National Parks Tour- On The Road In Utah

Traveling through Utah is a thrilling experience. The landscapes are beautiful! The sky is big!! The colors are extraordinary.  At home, how far do I look? Next door? Down the street? Out west, your eye sees for miles and miles.  Really spectacular views!! And this isn't national parks!

Salt Lake City- State Capitol Building

State House of Representatives Chambers

State Senate Chambers

Supreme Court

The Utah State Capitol  houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the State Auditor and their staffs. The capitol is the main building of the Utah State Capitol Complex, which is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City.

The Neoclasscial revival, Corinthian style, building was designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting, and built between 1912 and 1916. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Beginning in 2004, the capitol underwent a major restoration and renovation project. The project added two new buildings to the complex, while restoring many of the capitol's public spaces to their original appearance. One of the largest projects during the renovation was the addition of a base isolation system which will allow the building to survive as much as a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. After completion of the renovations, the building was rededicated and resumed normal operation in January 2008.

It is very grand- marble everywhere, stately rooms- very impressive. I figure the mining companies must pay lots of taxes to afford such a grand building. As someone on my tour said this is the American version of a palace.

Salt Lake City- Mormon Tabernacle

Temple Square

Mormon Tabernacle

Inside the Mormon Tabernacle- Famous Organ

Salt Lake City was founded on July 24, 1847 by a group of pioneers led by Brigham Young. These pioneers, who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came to Utah to have a place where they could freely practice their religion. A few days after arrival they began drawing plans for the city, starting from a single point and fanning out into a grid system of 10-acre blocks. Today’s Temple Square was the city center on the corner of South Temple and Main Street.

We heard part of the Morman Tabernacle Organ Recital. Beautiful!

National Parks Tour- On The Road To Salt Lake City

Not only are the parks gorgeous but the countryside getting around from park to park is amazing. We actually cut through the southeast corner of Idaho on our way to Utah.

Yellowstone National Park- Mammouth Hot Springs

Yellowstone Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs, created from calcium carbonate deposited from the spring water. This is the largest carbonate spring in the world. With a lot of historic sites and the springs themselves, there is a lot to hike for and see in the area.

Yellowstone National Park- Lower Falls

Yes, that's right. Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon. It might not be as big as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but it is just as breathtaking, if not better. The Lower Falls of Yellowstone are one of the most photographed places in the whole park.

This is so gorgeous and hard to capture in a photo!

Yellowstone National Park- Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the world. Yellowstone is a designated World Heritage Site and designated Biosphere Reserve. With an area of  2,219,791 acres (3,472 square miles or 8,987 square km) there is a lot to see.

Situated in the Upper Geyser Basin the Old Faithful is one of the most iconic attractions in Yellowstone National Park. The name comes from the fact that the geyser erupts 20 times per day in 60-110 minute intervals. But don't worry, there are posted prediction times all around the Old Faithful area. Old Faithful is a colossal geyser with eruption height varying from 100-180 feet and lasting 1.5 - 5 minutes. One eruption can expel 8,500 gallons of water. This is something you do not want to miss.

What a thrill to see Old Faithful in person! There were thousands of people there waiting for the eruption, and when it was over, thousands left to see other parts of the park and more people came to see the next eruption, So cool!!

Bryce Canyon National Park!

Bryce Canyon National Park, a 56.2 square miles sprawling reserve in southern Utah, is known for crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations. The park’s main road leads past the expansive Bryce Amphitheater, a hoodoo-filled depression lying below the Rim Trail hiking path. It has overlooks at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point.

Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests border the rim of the plateau and abound with wildlife. This area boasts some of the world's best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and approaching 200 miles of visibility. This, coupled with the lack of nearby large light sources, creates unparalleled opportunities for stargazing.

Descriptions fail. Photographs do not do it justice. Bring your sense of wonder and imagination when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park. It is amazing!!

The National Parks Tour 2017

The first stop on this amazing National Parks Tour was Grand Teton National Park. Tall and proud, the Tetons rise dramatically from the grasslands, cutting through bluest skies and brightest sunrises. Snow-capped in the winter and stark gray in summer, these granite masterpieces are home to all seeking serenity in mountains. Located only 10 miles from Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park is a stunning national park in Wyoming.

The areas around the Grand Teton mountain range and its lakes were established as a national park in 1929 in order to protect the land from commercial exploitation. The protected area was extended into the surrounding valley in 1950. This truly special federal park boasts a diverse ecosystem with 310,000 acres of terrain ranging from summertime wildflower meadows to rushing whitewater streams. These ancient mountains also contain some of the oldest rocks in the National Park Service, dating to nearly 2.7 billion years ago.

There are also numerous serene lakes with deep blue pools, echoing the stillness and color of the glaciers that shaped them. The wild and winding Snake River descends through the park in a rush of water and the dense forests blanketing the mountainsides provide habitat for a vast array of fauna and flora, with some species dating back to the prehistoric era.

Visitors to the park enjoy many outdoor activities including nature hikes, biking, climbing, fishing and boating.