As previously posted we arrived in Salt Lake City in the afternoon on Monday, June 5th.  Tuesday morning we reviewed our research objectives for visiting the Family History Library.  The Family History Library is a genealogical research facility in downtown Salt Lake City.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about the library: “The library is open to the public free of charge and is operated by FamilySearch, the genealogical arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is the largest genealogical library in the world and is open to the general public at no charge. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions. Its collections include over 1.6 million rolls of microfilmed records onsite and access the total collection of more than 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 727,000 microfiche; 356,000 books, serials, and other formats; 4,500 periodicals; 3,725 electronic resources including subscriptions to the major genealogical websites.”

“The library offers research assistance to help patrons trace their own family history. Professional genealogists and volunteers offer assistance in about 30 languages, which includes reading and translating genealogically relevant documents. The library also offers free one-on-one consultations on difficult research problems.”

The facility is a relatively modern structure and is well equipped with the latest computer equipment to facilitate research.  Additionally there is a large number of Elders or Missionaries available to assist anyone.  I found all of them extremely courteous and helpful.

The material we are researching is mostly from records prior to the mid 1850s.  Old town records, ledgers and manuscripts that were mostly written in script, often very difficult to read, and faded from the passage of time.  They are often soiled and written on paper that is not acid free.  While many of the documents have been microfilmed and in some cases photocopied into computer compatible files, they are not indexed or digitized.

For example, I was looking for information on my paternal 4th great grandfather.  He lived in Henniker and Weare, NH from about 1780-1799.  Weare town records of births, marriages, and deaths for that period are contained in 3 volumes.  The records are not indexed, nor are they in alphabetical or chronological order.  Additionally, interspersed with those records are survey records, town meeting records, legal orders, survey records and tax records.  The bottom line is that you have to read every record to find your information.  It can take 4 to 5 hours to read one volume.  The work is tedious and the answers you seek often come in small bits that you have to meticulously record and be careful to document the source of your information.  I usually make copies of original documents citing all of the pertinent information related to it.  The reward is to be able to cite a document proving your ancestor’s history.  I did find several good tidbits on Joseph and other family members but, no great breakthroughs.  The search continues.

So genealogical research is how we spent a good portion of our week in Salt Lake City.  We did some touring of the city and found some excellent dining facilities.  {Jeanne: While I am not sure that it qualifies as a “dining” we did especially like a brew pub called “Squatters” – 3 times eating and drinking there! It was nice to have some of them within walking distance of our hotel.  One annoyance in the city is parking meters,  especially for Jeanne.  After getting a ticket the first time I used the damn meters I realized that the meters actually covered 2 parking spots.  Not being willing to spend $25 for being a tourist I went to City Hall and pled Blonde.  It worked and they deleted the ticket.  Yea me!  So we helped fill the city coffers while we were there, but didn’t add to them unnecessarily.}   I was especially grateful for the opportunity to attend an Organ recital, or practice, at the Latter Day Saints Conference Center.  A super bonus was to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s practice session that same evening.  Both are open to the public.  What an awesome opportunity that turned out to be.  One of the Elders explained to Jeanne & I that all choir members go through extensive auditions prior to acceptance.  They are only allowed to be members for 20 years and must retire if they have less than 20 years when they reach 60.  Here are some pictures from the organ recital and choir practice.

Here are a few shots of their Temple – only LDS members are allowed inside.

It was not all roses in Salt Lake City.  The tooth that I fractured and lost it’s cap on Memorial Day weekend began aching and started abscessing.  After consulting with a local dentist and my dentist back in CT, I opted for extraction to avoid further complications and pain.  I had to see an oral surgeon for the extraction which went well.  I still have some discomfort from the removal but, I am able to sleep at night.  Life goes on.

We left Westminster, CO about 11:15 A.M. bound for Salt Lake City, UT with a scheduled overnight stay in Rawlins, WY.  Weather & road conditions were excellent.  Our initial route is along secondary roads northwest towards Fort Collins, CO which avoids following minor roads through the Rocky Mountains.  An hour out we stop at what is probably the last Dunkin Donuts until we get to Salt Lake City.  Got to have our Dunkin.  Our thermos cups will keep it hot for about 1 1/2 hours.  Love that technology.  We enter Wyoming about 1:30 P.M.  It’s Sunday and there is not a lot of traffic on the road; at least compared to Colorado.  The scenery is beautiful but after a while it sort of all melds together.  Obviously there are a lot of farms & ranches in Wyoming as there is a lot of pastureland along I-80.  Occasionally you see cattle, but not a lot compared to the size of the pastures.  You rarely see the ranch or farm house.  I did see some trash and recycling containers alongside the roads that probably leads to their houses.  Gives a new meaning to “son, it’s time to take out the trash” (that’s why they start driving their pickup trucks by the time they are 12).  I did notice a lot of travel rigs on the road.  I’m thinking if you live here when you go shopping you better have a camper.  In high winds and bad weather they have remotely controlled gates to shut down the interstate.  If you need a safe haven in those conditions you better take it with you.  I’m not saying it’s a day trip to go shopping but there has to be an explanation why some exits along the road just say “Exit ##” – no name like “nobody lives here”, just Exit ##.  In short it’s pretty but, there is not a lot to look at.  It helps explain the 80 MPH speed limit.  Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plane fly over Wyoming.  My mind wanders as we travel along – do these people live close enough to each other to qualify as “neighbors”, is State Farm licensed to do business in Wyoming?

Ride through parts of Wyoming with us

About 3:30 P.M. we called it a day and moved in to our lodging at the Fairfield Inn in Rawlins, WY.

Around dinner time we started researching where we might dine.  We found a Thai restaurant a little over a mile away called Anong’s Thai.  When Jeanne asked the front desk clerk if she knew about the place her response was “I’ve never heard of the place”.  Fortunately we had an address and the GPS knew where it was.  Thai food in Rawlins, WY?  We are on an adventure.  Sometimes you find a treasure when you go out on a limb.  This was one of those times.  The complimentary cup of sweet & sour soup was excellent.  The crab Rangoon appetizers we ordered were also as was my sweet & sour chicken with rice.  Jeanne enjoyed an excellent curry dish.  Highly recommend a visit if you are in town.

All in all it was a great day.

Monday morning we hit the road about 10:00 A.M. to finish our journey to Salt Lake City, UT about 300 miles distant.  The scenery is similar to yesterday but eventually becomes more mountainous.  We enter Utah about 1:45 P.M. and decide to have lunch at Arby’s.  After lunch we are treated to a special ride coming down the mountains.  The trip down lasted at least five minutes.  I video taped it after we started down.  Unfortunately I could not load it into the blog program.  I will try to post it on Facebook.  We arrived at the Residence Inn in downtown Salt Lake City about 3:45 glad to be ahead of the afternoon traffic rush.

This was our ride from Rawlins to Salt Lake City

Dinner turned out to be a couple of tacos and a beer at a mixer right in the hotel at a complimentary mixer.  What a great way to finish the day.

For the next week we will be doing some genealogy research at the Church of Latter Day Saints facility (Ancestry.com headquarters) as well as some touring of Salt Lake City & vicinity attractions.

On Friday morning, June 2, what we hoped would be a late breakfast turned out to be lunch as at Gunter Toody’s Diner in Colorado Springs.  An old style diner that does not serve breakfast after 11:00 A.M.?  Not exactly what I grew up with.

The atmosphere was great but the food was not especially good and both of us were somewhat disappointed.

After dining we headed into downtown Denver to do some shopping.  Following that we went to the SpringHill Suites in Westminster which is about 20 miles northwest of Denver.  We opted to dine at Bonefish Grill that night and had an enjoyable meal.

Saturday we headed for Rocky Mountain National Park about 60 miles from Westminster.  Enroute we went through Boulder, home of Colorado University.  It looked like a college town.

Here are some photos taken enroute the national park

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Following are between the town of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

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Rocky Mountain National Park is a United States national park located approximately 76 mi northwest of Denver International Airport in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The eastern and westerns slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park with the headwaters of the Colorado River located in the park’s northwestern region. The main features of the park include mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

On our way out of the park we saw this elk

And we got a few more pictures on our way out of Estes Park

We believe you really need to spend a week here to thoroughly enjoy the park.  It is spectacular.

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Garden of the Gods (from a brochure)

One of the big attractions of the area is Pike’s Peak.  We booked an 8:00 ride on the Cog Railway to the top of the mountain.  After looking at some of the picture postings of the ride and from the top of the mountain I had a hard time sleeping.  I opted out and Jeanne went on the excursion by herself.  She told me afterwards I would not have liked it.  Here are some of her photos.

The day did not start off too well.  During the night, as I was sleeping, a cap separated from my tooth.  Fortunately I did not swallow it.  We departed Warren Air Force Base about 9:30 A.M. and went to see Dr. Zumo, a Cheyenne dentist.  We had to wait several hours before he could work me in.  He recommended an extraction because the shape of the cap was too difficult to align.  After some deliberation I decided that was not going to happen and I would consult with my dentist in CT.  I was not in pain as a root canal had been done on the tooth.

We left Cheyenne about 1:15 P.M. and headed for the Pike’s Peak Lodge, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, CO about 200 miles distant.

Buffalo figure on mountain top, I-24 S Carr, CO

I-24 S Fort Collins, CO

I-24 S Fort Collins, CO

I-24 S Englewood, CO – Denver traffic.  Traffic was not like this in SD & WY

I-24 S Parker, CO

I-24 S Castle Rock, CO

I-24 S Larkspur, CO

Peterson Air Force Base gate, Colorado Springs, CO

The direct path along I-25 S should have taken us less than 3 hours.  Heavy traffic through the Denver area added another hour to that and we ended up arriving at 5:15 P.M.  Driving through Denver was a little nerve wracking as the locals like to drive fast, as well as change lanes quickly and often with little room between cars; shades of a Daytona race track.

We departed Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, SD about 11:15 A.M. and headed for the Crow Creek Inn, Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, WY 315 miles distant.

We travelled secondary roads until we were about 100 miles from our destination and then it was I-25 South right to the gate of Warren Air Force Base.

Route 79 S Fairburn, SD

Route 18 W Hot Springs, SD

Route 18 W Hot Springs, SD

Route 18 W vicinity Fossil Cyad National Monument

Route 18 W east of WY border

I-25 S Lance Creek, WY snow fence.  Much sturdier than the New England snow fences I am familiar with.  I noted that cattle like stay on the leeward side of them during inclement weather.

 I-25 S Hat Creek, WY

I-25 S Slater, WY

I-25 S Slater, WY

I-25 S Slater, WY

I-25 S Chugwater, WY horse & rider figure on mountain

Warren Air Force Base gate, Cheyenne, WY

We arrived in the rain about 4:45 P.M. and checked into our quarters.  During the planning stages of this extended road trip we decided that we should have rest & relaxation periods along the way.  This being Memorial Day weekend we felt it was appropriate to do just that.  This turned out to be the perfect location. The following pictures are from the porch of our quarters.  The buildings are identical to the facility we occupied.  Our suite consisted of a living room, kitchenette, bedroom & bathroom.  It was very serene as their was very little happening on the base over the weekend.

This deer was not the least bit intimidated by people or automobiles and was a frequent visitor in front of our quarters.  We encountered several deer during our visit.

From a South Dakota Brochure:

President Grover Cleveland established the Black Hills National Forest in 1897 as the Black Hills Forest Reserve. Now in its second century, the USDA Forest Service manages these 1.2 million acres of public lands for a diversity of wildlife and fish, recreation, water production, livestock grazing, timber harvest, wilderness and other uses.

The timbered mountains of the Black Hills National Forest continue 10 to 40 miles beyond the South Dakota border, west into Wyoming and cover an area that is 125 miles long and 65 miles wide. Visitors will find rugged rock formations, canyons, grasslands, streams, lakes and unique caves. Recreational opportunities for visitors include 11 reservoirs, 30 campgrounds, two scenic byways, 1,300 miles of streams, 13,605 acres of wilderness, over 450 miles of trails and much more.

The name “Black Hills” comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa, which mean “hills that are black.” From a distance, these pine-covered hills, rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie, appear to be black. The Hills are diverse in cultural heritage. The earliest known use of the area occurred about 10,000 years ago. Later, Native Americans came to the Black Hills to seek visions and to purify themselves. Paha Sapa was considered a sanctuary and was a peaceful meeting ground for tribes at war. Exploration of the Black Hills by fur traders and trappers occurred in the 1840s. In 1874, General Custer led an Army exploration into the area and discovered gold. When word got out of the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, settlers soon followed.

The Black Hills National Forest is massive.  Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and a myriad of other attractions are located within the forest.  The variation in scenery is just awesome.   Here are some pictures taken along highways as we travelled through the area.

Our next tourist attraction was the Crazy Horse Memorial.

The last picture is a sculpture of what the final product should like when they finish carving out the mountain.  That appears to be in the distant future.  Perhaps our great grandchildren will live to see it.  While Jeanne and I appreciate what they are creating, we were disappointed with what we did see.

As we travelled on we captured these pictures of Pactola Lake.

We had taken more time to enjoy the places we visited than we anticipated and we were good with that.  As dark approached we passed through Deadwood and headed back to the Pine Tree Inn at Ellsworth Air Force Base to call it a day.  It was a great one.  We will return for another visit someday to see Spearfish Canyon and other attractions in the area.

We entered Custer State Park from Iron Mountain Road.  Within minutes there was more pasture land and wildlife.

Coming around a curve we encountered oncoming traffic and it was not on four wheels.  We pulled over leaving the buffalo room to come on either side of the car.  What a show being surrounded on both sides.

Notice how these last two guys are in step with each other.  The left front leg of the one next to the car really isn’t white.  That is a reflection of the car windows which we had raised for safety.

What an incredible experience.  It seemed like it took from a half hour to 45 minutes.  However, the time recorded on the pictures indicate that it was about 10 minutes.  Wee then proceeded towards the gate where they collected a $20 fee from us.  It was worth every penny of that.

Less than a mile later we encountered this guy on the road all alone.

A few miles later we pulled into a picnic area and enjoyed our lunch.  Then we moved on to the visitor center.  From there we continued westward several miles and exited the park bound for the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Our ambition for the day is to visit Mt. Rushmore, follow Iron Mountain Road from Mt. Rushmore into Custer State Park for a drive through tour, see the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Black Hills National Forest, drive through Spearfish Canyon and visit Deadwood.  The sun does not set until about 8:30 P.M. so it is all possible.

We leave Ellsworth Air Force Base and about 40 minutes later we start ascending the road to Mt. Rushmore.  As we approach the National Park a pullout give us our first view of the 4 presidents and a photo opportunity.

Our National Park Pass get us into the park without an admission fee; however there is a $5.00 parking fee for Senior Citizens that we qualify for.  It’s worth it for the view we get inside the park.  Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor for the Mt. Rushmore Project.

We departed Mt. Rushmore National Park and proceeded down Iron Mountain Road for an idyllic experience.

That was a sweet ride.