Things I Don't Hate in Utah

After a few days exploring Las Vegas, we headed into the desert wilderness to check an item off of David's bucket list: the Hoover Dam.

I had no idea it was quite the tourist attraction. There were lots of other visitors, and a gift shop and restaurant. This has to be one of the most unique places I've ever eaten lunch.

The dam was built during the Great Depression. It still provides water and power to millions of people across Nevada, Arizona, and California. 

Lake Mead

When we walked across, we actually walked to Arizona! The dam lays on the Nevada-Arizona border, and there are clocks that show where the time zone switches.

After seeing all there was to see, we headed north to St. George- another new city for us.

Before it got dark, we made it to Red Hills Desert Garden. Besides the pretty scenery, the park overlooks the city and we enjoyed some nice views. 

Magnolia was thrilled to be out of the car after a few hours of driving.

The next morning we visited the St. George tabernacle and temple to hear about some of the city's pioneer history.

The tabernacle took over a decade to build and was finished in 1876.

The temple dates back to the same era, and is actually the oldest LDS temple still in use (although it's currently closed for renovations). We stopped in the visitor's center, and the most interesting thing was that everything there was in both English and French!

I've been to a lot of church sites, and this is the only one where I've seen French. We asked why, and apparently this part of Utah gets a ton of French tourists every summer to see the nearby national parks. They generally come as part of tour groups, and all of them make a stop at this visitor's center. They said they give out more French Book of Mormons here than anywhere else in the world.

Speaking of national parks, our sightseeing for the day was far from over. Our next stop was the very famous Zion National Park. 

Everyone knows I am definitely not a nature or hiking person, but this place is impressive enough to attract even me. There are a few short hikes that are stroller friendly. We chose the Lower Emerald Pool hike.

We also rode the shuttle bus for the whole route and got out at a few stops for more views.

It was the perfect time of year to visit! Fall colors, 60 degree weather, and not crowded at all. We were in awe the whole time, and it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The pictures don't do it justice.

We spent the rest of the week in northern Utah mostly spending time with friends and family. I was so happy that Magnolia got to meet my grandparents! We were also able to see other extended family and some friends of David who served as missionaries in France, which was great.

With the grandparents and my cousin's son who is close in age.

Our only other sightseeing was in Salt Lake. We went to an organ concert in Temple Square... which ended up being an unexpected highlight of our trip! David got the chance to play the Conference Center organ- one of the biggest in the world, and one that we see on TV multiple times a year.

The last sightseeing stops were the Cathedral of the Madeleine, a view of Salt Lake from the bottom of Ensign Peak, and my alma mater.

You know, I lived in Utah for 5 years and I never did anything cool. Better late than never.