Fall Drive: Big Cottonwood Canyon

I continued my fall foliage tour of Utah by going somewhere a little closer to home.  I can be at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, a popular ski destination, in less than 30 minutes.

I think the canyon is beautiful any time of year but particularly so during the fall.  I love the yellow quaking aspens against the green of the pine trees.

I drove to the top of the canyon and hiked around Silver Lake.  It was beautiful and, because it is a relatively easy hike, it was so relaxing.  Is there anything better than the smell of pine?

The weather has been so beautiful this weekend!  My fingers are crossed for next weekend because I have two more destinations on my fall foliage itinerary!

Fall Drive: Nebo Loop

Today I decided to go on another scenic drive to look at fall foliage.  This time I picked the Nebo Loop which begins in Payson and ends in Nephi.

Payson is about an hour from where I live and it took me about two hours to drive the entire loop.  It was definitely worth it!

The colors were absolutely spectacular!  My pictures do not do it justice!

Utah Lake is in the distance.  There are lots of beautiful overlooks on this drive.

Some breathtaking views of the Wasatch Mountains from the top of Mt. Nebo which is the tallest peak (11,929 ft.).

I highly recommend the Nebo Loop to all of the locals.  It is worth the drive from Salt Lake City!  Trust me!

Fall Drive: Alpine Loop

I absolutely love this time of year!  I love the cooler weather, wearing sweaters, caramel apples, football, bonfires, corn mazes!  But what I love most about this time of year is the changing leaves!

I had today off from school so I decided to go on a fall drive to see the leaves.  Luckily I have a plethora of choices for fall foliage but I picked the Alpine Loop.  It is an absolutely beautiful drive that starts in American Fork Canyon and eventually ends up in Provo Canyon.

It has not been a very good week for me.  My students have been taking mandatory tests and, needless to say, they have hated it so they have been pretty uncooperative.  That makes me irritated which only makes everything worse.  I really needed to unwind and the best way to do that is to head to the mountains!

I really love the stands of yellow quaking aspens (especially in contrast to the pine trees) but I think the red leaves are so dramatic!

I took a little detour from the Alpine Loop to go to Cascade Springs and take a hike (another thing which helps me unwind).

I doubled back to the Alpine Loop and headed to Provo Canyon.

It was gorgeous!  Every time I rounded a corner on the twisting road I had a spectacular vista!

I had to stop at every single pull-out on the road!

When I got to the mouth of Provo Canyon I made a stop at the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls.

If you are local, I highly recommend the Alpine Loop!  The leaves are spectacular and the weather is going to be gorgeous this weekend!

When Good People Make Bad Decisions

For September my book club selected The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  Lately I have been reading a lot of books (both fiction and non-fiction) about World War I and, I must say, I have become quite fascinated with that era.  This book takes place just after the war.  Tom Sherbourne is tormented by his actions during the war and craves the solitude of keeping the lighthouse on Janus Rock, an uninhabited island off the coast of western Australia.  The lighthouse not only helps sailors find their way at sea but it also helps Tom rediscover his moral compass and he is meticulous about performing his duties.  Eventually he marries Isabel and brings her to the island where they are happy until she suffers two miscarriages and then delivers a stillborn baby.  Shortly thereafter, a boat washes up on shore with a dead man and a tiny baby inside.  Isabel takes the baby to her breast and forms an immediate bond.  She convinces Tom, despite his misgivings, to keep the child as their own.  Tom knows that this decision is wrong but acquiesces to Isabel's wish and grows to love the baby they name Lucy.  Years later, when Tom and Isabel return to the mainland, they learn of the devastating consequences of this decision.  I absolutely loved this book!  The story is so compelling and I found myself identifying with both grieving women as well as the man trying to navigate the murky waters between right and wrong. I almost couldn't bear to finish because one family's gain would lead to another family's loss with no easy answers.  However, I would highly recommend this book.  The descriptions of the island are incredibly vivid, giving the reader a sense of both its beauty and desolation.  The characters are wonderfully complex and you can't quite bring yourself to condemn any of them for the things they do.  Stedman does an incredible job capturing the time and place, especially depicting the sense of loss and moral uncertainty just after the war.  This is a story you won't soon forget!





Jordanelle Camping Trip 2012

Every fall my family takes the motor home up to Jordanelle State Park for a camping trip.  It is one of my very favorite camping spots because it is beautiful and relaxing and it takes less than an hour to get there!  Marilyn and my parents went up last Friday and I joined them Saturday afternoon.  To say that we had a lot of fun would be an understatement!

Marilyn and I made dinner in the dutch ovens again.  Marilyn made her meatloaf with potatoes and gravy (recipe here) and I made my cherry chocolate cake (recipe here) for dessert.

Everything tasted delicious!  We want to try some new recipes this fall!

I think my favorite part of camping is making a big bonfire and sitting around it all evening!

This picture kills me!

Despite the fire we were pretty cold.

Yeah.  We know that we are dorks (especially my Mom with her snuggie).  In the morning we (when I say we I mean Marilyn) tried a new dutch oven recipe called Mountain Man Breakfast.

Pour some oil in a 12 inch dutch oven that has been placed on about 20 charcoal briquets.  Pour two packages of hash brown potatoes into the dutch oven and stir until brown.  In a large bowl, beat 18 eggs with a bottle of bacon pieces.  Add over the hash browns and let the mixture cook until the eggs set up (it took quite a while).  When the eggs are set, sprinkle the top with a package of shredded cheese (in whatever flavor you would like).  Place the lid on the dutch oven and heat until the cheese melts.  This was seriously delicious!

Even though it was really cold and windy, it was great being down by the water.  I think watching the waves hit the beach is so relaxing!

Sunday night my Dad barbecued hamburgers and we made another fire.

This trip was so much and it was very difficult for me to leave (especially since my parents were staying for two more days).  I waited until the last possible moment to drive home.  Consequently, I got very little sleep before I had to wake up bright and early Monday morning and I was extremely tired all day!  It was worth it!

 

Here are some pictures from our previous camping trips to Jordanelle.

2011

 

2010

 

2009