Bucket List Update!

Well, I have officially been in Salt Lake City for 2 months.

If you know me, you know I am a go-getter, a doer, a dreamer.  I want to see everywhere and everything, and of course, RIGHT NOW.  I do about a million things in one day and crash at 8 pm.

I am insanely high strung and set out to experience as much of this new landscape as I can.  I think I am doing pretty good so far!   I figured it would be fun to update you all on my Bucket List---what I have done so far and what I have left.

DISCLAIMER:  I have NOT made it to southern Utah yet.  Why you ask? All of the southern parks are NOT dog friendly (Zion, Arches, Moab, Bryce, Canyonlands) GRR.  Once I get a dog sitter squared away I will be chipping away at the national park list.


YOU GO GIRL:  When I get really homesick- I look at this list and think WOW- look at all the amazing things I have done in such a short time (some of these things I did my last trip here in February- but still).  I look at this list and go yes, I miss home, but I am out here living my life and loving it.  It took a leap of faith to come out here, but I am glad I did.  You see, the problem is, we think we have time.  But sometimes we don't or we get comfortable, or we just don't make the time to travel and do the things we dream of.  Well, I am so glad I made the decision to "Leave the nest" and experience life outside of New England.  So sit back and see what I have been up to.

THE UTAH BUCKET LIST 

Day-Weekend 

• Climb to the top of Timp- Mount Timpanogos- 7.5 miles each way (~9 hours)
• Planning this for tomorrow I think!

• Attend Mormon tabernacle choir - Sundays 8:30 am seating 
• Going to try to do this Sunday! 

• Drive Highway 12- through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park,

• Hike Ensign Peak

• Visit the Aviary 

• Ride in the Bison Round Up 

• Saturday Pioneer Park Farmers Market 

• Lavendar farm in Mona 

• Go to a rodeo:  Strawberry Days in Pleasant Grove (June 19-22) or the Spanish Fork Rodeo (July 20-24).

• Tour the State capital

• Twilight concert series

• Snowshoe Donut Falls

• Drive the Alpine Loop

• Wander Temple Square at Christmas

• See a Ballet West Performance

• Hike Mount Olympus    

• Visit the Kennecot Copper Mine

• Go to a festival: September Greek Festival, Princess Festival, Icelandic Festival, Freedom Festival, Scottish Festival, Orchard Days, Lindon City Days, Pioneer Days, The Echo 10 Play Festival, Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and the Festival Latinoamericano. So many festivals, so little time!

• Watch the 4th of July Fireworks- best spots Sugar house Park or Ensign Peak

• Float the river:   High Country Rafting

• Go to Christkindlmarkt

• Go to a Ute game (football or gymnastics)

• Sundance Film Festival

• Salt Lake City downtown Library

• Visit Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island

• Heber Valley Railroad

• Eat at Hectors

• National History Museum of Utah

• Ski Alta 

• Memory Grove Park

• Liberty Park

• Utah Olympic Park

• Snowbird in the Summer

• Snowbird in the Winter 

• Red Butte Garden

• Visit Temple Square

• Wasatch National Forest 

• Hogle Zoo

• Dive the Homestead Crater in Midway

• Swim in the Fifth Water Hot Springs 

Long Weekend-Week - MUST SEE PARKS AND MONUMENTS!

• MIGHTY FIVE:
• Zion National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Capital Reef National Park
• Canyon Lands National Park
• Arches National Park

• Dead Horse Point State Park,

• Scott Matheson Nature Preserve, 

• Colorado river (float trips and white water rafting),

• Manti-Lasal mountains 

• Cottonwood Canyons

• Dinosaur National Monument,

• Glen Canyon Dam (and Glen Canyon Recreation Area)

• Wasatch Mountain State ParkLake Powell

• The High Unitas

• Rainbow Bridge 

• Delicate Arch (3 mile hike)

• Grand Staircase-Escalante Natl Park, Calf Creek Falls

• Monument Valley & Four Corners 

• The Wave- Coyote Buttes Area 

• Spiral Jetty: 

• Bonneville salt flats

• Bear River Bird Refuge

• Great Gallery in Horseshoe Canyon a part of Canyonlands Natl Park. 

• Grand gulch

• Nine mile canyon

• Calf Creek Falls

Week + Out of state road trips 

• SLC to Yellowstone & Tetons  (summer) (~5.5) 

• SLC to Vegas (~6.5) 

• SLC to Jackson Hole (winter) (~5 hours)

• SLC to Yosemite (~10.5 hours)
• SLC to Grand Canyon (~ 9 hours)
• SLC to Denver, Colorado (7.5 hours)

• SLC to (fly) California --Napa, San Fran, LA, Drive the Coast!

Alright, time to plan some more adventures.  Stay tuned for a fitness "check-in" and schedule- because this started as a running blog... right? ;)