To San Francisco

(We've been home a week but I'm only just catching up with the end of the blog! ran out of time in San Fran & internet only just been connected at home!!)

We left Salt lake City at 11.30pm for San Francisco!!!!
We spent the last few hours in the Sheraton foyer then they took us to the station. We had to walk through the snow, pulling our bags! The train left on time & we went straight to bed.
The trip to Emeryville (on the other side of the bay to San Fran & where we left the train. Train climbed up and over the snow covered Sierra Mountains. On the other side we 'ran out' of snow and travelled through vineyards and orchards and a huge marshland area where the birdlife was prolific. We arrived on time at Emeryville. We were quite impressed with Amtrak and their service. Each carriage has an attendant who looks after your every need (in a sleeper he or she makes the coffee, tea, has cold drinks on hand; makes up the bunks & returns it all to seats the next morning!) The meals were great - good variety & selection of courses.
At Emeryville there was a bus waiting to take us (about 30) to San Francisco. They made 4 stops, the last one being Union Square and our hotel was around the corner - couldn't believe it! Hotel very central to cable cars, enormous newish Westfield Centre and hop on/hop/off bus! These buses have been great - you get 2 days plus a night tour in the various cities for approximately $20 - $50 - all with someone giving a commentary.
We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge (1.7 miles) and visited Sausilito (small town on 'the other side'). We went to the memorial service for Nelson Mandella at Glide Methodist Church in San Fran. First time we have had to line up outside to get into church! It was a real 'spiritual revivalist' type service with incredible jazz band players and 'chorus choir' of about 30. Warren rode the cable car after buying a new video camera (at home - he's thrilled he's been able to download all he'd taken on the old camera - smashed screen after he fell in the snow/ice -  onto the hard drive!)

Onto our fright home at 10.45pm after a wonderful four months!
What a trip!
We both thoroughly enjoyed every minute; kept well; met some wonderful new friends and caught up with some 'old' very special friends. We are very grateful to those who had us to stay as we always feel so welcome and part of 'the family'.
A very big thank you!

 Clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf

 I felt very guilty walking past all the homeless people on the way back to our hotel, eating the chocolate fudge sundae!

Salt Lake City - let it snow!

We are sitting up in front of the fire & Christmas tree & lights in the Sheraton foyer after returning from a 20 min trip around Temple Square in the Jingle bus.  Joshua & Ellie-Rose would have loved it - it is free but you have to sing Christmas songs all the way!

Christmas here is incredible. Temple Square is ALL lit up  with trees - all colours; big pond with coloured candle-lights floating in it. White Christmas/ Nativity statues among trees &  the Christmas story told & sung in big fenced off area! So many families & people around! 

Right opposite is City Creek shopping centre - with walk overs between the level blocks of shops, all open & all lit up!!! The free TRAX (heated) light rail trains run for a mile around Temple Square - come every few minutes. There is a station a block and a half from our hotel.

On the second day we hired a Dodge Dart silver car & drove out to the BIG salt lake (about 30 mins away from the city). We drove the 7 mile road causeway from Syracuse (town where we left the freeway) to Antelope Island in the Salt Lake. The causeway divides two salt lakes - one is twice as salty as the ocean and the other 6 - 8 times as salty! The island is 17 x 4 miles - 550 buffalo roam free; as well as deer but we didn't see any of the latter (it's a statue!). Nor the bird life there. We didn't try floating in the salt lake either. There is a ranch on the island - original settlers and Mormons farmed there until 1981, now kept as it was as historic site. Loved the shepherd's caravan!

 COLD change arrived late over night & SNOW all day. Denver was 61 today (13 above normal) and to be 12 tomorrow (35 below!). 6" by end of the day - fun at first 'walking in a winter wonderland' but by end of day everywhere was icy and VERY slippery! Poor Warren found out - his video camera hitting the ground and smashing the screen! He was ok, thankfully.

Temple Square - Salt Lake City - Christmas lights

Roman Catholic cathedral

 First Presbyterian Church - next door

 Beehive House and Lion House where Brigham Young (Mormon leader after Joseph Smith) brought Mormon settlers to SLC) and his family/ies lived ( 27 wives and 56 children)

 The Temple

 The Convention Centre behind pond (nativity statue, candle lights float on pond)

 The Tabenacle where services are held and where we went to organ recital. When I was here 6 years ago it was closed, being 'brought up to safety standards - earthquake proofed)

 Nativity scene

 Sunset from hotel window

 Christmas lights!