A Traditional 4th…just how I like it!

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday.  I am pretty sure it has to do with my hometown of La Porte, IN having a great spectacle every year, but I found myself in the middle of a traditional celebration this year in Utah with a few variations.

T-Rex at Utah's Hogle Zoo

First up on Friday, Utah’s Hogle Zoo…but not before taking time to donate blood at ARUP.  My boyfriend, Shawn, joined me for the first time on my 8 week tradition, and after feeling like he was visited by a vampire, I’m not sure he will be joining me again.  I do commend him for giving it a shot but understand that it’s not for everyone.  Luckily, I am not as in tune with my own body to realize I’m not firing on all cylinders following a donation…I just get excited for the treats that follow and the big dinner I take in later – more to follow on that!

The zoo was a zoo, literally!  Kids out of school, Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend…you get the point.  The Hogle Zoo has a dinosaur display, Zoorassic Park, that was really cool.  The roaring

Amazing Colors!

T-Rex was effective in frightening some of the small ones, and the spitting raptor made for great water fun on a hot afternoon!  I particularly enjoyed seeing the tigers, giraffes, gorilla and elephants, and the peacock put on an amazing display of colors right on cue!  A few hours dodging strollers and trying to stay hydrated led us to Ruth’s Diner up Emigration Canyon – a Salt Lake City classic!

Ruth's Diner - yum!

Remember the blood donation, this is where the big dinner comes into play!  Two juicy burgers with onion rings and fries, please!  And don’t forget the cold beers to enjoy on the lush patio that started filling up by 5pm.  At some point, Shawn resorted to playing with his food…a side effect of being a few pints low and a pint in, perhaps. 🙂  After a bit of a rest, we rode bikes to Downstairs to check out the music of Bryon Friedman, a local favorite, and hang out with friends.  This was our first real night downtown since moving to Park City, and the 3:30am bedtime signified that it was a success!

Mid-Mountain Trail

The car got parked Friday evening, and the rest of the weekend was a true hybrid, bike and foot, starting on Saturday with a ride from Deer Valley to Park City Mountain Resort on the Mid-Mountain Trail.  We passed a friendly moose grazing on the knee-high foliage and pondered how quickly he will grow with the abundant greens this year. Taking the bus to Silver Lake eliminates some intense climbing, but it was still a great workout traversing Park City at 8,000 feet.  So great in fact that we both went back on Sunday for take 2 with some slight variations.

The Canyons Resort

With so many trails nearby, it is hard to ride the same route twice!  I felt all that intense riding as we pedaled to The Canyons on Sunday night for the fireworks show with a few thousand friends. Watching the traffic in and out helped me forget about my tired legs and be grateful that I wasn’t in the car queue!

Main Street Parade

Monday morning – the 4th of July is finally here!  It was a cloudy, humid morning for Park City with a few sprinkles here and there, but the rain held off most of the day.  We were late to the party and walking down main street as the jets flew overhead.  Retreating to memories of my hometown, I was overcome with emotion and my eyes filled with tears.  This was a common recurrence for most of the parade keeping the sunglasses on no matter what!  There were marching bands, horses, service men and women, and even trampoline acrobats on skis…everything necessary for an independence day parade.  The afternoon was filled with friends, beer pong, brats, pizza and wings – truly American.

Heart-shaped Fireworks

The grand finale fireworks were super grandiose viewed a football field length away from the launching pad!  With a blanket spread on the concrete parking lot and the rain finally coming down, we snuggled up to enjoy the lights, booms and sensitive car alarms surrounding us.  The show was fabulous…we walked home, hit the hot tub and called it a wonderful holiday weekend – top 5 for sure!