Today's activities took us to Provo—actually a real "travel day"—down the Memory Lane. I guess we have lived away from Provo long enough for it to invite us to trace our steps from our university days to the time we actually returned there to live.
The first stop was at the Provo Canyon to see a “semi-sacred” place for our family: the site of the old Provo Canyon Power Plant. Frosty’s grandfather, who was in the first graduating class at Cornel University in Electrical Engineering in 1901, worked at the hydroelectric power plant until 1905. The station began generation of power at the end of 1897. We have pictures of all the equipment, such as the turbines and control panels, and the long flume that ran down the mountain side in Provo Canyon. (Some of our friends might remember seeing that “eye-sore.”) The Utah Historical Society eagerly copied all our photos, but they are not accessible for me to use now. The flume has now been taken down. To our knowledge, the Provo Canyon power plant had the longest transmission lines in America.
Below, the old and the present...
This is the flume that followed the mountain side carrying water for the plant... now gone. Remember it well!
While in the canyon, we went to see the Bridal Vail Falls. Not much of a spectacular this time of year, I guess. And where is the gondola that took people up to the top? And the little shop near the parking lot? This is all that is left?
On to the old campus! Not at all what it was even ten years ago when we lived in Provo for a while after Frosty retired. This is where we left on our mission to Dubai and then moved to Pinehurst.
Anyway, the campus. Not the same... You can never go back. Amazing growth.
My home away from home: the Harris Fine Arts Center. How many times did I climb those stairs and how many hours daily did I spend in the practice rooms in the basement?
Madsen Recital Hall where I gave my Senior Recital... in 1970...
From BYU "tour" we started our "home tour." My first home (room) on top left, Frosty's, on top right. Then our first apartment in Provo was in the old Provo mayor's house, upstairs. The stairs on the outside, right, took us to our little apartment. The photo on bottom right is how the house now looks. It now houses a reception hall.
And a couple more homes. On the left is our condominium that we had when all our children were going to BYU, though they did not live there. It was actually my pied-à-terre when we lived in Dubai to escape all that unbearable heat in the summertime.
The house on the right was our home for a few months after retirement and before leaving on our mission to Dubai. And then after the mission, we moved to Pinehurst.
Continuing our way towards our friends' house, we passed the new Provo City Center Temple. It was covered with scaffoldings, so we could not get a good picture of it. I did find one on line. I think it is an artist's rendition.
Truly an inspiring building!
And so are these. Unusual classic architecture in the middle of good old Provo!
Forever friends from long time ago... Rosemary was (is) an accomplished pianist and I was lucky to have her be my accompanist for many years when we lived in New York. It was great to see them again. They are the nice people who let us use their home and car when were waiting to get our visas to Norway before our mission there. Photo on the left taken the night before we traveled to Norway. And the other, well, we're forever young...
On the way to make our final visit, this was a beautiful view of Salt Lake City:
Today's final visit was to friends we knew in Saudi Arabia. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends from all phases of our lives... particularly mine, since this blog is all about me... Jack and Leslie are fantastic friends. Interestingly, Jack and Frosty both served their young missions in Noway, which fact was an instant bond. Good times!
What a wonderful two days we had in Happy Valley! So many beautiful memories and dear friends who have enriched our lives immeasurably. Thank you all!
UTAH CANYONLANDS:
"NATURE'S WAY OF MAKING LIISA HAPPY"
PRICE, PETROGLYPHS, GLEN CANYON
NATURAL BRIDGES, MOAB
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