I've wanted to go to Bingham Copper Mine for years and have never been. One of the reasons I never went is because I've always wanted to go with my grandpa, who worked there during his college years. I wanted to get an insider's perspective, even if it has been 50 years! And we finally went! My grandpa took me, my sister, and the kids for a little field trip last week. It is a pretty amazing sight. They have a nice visitor's center where you can see the progression of the mine since 1900. As they continue to dig deeper, they also have to dig out so the hole doesn't collapse on itself. Hence, the largest man-made pit on earth!
Just as I knew it would be, it was very cool to get my grandpa's perspective. The job he worked is now obsolete as machinery and technology has improved, but there are still a lot of things that haven't changed in the mining process. It is quite the operation.
And here's the famous giant tire. These tires go on the trucks that haul the dirt from the mine to the seven-mile-long conveyor belt. They are over 12 1/2 feet tall, cost $25,000, and last for only a year. And there's six tires per truck. It's a good thing they're mining gold and silver along with copper in that mine!
It was a very windy day...as you can see from the first picture. But we had a great time! Thanks grandpa!!
David's parents were kind enough to take care of Abby the first half of the day so we could ride the big rides without carting her around. It was great. We lucked out on three major rides as they would close the ride temporarily, and we would just happen to get in line right after the ride reopened. We'd pretty much walk right up to the front and then see an enormous line when we got out. It was awesome! We hit everything we wanted to, with time to spare. So we decided to splurge and buy a $3 churro. It was worth it!
When Abby finally arrived, she was so happy to be there!!
We took her to the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, but didn't wait in line to see the princesses. She doesn't care that much. We just got the free crown and posed a bit...
Here we are in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle...
She loved the Jungle Cruise. Our guide was quite funny, so we fully enjoyed that ride too!
And we hit Toon Town, although Abby was a little annoyed she couldn't actually pick up the things in Mickey and Minnie's houses.
We had a great dinner at the Blue Bayou (the restaurant that overlooks the Pirates of the Caribbean ride) and ended the day watching the parade. Here's Abby on her dad's shoulders getting the best view.
All in all, we had a fabulous time! Abby was fascinated by everything and loved all the rides she went on. It will be even more fun when she really gets it!
