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June 7
We decided the forecast was perfect for a trip to Thanksgiving Point, a new town north of Lehi that has a large public garden in one location w/golf course nearby. Next to the freeway is a commercial touristy area that is a fun place to shop, enjoy a meal or watch glass art being created. Large multi-story, newly built commercial buildings are either full of small company headquarters or are still under construction within sight of the freeway. Most of the housing seems to be on the other side of the freeway. Construction wise it is a very busy place. We opted to visit the Gardens, with its beautiful headquarters building. Along with office space for the development there is a restaurant & gift shop with interesting items for your garden decorating. As you begin the 2 ½ mile walk through the Gardens, there is a nursery. We had the opportunity to buy tulip bulbs at a greatly reduced price. They had been dug up after their May Tulip exhibition. People were scooping them up by the bagful. Great fun & we probably have about 40 tulip bulbs for $9. The Gardens will be better as the years go by, I’m sure. The trees, & there are many, are half-grown. The annual flowers were all newly planted within a few days before our visit. Because of all the bad weather everything that needs planting has been delayed. So the various beds of thousands of geraniums, impatiens, petunias, etc., were in their infancy. The perennial bushes that bloom about now were robustly blooming. There weren’t many of those. The large grassy areas were immaculate. They have a very large, man-made, multi-waterfall that is quite nice. Lots of seating areas, very peaceful & perfect weather for walking through. We then drove over to the art glass building where Gary watched an art piece being created while I shopped for that perfect piece of art glass. Didn’t find it, but it was so very interesting. After dinner in Provo, we headed for the coach.
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We will never tire of the stunning beauty of the snow-covered mountains. These are west of the freeway facing the majestic Wasatch Mountains on the east side of the freeway.
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The cluster of shops full of delights & restaurants & art galleries that are the heart of Thanksgiving Point. The light colored dirt in the background is all the earth that has been disturbed to create this new town. It is like a sand quarry. There is sooo much dirt being moved around as they build the business infrastructure just behind this cluster of buildings.
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The Gardens of Thanksgiving Point. This poppy is the size of my outstretched hand. Vibrant orange/red petals surround a center the color of eggplant. The sun is so very bright that it distorts that center color and reflects itself in the petals.
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The veggie that most do not want to eat-kale. Shown here in its delicate coloring. Looks like a bride’s bouquet. Well, sort of.
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Look closely & you can see this determined & hungry bumblebee taking a sip from a tiny blue flower.
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Another great view of those Wasatch Mountains. This time from the Gardens’ pathway.
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These tiny blue flowers are just starting to bloom. They are smaller than a penny. I have seen them growing wild in Montana.
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Dark cloud overhead, dark picture. The golf cart on the right side of the pic has brought a family of six to a picnic site. You can rent a golf cart or a Segway if you wish to get about the Gardens that way.
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A Chestnut tree’s spring bloom. It is approximately 10” tall and about 5” wide at the base. Quite the show-stopper. The younger blooms have a deeper pink that gradually fades as the bloom matures.
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This female goldfinch was busy pecking around to find just the right seed.
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This sculpture, so perfectly placed, was a delight.
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The merry-go-round with horses of branches, with greenery filling in the shapes. This garden is a bit maze-like. You’ll be walking a path when you see an intersecting path that takes you to a rather hidden ‘surprise’.
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The man-made water feature has several waterfalls of differing heights & widths. A pathway leads you to a second level behind these falls. That has different falls & pools. Quite nice!
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Do not know what these exuberantly blooming bushes are, but they sure were pretty!
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A fancy iris catches my eye. Lovely, ruffled petals of a color that brightens your day. Her companions are shown below.
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These wonderful medium blue iris with their yellow & white centers are really irresistible. Yummy stuff! These were the end of the Garden pathway. These Gardens were different from other public gardens we’ve visited. Usually we see more inventive bedding arrangements and more diversity of plants. But, this has been a hard winter/spring in Utah & we think they are doing the very best they can. We might visit again on a future visit to Provo, as long as it’s at a more advantageous growing time.
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Here’s Gary on the levee walk at the campground. No ducks to be seen, just gazillions of mosquitoes. They have found the excess water laying in pools next to the levee in the campground to be delightful. (It is water seeping under the levee from the river.) Gary is busy rubbing off a mosquito which had the nerve to land on him.
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June 8
This was a housework & laundry day in preparation for our leaving in the morning for Dillon, MT. We had dinner at the Brick Oven. If you are here, you must try it!! It was described as a pizza, pasta, salad restaurant located near the University. But, as people would tell us about it, they would get this dreamy look on their faces as they licked their lips. The best I can describe it is that it’s definitely gourmet. We had chicken lasagna that melted in your mouth. Incredible meal, best Italian food I’ve ever eaten. It has been a very nice stay. We took our last stroll around the levy. Good grief, the mosquitoes are not just thick & hungry, they’ve taken to attacking. Our insect repellent works quite well, but these guys are actually slamming into our faces but not landing as the repellent sends them away. We agreed, in spite of the mosquitoes, that we would stay here again.
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