Journey to the Past

Yesterday, Melissa and I drove out to Vernal to see some of the sites there (as a matter of fact, there ARE sites in Vernal! :)

Of course Vernal's claim to fame is the Dinosaur National Monument. Inside their Quarry Exhibit Hall, you can see dinosaur bones still embedded in the mountain.

Then we were off to a hidden gem called the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs. Several beautiful petroglyphs were found carved into the rocks on a private ranch. The ranchers are nice enough to let people come visit. They only ask that you leave $4 in a donation box at the base of the trail. (And there is a fridge there too, where you can buy a water bottle or a soda can for a dollar a piece). They've also set up a nice hiking trail to get up to the petroglyphs--just rocky and steep enough to bring out your inner kid and play explorer.

Inside the shack at the trailhead. You could leave a sticky note with your thoughts on the petroglyphs.

This one is my favorite. Doesn't it look like a happy little family?

Finally, we ended our day by going to a session at the beautiful (and historic) Vernal Temple. It was originally built as a Tabernacle in 1907, and converted to a temple in 1997. After the session, Melissa asked a temple worker if there was any special paintings or artwork in the temple. She was nice enough to give us the grand tour of all three floors! It is a beautiful beautiful temple. My favorite part is the stained glass window at the front, which shows the Savior as a shepherd with a flock of sheep. I tried to take a picture of it, but none of mine quite turned out, and I can't seem to find a picture on the web... Does anyone else have a picture?!?

All in all, it was a lovely day, and I'm glad we went! Here's to more summer adventures to come. :)

Update:

A picture of the stained glass window, courtesy of Melissa. :)