Field Trip Friday

I have started something new: Field Trip Friday! A couple Fridays out of the month I want to take a little field trip....kids activities, quilt stores, vacations. (I kinda already started with my memory grove post and canyon post.) It should be alot of fun; places in and around my community. I hope you enjoy it.

Highland Town Center Plaza

This is a great little spot in the town next to where I live. It is only about a 7-10 minutes drive from my house. We had so much fun, the weather was hot and the water was refreshing and cool.

It is free of charge, it has lots of grass, bathrooms and a few restaurants/fast food close by. It was such a great way to spend the afternoon.

Not only is there the circular fountain, but there is a waterfall and a very fun river. The kids had a blast jumping off the rocks and running in the river.

This is a brand new plaza so there is very little shade. I saw lots of families with beach umbrellas. I also brought lots of sun screen and applied often. I am excited to visit all summer. I have been telling all my neighbors about it. Do you have anything like this in your area?

Memory Grove Hike

On Saturday, we decide to drive up to Salt Lake City to Memory Grove. Adjoining the grove is City Creek Canyon: a beautiful canyon just east of Temple Square. The Canyon has a mountain creek that flows through it down to the grove. In 1999 a tornado hit the park and although no structures were damaged the park lost a considerable amount of trees. Since then Salt Lake City and FEMA have worked very hard to replace and rejuvenate the park.

The grove is absolutely beautiful. On any given day you may see all of the above: a bride and groom taking wedding photos, dogs splashing in the water and a family on a picnic.

Knowing the creek is right there, we bought along our tennis shoes and swim clothes to walk up the creek. The water was very shallow (great for kids) and fairly warm this time of year. Along the way there are several waterfalls we climbed up and a few archways we swam under.

Don't they look they are up to no good.

Yep! Pretty Much.

The sun came out in the afternoon and we loved spending our Saturday in the water.

Longest Arches in the World

#1 Landscape Arch 290 ft. long

While in Salt Lake, at my favorite doughnut shop, I picked up the local paper. Normally I don't read the paper, but a headline caught my eye. The Salt Lake Tribune had a fabulous article about Utah being recognized for having 6 out of the top 10 longest naturally created arches in the world. All 6 arches can be found in southern Utah a mere 4 1/2 hours from my house!

#2 Kolob Arch 287 ft. long

#6 Rainbow Bridge 234 ft. long

With all my big plans for the summer, I am totally adding a few of these ARCHES to my list of rockin' outdoor summer trips! What nationally (or worldy) recongized attractions do you have by you?

Getting Out of Doors

When I first met my husband "getting out of doors" in my family consisted of a campfire in the backyard and Oxbow Park. Growing up I was perfectly content with that, but now that I have boys of my own and a very "outdoorsman" type husband, I love to get dirty and enjoy more of what nature has to offer. I love the fact that my youngest in now old enough to really enjoy it and explore what Utah has to offer my "wild boys"!

If your family is at a place where you can get out-of-doors without coming home broken and bruised visit the National Parks Service to find some great family friendly spot to visit this summer. You can search by state, national park, kid friendly and more!! I know we are taking full advantage of everything this summer has to offer!