Friday morning began with fresh bagels from Einstein Bros and a trip to Rose Laundry. We had five loads of laundry and Rose had everything we needed: five available washing machines, ample folding table room, a space for the laptop, good reception, Ms. PacMan and three children with green paint on their faces. We got in, got clean, and got out inside of 90 minutes.
Division of Labor at Rose
We took off from the camper at around 7pm on St. Patty's Day to blade into Salt Lake City and see the sights, so to speak. Armed with The Artist Formerly Known as Prince as our soundtrack and quads for fuel, we took off on a downhill slope towards the towering buildings in the distance.
The city was especially quiet, especially as it was St. Patrick's Day, but we supposed the strict Utah liquor laws might have had something to do with it. We made a right up a street that ended in the State Capital, which was lit up beautifully against the night sky. We'd read in one of our guidebooks about a place called Gravity Hill behind the capital, where down seemed up and vice versa. Seemed like a good destination so we pointed our toes in that direction.
Capitol Lights
The hill didn't look that steep, but it kicked us down pretty well. After a few more routes around Salt Lake, we decided the entire city was an optical illusion of hills that didn't look that steep but were actually more near cliffs than gentle grades. Anyway, we made it to the top, over sidewalks making love to huge tree roots and through a section where they completely forgot to put streetlights. Limo by limo passed us and pulled up to the capitol steps and disgorged tuxedos and evening gowns by the dozens.
Aryn Taking a Breather
"They must be having some kind of ball for dignitaries."
"Maybe somebody important is visiting."
We proceeded around the capitol, in search of Gravity Hill. The illusion wasn't working...we were still definitely going up hill. We pulled into the parking lot behind the capitol and asked a gentlemen directions to the site. He pointed around the canyon and told us how cool it was to drive it or bike it, but it sounded too far for the evening, so we put it in the cache for tomorrow and headed over to the steps to find out what special occasion called for such finery.
"Well," said the limo driver, "it's a high-school dance, in the rotunda."
Aha.
The Mormon Temple Aglow
We headed down State Street and towards the outstanding Mormon temple that rose up in the middle of the city. It was illuminated and incredibly majestic, even though there was a huge crane and a city-block-sized construction zone immediately in front of it. We skated in front of the Mormon office building, which was the largest in the entire city. Incredible landscape surrounded it, with impatients in full bloom, despite the fact that it had snowed the night before. A huge flat-water fountain dominated the courtyard, and statues of significant figures in Morman history stood around, larger than life.
Hungry by now, and still without any sign of Irish revelers, we stopped at a sushi bar. Despite warnings from our slight waitress about the dangerous spiciness of the sushi roll called "The Mexico," we ordered it anyway. It was spicy tuna, avocado, radish greens, and cucumbers rolled in hot chili peppers. The chilis made it appear a bit foreboading, but it was wonderful. We both smiled around out chopsticks at the flavor. Then Brant turned to me and whispered, "Silly Utahians." It was spicy, but it was good spicy. I guess living in Cali develops your taste buds a bit.
