Salt Lake City, Baby!

Ryan and I were able to take a trip to Salt Lake City with Ryan's parents this past month. Did you get that? 'Ryan and I'. No kids. Just two kinda grown up people. Having way too much fun!

Picture yourself starting on top of the 3.5 mile high mountain (because I played with these pictures for 30 minutes and couldn't get them in the order I wanted).  That was an easy hike, right? Well, not for us.  Took about two hours and 10 minutes to get up.  But once we got up...Wow!  Look at that view.  I was speechless.  These are some of the ski slopes in Park City, but off in the distance you can see..SNOW!  It is the end of June and there is snow on the mountains!  This is my kind of place!!

On the way down our mountain Ryan caught this amazing shot.  The way the trees curve out away from the mountain...pretty awesome! 

This is the view of Park City from about half way up the mountain. 

Next in our kid-free adventure...we were able to visit Antelope Island for another fun-filled day of climbing mountains and following Ryan to way off the path places.  However, we found some of the most amazing views I have ever seen.

I still can't get over the skies in Utah!  I don't think I have seen a sky like this anywhere else!  So different than good ole' Indiana!  (Although, my distaste for Indiana becomes greater with each new place I visit).

This buffalo...where do I begin?  Should I start with, 'Ryan, let me take a pic from this window' or 'Ryan, I don't think you should get any closer' or 'Ryan!  Get back in the car...he's gonna charge!'?  Take your pick.  Whatever your choice, I was right.  I guess he did get this pretty fun picture.  But, just for the record, I was still right.  ;)

Donna and I on the off beaten path.  Pretty neat view!

This was Ryan's first trip to Salt Lake City and I think he was impressed.  We stayed about 4 blocks from temple square in this adorable Bed and Breakfast that my in-laws visit frequently. I just realized that I have no pics of this place and it really was cute!  Like staying in your very own antique museum.  Ok, back to the point...we stayed so close to temple square that we were able to walk down there...a few times.  We visited a lot of the sites including:  the Convention Center, the Tabernacle, the Family History Library (WOW), the Church History Museum, and of course the temple grounds.  And might I say, we were not let down.  There is so much history there one cannot fully absorb all there is to see.  Ryan and I both agree that while it is all amazing, the most moving to us was the temple.  Even if it served as no religious importance to us, there is something moving about seeing the detail and intricate work that went into this and knowing that every stone was hand carved.  Each stone was brought down from the mountains on carts.  There were no cranes, no mechanical equipment of any kind that did the work for them.  What an amazing thought! 

We were able to have dinner one evening at The Roof in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building overlooking the temple.  Such a fun place and what a fantasic view! 

I could have sat there for hours looking out the window.  What beauty!  This was actually taken from our table, so the view truly was spectaular.

Thank you so much Donna and David, for having us on this amazing trip!  We had such a fabulous time and can't wait to do it again!

(Isn't he SO handsome??)