Mini-Vaca

As a last hurray and as a way to say we actually did do something this summer, Celestra, Grandma Eiko, and I headed down to Salt Lake for a little mini-vacation packed with all kinds of touristy type activities. I mean, if you can't be a tourist in your own back yard, where else can you be!

Our first stop was for a quick bite of dinner at one of Celestra and my favorite restaurants, Cracker Barrel.

Yep she's being goofy, trying to blow out the lantern

Grandma Eiko and Cele at dinner

Our first stop on our tour of Salt Lake was the Kennecott mine, the largest open mine in the world and one of the only man made things that can be seen from space and it's right here in our backyard.

Our shadows

A train whistle made of copper

The Statue of Liberty is completely made of copper

(click on the picture and enlarge it so you can read the inscription, its really interesting)

How Kennecott looked in 1960; which was the last time Grandma Eiko visited

It has rocks in it mom!

Check out the view

Eiko taking it all in

Cele having waaaay too much fun

Now we move on to the Living Planet Aquarium

in Sandy

Jellyfish

A photogenic lion fish

Lets steer the ship

hello Mr. Octopus

Mrs. Sea Turtle says hi.

Penguin, penguin, Cele

And now we're off to the Gateway and the Planetarium

because we cannot come to Salt Lake on a fun trip and not go to the

Planetarium with our science nut along

Watching the pendulum

lost in space

check it out

floating in space with the Hubble telescope

A Martian

Oh look! Now there are two

cheeky girl on the moon

What do you weigh on a neutron star?

It's the earth

Two new Martians

She has joined the astronauts

a moon rock

And now its time for some shopping

Hello horsie

And last, but certainly not least, dinner at Thaifoon. Yum!

We had lots of fun and it was a great way to end summer vacation.