A Tale of Two Houses

Utah, as most people know, was settled by Mormon pioneers. One of the reasons the Salt Lake Valley, on the eastern edge of the Great Basin, was selected by Brigham Young was its isolation from the rest of the United States. In fact, when the pioneers arrived in the valley, Utah was still technically a part of Mexico.

Being so isolated, far away from the eastern United States and the "civilization" many of the pioneers were used to, often makes people wonder what life was like out here in the 19th century. There are two wonderful, contrasting examples of homes that the pioneers lived in, right in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City.

The first home is a typical log cabin, built from trees cut in the nearby canyons. The cabin was home to the William Henry Deuel family for less than two years after they arrived in the valley. It is one of only two original structures from that period that remain intact. It has been fully restored and is preserved with pioneer artifacts inside to show what life would have been like for a typical family in the early days in the Salt Lake Valley. During the summer, there is often a volunteer at the cabin, dressed in period clothing explaining what daily life was like for the pioneers.

The other home is The Beehive House, the residence of Brigham Young. Built in 1854, seven years after the arrival of the pioneers, it is an amazing example of what could be done by people living so far away from "civilization." The building was designed by Truman O. Angell who also designed the Salt Lake Temple. This was a large house, built with many rooms, including the playroom, the gracious sitting room, the fairy castle, and the family store.

There is a FREE 30-minute tour available of the Beehive House which has many of the original pieces of furniture, stoves, and even clothing on display, much the way it was in the 1850's. The tour guides point out things that are interesting to both children and adults. My first tour of the Beehive House was when I was about 7 years old and I found it fascinating. I've gone back numerous times since, both as a child and as an adult.

The Deuel Cabin and the Beehive House are within two blocks of each other; an easy walking distance, and in the blocks between is the Temple Square complex, with beautiful gardens and more historic buildings.

Places: The Deuel Cabin and The Beehive House
Location: 50 North West Temple and 67 East South Temple (respectively), Salt Lake City
Phone: 801.240.2671
Hours: The Deuel Cabin, dawn to dusk; The Beehive House, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 0 miles
Ogden: 37 miles
Provo: 44.7 miles
Logan: 81.7 miles

Minnetonka Cave- See Miss Piggy's Tail

Sometimes, just sometimes, fun things to do in Utah aren't in Utah at all, but just beyond the borders of the state. No, we're not talking about Disneyland or Las Vegas. For this excursion, we have to set our sights on Paris. Well, not all the way to Paris, but close- to St. Charles, Idaho, just south of Paris, Idaho.

Minnetonka Cave is located to the west of Bear Lake in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. It is a beautiful drive up St. Charles Canyon to the cave. There is a paved road right up to the parking lot. Here at the parking lot you purchase your tickets, then you walk a couple dozen yards to the entrance of the cave. That right. Unlike Timpanogos Cave, where you must hike 1.5 miles to the entrance, Minnetonka Cave is easily accessible by car.

But be prepared. Minnetonka Cave is a little cooler than Timpanogos, at about 40 degrees, so bring a sweater or jacket, even in the summer. Also, Minnetonka Cave has a lot more up and down climbs inside- more than 400 steps. So bring some shoes with good treads to help prevent slipping.

Minnetonka Cave is every bit as fascinating as Timpanogos. The tour through the cave is about 90 minutes long and covers nearly a half-mile through 9 different chambers. The Ballroom is the largest of the chambers at about 300 feet across and 90 feet high it is truly impressive. The Treasure Room chamber, where "gold coins" are spread across the floor is also amazing. My children's favorite chamber was the Wedding Room, especially when they found out that people had actually been married here. You can also descend 71 of the steps on the "Stairway to Heaven" to enter the "Devil's Kingdom."

Of all the formations in the cave, one of the most interesting is known as "Miss Piggy's Tail." This is a soda straw formation that instead of hanging straight down like most soda straws do, this one curls around and around, looking much like a pig's tail.

The drive just over the border into Idaho is well worth the look at this fascinating cave, not to mention the scenic drive by Bear Lake, and for most of us, through Logan Canyon. Although this is a little longer drive that might have the kids asking, "Are we there yet?," after they have seen the cave they will be asking, "When can we go back?"

Place: Minnetonka Cave
Location: Follow Highway 89 north by Bear Lake past St. Charles, Idaho. Just past St. Charles is a turn-off for the Minnetonka Cave Road. Follow the signs.
Phone: 435.245.4422
Hours: Memorial Day to Labor Day, 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $5.00 for adults (16 and older), $4.00 for children (6 to 15 year old) 5 and under is FREE. If tickets for your family will cost more than $20, get the Family Pass for $20.


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 143 miles
Ogden: 108.7 miles
Provo: 185 miles
Logan: 61 miles

Timpanogos Cave - Don't Eat the Ants

The very first time I hiked to Timpanogos Cave, I was 8 years old and went with my Cub Scout Troop. If I recall correctly, I had never climbed a hill quite that steep and I was afraid of heights. It seemed as if the trail would never end and that the mile and a half climb must have taken hours to get to the cave entrance. It probably took less than an hour, and my scoutmaster kept me going and occupied by pointing out plants and animals along the way.

The scoutmaster was, I definitely recall, slightly odd, and had a fascination with everything along the trail. Showing us how to make the snapdragon flowers open and close their mouths was neat. Having us pick up and eat the large black ants wasn't (they did NOT taste like grapes like he claimed). But, it did make the hike interesting.

The hike up the trail is actually quite stunning, through the brush and trees on the lower part of the trail, then you come to the portion of the trail that lets you get a panoramic view of American Fork Canyon. Along the way you'll see all kinds of plants and small animals. Take a pair of binoculars to get really good views of the other side of the canyon and down into Utah Valley. You may even get a glimpse of a Mountain Goat or Bighorn Sheep.

The hike is moderate to difficult, but the trail is fairly wide and is paved all the way up to the cave.

At the top of the trail is what you really hiked all this way to see- Timpanogos Cave. The 45-60 minute cave tour is led by a ranger who will tell you the history of the cave and point out all of the different features of the cave.

Timpanogos cave is actually three different caves; Hansen Cave, Middle Cave and Timpanogos cave. The three caves are connected by man made tunnels. Hansen Cave was discovered first and many of the formations were damaged or destroyed before the caves became national monuments. Fortunately, Middle Cave and Timpanogos Cave were found later on and were protected from the damaged experienced in Hansen Cave.

Inside the cave, which maintains a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you will see helictites (hollow straws of rock), cave bacon, cave columns, cave popcorn and many stalactites (they hang from the ceiling) and stalagmites (grow upwards from the floor). The largest, most impressive stalactite in the cave is known as the Great Heart of Timpanogos.

My favorite portion of the tour is when the tour enters a chamber where the ranger turns out the lights. Absolutely no light enters this part of the cave and it is so dark nothing can be seen, not even your hand right in front of your face.

At the base of the trail is the visitor's center where you can watch a film about the cave and see exhibits about caves. This is great place to either start or end your hike to the cave. There is also a snack bar and gift shop located at the visitor's center.

Timpanogos Cave will open for visitors this weekend, Saturday, May 10, 2008. This is a great activity for couples or families. Bring some water, but just remember- don't eat the ants!

Place: Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Location: State Highway 92, American Fork Canyon, UT (follow the signs)
Phone: 801.756.5238
Hours: May through Labor Day 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (first and last hike times are 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.)
Cost: American Fork Canyon Entrance Fee: $3.00/car
Timpanogos Cave Entrance Fee: $7.00 for adults (16 or older), Children (6-15) $5.00, Children (3-5) $3.00, Infants (0-2) FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 34.9 miles
Ogden: 70.3 miles
Provo: 18.7 miles
Logan: 115 miles

A Massive Hole in the Ground, but a Cheap Trip

To the west of the Salt Lake Valley stand the Oquirrh (pronounced oak' ur) Mountains. This range begins at the Great Salt Lake at the north end and runs approximately 30 miles to the south. It forms the western boundary of the Salt Lake Valley and separates it from the Tooele valley to the west.

The most striking feature of the Oquirrh Range, when viewed from the Salt Lake Valley are the massive, yellowish and red, stair-stepped and flat topped mounds that cover about one-third of the visible range. These are anything but natural phenomenon. They are the result of nearly one-hundred years of open-pit mining in the hills.

The Kennecott Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine has become the largest open-pit copper mine in the world. It is so large that it can be seen from space by astronauts (check out views in Google Earth). It is two and a half miles across at the top and is over three-quarters of a mile deep- two Sears Towers stacked on top of each other wouldn't reach the top.

It has been one of the most productive mines in the world. Copper, gold, silver and molybdenum are all extracted from the mine. It has produced more wealth than the Comstock Lode, Klondike and California gold rush combined. The massive dump trucks, which are over two stories tall, can carry 300 tons of raw ore per load, which is a good thing considering the giant electric shovels can scoop up about 98 tons in a single bite.

Want a firsthand look at this man-made wonder? You got it. From April to October the visitors center at the rim of the mine is open to anyone who wants a look. The visitors center includes interactive displays and exhibits, 3D microscopes where you can view mineral samples, mining artifacts and model trucks. There is a 90 seat theater where a 15 minute movie is shown, describing the past, present and future of the mining operations at the Bingham Canyon Mine. Little boys are definitely the most thrilled, but I have seen girls really enjoying themselves as well. The visit can be as long or short as you want to make it- but plan on at least an hour to get a good look and to have some fun.

Place: Kennecott Copper Bingham Canyon Mine
Location: Follow Highway 111 south until you pass 118th south, then follow the signs.
Hours: Open from April to October, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (arrive by 7 p.m. at the latest).
Cost: $$ ($5 per car, regardless of the number of people inside)


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 28.1 miles
Ogden: 60.7 miles
Provo: 45.7 miles
Logan: 105 miles