Surviving the Heat......

It was a hot day in St. George...over 100 degrees, but it is a dry heat, so it's not too bad.  We woke up hoping to get an early start...which we did!  Ate a yummy Best Western Breakfast and headed over to the St. George Temple.  It is quite majestic, somewhat similar to the Manti Temple.

 

 

 

 

We had a lovely time...after we went through the temple we walked around and enjoyed the grounds and visitors center.

A nice family took a picture of us together. We learned that Brigham Young had sent 30 families to settle this area and in 1871 construction began on the temple.  It was finished in 1877.  This is the first temple in Utah, though the Salt Lake temple was in the process of being built at the time.

 (and took 40 years to complete.)

 

 

 

 

 More pictures of the landscape.  This time it is black lava rock.  It came from a volcano millions of years ago.  It is used in building foundations to homes here because the red rock is too soft. The  bottom pic has an interesting cone shape.

 

 

 

 There are also some very interesting homes here....they are pretty in their own way....mostly all are the same color of the areas around them...I didn't get a good picture, but there are homes literally built into the rock a so that it is hard to see them.

 

 

 While in Utah we have wanted to go to this restaurant....Cafe Rio.  Many of you know that I have cooked cafe rio (pork) at home for many years using a not so secret recipe I got from a friend.  People have told me my pork tastes just like the real thing....so we went to check it out. It is a VERY fast paced and interesting place to eat..... they serve the food on these disposable cake tins.  It is just soooo crowded and noisy.  We ate here on Thursday night, and then today we went with our longtime friends Marshall and Helen Ann.  They have lived here about 14 years.

 

 

We spent a good part of the day with them....then we headed over to TUACAHN......... again.

They live very close to the amphitheater.

 

 

 

It was Amazing again tonight....this is the set...I don't look that happy....but really I am.  It was quite hot tonight, so during the intermission while Richard was getting us some water, I went up to get cooled off...there is water coming out of these misters at the top of the theater (we had seats right up front again tonight).  While standing there I struck up a conversation with some random people...they asked where I was from.  I told them.  They said they had family in Washington and mentioned the names...the Englands who had apple orchards.  My ears perked right up and told them I KNOW them...the conversation kept getting better.  Turns out the 2 women were Egans too! They looked familiar from seeing them at family reunions.  Such a small world. When Richard came back with the waters we snapped a picture.  What were the chances??

 

 I must tell Brittany because she says I know people everywhere....I think she is right!!

After the show, some of the cast of the show greet people up top of the theater.....we could get in line, but instead I just snapped some pictures.

 

 

Mary Poppins and Bert....kinda fuzzy

 

 

Mr. Banks with the maid and children. 

The show was a bit different than the movie....a few different characters, but all my favorite songs were sung.  Mary Poppins came down with her umbrella from up above and the singing and dancing was wonderful!!!  Each evening at Tuacahn fireworks light up the sky during the finale.

I'm getting tired....but stay tuned.....