Camp Floyd - July 1st

Our summer field trip trekked out past Eagle Mountain to a small state park - Camp Floyd. Dave and I saw it when we drove out to go to the geode mines. It was a park that detailed the history of the US army's encampment in Utah just before the Civil War. We learned so much about the history of Utah and the US Government. It was especially interesting to read about how the Saints initially fought back against the army. I always had thought that they passively let the army come in.

At the park they also had an inn that we toured through. They had lots of old furnishings and set it up to look like it would have back during that time. They also featured a bullet hole that one of the guest shot through his room and into the next room. The story goes that the guest in the other room had just laid down in the bed and that if he had still been up it would have gone right through him. They also had a list of people that stayed in the inn - I was surprised to see that Mark Twain stayed there. I read that he despised Mormons, so I was surprised to see that he stayed in their country.

All lined up on the front porch.

The kids lined up on the steepest stairs ever in the inn with their Junior Ranger booklet. It should have been called the College Graduate Junior Ranger booklet - some of the questions and activities were hard enough that the moms had to consult each others for the answers!

After the tour and picnic we made the obligatory trip to the gift shop where the girls each picked out a pioneer bonnet and a junkie little harmonica. Mieka played her's for a few seconds on the way home and declared that "this thing is not for me!"

Pioneer children eat their candy sticks as they walk and walk and walk ...
to the car.