Hike: Calf Creek Falls

I spent the last few days in Torrey, Utah. The weather was spectacular with clear, sunny skies and warm temperatures. On Monday and Tuesday I hiked to Calf Creek Falls with some friends who had all done the hike before but it was my first time. It's about three miles of mostly flat trail to the falls (six miles round trip).

The road from Torrey through Boulder, Utah was lined with gorgeous aspen trees with near electric yellow leaves.

The hike and the falls were gorgeous and next time I will pack a picnic lunch to eat next to the falls. A few brave souls swam in the freezing cold water but I only waded around in ankle deep water.

Instead, we treated ourselves to fabulous dinners at Cafe Diablo. The sweet potato and black bean empanadas were scrumptious!

A Day in the Country

Last month I had the opportunity to hit the road with a coworker to do some work in southern Utah. In fact, we hit nine counties and drove 700 miles in two days!

My coworker grew up in rural Utah and sometimes busts my chops about my 'city girl ways'. He was bound and determined to show me a slice of country life. Here's what I saw.

Here is the demolition derby car that I may or may not drive in the Wayne County demolition derby later this summer.

I was the only one that thought it was strange to be driving around town with a loaded rifle in the front seat of your truck.

I also was the only who thought it was strange to shoot a gun out the kitchen window.

People drive around town in souped up golf carts (apparently they are called rhinos, who knew?)

Even recreational vehicles look different down here.

I learned a few things about interior design.

And fashion design too!

Both of those previous images were taken at a family restaurant. Good times!

All kidding aside, the scenery was spectacular.

Camping: Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway

This summer we've been crushed with work responsibilities and as we looked at our calendar for August realized that summer was going to pass without us doing much in the way of recreating. So, last weekend we went camping down by Nephi along the Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway. GOR-GEOUS!

We set up camp and were surprised by the number of cows wandering around. I know, I'm a city girl, you don't have to mock. The funniest thing about the cows was that they started mooing very early in the morning which I found oddly hilarious. Ban dubbed them Nephi's roosters. We also saw deer, woodpeckers, the tiniest hummingbird ever, and early Saturday morning I heard something moving around our tent and couldn't resist the urge to have a peek. It was a wild turkey with three little turkeys in tow.

We did a few hikes and checked out Devil's Kitchen which looks like a small version of Bryce Canyon. We also got out on our mountain bikes and rode along a dirt road that climbed back into the mountains. The scenery was spectacular although the air was very thin at 9,300 ft above sea level. I was sucking air hard. But, the wildflowers, mountain views, and total solitude were worth every bit of exertion.