Day 2: Moutain views...

With neither of us having visited Salt Lake City before, and of course being exposed to the numerous Mormon jokes that any mention of Utah elicits, we weren’t sure what to expect from Salt Lake. The city turned out to be a highlight of the trip across the country, with a beautiful downtown and a city area that is surrounded by incredible mountains. After little sleep the night before, and our longest drive of the trip, we arrived exhausted at the home of Jo and Allan, our hosts for this part of the journey and a further extension of the incredibly generous Maxwell clan. Their house, perched upon the side of the mountain, provided amazing views of the city and valley below, and with their ability to make us feel at home, it was a perfect stop.

Our day in Salt Lake was spent touring the downtown area with Jo, one that is dominated by the Mormon culture and their famous Temple. Religious preferences aside, the gardens and buildings here were amazing, and the people themselves (Mormon or not) were very helpful and friendly. It must be noted however, that one of the highlights of the Mormon Temple is the ability to send Missionaries with promotional videos to visit you at your home address. Unfortunately, we didn’t have our new address in South Bend with us, but felt it would be sad to not be able to take advantage of such an offer, so should someone visit, just remember to be open minded. Next, with a little help from our hosts, we were able to locate one of the few stores in the city that sold Mormon shot glasses and hip flasks…ahhh the classic irony! Our time in Salt Lake concluded with an incredible drive into the mountains in order to reintroduce Jennifer to fresh air, and dinner with our generous hosts. After a nights rest, our adventure would continue into Wyoming and the Midwest.

Pictured: Salt Lake City from Jo and Allan's balcony.