Hi friend,
Here are the featured locations we want to tell you about this week!
This is the SECOND weekly email (June 6th-13th) to coincide with Lori's Bucket List-Summer 2021! We will highlight some more of the locations in the guide and give you extra information, tips & tricks to help you out. Invite your friends to sign up for these emails for FREE by visiting https://lorisbucketlist.com/subscribe/
You can click on the title of the location listed below to load the YouTube video where we visit the location, offering a sneak preview of what you can expect when you go. Clicking on the [GM] will load the Google Map location for easier navigation, and clicking on the [AT] will load the AllTrails information, if one exists for that location.
HIKE OF THE WEEK
“Draper Suspension Bridge” [GM] [AT]
This hike is also called the Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge and is an easy loop hike that is about 2.3 miles long in Draper, UT. We recently hiked this as we continue to prep for our Rim-2-Rim hike coming up in October. This is also a perfect trail to take BMX or mountain bikes on as well. You can park at Orson Smith Park and access the trail from there. There are also a ton of other trails up in this area that are perfect for hiking or biking.
MURAL OF THE WEEK
"Tunnel near McPolin Barn/Farm” [GM]
There is an awesome tunnel that allows you to go under Highway 224 (connecting Kimball Junction to Park City) from the East side bike path to the bike paths on the West side in front of McPolin Barn/Farm. The murals in this tunnel are so awesome and unique. We love pairing this activity with riding the E-bikes that I will share more below.
WATER ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
“Manila Creek Pond” [GM]
This has been a popular spot for our family to visit in Pleasant Grove, UT over the last 7 years since we learned about it in 2014. My kids call it “The Beach” because it has an awesome beach area on the south end of the pond. This is the perfect spot to visit with sand toys, SUP (stand-up paddleboards), kayaks, and other fun toys. They also keep this area stocked with fish so my boys love to bring their fishing stuff too. There is only a few trees, so it is best to bring a pop-up tent or umbrella for some shade if you plan on hanging out for a little while.
HISTORICAL/CULTURAL ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
“International Peace Garden” [GM]
With the Tokyo Olympics coming up, this location is a great place to visit with the family and introduce them to the cultures of other countries. It is so well maintained and organized so that you can visit a lot of different countries over a very short period of time. For a map of the countries that are represented there, click here. This was dedicated back in 1952 and is just so awesome to experience. It is like having our very own Epcot, right here in Utah.
NATURE ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
“Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve” [GM]
Recently one of the locations that I featured on a short segment for Fox 13's The Place, this is an awesome nature preserve up in Layton, UT that allows you to walk around some well maintained boardwalks to view the various sections and wildlife. There is also an awesome structure that you can ascend in the middle that offers great vantage points of the surrounding shorelands.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
Bike Rides
The boys absolutely love riding bikes around at different bike parks, dirt jump tracks, and mountain biking trails. There are also some awesome e-bike options where you can rent electric bikes and ride them around while you explore the surrounding area. We absolutely LOVE the e-bikes that are available up in Park City. You will need to download the Summit Bike Share app to your smartphone in order to rent the bikes, but the pricing is pretty cheap for the amount of fun that can be had. ENJOY!!
DAY TRIP OF THE WEEK
Cedar City, UT
For the day trip this week, we toward the Southern portion of Utah and share some of our favorite things to do in Cedar City, UT.
- “Utawesome Mural” [GM] We absolutely LOVE this mural that @_utawesome_ painted down near the Stratford Hotel in downtown Cedar City. It celebrates so much of the beauty that Utah has to offer and really just makes you say “Utah is AWESOME!”
- “Thor's Hideout/Lookout” [GM] [AT] This hike is accessible from the Thunderbird Garden Trailhead located near the golf course. It is a 3.2mi out-and-back (OAB) moderate hike that takes you to some of the most gorgeous views I have seen in southern Utah.
- “Frontier Homestead State Park” [GM] This is a state park located in the North part of Cedar City very near the golf course and the hike above. It offers some great historical information about the pioneers and homesteading that was done in this region of Utah in the 1800's.
- “Parowan Gap Petroglyphs” [GM] and “Dinosaur Tracks” [GM] These two awesome spots are located just 2 miles away from each other out on Gap Road, west of Parowan. While out at the Dinosaur Tracks, we even saw a giant eagle's nest on the rock wall to the north. It is such an interesting learning experience to behold the dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs in this area.
- “Three Peaks Recreation Area” [GM] Another fun spot northwest of Cedar City is this recreation area that offers some great bouldering opportunities for kids to hike and play around. We were also surprised to find that they had tons of bike and 4x4 tracks out here, a frisbee golf course and even an RC car track where you can race cars around. Such a great area to explore and enjoy with the family!!!
- “Old Iron Town Historic Site” [GM] This spot is another historic site West of Cedar City that has the remains of an old Iron mining operation. Since it is a historical site, it is well maintained with donations from visitors with a nice parking area, loop paths to the various sites that are easy to walk and navigate.
- “Lion's Mouth Cave” [GM] [AT] This hike is located near Old Iron Town Historic Site and is only 0.8 mile out-and-back (OAB) easy hike up to a cave with some more petroglyphs.
- “Thor's Tunnel” [GM] We heard about this great place to cool off East of Cedar City, but we haven't been able to go yet. This is a tunnel up Highway 14 (Cedar Canyon Road) just past mile marker 10, where you will want to park on the left side of the road at the second turnout near the mountain. You should be able to see the tunnel from the parking spot on the road. You can build a rock dam to build up the creek water running through this tunnel and just have some fun while also cooling off!!!
- “Cascade Falls Trail” [GM] [AT] This is a moderate 1.2 mile out-and-back (OAB) hike to the Cascade Waterfalls east of Cedar City, further up the Cedar Canyon from Thor's Tunnel.
Remember, all of these and about 250 more locations are available in Lori's Bucket List-Summer 2021 available now online by clicking here. As a member of this weekly newsletter email list, you can still get 50% off by using the code “lorisfablife50”.
Our ambition is to make it much easier for you to have the Summer Bucket List experience you always dreamed of with your family!
DREAM IT - PLAN IT- LIVE IT
