So, everyone wants to know about the Olympics! Here goes: The most fascinating event of them all was the Closing Ceremony, and guess what, WE WERE THERE! My parents bought Beth and I some tickets from some scalpers in downtown Salt Lake City. Tickets were still available to buy from the IOC, but they were $885 per ticket. We were able to buy the cheaper tickets and save $100 off their face value. The Closing Ceremonies was the most amazing event I have ever been to. It was packed with all kinds of stars: Bon Jovi, KISS, Christina Aguilera, Donnie and Marie Osmond, Gloria Estefan, Charlotte Church, N'SYNC, Moby and Willie Nelson. The entire production was amazing!
One of the neatest things at the closing ceremonies were the audience participation kits. They were in a nice zippered pouch, and included: a program, seat cushion, flash light, Italian flag, three foam snowballs, poncho, chap stick, Kleenex and hand warmers. I still have it all! The kits are currently selling on ebay for $10 to $100! I don't think I will be selling mine though.
Beth and I also saw the men's slalom at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. That was a lot of fun! Unfortunately, the US favorite Bode Miller finished well back in the pack after blowing out of the course about midway and had to hike. He was second going into the race. The course was tough though, the first five athletes were DNF and many more followed.
Park City was a blast -- It kind of reminded me of Virginia City. The main street was about a mile long and closed to traffic. It was lined with cute little shops and resteraunts and fire pits where you could warm your hands. At one end, there was a giant screen TV to watch the Olympics on, and at night, the town lit up with fireworks. It was a really neat experience. The other main attraction we visited was Gateway Center, a new outdoor mall in downtown Salt Lake City near Olympic Square. The mall was a great place for food and shopping and full of people enjoying the Olympics. We didn't actually get to Olympic Sqaure. We were bumbed about that, but we still saw a lot in the very short amount of time we were there.
All in all, it was amazing. The whole environment was uplifting, and everyone was in good, high spirits. Long lines and cold weather didn't bother anyone, as we were all there to have a good time and watch the athletes perform. You coudn't help but get caught up in the spirit of it all, and it left a lasting impression. It was a nice feeling, especially after September 11th. As for Salt Lake City, they did an amazing job hosting the Olympics. Parking was plentiful, traffic was minimal and public transportation was excellent -- at all the events, inlcuding closing ceremonies and Park City. A true model for future host cities to go by. I was very impressed.
I took about 40 pictures on my digital camera, and hope to have them on the website sometime soon. When I do, I will update the blog with more information. Beth and I both enjoyed ourselves immensley, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The whole thing, oddly enough, was therapeutic; bringing out the good in people. I am sad that it is over, and that I wasn't able to see more, but fortunate and thankful for the events I was able to attend..
One of the neatest things at the closing ceremonies were the audience participation kits. They were in a nice zippered pouch, and included: a program, seat cushion, flash light, Italian flag, three foam snowballs, poncho, chap stick, Kleenex and hand warmers. I still have it all! The kits are currently selling on ebay for $10 to $100! I don't think I will be selling mine though.
Beth and I also saw the men's slalom at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. That was a lot of fun! Unfortunately, the US favorite Bode Miller finished well back in the pack after blowing out of the course about midway and had to hike. He was second going into the race. The course was tough though, the first five athletes were DNF and many more followed.
Park City was a blast -- It kind of reminded me of Virginia City. The main street was about a mile long and closed to traffic. It was lined with cute little shops and resteraunts and fire pits where you could warm your hands. At one end, there was a giant screen TV to watch the Olympics on, and at night, the town lit up with fireworks. It was a really neat experience. The other main attraction we visited was Gateway Center, a new outdoor mall in downtown Salt Lake City near Olympic Square. The mall was a great place for food and shopping and full of people enjoying the Olympics. We didn't actually get to Olympic Sqaure. We were bumbed about that, but we still saw a lot in the very short amount of time we were there.
All in all, it was amazing. The whole environment was uplifting, and everyone was in good, high spirits. Long lines and cold weather didn't bother anyone, as we were all there to have a good time and watch the athletes perform. You coudn't help but get caught up in the spirit of it all, and it left a lasting impression. It was a nice feeling, especially after September 11th. As for Salt Lake City, they did an amazing job hosting the Olympics. Parking was plentiful, traffic was minimal and public transportation was excellent -- at all the events, inlcuding closing ceremonies and Park City. A true model for future host cities to go by. I was very impressed.
I took about 40 pictures on my digital camera, and hope to have them on the website sometime soon. When I do, I will update the blog with more information. Beth and I both enjoyed ourselves immensley, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The whole thing, oddly enough, was therapeutic; bringing out the good in people. I am sad that it is over, and that I wasn't able to see more, but fortunate and thankful for the events I was able to attend..
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