I recently visited the new Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.
Accessible via the new I-15 freeway, one is struck immediately by a spread of beauty. Most impressive is the Waterfall Amphitheater, Flower Cottage, etc., and, in particular, a professional golf course designed by Utah's own Johnny Miller.
As a retired career geologist, I naturally leaned toward the museum. It was a choice experience to review with grandchildren the skeletal framework of ancient animals and birds. The originals have been accumulating for decades in local museums, many stored under the old BYU stadium. Considerable expense and talent was required to duplicate and reconstruct in life form.
What an educational opportunity. A 4-year-old grandson went berserk running from nose to tail of a giant dinosaur. He soon became a grubby paleontologist digging for bones in the sand.
One striking exhibit, among many others, was a stack of drawers, each representing a period in Earth history (Triassic, Jurassic, etc.). Within each drawer, labeled Precambrian to Recent, were samples of fossils typical of life in that period.
It was noted that each represents many millions of years, totaling 4.5 billion to 5 billion years of Earth history.
People of Utah: I recommend you acquaint family and friends with this marvelous facility. I heartily congratulate the Earth scientists for their ingenuity and the financiers for providing us with this worthwhile, educational experience.
Lyle A. Hale
Bountiful