Adventurers in Utah for Spike
150
Promontory Summit -
150 years later
A Sesquicentennial
Chapter Nine
A Promontory Summit Celebration Day
May 10, 2019
Friday
by
Robin Bowers
Text and Photos by Author
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed
without the author's consent
Comments are appreciated at...yr.mmxx@gmail.com
Our
day started for Chris and I by walking to JB's Restaurant and
meeting Bob and Elizabeth for the breakfast buffet which we all
enjoyed. Afterwards I attended my first safety meeting as I was
going to be a NHRS bus host for one one of our eight buses going
to Promontory Sesquicentennial Event. This was my initial
opportunity to be a bus host - part conductor, doorman and tour
guide. The buses arrived in front of the hotel and we boarded
the crowd. As we traveled north on I-15, I made the
announcements of needed information. Estimate crowd size ranged
from 20,000 to 50,000 with over 80 buses bringing people plus
the ones arriving in private autos so we didn't want to lose any
fellow conventioneers here in this extremely isolated and
basically in the middle of nowhere place.
Road to Promontory Summit with the Visitors Center building on far
right.
After leaving our bus we found our way to the seating area the
NRHS was able to reserve for us. We could hear and watch events on
a couple of large TV screens even though we were in the peanut
gallery.
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It is not so much seeing but just being part of this crowd is what
we will have in our memory.
Approximately 600 people were gathered here 150 years ago.
After the ceremony there were vendors and exhibitors to see and
visit.
I did not have much time for sightseeing as my
bus was #3 for loading. However, but I needed not worry as
fifty five buses passed by before our bus arrived. When we were
full we then departed.
While waiting for our bus, the military at 1300hrs put on a show
to celebrate this sesquicentennial.
A hundred-fifty years of history. From the Iron Horse to the
Aluminum Bird.
The road back to I-15 was
stop and go with the heavy traffic. Once we reached I-15 the
traffic picked up for the trip to Salt Lake and our hotel. After
the bus emptied I made a double check for any items left behind.
Finding no lost items I gathered my paper work and returned it
to the convention headquarters. Then I returned to the hotel
room. The cold was attacking my sore throat and it had been a
long day so I decided to retire for the day for tomorrow Chris
and I would ride the Heber Railroad for a second time.
Thanks for
reading.
Tomorrow - Heber Valley Historic Railroad
Text and Photos by Author, Robin Bowers
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent
