A Touch Of Tyrell

You'd think Utah was Hawaii for how many waterfall hikes there are! The kids and I did this hike this Summer (brought a picnic dinner & got locked out of the car!) and we thought it was super fun, so we decided to see what it looked like in the Fall.  So we drove the Alpine loop the opposite way I did earlier this Fall and Breckie snapped a couple pictures. The weather was really nice and the colors were wonderful. There is such a spiritual, healing element to nature... especially in it's prime.  I'm so glad I get to see this in real life now! I find so much joy here.  I had to piggy back Roxy almost the whole way down and about a third of the way up.  We enjoyed our time at the waterfall and then headed down before it got too dark.  It was all the way dark by the time we got back to our car. I'm so glad these guys are willing to adventure with me!

Last year a friend introduced me to a garden + boutique in Orem called Sun River Gardens. It's legit.  So I had to stop by on my way to drive the Alpine loop. This year has been really difficult for me emotionally and I like to take advantage of any opportunity for solitude. So a drive through the mountains was perfect.  *this is an arm-out-the-window-take-a-picture-while-driving photo.  I stopped at the summit and did a hike called Primrose Overlook. Again, It was a little too early for the Aspen leaves to change but it was perfect regardless.  A lot has changed between Jake and I in the last 2-3 years and sometimes it's just too much and I need to be alone.  It's a lot to process and it's overwhelming.  And sometimes nature can help to heal wounds.  From where I stood, I could see Mt Timpanogus, Heber Valley, and Midway.  I spent a lot of time up there soaking it in.  When the sun would shine through the clouds, it seemed as if I was seeing...

Last year, Fall started the last week in September... at least in the mountains.  So this year we made it a point to set aside lots of time that week for hiking. Turns out Fall came a little later this year... but I don't regret getting an early start! So this when some of the leaves just started to turn. Still breath-taking for a nature lover like me.  We hiked Scout Falls twice this summer when the water was flowing way over the rocks. It was still flowing, just not as much.  Some of the girls in our hiking group were a little disappointed at the lack of colors, but coming from a fall-less desert, it was amazing. Utah is the dream of all dreams for me. I really have found my place on this planet.   

Jake hiked Camelback with the Young Men one morning. I was a little jealous... except they did a sunrise hike and woke up at 4:30 😴 He said it was really fun, a little challenging but the views were amazing.  I really need to do it one of these Winters.  That evening Everett and I went on a mother-son date and went out to Frost. It's a REALLY good gelato place and we both got toasted marshmallow as one of our flavors! Like mother, like son.   

We decided to go on one last adventure before we went back to the desert.  Silverton. Just the drive there is an adventure. It's SO GORGEOUS and fills my nature & mountain loving heart to the top!  When we were almost there, we mentioned to the kids that we would stop in town and get some lunch before heading out on the hike. Breckie says: "I want Wendy's!!!"  Jake and I smiled big time.  There's no such thing as a chain restaurant... or chain anything in Silverton. It's all local and all awesome.  We ate at a BBQ place that was super good. My mom's cornbread and butter was like the most delicious manna from heaven possible! We walked in a few shops real quick and then promised the kids we'd walk back through after the hike.  It's a super popular hike (and it was a Saturday) so we had to park 3/4 mile away before we even got to the trailhead 😅 We didn't end up doing a whole lot of the hike, but we played in the river a lot and it was super...