Bonneville Salt Flats

I have always been fascinated by the Bonneville Salt Flats.  I have seen this area on the way to Wendover many times  but I've never stopped to explore it before.  I convinced Tashena to take a drive out there yesterday (she is a really good sport) and I thought it was so cool.  The Salt Flats were formed when Lake Bonneville, which covered much of western Utah and extended into Idaho and Nevada, slowly dried up.  As the water evaporated, salt deposits were left in many areas.  It now includes over 30,000 acres stretching between the Utah-Nevada border.  It was really interesting to walk on the salt because it was like an alien environment (it reminded me of the planet Crait from The Last Jedi) and it was so flat that you could see for miles and miles in any direction.

The best place to view the Salt Flats is at a rest stop about 10 miles from Wendover on 1-80 W (it is really easy to find because you are basically in the middle of nowhere).  There are restrooms and water is available (including a water spray station to wash the salt off your shoes).  From this viewpoint, you can walk out on the salt as far as you want but driving on it isn't recommended (we saw a car get stuck while we were there).  Visiting the Salt Flats is something that I have always wanted to do and, because most of my summer plans have been canceled, I decided to indulge my whim.  I don't really recommend driving all the way out there if it is your only destination (it was a two hour drive from my house in Bountiful) but it is definitely worth a stop if you are traveling west.

Weekend in Hanna

Last weekend I had the chance to go up to Hanna to stay with Trent, Kristine, Tashena, and Sean in their trailer.  I had such a great time!  I love being in the mountains and it felt so good to be out of the heat in the valley.  In the afternoon Tashena and I took the side by side on an adventure higher up in the mountains and it was so beautiful!

After four-wheeling on several trails, we had barbecued burgers, corn on the cob, and melon for dinner.  I think everything tastes so much better outside!  Then we sat for hours beside a giant bonfire (my favorite part of camping).  It was wonderful!

The trailer is so cozy and I stayed up far too late reading (I finished my book).  In the morning we had bacon, eggs, and pancakes!

It was another successful camping trip in Hanna!

Note:  My sister has a labrador retriever puppy named Ebony.  She is so adorable!

She provided endless entertainment!

Sunflower Festival at Cross E Ranch

I have always really loved sunflowers because they were grown on the farm I grew up on in southern Ontario.  I loved them because the stalks were always so much taller than me (they still are) and the flowers seemed so happy as they followed the sunlight.

When I found out about the Sunflower Festival at the Cross E Ranch I immediately booked a ticket and I went yesterday afternoon.  Leave it to me to pick a day that was rainy to see sunflowers (there wan't rain in the forecast when I booked the ticket).

The sunflowers are located on a 14-acre patch and there are over 20 different varieties to explore.  There are rows and rows of sunflowers and, even though there were lots of people there, I always felt completely isolated and hardly saw anyone else.

You must book a specific entry time online (go here) because the entries are staggered to help with social distancing.  You will be given a one hour window to enter and then you may stay as long as you want.  The Cross E Ranch is open Monday-Friday from 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (it is closed in the afternoon) and 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

The price for tickets is $9.95 per person 3 years old and up (0-2 years old are free) Monday-Friday, $12.95 per person during the daytime on Saturday, and $14.95 per person after 7:00 pm on Saturday (for sunset viewing).  Professional photography is allowed as long as your photographer has purchased an admission.  This would be a great place for family photographs.

The price of admission includes a free bloom that you can cut yourself.  When you enter you are given a pair of cutters and a pail of water to keep your blooms in as you wander around.  It was a lot of fun trying to decide which bloom I wanted to cut.  When you exit they will trim the leaves and wrap it up for you.  You can purchase additional blooms (a single bloom for $2.00, a half dozen for $11.00, and a dozen for $20.00) and you can also purchase really cute galvanized containers for your blooms.

The address of Cross E Ranch is 3500 N. 2200 W. in SLC.  It took me about ten minutes to get there from my house in Bountiful.  There are lots of signs and you will be directed to drive on a dirt road to a large parking lot.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Sunflower Festival and I highly recommend it.  Go here for more information.

Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Silver Lake is one of my favorite places to go in the fall but, like every other person in the state of Utah (my sister and I took a drive along the Alpine Loop over the weekend and, because all of the parking lots were full, there were lots of cars parked along the side of the road which made the narrow switchbacks a lot of fun to drive), I am finding great solace in nature so I decided to go there yesterday.

I went early in the morning so there were very few cars up the canyon and only a few people at the lake.  A man was fishing with his two adorable sons, who were between three and five years old, and when I asked if they had caught anything as I walked by they excitedly squealed that they had caught two rainbow trout!

Silver Lake is near the Brighton Ski Resort at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.  There is a large parking lot right by the trailhead.  A boardwalk extends into a meadow and then continues around the lake shoreline.  On the far side of the lake the path becomes a dirt trail but it is very well maintained.

It is a really easy hike that is just under a mile and the majority of it is flat with a boardwalk.  There are even a few benches along the boardwalk near overlooks with display boards giving information about the wetland ecosystem.

On the other side of the lake there is a dirt path with a few changes in elevation but it is really easy to navigate. I loved walking through the forest and I saw quite a few little critters.

I loved being in the mountain air and it felt so invigorating to be hiking again.  It has been a while and I want to continue now that I have more time.

To get to Big Cottonwood Canyon, take the 6200 S. exit on I-215 and follow the signs to Brighton/Solitude.  Silver Lake is right at the top of the canyon and there are lots of signs.  It took me about an hour to get there from my house in Bountiful (I was slowed down by a bit of construction just before Solitude Ski Resort).  I enjoyed this hike immensely and I highly recommend it, especially for kids or for people who want a nice leisurely stroll through beautiful scenery.