Day 9: Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Jackson Hole

 The Crew turned around quickly this morning, but not before checking out an American icon.. After loading the bus on a comfortable and sunny Salt Lake City morning, we headed to Temple Square and participated in the weekly broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Crew heard a group of people from all over the world wait in line to see if they come to their town. The choir performed a set mixed with traditional and somewhat obscure hymms. Afterwards, we checked out Temple Square. As we made our way out of Salt Lake City we drove around the Utah State Capitol building and hit the road for our ultimate destination, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

On the ride The Crew learned their teams for the annual Grand Western Tour volleyball tournament. Team members put their heads together to come up with names and uniform ideas. After lunch in Logan, Utah, the kids hit the Wal Mart and came away with some interesting and unique attire. We'll see how it all turns out in a few days.

After lunch, Clarence drove through the majestic Logan Canyon. Throughout the ride we watched the Logan River running fast on one side and took in beautiful Wasatch Mountain scenery on the other. We drove through the canyon all the way to Bear Lake, where we stopped to take in the majestic Bear Lake, straddling the Utah-Idaho state line. Molly commented that it was the most beautiful lake she had ever seen. The Crew enjoyed taking pictures and the unique plant life around Bear Lake.

Following our Bear Lake stop, Clarence pointed the bus toward Wyoming. Once again the mountain scenery greeted us around every curve. We passed through a few booming metropolitan,  areas such as Smoot, Wyoming, population 145. (Certainly more cattle than people). As we rolled toward Jackson Hole, we passed under the antler arch in Afton, Wyoming and kept moving closer to the Grand Tetons. A highlight of the trip included catching the US-Portugal World Cup match. Through most of the ride we were out of WiFi range. However, as we snaked around the Snake River, you could suddenly hear score updates and an eventual sigh as Portugal tied up at the end.

We arrived at the Antler Inn around six o'clock and received a warm welcome from Clarene Law, the Antler's  owner. Mrs. Law stepped on board Clarence's magic bus and gave The Crew a rundown on all the places to eat and Jackson Hole and let us know how much she appreciated us making a stop at the Antler every year since 1971. Catching up with the Laws and the gang at the Antler is always a highlight of the trip. After unloading the bus, The Crew wasted no time hitting the streets in search of chow and checking out the sights of Jackson Hole. A whole new awaits tomorrow and we'll be sure to experience it.  Signing off GWT!  (This post was by Glenn. . . much more descriptive and articulate).