* Salt Lake City -
After a restless night, in KANAB, with independent firings from THREE air-conditionning
systems (my room and two others), I got up early, packed, had some chats with some
friends, had breakfast (7 a.m.) and got ready for the coach's departure for SALT LAKE
CITY. We would make calls at Bryce Canyon and make several other stops.
10 June '98
[ Bryce Canyon is not really a canyon at all - but better, as picture shows]
The biggest of these stops was at 'Sunset Point' , from where we walked to 'Sunrise Point'.
I took many photos in this beautiful scenic multi-peaked 'canyon'. Frances (Fran Boranski),
our guide, obliged by taking photos of me, there, with my own camera. She told us about
today's long distances, 'Mormonism' and about the US's Government levels of rule-making
and accountability. (They included Federal, National, State, County, local & village!!)
Enroute, I stopped and lunched, visited a 'General Store' and also a reproduction WESTERN
TOWN. There were considerable tail-backs of traffic as we neared Salt Lake City (even as
far away as Provo). Just like Sydney's preparations for the 2000 Olympics - Salt Lake City
was also preparing for the "2002 Winter Olympics" - so this accounted for much traffic already!!
Some of their events will also take place in PROVO. (We heard that Denver wasn't interested
because of the vast costs involved). The Mormon funds provide, apparently, considerable
cash for publicity. We arrived at the SHILO Hotel around 6pm, indulging in coffee, relaxation
and watching a Jane Goodall documentary on chimpanzees.
The cases didn't arrive my door until 19.09 hours - which was about an hour after WE arrived.
I had a quick snack of "cheese & biscuits" and then went out to explore SALT LAKE CITY.
To aid in this exploration, I picked up a (street) map from the hotel's reception desk. [I always
do that!]. On this first trip, I headed North on 'West Temple' past the Information and
Convention Centers, the Concert Hall, Library and the Museum of Art - heading towards
'Temple Square'!
The Temple Area looked terrific as I went East along 'South Temple' - and came across an
entrance gate marked "VISITORS WELCOME". I started looking around the garden and was
approached by two girls asking if I needed any help!! [ Remember that this is the world's
prime Mormon City - and not London's Soho - so the context of their question is quite
different!!!]. I thus explained that I'd got a map, but soon I'd have to get a better more
detailed one of THEIR AREA. So we walked to the "South Visitor's Center" in the Temple
Square and got a new MAP OF TEMPLE SQUARE & VICINITY POINTS OF INTEREST!
That would set me up for my stay in the City!!
Following this, I spent an hour and a half exploring the site, its beautiful Assembly Hall, its
old, domed Tabernacle, its Temple in brilliant white stone which is a very attractive and
outstanding with the backing of the black storm-clouds threatening thunder lightning and rain.
Then I went over Main Street to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, its giant Latter-Day-Saints
HQ Building and several others - then over State Street to the Brigham Young History Park and
Grave site PLUS City Creek Park.
I then returned by the (unusually for me) exactly the same route to the hotel - but their South
Visitor Center had closed and when I exitted the area those gates were also closed and and
LOCKED (it's now 9 pm!). Pity really, because I wanted to take some photos there!!
I had met Margaret Campbell and another friend on this walk near Joseph Smith Memorial
Building, - and chatted with another couple who'd wasted their two hours since 7pm eating
in a restaurant. I say WASTED because one can EAT anywhere (like home) without for-going
the loss of value exploration time whilst abroad!!
I then went back to my room for note-writing, having supper and preparing for bed. I eventually
got into bed at about 10.30pm after watching a bloke on TV painting enthusiastically with
water-colours (which reminded me to "have a go" again a few days after my return to the UK!).
Good night all!!
Well, - it was a night with 'physical rest' but ....
11 June '98
.. no mental rest as I was constantly thinking about Digital Photo processing and THIS
Web-Site development relating to the current USA visit. So began 11th June 1998!!
After the usual ablutions etc, I got dressed by 6.05 am.. One of the fellow travellers who
was interested in my "Arctic Adventure" book warranted a small note about Publishers
and contact-addresses. I took that note to a certain Margaret Campbell for breakfast time
but there were only two of my 'group' (Fran and Ulrich) there - so I took it back to my own
room.!
Our cases for todays trip were picked up at about 8 am. - ready for our 9am departure - and
while I watched a couple of TV interests my case had gone. Our coach took us to the
MORMON TEMPLE site where we stayed between three and four hours until the early
afternoon. Various presentations, films, paperwork etc were dealt with before our departure
for POCATELLO. This was a four hour journey with various stops en-route.!
The most interesting (for me) of these stops that our DRIVER, Ullrich, chose was at the
HILL AEROSPACE MUSEUM near Ogden. I don't think that the female guide had any
say in Ullrich's choice - but it was so fabulous that no-one complained. Most, like me, were
totally enthralled. I didn't take the camera with me on this excursion - otherwise I would
have taken too much film!!!! Amongst the host of craft that we viewed were the V1 rocket,
the Fabulous SR-71 Blackbird, 
the Super Fortress, Bell X Rocket-planes etc, etc, etc!!!
.
12 June '98
* Pocatello, Idaho
[I took three walks here in what was a VERY HOT STAY!!]
I arrived at Pocatallo in the early evening and went straight away to the QUALITY INN
to watch my own TV screen. I got well settled-in! My own room overlooked a POOL,
but the door-window was very difficult to open to it. My dinner was included - and came
with very long waiting times!! The reason was because ONLY two persons were
assigned to deal with 40-odd people!! It was a 'management' fault rather than a waiter problem!!
Big chats with those on our table revealed that most of them had been in the war (1939-45)
so I tried NOT to get involved in such discussions. More interesting was a Scottish
couple (real explorer-types) who were soon to go off to Alaska and Russia (just after the
current trip!). They will not be returning to Heathrow with us - but will go directly there!!
They are KLM addicts for their air-miles!
I returned to my room to watch TV - which turned out to be yet another investigation
into the Diana (Princess of Wales) death-ride in Paris. My view on who was to 'blame' in
that episode has not changed. (My view is that the transport-manager [or his equivalent]
should have vetted and ensured that all his drivers were fully fit, capable and well-balanced
for ALL their tasks!)
With the air-conditionner set to LOW COOL, I then got to bed and
sleep in my own time!
Well, I slept right through until 5.30am - sleeping again until I was awakened by
a digital alarm-radio at 6.30 am. This was NOT my choice or setting - but I
decided to get up at 7.03am anyway!! Breakfasting at 7.30 am by helping myself
to fruit, fried eggs & potatoes, plus strawberry jam on toast to follow with, I was
back in my room at 8.05am..
Having trouble with my repeated tries to exit directly
from my room to the POOL outside, via the windowed door, I tried yet again. Seeing
my struggles, a guy passing outside indicated how to do it. So EASY when one knows
how!! This should be useful - as I'll be able to use my own room as a changing-room and
go directly to the pool outside!!
Right now, however, I was ready to put on my back-pack for a walk to explore parts
of this Middle-American Western town. I went out into the Pocatello Creek Road, then via
East Almeda Rd, Wayne, Cedar, Washington - before returning via Almeda to my room
on this VERY hot day. Having a mid-morning break, and refreshments, was called for! I had
bought some items at a handy store, on the corner of Almeda & Hilme, called 'Common
Cents' .
I took the last of my 96 digital-photos - of my own room from the 'pool' (and it reported MEMORY FULL)
so any further US
photos will have to be preceeded by 'selections and deletions'. Going 'out' again (for Walk
No2), I started off in a N.E. direction along Pocatello Creek Road, Monte Vista, Lucille, Beth,
Renee, Jessie, Fern, Alameda and returned via Pocatello Creek Road. Back in the hotel, I
wrote many notes - and at 12.15pm I did more studying and reading on "Our National Parks"
( a library book from Malvern) on the subjects of YELLOWSTONE and GRAND TETON!!
After a while, at 13.10 hrs, I decided to do Walk No3 of the day, on a route very appropriate
considering me and my web-site name, i.e starting on OLYMPUS DRIVE and then BALDY Ave.
After these I went via the K-Mart shop but was back near my hotel at 14.15 hrs, being as it
was VERY hot with incessant SUN at 90 degrees elevation!! I found a tree near a Lutheran Church
for a later refreshment-break whilst on Baldy Ave! That shade provided a nice relief!! When back
in my hotel room at the QUALITY INN, the place had been fully serviced with fresh coffee and
other supplies.
I wrote my notes up, sustained by the said coffee and part of the K-Mart purchases. With this
heat, I told myself I ought to relax - but HOW in this alien environment? The Turkey & Cheese
sandwich from K-Mart helped!! The TV still shows STORM warnings with thunder, lightning
and TORNADOS!! I was still sweltering even with the 'hi' and 'low' cool-programmes on
the air-conditionner. I did miscellaneous TV watching and browsing in my room until 14.57hrs.
Looking on the noticeboard at, 15.13hrs, I found that there were no details on tomorrow's times.
Then I had a shower and went to the hotel's pool - and the JACUZZI (but only up to my knees!) -
for a bit of gentle floating on my back (i.e NO strenuous exercise in these temperatures). Being
more of an explorer then a holiday-maker, I nevertheless chatted with some SAGA holiday-makers
whose activities were even more relaxed than my back-packing around the countryside. After
that cooling experience, I dried myself and returned to my writeup activities by 16.00hrs.
This room has the best FURNITURE of all the ones encountered on this tour! I relaxed in this
delightful place and read more of the book "Colonies in Space" which I had bought in Cheltenham
somewhat earlier. Next, I heard on CNN's news that NASA's "Shuttle91" has just 'touched down' safely.
That then brought the "Shuttle-MIR-spacecraft" linkups to an end (MIR, even then, being too
old and decrepid!)
By now, it was 16.49hrs so I watched motor-racing news (NASCAR & NHRA) and followed
this by some beautiful 'Country-Music', before finishing the next chapter from "Colonies in Space"
at 17.56hrs! TV then showed its 'Demolition and Destruction Derbys' in its motorsport coverage.
I watched 12 heats of that - and the 24car FINAL! Not many were running at the end!
Slowing myself (well, my mind) down, I proceeded to packing for the following day in the TV
advert-slots. (the USA has plenty of those!) More Country-Music on TV from 9pm proved to
be mainly Folk-Music so at 9.30pm I switched off and went to sleep from my lights-out at 10pm..
GOODNIGHT ALL!!
* Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
(had been ravaged by fire, recently).
13 June '98
After waking up at 6.00 am (just what I wanted), I got my cases outside the door at 7am and
went into breakfast. Departure for YELLOWSTONE and JACKSON was at 7.45am.. Because
I had done the bulk of my packing last night (advert-times on the TV) there was hardly any more
packing to do this morning!!
We stopped off at several points before reaching YELLOWSTONE - and eventually entered it
by its West Entrance, travelling Eastwards via Gibbon Falls, Norris and Canyon Village. I got my
first real viewing point from "Uncle Tom's Trail" which gave us all a good view from UPPER FALLS
on the YELLOWSTONE RIVER. We proceeded Southwards, and at the MUD VOLCANO (with
its several FUMEROLS) took some photos. Just then, the HEAVY rain started - and I took a close-up
photo of a WILD BISON. (Unfortunately, as you've already read, my 35mm camera went 'u/s' and therefore
the following picture was one that I grabbed with the 'digital' at an 'Information Center'.)
