Adventure 1: Capital Hill

One of the first things I did with my new found free time was spend half a day on capital hill. I drive by the Capital daily, sometimes more, and often think... one of these days I need to spend real time exploring this place.

Sure I've seen traveling exhibits that have come through, like the Declaration of Independence copy that made an appearance a few years ago, or my sister's thesis presentation. But I don't recall ever just visiting the capital for the sake of it. From the painted ceilings inside to the peaceful grounds peppered with sculpture and memorials, there is much to see. Not to mention the surrounding historical buildings.

Just south of the capital are two buildings you'll want to swing by.

 "The 18th Ward Chapel" historical Mormon church... and...

 .. the "Council Hall" Travel Information Center, which has a sweet little gift shop, and helpful staff for sites to see in the area.

The capital building itself is of course, our main attraction. The grounds are beautiful.

My favorite initial moment was feeling my rear end be re-activated from all the squats and lunges from my workout this morning by taking a brisk walk to the top of the many stairs.  Sometimes we just need a good reminder that the muscles in our body are working, right? The capital steps definitely offered that. Then of course, we've got a view. Who doesn't like a view? 

Pictures from the center dome.

 Brigham Young is kind of a big deal in the S-L-C (yeah you know me).

 Apparently, the dude wore size 83 boot.

 Here's Martha Hughes Cannon, an important woman in Utah political history.

Behind the capital lies vast, serene grounds, that allowed me some time to write in my journal before it started raining.

If you continue your walk from the rear of the capital, to the west, you'll find this historical pioneer museum, that has more pioneer paraphernalia than I knew existed. A person could spend 6 straight months in here looking through all the intricate historical artifacts.

Another great thing, the capital grounds encourage you to stay a while. It's full of walking paths, memorials, and benches to stop and consider what it is you're looking at, and I did all those things, because how could I not?

For the newcomer, these gems can be found all over the city in a variety of colors and decorative displays.

Amount of time on adventure: 3 hours

Money spent: $0

Recommendation: 7 out of 10 adventure points!