Just a reminder, you have one more day to enter the Summer Fun Pack Giveaway.
(For more information, and to enter, click the photo below)
This Is My Utah-Tooele
Introducing a new monthly feature focused on sharing YOUR Utah experiences...
This is MY Utah...
-Contributed by Jennifer B. of
What you didn't know about Tooele
I should preface this by saying I grew up with a very negative image of Tooele. Growing up in Orem gave me the default attitude of disliking anything outside of happy valley. (He he, just kidding J) By some mighty miracle, I got over this enough to move to Logan for college. I met my husband there and after two years of enjoying the college town life we realized we needed 'real' jobs and moved to Salt Lake.
At first, we stayed with my parents in Sandy. Both of us commuted to downtown. That was the most frustrating 80 min of each day (40 there and 40 back, because of all the lovely traffic). So we moved to Tooele.
Hold on a second, you say, isn't Tooele like a billion times farther away than Sandy to downtown? The answer my friends is no. Tooele is only 40 min from downtown. My husband commutes on a leisurely bus ride (with wifi) to and from every day. And guess what else? THERE'S NO TRAFFIC! Just a drive around the mountain with views of the Great Salt Lake and a freeway speed of 75 for half the way.
So now that I've convinced you to come out here, you're probably wondering what there is to do? Besides having a few awesome places to shop (I'm talking about the craft and antique places on the old part of main street) and to eat (Sotanza is the fancy place, but we have everything from burger king to Café Rio. Oh yeah, and Applebee's too) Tooele has a few fun, free, adventures.
Every Friday night during the summer there is a FREE concert in the beautiful park next to the local swimming pool (which has an awesome waterslide, by the way.) I went last Friday and the band was incredible. It's family friendly, so bring the kids!
Looking to be out in nature? Tooele has two awesome golf courses, one of which I live right by.
If you want to camp, there is Settlement Canyon (a beautiful place with a great fishing hole) or the FREE Middle Canyon. Some cool things about Middle Canyon? Not only do I live by it as well, but it connects to Butterfield Canyon on the other side. If you drive all the way to the top, you can look down into the Kennecott Copper Mine.
Here are a couple pictures of my ventures in the area:
Pretty cool right? I could go on all day, but I will tell you about one more thing. Every summer there is a play held at the Benson Grist Mill in Stansbury. It only goes on for two weeks, so it is a must see!
All-in-all Tooele is a great place to be!
Interested in sharing YOUR Utah? Email alocalwander@gmail.com for more information.
Interested in sharing YOUR Utah? Email alocalwander@gmail.com for more information.
Don't Forget...
...tomorrow I'll be announcing the details for
The Great American Backyard Campout Giveaway...
Beach Camping in Utah?
Camping in Utah can be as cheap or luxurious as you want it to be. If we need to look for a reason to be happy with 80% of the land in our borders being assigned as state or federal public land, it would be that campers need only look a few miles from where they are to find an affordable place to sleep for the night. Likewise, we have a number of private owned camping resorts and any level of outdoor temporary living you could possible desire.
Most of my camping experiences fall definitively on the "free is cheap" end of the spectrum. It takes a little work to find them, but the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest Service make available some of their most beautiful real estate for overnight accommodations. My absolute favorite?
Swasey's Beach
The town of Green River, at the Junction of I-70 and Hwy 6, is no one's first thought for a go-to destination. At least it never was one of mine. For a decade I thought the only thing they had to offer was gas and an Arby's. Then, two summers ago, I had once again under-estimated how popular Moab would be on a summer weekend and ended up backtracking in the dark to the Green River Motel 6. One night there was one night too many and my family was insisting we hang our heads between our legs and make a somber trip back home. We fueled the car, my husband hurried inside to pay, and Green River as we know it changed forever! The gas station attendant had let him in on a local secret-a camping spot so idyllic we might never want to leave.
Located north of Green River, and nestled up against the scenic Bookcliff formations, driving to Swasey's Beach is the only remotely stressful event you'll experience during your time there. Here are the reasons why:
Scenery
As the name implies, you're going to pop up your tent right on the sandy shore of the Green River. All around you the red rock formations southern Utah is known for will take your breath away. Little lizards make their home in the shade of the trees that shelter your campsite from the summer sun and different desert flowers color the landscape.
Because you're far away from the smog and city lights, the nights at Swasey's Beach are breath-taking. The entire depth of the stars in the sky twinkle above you and the shadowy outline of the surrounding rocks brings deep perspective to your size and place in the world. And while rain and stormy weather is not usually ideal for camping, I count it a privilege to have experienced thunder and lightening (and the downpour that comes with them) on such a beautiful stage.
Availability
Southern Utah can be a zoo in the summertime. Every time we get in the car and head to Swasey's Beach we assume that this will be the time we find no spot available. Every single time we are completely surprised to find maybe 3 or 4 other small groups in weekend residence. The place is NEVER busy. Sometimes our favorite spot is taken, but we've been spoiled to almost always have our choice of any spot on the beach.
Activity
Swasey's Beach is a take-out point for local kayakers and rafting companies. During the day small groups filter in off the water, back into their shuttle vans, and go on their way. If being on the water is fun for you, it would be no problem to drive up the road, put in, and end up right back at your tent's front door.
The beach along this section of the Green River is large and the river is calm. In normal weather conditions it is fairly comfortable and safe for kids to play along the shore. It makes for relaxing fishing and plenty of opportunity for reading, relaxing, and anything you and your family like to do together while you're camping. The rocks all around are an open invitation for hiking and there is pretty good mountain biking up the road as well.
Swasey's Beach is incredible. The bugs can be really bad, but insect repellent will take of that. The local rafters can be a little rowdy at night, but that's only happened to me one time. And the bathrooms are standard minimally maintained pit toilets. When you consider the price, however, (remember it's FREE) and the idyllic setting, and the quality time you'll have to spend with your friends and family, I fully expect to start running into you regularly.
Directions and Information:
Once in Green River, follow Main Street through town until you reach the intersection with Hastings Road. Turn left and drive approximately 8 miles. There is one wash area to watch for, but is navigable in a car. The official boat ramp and parking lot will appear on the left-follow the road a little further, around a curve, and you'll find the camping area on the left as well. Campsites are spread from the left of the bathrooms and parking area onward to the next curve in the road.
Come Camping With Me!
I have an invitation for you! I'm going camping and I want you to come along...WAIT...I know you might not live near me, but keep reading...it's going to be exciting!
Camping has always been a fun activity for me, my friends,and my family. Growing up I was a proud member of Campfire Boys and Girls and have innumerable memories of the camping trips I was able to participate in (most of the trips involved being soaked in the rain and eating food we thought was disgusting, but they still make me laugh and smile).
In high school my parents rented a group campsite at our local lake and allowed each of my sisters and I to invite friends for a weekend of outdoor adventure. It was a first camping experience for several of the kids who came along and we felt like the luckiest family on the planet!
And now that I'm grown? I still love camping! In my early (and poor) married days my husband and I made it a priority to buy quality camping equipment. It served us well while we were working and playing in Alaska and has lasted long enough to introduce our two little boys to the joys of sleeping outside. Living in Utah we have the ability to camp in the most amazing places and try to take the opportunity as often as possible.
That brings me to the invitation I teased you with at the beginning...
The National Wildlife Federation, REI, and KOA are hosting the 2011 Great American Backyard Campout on Saturday, June 25th. The Great American Backyard Campout provides an opportunity to support NWF’s work to return nature to childhood for the health benefits and for the fun of it! My personal memories of camping, as well as the joy of watching my little boys outside, inspired me to join the fun and I want you to share it with me.
So what do you do? Join the team at http://online.nwf.org/goto/campwithme. Then start planning your adventure and share the excitement with your friends and family. How fun to have a team spanning the entire state of Utah and out into other parts of the country! Participate on the team website or simply comment here that you'll be joining the fun where ever you are.
Then, the week following the campout, share your experiences on the A Local Wander Facebook page for a chance to win a gift to inspire you to spend more time this summer in the great outdoors (more information on the giveaway posted on FB June 24th).
The rest of this week I'll be sharing a few of my favorite Utah camping spots.
I look forward to seeing you out there!
The Central Utah Gardens: A Desert Oasis
I have a lot of stressful days. Days when I wish I could just find a place to escape and get away from it all. A few summers ago I discovered the Central Utah Gardens and instantly knew I'd found my retreat from the world.
Operated by the Central Utah Water Conservancy, the Central Utah Gardens are an educational facility focused on sharing water-wise landscaping information. Located on University Parkway in Orem, I expected to find a noisy road-side attraction, and so, was completely surprised as soon as I left my car. With lilting music piping out of the main building, the mood is instantly set for an enjoyable outing.
The Central Utah Gardens are a great place to take the kids as well. They've built two miniature homes with lawns to showcase the difference between a "normal" yard and a water-wise one. The houses are open for the kids to play in and have simple beautiful murals painted on the inside walls. Add the sprinkler feature, which showcases the many options for watering the yard, and your kids will be entertained for hours (mine were literally enthralled for at least 60 minutes).
Operated by the Central Utah Water Conservancy, the Central Utah Gardens are an educational facility focused on sharing water-wise landscaping information. Located on University Parkway in Orem, I expected to find a noisy road-side attraction, and so, was completely surprised as soon as I left my car. With lilting music piping out of the main building, the mood is instantly set for an enjoyable outing.
Walking through the gardens is relaxing. There are hundreds of colorful plants, grasses, and shrubs. There are a number of shaded paths and nooks where you can find yourself alone, reflecting, and enjoying the solitude. Unless you're specifically looking, it is entirely possible to forget the drone of traffic whirring by on just the other side of the garden walls.
The Central Utah Gardens are a great place to take the kids as well. They've built two miniature homes with lawns to showcase the difference between a "normal" yard and a water-wise one. The houses are open for the kids to play in and have simple beautiful murals painted on the inside walls. Add the sprinkler feature, which showcases the many options for watering the yard, and your kids will be entertained for hours (mine were literally enthralled for at least 60 minutes).
Throughout the summer the Central Utah Gardens offer classes for both adults and kids. They have a small ampitheater where they host free concerts, and they hold an annual Summer Festival to celebrate the coming of the season. Any one of these events are well worth looking into, and also keep this place in mind the next time you're dreaming of an afternoon retreat and get-away.
I know there are Water Conservancy Gardens across throughout the state of Utah.
Do you have something similar in your neck of the woods?
Do you have something similar in your neck of the woods?
Directions and Information:
The Central Utah Gardens are open May-September 8AM-8PM, and the rest of the year from 8AM-4:30PM. More information is available at http://www.centralutahgardens.org
Party, Party, Party!
I'm going to be bold and state that no place does a summer celebration better than Utah! Nearly every city or town digs deep in history and heritage to find a reason to throw a week-long party. And what does it mean for us? Endless hours of free entertainment, deliciously affordable food, and risk-free community involvement.
Here are a few of our favorite upcoming events...
Here are a few of our favorite upcoming events...
Best Free Food
Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days (June)
Free bowls of fresh strawberries and cream at most events.
100% worth the long lines!
Best Candy Parade
Payson Onion Days (September)
The key here is to grab a piece of ground in the historic downtown stretch of the parade route-unless you're sweating and toting a trumpet down the street, this is the closest you'll get to being "in" the parade. There is never a shortage of candy in this parade and if you're patient you'll hit the jackpot in a raining candy shower sprayed from farm machinery.
There are SOOO many more festivals going on throughout the state...All summer long I'll be posting activities in the "Happening This/Next Week" list on the left of this page. Follow the links on our Festivals and Celebrations page for more information on celebrations near you. And, tell me,
What is your favorite Utah town celebration?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)