times on the interstate with drivers (pick-ups in particular) who failed to signal in any way there intent. Other than that we thoroughly enjoyed our ride down. Heading towards the Salt Lake Valley and the Great Salt Lake is was cool to see the scenery changing and the impact that farming has had on the valley, parts of which could 'almost' be called lush or at the very least fertile farming.

As we hit the ring road/belt that brings you around Salt Lake we got a little silly playing 'spot the chapel', we had been playing shalopski (spot the horse) but when the field disappeared we switched to chapels. Found the hotel with very little trouble and were extremely happy to see the pool outside and the hot showers inside. We got ourselves cleaned up and did a little laundry and decided to take the train into SLC and see what was happening. We found out about some free concerts they hold in one of the parks during summer. After killing a little time with dinner and shopping we headed back to the park to watch Synergy. Pause for a moment on the name and imagine what you are see.... we were not prepared. Don't get me wrong they were a talented bunch but it just wasn't what we expected. It was a group of high energy, brightly coloured (think neon), young adults who had come together as a dance and song group. They did routines heavily based on broadway musicals, and they could really belt them out. Right before the performance started the announcer asked everyone to remember to take all their belongings with them, and make sure they picked up their spouses. The woman next to me remarked "so if I don't have one does that mean I can pick him out?" I smiled and said it sounded like a fabulous idea. the music was upbeat, the kids were talented, and the weather was great. We really enjoyed our evening and one the way home got to see the cops kick a couple of people off the train for not having tickets. Think a rabbit caught between two dogs :)

Next day was our day at temple square and visiting the historical sights. We had poked our noses into the square the day before but as we were in jeans we didn't feel completely comfortable. There is nothing wrong with wearing jeans or whatever, we just suffer from the compulsion: you dress up for the theatre and church. We had a great time wandering around temple square, stopping in at the various historical sights. We were able to sit in on one of the organ recitals at the tabernacle, wow what a fantastic sound. They finished with "The Ride of the Valkyries" and you can imagine how well that sounds in a hall where you can hear a pin drop from the back of the room. Our tour guides were a nice bunch, ironically we got hooked up with another canadian family for one of the tours. The area around and in temple square is just so beautiful and peaceful, they take such care of the grounds and ensure that you know where you are going. By late afternoon we were ready to head back to our hotel for some goofing off in the pool and downtime before hitting the road tomorrow. We grabbed some pizza and settled in for old movies and sleep. Tomorrow we hit the road for Las Vegas. So excited!