Next to being in the nation's capitol on July 4th, perhaps the very best time to be "in the right place at the right time" is Salt Lake City on July 24th -- the day Mormons celebrate the pioneers' arrival into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. We're here!
Some of my earliest memories of the 24th include decorating our bikes and tricycles with red, white, and blue crepe paper. We loved to attach playing cards with clothes pins in such a way that they flapped against the spokes, creating the closest thing we knew to the sound of a motor. We turned Radio Flyer wagons into little covered wagons. We dressed up in sun bonnets and cowboy clothes. We shot off rolls of caps in our cap guns, or laid them on the cement and dropped rocks on them to fire them off. It was a day for parades, home-fried chicken and potato salad picnics, watermelon and homemade root beer (which we made with yeast and sealed into glass bottles. These were put into crates, covered with a blanket, and stored in the dark "fruit room" for a few days to let the yeast work. There isn't a root beer on the market that can begin to compare.) We sang pioneer songs -- "All is well. All is well." We square-danced -- parents and kids together (with a real caller) -- swing your partner, alamand left and dosiedo. And when it got dark, the best part of all. We had sparklers. I love my Mormon heritage and treasure these memories.
So here we are in Salt Lake City. No crepe paper streamers, no square dancing, no sun bonnets. But we did trek to Snow Basin, the site of some of the 2002 Winter Olympic events. It was beautiful! And it was a day spent with family members that we don't see often. "All is well. All is well!"
5 comments:
Happy Pioneer Day to you!!!
Love the wonderful memories you shared.
Growing up in CA we didn't have quite the same festivities, but I do share the pioneer heritage, and marvel and some of my ancestor's experiences...especially the family who stopped in St. Louis for a few years to raise funds by operating a root beer shop, and who always referred to the journey west as a "pleasure trip."
Having made that trip recently in a nice Suburban with air conditioning and a DVD player, with a hotel to stay in along the way, I cannot fathom how their journey could be termed a "pleasure trip"...those pioneers truly were amazing.
Enjoy your stay!
In Seattle that was our 4th of July -without the pioneer costumes. Our Pioneer Day celebration was my birthday. As a kid I was so proud of being born on the 24th. If I'd lived in Utah it would have really gone to my head. We had a "fruit room" too, and a couple of times I even remember root beer made with yeast and stored in bottles there to ferment. It must have been because my dad was from southern Utah, which I never thought of before.
I remember seeing a picture of your kids and us sitting on the curb watching a parade. Rob was maybe 3 at the time?? Was that in Utah?
They know how to throw a pretty good celebration in New Mexico, too! We also decorated our bikes with crepe paper and road through the parade. I remember a dunk tank, a money dig, a greased pole climb, the three legged race, and the pig chase. What fun! Happy 24th!
Hey I know those people! I hope you had a good visit.
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