Red Butte Garden

I have been to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre many times for concerts but I have never actually seen the gardens before.  Sean and I decided to visit yesterday and we spent a wonderful morning wandering around.  There are lots of different themed gardens and both Sean and I decided that our favorite was the Fragrance Garden (it smelled really good).

Red Butte Garden has over 50 different plants that are particularly suited to the growing conditions in Utah and I especially enjoyed the purple coneflowers.

Some of the many structures throughout the gardens.  Each area had benches and even swings tucked into little nooks where you could sit and relax.  We sat on a few of these benches and it was so peaceful and relaxing, especially when there was a breeze.

The landscaping in the gardens has won many awards.  Sean really liked the pattern in this garden.

There are streams (Sean took my picture while I was standing on a bridge crossing a stream), ponds, waterfalls, and other water features throughout the garden.  I loved listening to the water!

In addition to the paved walking paths around the gardens, there are also five miles of hiking trails through natural areas in the foothills of the mountains.  Sean and I took a bit of a wrong turn and hiked a lot more than we had bargained for (hence the reason we sat for a little while on a bench) but it was so beautiful with meadows filled with wildflowers.

There are many whimsical sculptures placed throughout the gardens.  These are Sean's favorites!

To get to Red Butte Garden we drove east on 400 S. (which eventually becomes 500 S. and then Foothill Drive) and then we turned left on Wakara Way and followed it all the way to the parking lot in front of the Visitor's Center.  It took about 25 minutes to get there from my house in Bountiful.  The garden is open seven days a week from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Due to Covid-19, entrances into the garden are staggered every 30 minutes and you must reserve your entry time online (go here).  Tickets for adults are $14.00, seniors (age 65+) are $12.00, and children (3-17) are $7.00.  Both Sean and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit (I want to come back in the spring) and I highly recommend it!

Note:  As previously mentioned, I love seeing concerts at Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre!  I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Natalie Cole, Crosby, Stills & Nash,  Time for Three with the Utah Symphony, and Howard Jones (twice).  I miss outdoor concerts!

Ophir Historic Site

Marilyn and I have become quite fascinated with Utah history, especially its mining history and all of the ghost towns that were produced when the mines dried up.  There are quite a few of these ghost towns and we have decided to see as many as we can.  Yesterday we went to see the remains of the gold and silver mines from the late 1800s in Ophir Canyon.  It didn't really seem like an actual ghost town because most of the buildings have been restored and moved to one centralized location but it was really interesting.  There are usually guided tours on Saturday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm during which you can see inside all of the buildings but the tours have been suspended due to Covid-19.  You can still walk around on your own and it was fun to see a post office, various homes, a train, a shoe shop, an ore wagon, and a school.

To get there go west on I-80 and take exit 99.  Drive through Tooele and turn left at SR 73.  You will drive through the canyon until you come to the small town of Ophir (people still live in this town and there are lots of No Trespassing signs and No Parking signs that you need to be respectful of).  The historic site is in the middle of the main street and there are places to park above and below it.  It took us a little more than an hour to get there from my house in Bountiful.  You can go here for more information.  It was a quirky little place and I think it might be better to wait until the tours resume to get more out of your visit.

Note:  I think Utah has some really cool places in the middle of nowhere!

The Vanishing Half

The Barnes & Noble Book Club selection for this month was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I love a good generational saga and I found this to be a fascinating exploration of identity. Identical twins Stella and Desiree Vignes live in a small town called Mallard in Louisiana. It was founded by a former slave who was given land after the Civil War by his former owner and biological father. Each generation is lighter than the last and the Vignes twins have creamy skin, hazel eyes, and wavy hair. However, they still experience acts of discrimination and are traumatized when their father is forcibly taken from their house and lynched. They run away to New Orleans at the age of sixteen and, even though they are inseparable, their paths diverge in dramatic fashion. Desiree marries a dark-skinned man who abuses her and she eventually returns to Mallard with her daughter. Stella gets a job in an office by passing for white. She marries her boss and moves to California with him without telling her sister. She lives a life of luxury and privilege but is terrified that her husband and daughter will find out the truth about her past. Their paths converge again when their daughters meet twenty years later. Desiree's daughter Jude, who has been ostracized as a dark-skinned girl in a town that values light skin, is attending UCLA on a track scholarship with the hopes of becoming a doctor and Stella's daughter Kennedy, who has had every advantage, is adrift and acting in a low-budget production at a local theater. Both sisters must face the consequences of their actions and come to terms with how their choices have affected everyone in their lives, especially their daughters. I found it interesting that while both sisters are trapped by their choices, Desiree has limited opportunities in her hometown and Stella is plagued by loneliness and fear, only one sister finds happiness. The narrative is told from multiple perspectives and, while I didn't like some of their actions, I found all of the characters to be incredibly sympathetic. There was a virtual discussion with the author last night via Facebook which was fantastic (although I really miss the interaction with my local book club members and can't wait to see them again). We talked quite a bit about the title which, at face value, is about the fact that the twins lose a piece of themselves when they are separated but Bennett also spoke about the fact that almost every character loses part of themselves as a result of racism, classism, abuse, gender, and even disease. Many also asked about the ambiguous ending and, although it really bothered me at first because I wanted more resolution, I can now appreciate the fact that these characters must continue on the path that they have chosen. It is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking story that couldn't be more timely and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Next month's selection is Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland.  It sounds really interesting and I am excited to read it!  There will be a virtual discussion (have I mentioned that I miss interacting with my local book club?) with the author via Facebook on Aug. 4.  Go here for more information.

Fourth of July in Hanna

My sister Kristine and her family are spending the weekend at their trailer in Hanna and they invited my sister Marilyn and me to come up on Saturday to celebrate Independence Day.  It was so much fun and so relaxing!

The campground where they stay is one of my favorite places!  I love it when the wind blows through the trees and I love how blue the sky is!

We played card games, read our books (at one point there were four of us reading by the fire), went on a run to the general store for treats, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and sat around the fire until Marilyn and I had to leave!  It was wonderful!

Sean makes the best s'mores!

Of course we had the traditional flag cake!  I have made it every year (with a few exceptions) since I was about seventeen!  We had a great holiday and I hope you did, too!