sunday drives have been something we look forward to each week. there's so much to see in utah, even if it's just a drive up through the canyon. this sunday parker wanted to take us to a place he had come with his family on a byu basketball game trip. "this is the place" heritage park, not to be confused with "this is it," which is what i kept calling it. it's where brigham young (not michael jackson) declared they (the pioneers) would settle in the west. learn more on their website. www.thisistheplace.org
the weather was gorgeous on sunday. it drizzled a little bit, but we didn't care. the park was empty, as the visitors center closes on sunday's at 4pm. it was us and a couple other families in the entire park. it was perfect. the kids could run around, they had the animals all to themselves. it was better than disneyland, at that moment. we saw horses, bunny's, squirrels, ducks, and ducklings.
the views up at the top of the mountians was breath taking. literally. you could look out and see the entire salt lake city and the great salt lake. nobodies feet got tired except tilley's. i was totally bummed that i didn't have my camera...and my phone had little battery life left. luckily it didn't die till the very end. i can't wait to go back and take a tour with the kids. my pictures from the windows, looking inside the structures, didn't turn out so well. i cannot think of a more fun thing to do this summer. actually i have lots places to visit all planned out for this summer. i hear utah in the spring/summer is amazing and i cannot wait.
the boys thought it would be awesome to pet these little ducklings by the pond. i told them i'd give them a prize if they could. there were 4 ducks, maybe they were geese i don't know and then about 10 little ducklings. once the boys would get close the ducks would make these hissing noises and would quack real loud. i had tears coming down my face watching them get close, then jump back as the mom's would hiss. it was hilarious! finally, little p singled out one mom to 5 ducks. his odds were better that way, and he ran up and touched one, then screamed "i touched one!" i literally almost fell over i was laughing so hard. of course then cons cried cus he didn't get to touch one. i had to explain how the mom's are really protective, just like their own mom is when she senses that her babies may be in some kind of danger.
most of the buildings had a story to them. and the majority of them were replica's. one had been re-located from temple square. it was good knowledge of some of our pioneer history. the kids wanted to read each sign as we got to them. they had tee pees, mud homes, wagons, and the school house was even open so we were able to go inside, and down in the basement. we were there for a couple hours, just running up and down hills, to and from buildings. i seriously cannot wait to go back. and to take my family there when they come visit.
