Bonneville Salt Flats

We are doing our best to find random state-bound activities while we are social distancing.  What better place to social distance than the Bonneville Salt Flats?  Basically we drove an hour and a half west of Salt Lake, and just shy of the Nevada state line we pulled over to check out the salt flats.  They really are as cool as they look in pictures.  It seems so vast and desolate.  It IS so vast and desolate.  The kids just started walking away with no real goal in sight, and I wonder how long they would have walked away if I hadn't wanted to take a picture of them.  

They noticed that the salt left patterns in the surface that looked like tiles and they played a game of chase where they had to follow the same path as the person in front of them.  

My mom drove down from Smithfield just to explore with us.

McKenzie wanted to get some gymnastics time in and practiced her handstands and cartwheels across the flats.

 

The salt stuck to our shoes as we walked, and since it was just slightly wet the kids were able to make little salt men with it.  

We found a little pond that felt very smooth, but it coated the kids in a thin layer of salt that sparkled in the sun.  

After we had explored for a bit, some of the Rogers joined our fun.  

We tried to get a picture of all of the kids jumping at the same time, but it simply was not going to happen.  

After we were done exploring this crazy alien landscape, we drove just a few minutes further to find the Bonneville speedway where so many land speed records have been set.  I don't know what I expected, but the only difference between where were playing and the speedway was that this spot had a sign.  There were no other indication that this was where these rocket cars would race. 

I'm so glad we made it out there.  It was simply such a random adventure!

Maguire Primroses

My mom had one last hike up her sleeve before we left Smithfield.  The Maguire primroses had also bloomed and as they only bloom for a few short weeks a year, we went hunting for those too.  They were almost on their way out so we had to look carefully, but we did find those pretty purple blossoms.  

We hiked all the way up to second dam where we climbed trees and had stick races in the river. 

 

Daxton loved observing as he walked.  He found the largest dandelions, round leaves, pointed leaves, heart-shaped leaves, and spiky leaves.  

McKenzie loved looking for little hideouts that were scattered along the trail.  

Kelton wanted to lead the hike and was up ahead the entire hike.  That kid never got tired.

Cambrie...Cambrie...Cambrie...what is there to say about Cambrie....nothing (just kidding!  She wrote that.)  She actually sanded down her staff while we walked.  By the time we were done it was incredibly smooth.  When we got home she finished it with mineral oil.  It could almost pass for a real wizard's staff now.  We are just missing a giant magical orb on top.  No problem.  These were such perfect little hikes while we were away.  I love Logan mountains!

While visiting the fam

When we weren't hiking, we were hanging out, visiting cemeteries, and making treats.  On Sunday we took the kids to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's grave.  They had been part of the Zoom funeral, but I wanted them to physically be part of the experience.  I love the two souls buried here.  

We walked around the cemetery admiring other headstones and listening to histories of the Cache Valley settlers that my mom shared with us.  Daxton and Kelton collected dandelions.

On Monday the cousins came over and we rode bikes up and down the road.  

We finished off the evening with some Disney Dole Whip ice-cream.  If our knock-off stuff tasted that good, I can only imagine what the real stuff in Disneyland tastes like!  

On Tuesday, Cambrie, Camille, and Hannah worked with polymer clay and made adorable snakes.  Cambrie is incredibly lucky to have such artistic aunts!

  

The beauty of Cache Valley

We weren't done hiking for the day.  We joined up with the Johnsons and went up the other side of creek up Smithfield Canyon and walked until it was time to turn around.  

All of the kids found staffs and they spent the whole hike practicing their spell casting, "Aloft elovar!" "Wingardian leviosa!" "Accio ____!" and many others.  Cambrie was leading the charge and I'm pretty sure that in addition to the spells from "Onward" and "Harry Potter," she made up some of her own.  Somehow all of their staffs actually made it home.  

Grandma with her explorers.

We didn't linger long after our hike because we had to meet Camille and Jake up at the Dry Farm.  Jake's family are some of the original settlers of Hyde Park and still own quite a bit of land above all of the development.  They have a "shed" up there that has bunk beds, benches, some picnic tables, and a grill.  While Jake grilled up some delicious burgers, the kids ran wild over the property.  The view from the shed was so beautiful.  Everything in Cache Valley is green right now and looks so alive.  

Cambrie made flower crowns for the girls.  Oh my heart.  

The kids wanted to climb a neighboring mountain, so up they scampered.  

Getting down the steep mountain was harder than climbing up, but everyone made it without injury.  

We finished off with some delicious s'mores.  

Being up there just stilled my mind and healed my heart from the chaos of the last couple of months.  I am so grateful that they invited us up.

Let's go to the Utah mountains

Surprise!  We are in Utah.  

After being trapped at home for nearly two months, we needed a change of scenery.  The kids and I packed our bags and drove out without telling anyone but my mom and Leesa.  During the drive I couldn't help but notice that while Cambrie may now be as tall as my mom, she hasn't changed much in nine years. 

 Our first day my mom took us up Smithfield Canyon where we could hopefully still some of the glacier lilies in bloom.  It was almost like new life had been breathed into my kids as we hit the trail.  Everyone was so happy, so relaxed, so extremely happy to be doing something besides being stuck in the house.  The Thurstons went hiking with us and Graham Cracker brought the biggest smiles to my girls' faces.  

Even though we missed the peak, we still found some the beautiful lilies! 

Up in the meadow we found a tree swing that was so much fun that all of the kids kept hoping on and off taking turns over and over.  

At one point I looked away from the swing and saw my four kids disappearing into the woods.  I was so happy to see them playing and exploring.  If our tummies weren't calling for lunch, I'm not sure how long we would've stayed up there.  Cambrie found a stick that looked a lot like an alphorn.

Daxton found this enormous stick on the trail and insisted on carrying it all the way to the car.  He never complained, so I don't have any complaints.  We had to shorten it to fit in the car, but it started the weekend of perfect staff hunting for my kids.