Utah is a great place for those who are interested in outdoor activities. During the winter you have snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow camping, and of course over 13 great ski resorts to choose from (have I mentioned the world’s best snow?), and in the summer there is boating, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, rock-climbing and so much more. There are fantastic National and State parks and so much to do in between.

If you are looking for a great place to get away for the morning or afternoon and maybe want to do some fishing, or take a quick hike with your family, Silver Lake is a great option. It is located just 14 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon, which is just a short jaunt from downtown Salt Lake City. Near the base of Brighton Ski Resort (or personal favorite) you can take one of the easiest hikes in Northern Utah and catch some beautiful scenery along the way.

Did I mention it is easy? So easy in fact I feel a little bad calling it even a hike. BabyTravels who has a few months yet until she turns two was able to walk the entire distance around the lake, stopping only to ooh and awe at rocks, fish, and stomp in muddy puddles.

The hike is a circle around the lake and begins at a visitor’s center that during the summer has indoor plumbing (and if you come in the off-season they have outhouses located just adjacent to the visitors center). For two-thirds of the path you are actually on a boardwalk over the marshland and the other short part is a dirt path. For at least the two-thirds with a boardwalk it would be wheelchair accessible, the other part may be too rough.

There are also more hikes and trails you can take that fork off of silver lake that are longer and more challenging. It was our first time and we really want to hike to twin lakes so we are planning another trip for next time and will throw BabyTravels in a hiking backpack.

If you are looking for a quick trip to the mountains to enjoy 20 degree cooler weather this summer, Silver Lake is worth looking into.

BabyTravels playing at Quail Lake Reservoir

We frequent the Saint George, Utah area quite often, at least six times a year. Most often these visits happen during the summer. For those of you who are not familiar with Saint George, Utah it is a popular place for Northern Utahns to visit. It’s about a four to five hour drive and it’s located in Southern Utah right before you cross the canyon into Nevada on your way to Las Vegas or Southern California. It’s also a popular stopping point for those traveling to the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell or Zions National Park.

It’s the perfect place for a quick get-away because it has sun, plenty of outdoor activities including hiking, rock climbing, four-wheeling, and lakes. It has outlet shopping, some good restaurants, a lot of historical sites, and much more.

We visit often because Reid’s parents live in a small town near there. For us it’s just a short fifty-minute flight and all of a sudden we are in the midst of 114 degree weather. But we don’t complain, because warm weather means boating, a day on the lake, and a nice tan (or sunburn). Maybe a little bit of good Thai food as well. We love it.

This time we went down for a family fiesta. Not quite a reunion but more of a gathering where laughter was shared and memories were made. There are few moments in your life that when you look back on you wish with all your heart to be back. To be back there savoring the moment and the situation because you know it will end all too soon. That’s how I feel when I look back on this past week.

There was a point when I stepped away from it all and found a quiet secluded picnic table to feed the baby. I sat and watched my neices and nephews play and Reid race his sisters in the water and thought to myself, this is what life is all about. Can I just pause this moment and make it last forever? I guess that is why they invented cameras.

I love food. But not any just food, food that creates different sensations and evokes new feelings and memories. Food that brings people together and encircles them in quiet conversation and relaxed laughter. This is definitely the experience we had this past weekend while visiting Southern Utah. Benja Thai is one of Reid’s favorite Thai restaurants. He frequents St. George often for work or to visit his parents. This time BabyTravels and I accompanied him to visit his parents over Easter weekend.

We decided to go to Benja for lunch with the promise of curry and coconut rice. Who could resist that? It was beautiful, the restaurant is relaxed enough to take your wife, mother and baby for a lunch get together but fancy enough to take someone you are trying to impress. The food is reasonably priced, delicious and had excellent service (which was important because I needed my curry in a hurry!).

We ordered the Pad Thai and two orders of yellow curry. The Pad Thai was sweet and spicy and was enough to put us in a trance. But the real show was the yellow curry. Reid got his a level 6 spicy (out of 5) and we got ours a level 3. I would say a level 3 was perfect- I tried Reid’s and my eyes immediately began to water, yet it didn’t seem to phase Reid one bit. The combination of being able to smell the spices of the curry and then taste them created an all out senses euphoria. We were in a heavenly daze as we slurped noodles from the Pad Thai and enjoyed the curry. But the REAL show stopper was the coconut rice and mangos. By FAR my all time favorite dessert served at Thai restaurants and really it was what I was looking forward to most. The coconut rice was sweet and rich with the perfect texture and the mangos dipped in the coconut cream? Still having dreams about it.

I definitely give these restaurant five stars for flavor, service, price and the smile I had on my face as we left. Don’t miss it if you are in Saint George, Utah or passing through on your way to Zion’s or the Grand Canyon.

Sometimes living in Utah we tend to overlook the mountains of our great state. While people from around the world flocking here to get a taste of our fresh Utah powder, we’re complaining about all the snow we have to shovel off of our driveways.

I have a friend from out of state that happens to be one of those flocking to Utah. Actually, the highlight of his year is his annual trip to the Wasatch Front. So naturally when he came into town a few weekends ago our plans were centralized around the mountains, more specifically, Solitude Mountain Resort. Solitude is a local favorite that prides itself with short lift lines and plenty of terrain to enjoy. 

After taking some warm up runs on freshly groomed, wide open trails, we headed to the more adventurous edge of the resort and found some hidden powder stashes left untouched from the previous week’s storm. The snow was great, the staff was super friendly, and due to a bad fall by my friend, we found out first hand that the ski patrol and on mountain clinic were great too.

Solitude truly has a wide selection of terrain and although the mountain has plenty of runs that suit the beginner or intermediate skier, it has some steeps that are sure to give even most advanced skiers an extra dose of adrenaline. If the in-bounds terrain isn’t enough of a challenge, Solitude offers a program called Backtracks, a guided tour that takes you out of the resort’s boundaries and into the untouched Wasatch back country.

Seriously, the hype that surrounds utah and it’s claim to the greatest snow on earth is true. Visit www.skiutah.com to schedule your trip and check out Solitude and Utah’s 12 other world class ski resorts.

I do have to note an exciting rumor that I recently was made aware of that In-N-Out will be soon joining us in the Salt Lake valley. A bitter sweet feeling really. In-N-Out is more than just a fast food place to me, as it will be seen here. It’s nostalgic from growing up in California and working there to pay for my college. It’s something that I don’t get that often that when I do- I appreciate it more. But oh well- I love In-N-Out that much that I just don’t care. Welcome to Utah!