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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Day 6, Still Salt Lake City

The Circle of Life or Travel.... We are still in Salt Lake City.

Today we zipped around Salt Lake City. First we completely enjoyed our HOTEL room at the Hampton Inn. Then off we set to see the Kennecott Copper Mine. This is the largest open pit mine in the world. Check out these tires.


One tire will run you $18,000-20,000 each. This is a tire from the trucks that haul the rock that will be processed to look for iron, silver, gold and other usable minerals and metal. If you have ever been to Universal Studios, and watched the Terminator Show you will appreciate the 16 minute, award winning movie that this company shows. At U.S., a very annoying woman keeps saying, "SUPER" in a very insincere way. This is the feeling the movie evokes as well. Instead of spending a majority of time helping us understand the mining process this company uses, we instead hear alot of propaganda about why this company is good for the World instead of ruining the environment =0). Actually the amount of copper they produce daily is a bit mind boggling.
Notice the tiny white pickup truck on the right. Above on the left you can see the hauling truck.

All of that being said, the place is huge, and the process is really amazing. I wish you could see the size of these hauling trucks and the huge pit able to be seen from outer space.
This is the small scale condenser, where they add water and air to the dirt and waste to separate it out. Eventually they come out with 99.5% pure copper plates.


How about that Great Salt Lake? That is one body of water that I hope not to need to attend again. The sulphur-ish smell was powerful. But we did get the picture and checked it off the list.


We also we able to visit with Adam, Maureen, and Alex--our cousins. They live in a spacious town house, with an awesome view. Sky divers float randomly just above their home, leaping off a high cliff. The sunset was gorgeous. Alex showed us his baseball card that his dad made of him from 2006. Here is the box art that Alex gave Steve. He really likes abstract art his mom told us.Alex and I played Star Wars lazer sword fighting. He said I was not too bad. (Thank you, Keni. Must be all that Christmas wrapping paper roll fighting we used to do). Adam showed us his lovely photos, and also showed us his amazing collection of coins that he is beginning for the birth dates of Nixon men going back to 1660. He has three started. What a great idea. We also loved his gorgeous black and white photo of a car out in the desert.

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