Today is July 24 - Pioneer Day. Pioneer Day to me has always meant a carnival at "Pioneer Village" in 100 + temperatures in Bakersfield. When we were young my mom would cover our little red wagon to make it look like a pioneer covered wagon. She would then make each of us a pioneer outfit with bonnets and all. I remember loving Pioneer Day celebrations. It meant seeing a lot of friends and eating corn on the cob and cotton candy and snow cones.
So, now I am in Salt Lake City and it is really celebrated here. There have been festivities happening all month long in commemoration of the Mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Last night I was trying to imagine what they must have thought when they saw their new home. I am sure they were relieved to have finally made it after such a long and hard journey across the U.S. I bet they were also worried though. They came from the green, green beautiful east and they landed in a desolate and dry desert. They certainly made it work though and now I think Salt Lake City is a beautiful place.
Scott had to work on this Utah holiday. Shocking the stock market wasn't closed for this huh? I wanted to celebrate though and I had never been to the big parade. So Brielle and I left this morning to go downtown to see it. I had been warned about how crowded and hot it is. I had no trouble though. We parked easily, walked a block and found some bleachers to sit in that were in the shade the whole time. We got to watch the whole parade from there. It was great!! I didn't realize that different stakes make the floats. They were really good. I love a parade. I loved the floats and the bands and horses . . . all of it. I liked seeing the BYU float and also a float with the Lochness Monster and people in kilts on it. I have to say my favorite float was one filled with black, gospel singers. There was a band and everyone was SINGING! It was great. The name of the church was written on the back and it was "Mamma's Faith Church". Awesome.
We watched the parade across the street from Scott's office. So afterward, we met him for lunch and then he got to introduce us to his coworkers.
Tonight we are going to Brian and Rachel's for dinner and a fireworks show. I hear fireworks are even better on the 24th of July around here. It's been a fun day and should be a fun night. Happy Pioneer Day!
P.S. I took lots of pictures to document our day at the parade, but something is very wrong and the camera says there is a memory card error and all the images are gone. Sorry. I'm pretty sad.
4 comments:
I celebrated today too. We still are fighting the County to recognize that our ash is not hazardous. It cost us about $10,000 more each day. And, you don't make that up by increasing volume. We also enjoyed another 109 degree day. And, best of all, I got to go to the dentist!
Pioneer Day in Bakersfield is truly unforgetable.
We wish we could have been there to celebrate with you and join you at the parade. Miss you guys!
Congrats on getting a shade seat. Last time I watched the parade we spent the night saving seats and stil l ended up sitting in the hot sun. But I'm so sad that I missed a Utah Poneer day celebration! We got to spend it driving home from Seattle, nothing like 18 hours on the road to make you appreciate the pioneers. We got to sit in an air-conditioned car the whole way and we thought we were miserable. i can't imagine doing it in a covered wagon for months.
You really lucked out on getting a seat in the shade. I remember taking our 5 boys to the parade when they were young, and it was fun then. Now I'm content to sit in the cool basement and watch it on TV. I'd have made a terrible pioneer and am surely glad that I was born years later.
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