Salt Lake City

We left West Yellowstone and headed 5 hours south for Salt Lake City.  Brian was feverish and pretty sick so he slept while I drove.  I get so sentimental when I go to Utah and Idaho.  I just have so many happy memories from visiting my grandmas in Orem, Utah and Nampa, Idaho growing up and from my college years.  I may be a West Virginian but I have always been proud of my western roots.  I thoroughly enjoyed the drive going down memory lane in my head and stopping for a quick drive through of BYU-Idaho for the kids to see.

Once we checked into the downtown Hilton we headed straight over to our favorite watering hole - The Lion House Pantry.  Oh man I love that place.  Why, oh why wasn't it there when I lived in SLC?  That is something I said over and over as we saw how much cooler and alive downtown Salt Lake is now than 20 years ago.  

Some things are very much the same in a good way though - like temple square.  I just love that place.  With less than half a day in Salt Lake we knew we wouldn't have time to see friends or family - but we definitely wanted to show the kids temple square. 

 Grant enjoying the view in the Joseph Smith Memorial building.  That view never gets old!  So pretty.  The kids also enjoyed the story of my parents wedding, back when the building was Hotel Utah.  The got married in the Salt Lake Temple, went to Tooele for the reception, and then headed back to the Hotel Utah for their first night before heading off on their honeymoon.  My dad had made reservations but by the time they showed up, it was late and they had given their reservations away.  My dad was mortified.  He explained the situation to the clerk and that it was their wedding night and so the manager had pity on them and gave them the incredibly nice Kennecott Copper penthouse suite for the night.  Nice upgrade!

 We enjoyed seeing all of the bridal parties outside the temple.  The main stairs were all taken for photos, so we went to a side alcove.  

We drove by the U, and was sad the bookstore was closed for the holiday weekend.  Bummer.  I wanted a hat.  Some things don't change - that campus was a ghost town.  Such a commuter campus.  There wasn't a sole around - student or otherwise - on a Friday afternoon.  I loved my time at the U, but always hated the commuter campus aspect.  I was raised in a good college town and live in a good college town now - but the U just doesn't have that feel.  Oh well.  I got a good business degree!

  We drove by the house I lived in after my mission with a bunch of college girls.  1032 S. 1700 E.  That's where the 1032 in my yahoo email comes from.  That email address started here, and that front porch is where Brian and I had our first kiss.  I know, I know - yuck - is what the kids said.  But no kissing was to be had today - Brian was nearly in a coma by this point and so sick.

 Even though we were still pretty full from the Lion House, tradition has it that we MUST go to Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square no matter what while in town.  We came here all the time in college (sometimes together) but this is the exact spot where in September of 1999 we entered as friends who hadn't seen each other in 3 years and left knowing something magical was about to happen in our lives.  We've been together ever since.  We both agree it was the most magical night of our lives.  So, now we make our kids go to every Spaghetti Factory in every town we visit and hear our sappy love story over and over.  They don't seem to mind too much - they are distracted by the good food.  Plus, bonus - they have parents that love each other.  There could be worse things we make our kids endure, right?

 Grant shares my love for bottle caps and was very excited about this bottle cap art we saw in the City Creek Nordstoms. 

I made sure to find a grocery store and bought 6, yes 6, loaves of Grandma Sycamore bread to take home with me.  I would have bought more if I had the room.  That is the best bread on earth.

 While Brian passed out from sickness in the room, I let the kids stay up late and swim their brains out.  They made friends and had a ball.  

It was a great, quick, visit to Salt Lake.  Hard to believe I haven't lived there since I graduated in December of 1999.  It was a great place to reminisce just a week before our 15th wedding anniversary.  Although I was bummed at the time to not get into BYU, I am so thankful for my plan B at the U of U.  After all,sometimes plan B's end up being the new plan A.  It all worked out better than I could have even pictured it!