Frontrunner to Temple Square

 During Fall Break we went on a fun adventure to Temple Square and rode Frontrunner. We were running a little behind schedule and knew we weren't going to catch the train in Ogden. So we raced it down to the Roy station, bought tickets and had only seconds to spare before it arrived. But we made it!

Everyone was so excited. Especially Ellie, who is still rear-facing whenever we're in her carseat and sees very little when we're traveling in the car.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was gorgeous and perfect for walking around.

First we went to the Church History Museum. It is newly remodeled and has the coolest children's area. There was also an exhibit of paint studies by Harry Anderson, a non-member artist commissioned by the church. His paintings are some of the most well-known in the church. It was so fascinating to see how he would prepare to paint his enormous wall murals and the details even his practice sketches had.

Next we went to the Tabernacle and the visitor center and talked with several sister missionaries along the way.

One surprise of the day was being able to go up on top of the Conference Center. I hadn't been there since I was a teen and the building was newly built and dedicated. We didn't have time for a full tour which is usually the only time you're allowed, but we got on with a quick tour another family was taking. Both of us wanted to see the main theater area and then go up in the garden without touring all the paintings and statues (since kids can only last so long and we had so many other things to see) and that's what they let us do.

By this point we were all starving and exhausted so we headed over to the Lionhouse for some lunch.

After lunch we had a tour of the Beehive house and then went to the Family Search Library in the basement of the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg. Last time I had been there, there were just a bunch of computers and senior missionary couples ready to help you begin your search. Now there is this whole section for families. There is a photo op with costumes and props, play area for kids and other activities. And the next room is geared toward teens with i pads and touch screens and interactive tools to help them get involved in family history. It was incredible!

Well, our day was coming to a close. We still had more that we could have seen but we were tired and the kids were fading and we still needed to catch the train back home. But what a day!

Heading back...

The kids gave us no trouble getting ready for bed that night.