A Little Drive and Staring Sheep

If there is anything this last year has brought it's the chance to explore more of where I live.  Everyone knows about the Great Salt Lake, but only 38 miles south is Utah Lake, the largest fresh water lake in Utah.  The lake is pretty from a distance, but it's one I never get close to.  At 24 miles across and 12 miles long with shallow water, it's actually pretty dangerous for recreation.  High winds and waves make it unsafe.  Plus the lake has an algae problem.  Attractive, right?  :P  But from a distance, and when the lake is blue and not brown, it's really quite lovely.

Some of my friends share the most gorgeous pictures of Utah Lake online.  Walkways and glistening water at sunset.  (Still unsure how to find those spots and I've never asked their exact location).  So usually drives trying to get to Utah Lake in the last... 19 years result in road blocks, dead ends in residential areas, parking areas that require payment so they're avoided and so forth.  There's this thing called Google Maps that never seems to get utilized on drives.  Where's the fun in that?

So yesterday my Mom and I went on a drive for a nice needed break.  We ended up in Springville, then Spanish Fork, and over I-15 to sprawling farmland, the hint of manure in the air reminding me of childhood drives through Tulare County.  Lovely >_<  Though, it is nice going where it feels like we're a million miles away.

We kept driving west until we came upon the south end of Utah Lake, and then just kept going.  The lake looks long when looking at it from the east side of Utah Valley, but I never realized how big the lake really is.  The drive was nice seeing the waters edge crusted over with ice.  Fields yellow and trees bare.  My Mom and I agreed we needed to return in late Spring when everything would be green and full.  We didn't make it too far as we had an appointment to keep, but one of these days I want to return and make the full trip around.

Heading back to civilization we spotted sheep quickly moving across a field.  They seemed so happy, and I've never been this close to so many.  We stopped the car to get a photo, and in turn they stopped to watch us.  It seriously got creepy!!!  All of a sudden they froze, heads turned in our direction, baaing.  As we moved their heads moved.  It was so weird!  What seemed to be an idyllic scene turned into one that could easily be in a horror flick.

(Okay, I'm exaggerating, but it was really quite strange).

Looking forward to more exploring when the weather turns pleasant.