Utah Trip -Day 3- BYU & the State Capitol

On Monday morning we headed down to Provo to drop Gabby off for her dance intensive at BYU.  Unfortunately, there was a big accident on the freeway, so we got into town later than we had anticipated and were not able to look around the campus.  We did manage to find her dorm & catch a quick bite to eat on campus before we had to meet for registration at 12:30. 

Gabby was happy to meet up with her dance friends from her studio.  Four of them are taking the ballet intensive this summer.  Gabby requested & was able to get her friend, Sarah, as her roommate.  We have been getting lots of texts from Gabby, and it sounds like she is having a fabulous time.  They are working her pretty hard, but they are also doing lots of fun things.  Last night they went to watch the big fireworks show at the BYU stadium.  They didn't actually get to go in, but were able to see the fireworks pretty well from a grassy field.   This Saturday they will head to Seven Peaks water park.

After we dropped Gabby off, Scott & I headed back up to Salt Lake City and did some exploring at the State Capitol.  It was really gorgeous, inside & out.  We spent the rest of the evening a bit comatose in front of the TV.  It was really strange to be kid free.

(Warning! This post has a bazillion pictures. Ok, maybe not that many, but there are a lot.  I had a hard time deciding which ones to post.) 

Gabby slept on the pull-out because there was only one King-sized bed in the hotel room.  Here she is looking so excited right before we headed down to BYU.

Oops! I cut off some of the "B" in the sign.  You can see my reflection in the mirror. 

More excitement!

Pretty Wasatch Mountains in the background.

Here she is in front of her dorm.  Eyes closed-but it was pretty bright.

This is the dining hall which is right next to her dorm-very convenient!

Signing in with the other girls from her studio.

Cute shirt!

These walls of the dorm were a bit institutional looking.



Her side of the dorm room.

She is in room 1120.



Gabby with her friend & roommate, Sarah.

One last good-bye hug!

Scott in front of the Capitol.  It is set on a hill so there are great views of the surrounding area.

 

Looking towards downtown.  You can see the Temple.

View of the rotunda ceiling.

You can see the beehive symbol used throughout the building.

Beehive on the door.

 

Bronze of Brigham Young.



Inside the House of Representatives area.

A bit of history....

Inside the Senate Chamber.

So many beautiful paintings....

The carvings were exquisite.

View of the rotunda from the second floor.



Depiction of the driving of the Golden Spike connecting the Central Pacific & Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah Territory.



We found 4 of these large lions, a pair of each on both sides of the Capitol building.

Statue of Martha Hughes Cannon who was a pioneer, medical doctor, prominent suffragist, founder of the first nursing school in Utah Territory, and the first woman elected to a state senate in the United States.