This is the Place

We had heard of and driven by This is the Place Heritage Park for years, but had never actually been there. In fact, I had known so little about this place before, so when family was in town and had planned a day to spend there we jumped at the opportunity to join them!

This monument up close is so much bigger than I had imagined or had seen off Sunnyside Avenue on our way to the zoo.

The train/trolley does a loop through the "village" and makes stops to favorite spots. If you decide to get off and look around an area you can wait for the next train to pick you up when you're finished.

Brigham Young's farm house was impressive. After touring it we decided that none of us had thought there were homes that nice in those days. Most every structure in the park has been re-located from down town Salt Lake. This farmhouse was originally built in Sugarhouse on 700 East and 2300 South! One American President has stayed there as well as Mark Twain!

 In the town, there are shops, a bank, hotel, saddlery, a half-way house, school, shaving parlor, native American village, blacksmith, petting corral, and many homes. 

 Ashton really enjoyed himself, and I think the pony rides were his favorite. We purchased wrist bands that allowed us to do 3 crafts/activities. We adults let the kids use our 3 activities so they could do more.

These small log cabins are everywhere. This particular cabin is 8x8 and housed 9 people. The size of the cabins were not determined by a family's wealth, they were made as big as they could with as much supplies that were available in the area at the time of building.

We passed this fort on our train ride through the town. I thought the scenery was amazing as well as the structure itself. I could not help making a couple of the photos "antique" and posted both of these.

At the saddlery you can stamp leather which was fun for the kids. There are various activities in each of the buildings, like yarn dolls, beading, pioneer chores, parlor games, gold processing and panning, rug making, spinning and weaving. We had limited time and were not able to even touch on half of what was there to see and do.

For an old ghetto cell phone, it took pretty good photos on this trip. I was pleasantly surprised!

The monuments, plaques, and statues are everywhere and really set your mind back to the pioneer days of sacrifice. My favorite is this "Journey's End". The family kneeling in prayer at the end of their journey reminds me to thank the Lord for my trials, for strengthening me to endure them, and for carrying me through when I was too weak.

We plan to go back and experience it all. It is something that would definitely take a full day. It had fun things for all ages, even a restaurant and a Farr's ice cream parlor. I wish I'd realized this place had more to it before now.  I am in the pioneer spirit and what a great month to be so!