Saturday, October 17, 2015

Wadley Farms, Lindon, UT


 October 17th at Wadley Farms, Lindon, UT.

Most people who have seen Wadley Farms probably only know that it is a beautiful place to hold a wedding reception. The vineyards are for more than just a nice backdrop. During fall you can go pick grapes, but they aren't the kind you will find in the produce section at the local grocery store.
This late in the season, the grapes are incredibly sweet and many of them have already turned into raisins on the vine. The manager will hand you some buckets and pruning shears to pick as much as you would like. There are several varieties, so we started at one end and move along the vineyard to get all the different types.
On Mondays you have the option of having your grapes cold pressed into juice or you can just take them home to enjoy them. We opted for the latter. If you are just brining them home, bring some bags to put them in after weighing the grapes, as bags are not provided.
We all helped out washing the grapes and removing them from the stems. We ran them through our juicer and then ran the solids through the juicer a second time to get every last drop out. What came out wasn't what we expected at all. We didn't filter it so we ended up with more of a nectar instead of the grape juice that you find bottled in stores. It was some of the sweetest, most delicious grape juice that we had ever tasted.
The whole process was a lot of fun and we will definitely be going back next year.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 7
Difficulty: 0
Cost: $1/lb of grapes or $6/bottle of juice
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Friday, October 16, 2015

The Albion Meadows and Cecret lake, Alta, Utah

The Albion Meadows basin starts at the very east side of the Alta Ski Resort. It is a maintained path that is primarily used for hiking and mountain biking. Right now the meadows are the typical fall colors, but during spring and summer they are covered in a variety of wildflowers.
There are a number of side paths that will take you up the slopes on the sides of the basin. There are also 2 paths that you can take to connect up to the Cecret Lake trail. We recommend taken the western trail, as it will take you through a shaded pine grove with a beautiful little stream that you would miss otherwise.
The Cecret Lake trail is fairly gentle until you get to the slope just under the lake. The switchbacks ascend roughly 450 feet in about .25 miles. Since it is a short hike, it is also very crowded. There is plenty of room to pass people, so you don't ever feel like you'll be squeezed off the path. The lake itself is a beautiful blue green sitting at the base of a mountain peak. You can explore all the way around the lake and climb up on some of the boulders that have rolled down the slope.
If you have little kids, you should probably just take the road up to the Cecret Lake trail head. If you have older kids and are looking for a bit longer hike, start at the Albion Base and hike the whole thing. You are exposed most of the way, so bring plenty of water and sunscreen. The hike from the base is a total of 5 miles out and back with around 1500 feet of elevation gain.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 8
Difficulty: 6
Cost: $0
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Cornbelly's. Lehi, Utah

Cornbelly's is a fall/Halloween themed event that happens every year at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT. During the day it is geared towards little kids and turns a lot scarier at night and is designed to keep the big kids entertained. We started off by going straight for the main corn maze that covers several acres. We spent a good half an hour getting lost in the Minion themed maze, but eventually made it out.
There are life size foosball courts, apple cannons, giant slides, and toned down haunted attractions. The hayride is included with the general admission and takes you around the grounds to see some of the farm area.
On your way out you can buy pumpkins and other Conbelly's merchandise. Be prepared for long lines and a lot of little kids. Since it is located between Salt Lake County and Utah County, it brings in a lot of people. Overall, it isn't worth the cost or time, especially for kids over 8. There are several other family owned pumpkin patches that offer similar attractions without the crowds for a lot less money.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 4
Difficulty: 0
Cost: $10/person with coupon code

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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Provo River Falls and Mirror Lake, Kamas, Utah.

October 10th, 2015 at Provo River Falls and Mirror Lake, Kamas, Utah
‪#‎unplugged‬ ‪#‎terrysweekendadventures‬
The Mirror Lake Highway begins in Kamas, Utah and goes all the way up to Evanston, Wyoming. The falls are 24 miles east of Kamas, Utah up the highway, which follows the upper Provo River almost all the way up to where it starts in Wall Lake. As you go up the highway, you can see a change in the type of rocks that make up the mountains. The sides of the mountains look like bricks have just fallen off of them and made enormous piles that goes all the way to their flat tops. Because the rocks have broken up like that, it makes for a very cool hike up the Provo River Falls. Instead of just on big waterfall, there are multiple little falls that look as if they are running down staircases. There are small, sub 8 foot cliffs, that you can climb, but be careful of the wet areas that are extremely slippery. During the spring, the canyon gets very full, but during the late summer and fall you can get down in the canyon. Because the water is so low, it creates pools that have tiny fish.
We walked and climbed about a quarter mile up the canyon and then came back down the opposite side. We didn't even notice that there was an obervation area to overlook the largest cascade until we were nearly back to the parking lot. We recommend skipping the touristy observation area and look at them up close.
Mirror Lake is only about 15 minutes up the highway, so we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon there. There is plenty of parking and camping around the lake, so finding a spot for us wasn't difficult at all. The main parking lot is only about 200 feet from the lake and there is an very easy path that you can take that circles the entire lake. Part of the path is a boardwalk that takes you over some marshy grasslands. Walking at a leisurely pace will only take about 30 minutes to get around the lake. There are also signs for several other trails that will take you out into the woods and surrounding area.
We tried our hand at fishing and caught a lot of moss. Fishing is supposedly good in the lakes along the highway, but we didn't manage to catch any. It didn't look like anyone else was having any better luck so it could have just been the time of day.
On the drive home, we saw a number of deer right next to the highway and one that nearly was hit by the car in front of us. The highway also goes through an open cattle range, so watch out for the livestock. This was by far the most fun we have had at any waterfall so far and look forward to exploring the rest of the Mirror Lake Highway.
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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Oktoberfest at Snowbird Resort, Sandy, Utah

Oktoberfest ‪#‎unplugged‬ ‪#‎terrysweekendadventures‬
October 3rd, 2015 at Snowbird Resort, Sandy, UT
Snowbird Resort has activities year round and every year from Labor Day until the second weekend in October, they celebrate Oktoberfest. There is plenty to do even if you aren't a beer drinker. We went up to try some authentic food and see the canyon. The Oktoberfest Halle is filled with traditional Bavarian music and the smells of traditional German food and beer. We wanted to try everything, but ended up ordering the Jager Schnitzel, Weisswurst, Goolash, Apple Strudel, and Black Forest Torte. It was all amazing. It was fun to see the people dressed in lederhosen and drindl, dancing to the live polka music.
We decided to take a tram up to the summit of hidden peak which stands at 11,000 feet. It was drizzling at the base, but that quickly changed to snow as we ascended. During the summer months you can hike down, but we didn't come prepared for a long hike. The funnest part of the ride was just after passing the towers, where the tram would drop and swing.
Once we came back down, we took a short walk on a path that parallels Little Cottonwood Creek and takes you to an observation deck. You get a clear view of most of the canyon from there. The kids went off the trail a ways and found a shelter that someone had built out of branches and small trees.
Many of the attactions were closed due to the weather, so we will have to go again next summer to ride them all. There is a Peruvian Chair Lift, which is a two person seat that zips you part way up the mountain and back down again at high speed, a mountain coaster, an alpine slide, and bungee trampolines. We also plan on hiking down from the summit next time.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 10
Difficulty: 0
Cost: $5 for parking. Anywhere from free for hiking to $48 per person for an unlimited pass.
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Saturday, September 26, 2015

Cascade Springs Trail, Midway, Utah

Sept 26th at Cascade Springs Trail, Midway, Utah ‪#‎unplugged‬‪#‎terrysweekendadventures‬
This amazing little treasure is hidden about 9 miles from the summit on the Alpine Loop Highway. It only takes about 30 minutes to hike the entire area and is great for anyone who has mobility issues, as the entire area is wheelchair accessible from the lower parking lot. There are three main pools the dozens of tiny waterfalls connecting them. Signs say that the ponds are home to brown trout, but we weren't lucky enough to see any. There were plenty of leaves on the ground that the kids picked up to take home for tracings. The most amazing part, aside from the gorgeous fall foliage, is the fact that the entire system seems to come out of nowhere. As you get to the top of the trail, the water just seeps out of a dirt embankment and turns into a pretty large stream. The trail closes at dusk and it gets dark earlier up behind the nearby mountains, so make sure to plan accordingly.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 6
Difficulty: 0
Cost: $6 (Forest entrance fee)
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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Timpanogos Cave National Monument, American Fork, Utah.


Timpanogos Cave National Monument, American Fork, Utah.
 Sept 12th, 2015
The Alpine Loop Highway is only 45 minutes from home and has a lot of great places for outdoor entertainment. Although we have lived in Utah for over 15 years, we still hadn't gone to Timpanogos Cave National Monument, which is really 3 connected cave systems, until today. The trail is paved the entire way and is only 3 miles in and out, but it is steep and gets tiring. There is over 1000 feet of elevation gain in the 1 1/2 mile ascent. There is little shade in the afternoon since the entire trail is on the northwest face of Mt Timpanogos. There are benches to rest on scattered along the trail, but there is nowhere to fill up a water bottle if you run out on the hike. It is amazing to think that the caves were discovered back in the late 1800's when some brave souls were logging all the way up there. You really get a sense of the elevation after exiting the cave tour. The tour itself is about 45 minutes long and is fun and informative. The guide was great and was taught in a way that kept everyone engaged. The kids loved walking inside a mountain, ducking under stalactites, and twisting through the little passages. Overall, we would recommend this to everyone.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 9
Difficulty: 6
Cost: $7/person for the cave tour. Forest entrance fee is waived with tour
Make sure to check their website for the most updated info.
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