Antelope Island

Have you guessed yet? Yep, another trip to Antelope Island. I love this place! Megan and I bundled the kids up and we finally made it to the Ranch this time!



There are several fresh water springs on the island. Here is a buffalo drinking from a water hole that more than likely comes from one of the springs.


I've probably posted this picture before, but it is so fascinating to think that these are some of the oldest rocks found anywhere on earth. This Farmington Canyon complex is 2.7 billion years old, and the banded and contorted rocks comprise the southern two-thirds of the island. The youngest rocks on the island were deposited by Lake Bonneville only 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.


















The Fielding Garr ranch is the first permanent residence on the island, built in 1848.


Billy, Megan and Jesse checking out a telescope at the ranch















Maggie has joined them and we are all getting ready to do a self-guilded tour.

This shed has a variety of old tools and artifacts.







Everyone's checking out the chickens.

This ranch house is Utah's oldest Anglo-built structure still standing on its existing foundation.







The wash room







Kitchen


Dining table in the kitchen...does this take anyone back in time?


The main dining table in the living room.




Maggie is standing by the old ironing board.













The old phonograph





Bedroom












A beautiful old trunk




A wood couch with an interesting design







Wash basin






Fireplace











Bunk house




The foundation of this building was dug out of the earth to make a cool place for food storage.











Billy is standing outside of the same building.



The barn and silo (at one time the Latter Day Saints used this ranch to raise cattle to help finance the Perpetual Immigration Fund which helped pioneers to cross the Rocky Mountains into the Great Salt Lake)


A traveling wagon home


A Smithy









Oxen or work horse collars




There was a living space off of the blacksmith shop with this wonderful wood stove inside.




From the ranch we headed back to the other end of the island where the visitor's center was and saw a few buffalo grazing on the way. There are antelope in the picture also. See how well you are at spotting them!

At the visitor's center the kids always snatch up the stuffed animal buffaloes and pack them around, so this year they each got one for Christmas. Their parents said they were thrilled. :-)