So,
we have to figure out where to go, what to see around here, to feed
that spoiled rotten beast inside of us that demands us to hit the
road yearly, monthly, weekly. Usually.
Because
I knew this would happen this year, I made a rule that whatever we do
around here would have to have some new component to
it. Something that we have never done or seen before, just to keep it
fresh and still very much interesting. I always feel like a tourist
when I visit some place new, and see it with fresh eyes, even if it's
just 30 minutes away from my doorstep.
With
this makeshift plan in mind, we headed up to Big Cottonwood Canyon,
to hike around Silver Lake. It's a very easy hike, but
at over 8000 ft in altitude it's still challenging for me. I think
it's about a mile long, a complete loop around the lake. The beauty
of nature is undeniable, the freshness and crispness of the air, too.
The only downside to the whole experience is that it's very crowded.
It's right off the Big Cottonwood Canyon highway, and right off the
parking lot. Very small kids and people in wheelchairs are on the
path, too. It can feel very claustrophobic, despite the big, wide
open valley you're in. Definitely not a place to 'get lost' in
nature, 'cause you'll have plenty of companionship.
Silver
Lake was our destination for the day, but we started off by having
lunch at an old favorite, Silver Fork Lodge. We needed the
energy for the hike, you see. I love everything they make, and the
place will always stick with me for having the best trout for
breakfast. That's how you truly know you're in the
mountains, right?! It's my second favorite place around here (besides
Sundance) for log cabin living, too.
Coffee table in the waiting area of Silver Fork Lodge
This
time, because it was lunch time, I got the vegetarian burrito which
did not disappoint – I hate sweet potatoes, but this burrito had
them and they were delicious. I think The South did me in for sweet
potatoes, because all the ones I ever had there were wreaking with
butter and sugar. But these were just simply baked, wrapped in a soft
tortilla with rice, black beans, jalapenos, chili verde. It was
fiery and delicious. The portions are pure insanity here, so you'll
eat for five people.
The giant burrito lunch
We
headed to Silver Lake next, the beauty of nature around us juxtaposed
with people's conversations about how they'd like to shoot the moose
we were seeing, 'to have enough meat for a year' (you know,
just in case Macey's and Fresh Market and Smith's
Marketplace are closing down and famine is on its way), and 'how
'bout this Brexit thing. The Euro is not even real money'.
As
hard as it is to un-hear all this, it's easy to ignore it,
while you're looking at mountain peaks still covered in snow, crystal
clear waters, happy moose, clueless that people are ugly and mean,
beautiful, fragile dragonflies with wings of lace, chasing one
another in the sun, hoppy potguts looking for grub, fresh wild
flowers kissed by the sun. I am happy that my feet take me places,
still, and my heart is strong enough to keep them going. And people –
they will always disappoint. But nature seldom does.
Dragon fly around Silver Lake
Moose are amazing, impressive creatures. Their massiveness alone is a thing of wonder, and beauty.
After
spending a couple of hours just walking and shooting this beautiful
place, we headed to another old favorite, Solitude resort. The
name is fitting. It resembles a resort in the European Alps, and time
really stands still here. The air, even, is still here. It's like
you're listening for someone, a person or a creature to breathe, and
there is nothing. Life, moments are just suspended in air. Still and
unperturbed. Ultimate aloneness.
It's fitting that the Solitude staple is a giant clock. You would have no idea, otherwise, that time is actually passing.
We
had a “snack” at Honeycomb Grill in
Solitude, another eatery we love, right at the bottom of the
chair lift. I had this unexpected concoction named “gazpacho
blanco”. It was an almond soup base, with cucumbers, olive oil,
avocado and lime, garnished with a giant grilled prawn. It was like
nothing I have ever had before – light and smooth and frothy and
very summery. Think a little heavy on the lime.
The gazpacho blanco, at Honeycomb Grill.
Calendaristically,
summer has just started, but with the wave of heat we've had for the
past three weeks or so, I feel like it's (or should be) almost over.
I am wishing every morning for more adventures like these, where we
take in nature and good eats right here, at home.
I
wish you all plenty of days of sun, cold sprinklers and foamy waves,
ice cream and chilled soups, crisp, tan skin, ripe tomatoes and cool
cucumbers, frosty margaritas and starry nights under a soft blanket
where you wish for love, luck and everything in between.
Silver Lake, Utah. Click on the picture for the whole album from this weekend adventure.
