Hanging around the Salt Lake City Area, Part 2

Posted from Hurricane, UT  October 22nd

We decided to visit the Great Salt Lake.  As a kid, I remember going to a State Park and near SLC and swimming and not sinking in the really salty water.  Given it is October, the swimming was out so we tried another approach - visiting Antelope Island State Park.  But first, we ran downtown to Temple Square to see the sights.  Salt Lake City is the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also known as Mormons.  The story of their emigration to Utah can be found elsewhere but the Mormons where one of the three major groups to cross the US by land - Pioneers moving to Oregon, the Mormons, and the California Gold rush all used the same or similar trails across Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah.

Mormon Temple

Just some of the beautiful flowers in the gardens in Temple Square

Tabernacle Pipe Organ (free concerts everyday at noon)

Enough of SLC, back to nature!

Antelope Island can only be reached by causeway although due to really low water levels currently, you could probably hike across the salt flats if the brine flies didn't carry you off.  Named for the herds of antelope that were found on the island when John Fremont and Kit Carson explored the island in 1845.  We didn't see any antelope during our visit.  In fact we probably would have named the island after a non-native species we saw in abundance (no not marsh flies although that would seem fitting).

Antelope Island was settled not too long after SLC - 1848 in fact.  The oldest Anglo built structure in Utah is the Fielding Garr ranch on the island.

One section of the causeway that brings you to the island.
The Wasatch Range is in the background.  Sorry for the cloudy day. 

Visitor Center which we didn't get to see due to a dog having separation anxiety from her "Mom".

Zoe was with us on this trip which was good, bad, and pretty funny.  We wanted to see the visitor center but Zoe put up such a ruckus that if she was human she would have been banished to her room for a cooling off period of several hours.  So instead, she visited a few of the outdoor exhibits (like the white buffalo in the picture above) or the bronze mule deer below.

Zoe started growling at the buffalo but got really charged up when I tried to introduce her to the deer.  Hackles up, lots of growling, and lots of human laughter.  Very funny dog reaction.

Well off on our drive to the ranch.  We soon figured out what the island should be named.

How about Bison or Buffalo Island?  They have an estimated 500-700 animals in the herd and yes, we saw them all.  They have an annual buffalo roundup like Custer State Park in South Dakota.  Camping rates soar for Round Up weekend (just like Custer) - must be a western thing.

More causeway

A view to the North.  Normally this would be all water but maybe this Spring, after the snow melt, the levels will rise again.

I wish we had more time and nicer weather to explore Antelope Island.  The haze really spoiled the pictures.  Oh well, off to Hurricane, UT for our next stop.