One More Day

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

Introducing a new monthly feature focused on sharing YOUR Utah experiences...

This is MY Utah...

-Contributed by Jennifer B. of 

A Book, A Girl, A Journey

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.

The Clock Starts Now!

(A special edition "Clock Starts Now" this week.  As always, check out the list of events on the left of this page for great ideas to fill your weekend!)

Great American Backyard Campout Giveaway

I've been writing and mentioning all week about this great event meant to inspire you and your family to get into the great outdoors.  For more details about the campout, check out this post.

And now, as promised, a fun summer giveaway to inspire your outdoor adventure:

The Prize:

1-Nightize Innovation L.E.D Light-Up Ultimate Frisbee Disc
1-Deluxe Camper's Compact Hammock
2-Extension Forks (i.e. extendable weinie/marshmallow roasters)
All the makin's for great S'mores

Details and How To Enter:

This giveaway is being hosted both here at A Local Wander and on the blog Wandering Still.  That's great for you-extra entries! There will be one winner from all the entries between both blogs.

Giveaway begins 12:01 AM on 6/24/11 and ends 12:01 PM on 7/1/11.

Mandatory Entry:

(for all entries be sure to leave best email address to contact if you are the winner)

Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite camping spot.

Oodles of Bonus Entries:

~Follow A Local Wander on Google Friend Connect 

 and leave comment here that you did.

~Follow Wandering Still on Google Friend Connect 

and leave comment there that you did.

~Like A Local Wander on Facebook, 

come back here and leave comment that you did.

~Like Wandering Still on Facebook,

 come back here and leave comment that you did.

~Upload a photo of your favorite Utah camping spot to A Local Wander on Facebook 

(No need to comment, I will add 2 entries for each photo added)

Winner will be chosen by random selection process after entries are combined from both blogs and Facebook pages. Notification will occur within 48 hours of giveaway ending and winner will have 48 hours to respond with mailing information or another winner will be assigned.

Don't Forget...

 ...tomorrow I'll be announcing the details for

 The Great American Backyard Campout Giveaway...

Ever Stayed In A Yurt?

These may be the coolest camping option Utah has to offer!

 The 8 yurts are located in two of our state parks and will sleep up to six people.  

Have you stayed in one? 

 I definitely want to and would love to hear your stories!

Directions and Information:

Located in Rockport State Park and East Canyon State Park (both northeast of Salt Lake City).   

Rental fee is $60/night and may require a $200 deposit.  Inquire when making reservations.

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.  

Note: I have not been to Swasey's Beach yet this season.  With rivers across the state running high and fast, please use caution if heading down there in the next few weeks.  Conditions may be more dangerous than they would normally be.

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 Clock Starts Now!

It's Friday and we all deserve a break!  

Take a look down the left & find something fun to do,
 or join an activity we've highlighted below.

Let us know how you're going to make the most of the next 48 hours...

The weekend starts...NOW!

Fun on Friday

Look for open-air concerts and entertainment all across the Wasatch Front. 

 We'll be at the Sandy Ampitheater with Human Nature.

Free Is Better

Remember the Central Utah Gardens?  

Check them out tomorrow at their Summer Festival.

Or Get Out of Town

And Something Different For the Family

KSL Family Fair & Utah Foster Care Sidewalk Chalk Festival at the Gateway in SLC

It's going to be a beautiful Utah weekend!  How are you going to make the most of it?

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.

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?

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

View Larger Map

The Clock Starts Now!

It's Friday and we all deserve a break!  

Take a look down the left & find something fun to do,
 or join an activity we've highlighted below.

Let us know how you're going to make the most of the next 48 hours...

The weekend starts...NOW!

Free On Friday?

Free Admission on Friday, 6/10
Mountain Man Living History Camp 6/10-6/11

Free Summer Concert-Ryan Innes

Culture or Cowboys?

or

Or pack the schedule with everything we're doing...

Moosebutter and Magic at Art City Days tonight,

the WW Clyde Balloon Fest bright and early on Saturday in Springville,

followed by the Art City Days Grand Parade.

Then, on to Orem Summerfest

 for an afternoon of family entertainment,

and wrapping up the day with their Night Parade and Fireworks Show.

I can't wait to hear what you plan on packing in this weekend!

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...

Best Free Food

Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days (June 15-18)

Free bowls of fresh strawberries and cream at most events.  

100% worth the long lines!

Most Free Stuff

This event does have a small entrance fee, but the swag you get just for entering pays you back and more!  Full-size makeup items for mom, books, cookies, and more for the kids.  There are loads of free activities and a movie throughout the day.  Each entrant gets tickets for prize drawings, and, of course, if you've got the cutest kids, there is even more in store!

Best Candy Parade

Payson Onion Days (September 3)

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?

The Clock Starts Now!

(Our new Friday Feature)

It's Friday and we all deserve a break!  

Take a look down the left & find something fun to do, or join an activity we've highlighted below.

Let us know how you're going to make the most of the next 48 hours...

The weekend starts...NOW!

Free on Friday?

Rooftop Concert Series in  Downtown Provo

Kids or Kid-at-Heart?

Kick off summer with the Eagle Mountain Pony Express Days Grand Parade!

Got Your Water Wings?

Saturday, June 4, is Utah Free Fishing Day!

(click the link above for community activities state-wide)

Education & Fun Hand-in-Hand?

Concerts, Literacy Activities, Food,  Something for Everyone!

And, as I've mentioned all week, tomorrow is National Trail's Day.

Get out on one of my favorite hikes...

Battle Creek Trail (PG Rec Center is hosting a Family Brkfst & Hike)

Stewart Falls

The Devil's Kitchen

The Wave

...or browse the American Hiking Society's list of  

National Trails Day Events happening here in Utah.

I can't wait to hear what you find to do this weekend!

Why Not Walk to Arizona?

In honor of National Trails Day, coming up on Saturday, June 4, this week I'll be sharing 5 of my favorite Utah hikes.  Please feel welcome to share some yours with me!

The Wave 

(Paria Canyon/Vermillion Cliffs & Coyote Butte Permit Area)

There is a place called "The Wave" just over the Utah border into Arizona that I read about in Reader's Digest a long time ago. Only 20 people are admitted into the entirety of the parks listed above per day with only two options for getting permits: Gamble on a 4-month advanced purchase lottery OR drive all the way down to Kanab to camp out at the BLM office and elbow your way past two smelly hikers to get the last available day-of, walk-up slots.  The first time I went there the lottery was just a dream.  Instead the option was to glue yourself to the park website three months in advance and not blink at midnight when the open slots were posted. After three months of lost sleep and clicking "refresh" on the millisecond, an available slot appeared and I grabbed up the five remaining permits for the far-off month of February.

It was totally worth it!

Getting to Kanab from wherever you are is only the beginning of the journey (I'd recommend getting to Kanab the night before your hike so you can get up bright and early ready to make tracks in the wilderness).  A relatively luxurious 40 miles on the highway leads to an 8-mile long dirt road that leads to a sandy wash that leads to your destination.  The hike to the Wave itself is 6-8 miles depending on whether you go over or around the obstacles in your way.  The BLM provided map is labeled "moderate" but the cartographer's view of moderate may have been dreamed up behind a desk somewhere. Well, okay, it is a long hike, but a long hike on slick rock so not as hard as it could have been (if you've never hiked on slick rock, I'd highly recommend getting out and trying it!). 

Speaking of the map-it's more 1900's wagon-train than 2000's GPS technology.  Straight from the BLM office, the map I was given consisted of only 6 photos and 6 white arrows. The brief description of the photos said, "When you are standing here and can see this, look at the next photo and head towards what you think might be it in the actual landscape around you." I am not exaggerating. I was carrying the xerox pages around looking like a fool, until I figured out that a friend had glanced at them, committed them to memory, and could almost assuredly get us the rest of the way there (he did, and I'm willing to rent him out if the people in your group are navigationally challenged) 

The Wave truly is AMAZING!!!!! The colors change as the sun moves throughout the day and the striated sandstone changes shades of red, yellow, & green as the day passes by. Sometimes the rocks look like they've been smeared with ketchup and mustard and other times like they've been spray painted in pastel pinks. Depending on what time of year you go the landscape could also be enhanced with small amounts of remaining snow and green plant life, making it even more beautiful no matter where your eye lands. And because you're only of 20 people inhabiting thousands of acres, there's very little chance of another human soul marring your view. 

Hiking to the Wave can be a possibility for almost any hiking ability.  It's a serene place to sit and ponder, but blink twice and the adventurous and daring in your party will be slithering across thin sandstone ledges 100' in the air and jumping down into the narrowest of slot canyons. Pictures will never compare to what your eye will see and you'll forever be able to point at Grandma's calendar and ramble on telling her about the day when you were there. 

Directions and Information:

The directions, maps, and information for this hike really are comically bewildering.  Rather than add to the confusion by giving directions based on my own blurry memories, I'm going to link you directly to the BLM websites you'll need...

General Information:  North Coyote Butte-The Wave

                                Vermillion cliffs/Paria Canyon, Coyote Buttes Permit Area

Lottery Info and Form:  How To Obtain a Permit (The Wave is In Coyote Butte NORTH)

                                    Obtain A Permit (4-month advance Lottery, $5 non-refundable fee)

Map Source: http://www.zionnational-park.com/map-paria-canyon.htm