Sundance: Mountains in a Golden Hue

 

Last week I did the ski lift at Sundance with my parents. The colors in the mountains are so stunning right now. It's crazy how when I first moved here the Autumn colors put me off a little, looking like fruity pebble cereal, but now I love these colors.  The mountains still have a lot of green as well, which is amazing, so paired with the bright oranges and yellows the colors were even more vibrant. Sadly the daily lifts are closed for the season, but next year it would be fun to once again ride the lifts.

This Hawkeye trail sign popped up and my Mom was like, "M.A.S.H!" and I was like, "Marvel"! Heh, different generations. :P

A zoom in of Bridal Veil Falls and that other waterfall (upper or lower falls?) down Provo Canyon. It's amazing how, when looking up at the waterfalls, they look like they're coming out of the top of the mountain, yet when looking from above the waterfalls are so small, and there's so much mountain above them. Perspective.

Have a wonderful day! Love this time of year. Sarah. :0)

Visiting Virgin Utah and Getting My Fortune from Pappy

Okay, he's kinda creepy, but not as creepy as that alien from the fortune machine in Primm Nevada.

 

"You have not been wise with your money lately. It is important to reward yourself for your hard work, but you must learn that saving your riches now will pay off in the future. 'A fool and his money will soon part.' Remember this next time you receive a sum of money and try to manage it wisely."

 

That's just really good advice. 

Also, can you imagine someone asking where you're from, and you answer, "I'm from Virgin Utah..." As of 2020 there were 707 people who had that honor. Okay, in all honesty Virgin River Gorge is absolutely gorgeous, and the Virgin River goes through Zion national park as well. It's the main river actually, and the water that's walked through while hiking The Narrows. So, so beautiful.

The Virgin Trading Post is a place I've passed several times but never stopped, so this last time it was nice to finally have my curiosity explored. Well, it's a typical tourist trap with standard souvenir offerings. The kinda place that's fun checking out at least once, and it's good enough. Though, I'm a sucker for a good ol' tourist trap. :D

The beautiful Utah desert.

C'est Fini,

Sarah :0)

Visiting Lagoon Amusement Park in Utah for the First Time

Way back, a long time ago, the Beach Boys sang a song called Salt Lake City, and in the lyrics they mention Lagoon, an amusement park in Farmington Utah: "There's a park near the city, yeah. All the kids dig the Lagoon now. It's full of all kinds of girls and rides and we'll be flyin' there soon now. And girl for girl they've got the cutest of the Western states. They got the sun in the summer And winter time the skiing is great, yeah. Salt Lake City we'll be coming soon."

The song is groovy, only 2 minutes, and can be heard on YouTube.

But here's the thing, I've never been to Lagoon!  Despite constantly traveling South to visit a certain Disney park over and over again, going North to visit Lagoon just never happened.  Mainly it was due to Lagoon's focus on roller-coasters, and I get motion sickness.  And Disneyland is just... I just love it so.

 

When my family decided as a whole to visit Lagoon last weekend the time had finally come to travel North for the visit.  And to be honest I wasn't too excited about it.  (I know... :\).  In my mind I chanted, "It's for the kids," over and over.  When the day was over I really had a great deal of fun!  And the kids had a blast, too.

 

The best way to describe Lagoon is if a State Fair married Knotts Berry Farm and had a baby. Various roller-coasters, a water park in the middle (extra pay), a couple of water rides, several kid rides, funnel cakes and cotton candy, and a couple of shows.

 

There's also a Pioneer Village where each store is filled with antiques feeling like a giant museum.  

The only roller-coaster I went on was Cannibal.  Wasn't going to do it as I don't like riding rides without my glasses, but Steven, Lindsay, and Robbie talked me into it! And Robbie kept my glasses in his pocket.  We did single rider and I got the front row!!!  My prescription is -6.75 in each eye with a strong astigmatism, but even so the ride was super trilling.  The smoothest roller-coast I've Ever been on, which was a surprise.  You rise up an elevator and that drop... 0_0 ... it's like there's nothing there, and then you fall down 116 degrees.  But Wow, it's great. There's several POV videos, which I watched later to see what I couldn't see. And I didn't get motion sickness!!!!!! That was a super surprise.

And then we all went on Rattlesnake Rapids. :\

And we all got properly soaked... :\ Including the little ones!!!!! :0(

 

Overall a really great day, and the rides were fun.  Super hot, but still found ways to stay cool.  There were more roller-coasters I would have liked to ride, but that's how it goes. Had a super chillax day.  No plans.  I didn't even look up the rides or watch videos before going, just went with the flow with what everyone else wanted to do. Even ran into some old friends close to closing time.

I'm really glad to have finally visited Lagoon. :0)

Sarah

I've Got Mountain Pride, Y'all. :D

On Facebook I follow Must Do Travels. Pretty much they show gorgeous videos of cliffsides in Greece, wondrous landscapes in Switzerland, gorgeous Caribbean beaches, lit up infinity pools overlooking grand vista's, etc.

The videos call me away. Wishes to experience such beauty, but thankful to know such places exist.

Well, a few days ago a video popped up of a gorgeous sunsrise. The person recording the video was cruising down the highway. In the distance were tall mountains where a burning sun hid and rippling clouds glowing in bright pinks and oranges. The scene was beautiful, and then I realized... I knew this place!!!  Replaying the video over and over, recognizing the exits and buildings on thevside of the road. The highway was clearly the I-15. The caption for the video simply read: Road trip, Utah USA.

My home.

I take these mountains for granted, and yet at the same time I'm super prideful about them! 

When I first moved to Utah Valley the mountains were super claustrophobic. Overbearing. I felt a little stifled looking up at them, wanting distance. Now, I crave them. They've become a shelter, a warm hug. A comfort.

Back in my BYU days I went to a free lecture for this author series at the library. This woman, who I had no previous knowledge of, had just come into town, never having visited previously. At BYU the campus sits close to the mountains. They're really strong and bold from that vintage point. And this lady could not get over it. She was overwhelmed. And even though we were in a small theater with no windows, she kept mentioning the mountains and how they were affecting her. She seemed more distressed than pleased.

I've grown to have mountain pride. When I travel I look at cute little hills, only to be told they're mountains. :\ 

Last March I visited St. George. The landscape was a mixture of greens and snow down I-15. A gentle transition from Winter into Spring. I've made this trip so many times I know the ebb and flow of it. This time I wanted to truly take in the scenery. I'm so use to mountains I no longer see them, but this time I wanted to see the hills and mountains, passing through small towns as the sign exits call to all the state and national parks that are scattered throughout Utah. This state is truly beautiful.

There's a movie called "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain". It came out in 95, and I saw it around that time, telling a story of the town Taff's Well in South Wales, where they had a mountain that turned out to simply be a hill, so they did everything they could to make it a mountain.

When I was on a bus tour in Wales, we passed by this mountain hill. The hill is called The Garth, close to Cardiff, and in all honesty it does like a hill! I believe the story is fictional, and I don't think it's an actual mountain, but it was equal parts interesting and funny to see.

Needless to say, I do love these mountains, and I'll always find them majestic.

Sarah

Road Trips are Good for the Soul: Southern Utah and Mesquite NV

It's nice to get away for a little bit.  Sometimes I wonder if there will be a day when Road Trips will be a thing of the past.  A nostalgic memory.  Hopefully not, but the thought pops up now and then.  There's something a little romantic about a road trip.  Hours on the road.  Stops here and there.  Tourist traps.  Figuring out what to listen to or talk about.  Little stops with hidden discoveries.  (One of these days I'll need to check out the Frontier Homestead State Park that's close to Cedar City.  I see the sign when at the gas station, but then always forget about it.  It's little things like that which make road trips interesting.)

On this trip, which I did last week, it was literally drive down to Mesquite, two nights with a day in the middle, and drive back.  Swim in the pool.  The temps were above 100, but it's a dry heat so not bad at all.  Saw palm trees.

Before going to Mesquite my Mom and I did a side visit to Springdale Utah, which is right next to Zion National Park.  That drive is amazing.  Every time my breath is taken away by the beauty.  Those red rocks and hills are gorgeous.

One of the fun things about road trips is trying out knew or unknown items from gas stations.  Pit stop snacks are the best!  The Korean BBQ chips were okay.  Classic taste with a little kick.  But those Bugles Churro chips were the best!  So, so good.

There's not a lot to do in Mesquite Nevada, unless you like gambling and golf.  The city is an hour-and-a-half north of Las Vegas, abouts, and a half hour south from St. George Utah.  When traveling to California it's a popular stop, as it's a good midpoint without dealing with the craziness of LV.  The prices are good.  The above meal from the Virgin River Casino is a tradition.  Prime Rib for only $8.99 with veggies, a baked potato, and a roll.  It use to be a couple dollars cheaper, but it's still a super good deal.

It's just nice getting away.

Sarah

Around the Mountain to Park City Utah

In the last year driving up to Midway Utah has become a treat, which started during the lock downs as a way to get away, and continued since as Midway is a delightful little town.  It now feels like a second home of sorts.  

Last Saturday my Mom and I took a drive to Midway, drove around, got snacks from the bakery, and then noticed a sign next to one of the many golf courses of a road leading to Park City.  We haven't visited in ages, and thought it would be fun to take this unknown path.

Oh My Goodness!!!  Pine Canyon Drive, closed during the Winter (according to Google) for a reason, was really nice, but a little scary as well.  There was a sign warning of switchbacks and the narrow road, which brought me back to memories of France.  Narrow roads can be a little nerve wrecking.

 

The scenery was lovely.  The mountains and fields still green from all the rain.  Temperature in the cool 70's/60's.  There were a couple stretches where the quaking aspen trees danced in the breeze, their leaves rustling and shimmering in song.

But there was a moment on the way up when the road did a nearly 180 switchback, the road really narrow, and then winding around next to a cliff drop.  It was at that moment I grabbed my phone, as my Mom was driving, and searched on maps for Park City's location: 9 miles in 30 minutes.

The drive was beautiful and I'm glad we did it once.

 

As my Mom said: One and Done!

 

:P

Hope you're having a great week,

Sarah