Enjoying the Scenery

We had the opportunity to spend some time outdoors this week, and I loved it!

*MUELLER PARK*

On Monday night, we went with my family up to Mueller Park. Mueller Park is this picnic/camp area in the Bountiful foothills. It is great because it is so close, it is beatiful (the mountains are thick with foilage), there are lots of places to hike, and they allow dogs. We hadn't had a cook out in the canyon all summer, so I wanted to make sure that we got at least one in before it got too cold. The night was so nice...a few of the leaves were starting to change and there was a slight crispness to the air. We dined on roasted hot dogs, chips and dip, and smores...it was delicious and everybody had a great time!

David with the dogs: Abby, Mookie, and Faline

Our family picture: Mike, Faline, and me

*OKTOBERFEST*

We went to Oktoberfest on Saturday with my family on grandparents on Saturday afternoon. This has been a tradition with the Swain family for as long as I can remember! This was Mike's first experience.

When I was younger, my grandparents brought my sisters and me each a dress from Germany. We thought it was so cool that we could get dressed up and look "authentic" while we danced to the German music and ate the food. Things have changed since then...we no longer get dressed in costumes and dance, but we still enjoyed the food, the scenery, and the time with family.

After lunch, Mike and I decided to take the Snowbird Tram. I had never been on it before, and he wanted me to see the view from the top. I have to agree with him - the views were amazing! You could look in one direction and see Heber, then turn and see the Salt Lake Valley. I think that we could have seen further, but it was very cloudy. The only problem was that it was FREEZING! It was about 45 degrees at the peak, plus it was windy and a little rainy. We stayed long enough to take a few pictures, then headed down the mountain.

This is the view looking west, towards Sandy. When the weather is clear, you can see the valley and beyond. This picture shows the clouds and the rain. It was cool to see it raining in the distance.

We also had the opportunity to go down to Beaver this weekend. Mike's cousin, Cory, just came home from his mission in Macon, Georgia, so we headed down for his homecoming. We had a great time visiting with Mike's family. Congratulations, Cory!