So this weekend we checked off two major items on my husband’s bucket list.
My husband is a big steam locomotive fan and a huge history buff. For the last several years, Union Pacific’s steam program has been working relentlessly to get a big boy locomotive back on the rails. The one they’l were working on is the 4014.
Rail fans all over the world have been waiting for it’s inaugural run, which was scheduled to take place during the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike near Ogden, Utah. The Golden Spike is a commemorative event to celebrate the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869 in Promontory Summit, Utah.
My husband, being the huge rail fan that he is, demanded we be present during the event, as it was on his bucket list to see it. So we made arrangements and when the time came, we made the trip to North.
The Drive
We left our Arizona home with the kids and my husband’s parents following behind us. We decided to go through Page on the way there and Sanders on the way back. That way we could see more of the state of Utah, as neither me or my husband have been. The trip there was beautiful. We got snowed on in Flagstaff, which isn’t uncommon for May. The road until Salt Lake City was mostly clear.
It was green and beautiful. The western side of Utah is very pretty. It was teeming with grass and creeks with crystal clear water. We were always surrounded by mountains with snow covering the top. It was a very nice drive, until we got to Salt Lake City. We got poured on for over an hour, during rush hour and road construction. It took longer than expected, but we made it.
When we reached Ogden we sat down for a good dinner and then headed to Eden, which was where our air bnb was located. It was 15 miles northeast of Ogden through the very scenic Ogden Canyon. Shortly after you enter the canyon, you’re presented with the site of a gorgeous waterfall that comes right off the cliff. The rest of the canyon follows along Ogden River.
Eden was amazing. It was green and pretty. It’s mainly a ski tourist town as it sits at the base of powder morning. We got to our place after 10:00pm. We had trouble finding the right condo, but once we did we settled in and got some sleep.
Union Station, Ogden
Thursday morning we woke up and made the journey back in to Ogden. The big boy and the 844 were to be featured at a special event at Union Station. We had to park in a garage and catch a shuttle to the site because they had the majority of downtown closed for the heritage festival. It was cold and windy that day, but mostly sunny. It was tolerable when walking. We made it to the station to find a big stage and some bleachers in the back, surrounded by standing area.
My husband and his dad found a place right in front of the track and my mother-in-law and the kids got a place in the bleachers. It wasn’t the best place to see, but it was better than standing in the crowd of thousands of people. We got there way too early. We about froze to death on the bleachers before the ceremony started. The began with several whistles from the 844, not a big boy locomotive, but it was the biggest before they got the 4014 going. It is very popular. After awhile the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. The 4014 rolled in to the station! I got a video of it coming in but I couldn’t take good pictures because the stage blocked my view.
Trouble
After the ceremony we headed back to the car so we could get lunch. What we found when we started the car was no power steering. We tried turning it off and on, disconnecting the battery and whatever else we could think of, it didn’t start working. I had the steering gear replaced for a recall not long ago so I thought it still might be under warranty. We headed to the nearest ford dealership to find out. What we discovered was that the warranty had expired and it was going to cost us lots of money to fix it. So after discussing the options with my husband and 5 hours later, we decided to buy a new car. So that was a whole afternoon wasted really.
Promontory Summit
The next morning we headed to Promontory Summit to watch the original Golden Spike Ceremony held on May 10th every year. Traffic was insane. There is nothing around Promontory, so there was only limited parking. We had to buy parking passes for this weekend. Friday and Saturday were completely sold out way before the event. It took us 45 minutes and maybe 8 miles to finally reach the parking lot.
There were already thousands of people there. The viewing area was shoulder to shoulder and chair to chair for acres. My husband and his dad headed to the standing area in front of the locomotives, the 119 and the Jupiter. The rest of us brought chairs and popped a squat near the edge where we could only tell what was going on by watching the monitors. The ceremony was neat. They officially made Promontory Summit a national park that day. They also did a re-enactment of the historic day. The boys loved watching the train demonstrations where they’d blow their whistles and steam up and down the tracks.
Trying to get gifts was a nightmare. My husband waited in line for over an hour to buy his items. But it was fun, I’m not one for crowds, but it was kind of neat to be around so many people who shared a common interest.
Waterfall Canyon
Before we made it to Ogden I had planned a hike to see waterfall canyon. I didn’t think I’d make it after the whole car fiasco, but I woke up at 7:00am on Saturday and decided I was going, and I’m so glad I did! The hike was harder than I had expected, although short. Here’s my hike report on Waterfall Canyon for anyone interested in seeing that area. But it was worth it, the waterfall was absolutely magnificent!
Back to Union Station
The big boy and the 844 were on display all weekend at the station, so we went back Saturday to see if we could see the cab and get some close up pictures. By the time we got there, we discovered 1000 other people had the same idea. We got to touch it and get some people filled pictures, but the line to see the cab was over an hour long, so we skipped that. After we had our fills my husband and his dad went to see the other item on his bucket list, the Browning museum.
The boys and I went to Ogden’s George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park. It was really neat and the boys loved it. They had real fossils and minerals inside and an 8 acre park full of dinosaurs in their “natural” habitat. They also had a huge dinosaur themed playground next to a creek and a big pond with giant fish. It was a good afternoon.
Salt Lake City
After the dinosaur we met back up for lunch and headed to Salt Lake City so we could see the flowers at temple square. They hadn’t completed the flower project, but it was still absolutely gorgeous! I adore flowers.
Morgan, Utah
Sunday morning before our trip home we stopped at Morgan, Utah to see the trains double heading on their way back to Cheyenne. They had scheduled stops and Morgan was one of them. We stood along the tracks with several 100 other rail fans and waited for it to come in. It was early and it stopped on the far track right in front of us. It was glorious! Everyone got to go up and touch the locomotive and take pictures with it. Several people put coins on the rails for souvenirs. We also tried that, but some bratty kid picked up our pennies before the train left, as well as others, and then the one coin we had left was picked up by a greedy old man trying to get to people’s coins before they did. I wish I had the guts to chastise both of them, but I avoid confrontation at all costs unless it directly affects my kids. So we didn’t get Big Boy smashed pennies, but we did get an awesome experience and video of the train leaving the station. They blew the whistle several times, the steam poured out of the cylinders, and everyone was cheering! That was my favorite part, next to my waterfall hike. After the train left we started the long journey home.
Returning to Arizona
We went through Price, Bluff and Sanders on the way home. The route passes by Moab, Utah which is a popular off-roading site. I must say, the western half of Utah is much prettier than the eastern half. Even though it wasn’t that pretty, I’m glad I got to see both parts. I love visiting new places and new states.
I had an amazing weekend, full of great experiences and a wonderful adventure with my family. Thanks for sticking with me for this long post and I hope you enjoyed it. Until my next adventure!!
Captured Motherhood 