We slept beneath the stars between Laramie and Cheyenne. Then we drove 20 hours straight over 1000 miles. We got home at 1:30 am. Our kids were extremely happy to be back. They had enough of bonding with their parents.
It had life size figures of the pioneers walking over 1000 miles west. Some of them rode on wagons, and the destitute ones, who didn't have money for a horse, pulled the handcarts themselves. As we moved in time, another exhibit showed the invention of cars, drive through movies, and a diner. "The cowards never started. The weak died on the way. Only the strong ones arrived. They were the pioneers." We spent some time in the Heartland Military Vehicle Museum. Tom and Tommy were thrilled to be able to touch military jeeps. We drove downtown, and visited Temple Square. The Mormon Temple draws everyone's attention. Young people inside were eager to explain Mormon History. It took 40 years to build the main temple. Inside, life size statues, and videos reflected the journey of the Mormons from Iowa City, and Nauvoo in Illinois to Salt Lake City. The Mormons exemplify all American values: self-reliance, and helping those in need. The reason they have succeeded is because they organized themselves in a semi-military fashion. The religion was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. It is also called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.According to the accounts of Mormon History, Joseph Smith translated a document from golden plates given to him by an angel. He called the document the Book of Mormons. Later on Smith and his followers were kicked out from Illinois for practicing polygamy, creating a well-armed militia and isolating themselves from the rest of the country. Smith and his brother were eventually killed by an angry mob. The mob also burned more than 200 Mormon homes, and farm buildings. The person who succeeded Smith as a leader of the Mormon Church was Brigham Young. It is hard to comprehend the drive that the Mormons had to travel thousands of miles, all in the name of their prophet.
SALT, SALT EVERYWHERE. Located along I 80, the Bonneville Salt Flats is a perfectly flat area with a thick crust of salt and no vegetation. It is so flat that you can see the curvature of the Earth. It resembles a frozen lake covered with snow. The Salt Flats were formed when ancient lake Lake Bonneville dried up. The lake was huge, filling much of the Great Basin. It eventually shrank below its outlet and so its water became salty. As water continued to evaporate, salt deposits were left in many areas. We drove toward Bonneville Speedway where people race their cars. Tommy and Fawn drove the rental car at about 50 mph. Tommy was thrilled that he could rev the engine.
Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. It is 75 miles long, and it has no outlet. Water leaves only through evaporation. It is 6 times saltier than the sea. Tom and I floated in it like two corks. It is impossible to drown. It feels like swimming with an inner tube. Despite the saltiness, and extremely dry habitat, Salt Lake provides habitat for many living creatures: shrimp brine, flies, spiders, and several types of algae. The island is inhabited by birds, buffalo, antelope, and jack rabbits. As we were tent camping on the island, we could see jack rabbits with their big ears hopping in the sage brush. There was even one buffalo grazing peacefully by the water. We learned later that the island has more than 40 major fresh water springs which are necessary for the survival of all the animals.
The car rental company paid for the new tire. We stayed in Motel 8 for $54. It was the only night during our trip that we didn't sleep in tents. My kids tried to kick us out from the motel so we could go gambling but we decided to keep them company, and watch Sister Wives on cable TV.
We got a flat tire by Summit Lake 7000 feet above the sea level. Tom put the spare on. It was still too chilly to swim. There were three kinds of volcanoes in the park: dome, shield, and cinder cone. Two gray ones were looming in the distance. One of them erupted in 1914. Similarly to Yellowstone, the park had hydro thermal features such as bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and boiling water.
The beach in Crescent City was cold and windy. Some kids were flying kites. It occurred to me how wonderful it would be to have kite competitions in Chicago right on the beach of Lake Michigan. They do it in India and Middle East. Why can't we organize it here?
In the past, Crescent City was affected by a powerful earthquake that originated in Anchorage Alaska in 1964. It had a magnitude of 9.2. and caused a tsunami. 12 people died, 25 large fishing boats disappeared. It destroyed 30 city blocks. Water can be treacherous. There are three kinds of waves in the ocean: sneaker waves, rip currents, and rising tides. Sneaker waves are large waves that can occur at any time. Rip currents are strong outgoing currents. Due to high waves and low temperature, swimming was out of the question. We entered Redwood National State Park. In the Stout Memorial Grove, redwood trees reached 300 feet that is an equivalent of a 30 story building. You need seven people to hold hands around some of those trees. |