Lately I feel like I don't take enough advantage of the ripe array of beauty and adventure that my city has to offer. It's that same old concept of "the grass is greener on the other side." Well friends, I am going to make a new mantra called "the grass is greener where you water it!" I catch myself constantly whining while on vacation about where I don't live. The fact of the matter is, Utah is amazing! It has so so so much to offer. Yes, there isn't the ocean, but who cares? We have mountains that go on forever. There are so many fun community things that I don't ever even participate in... So, huzzah! I am going to try to stop whining and complaining about my home state, and try to give my own grass a little more tender loving care. I have decided to discover my city with my kids for the remainder of the summer and pack in a bunch of fun activities that are pretty inexpensive (or free) and re-evaluate my opinion of the place. I do love it here, don't get me wrong. I just need a little more variety in my life and I plan to go dig some up with my kiddos!
So here we go! To kick things off I decided to make a visit to a park we have never been to before. Memory Grove Park in downtown SLC. I am a bit of a homebody when I am in town, so this was a little bit of a stretch for me. :) I am so glad we made the drive. Thank goodness for Google Maps! Memory Grove is so beautiful. How did I never know about this place? Click HERE for more info about Memory Grove Park.
I have a friend who makes these adorable little wooden sailboats with colorful sails and takes them to a few parks in the city for kids to sail these cute boats for FREE!
{photo courtesy of La Vela Bella}
It has to be the cutest idea in the world. This sailing stand is called La Vela Bella. Find him on Facebook at La Vela Bellas. He also sells his sailboats in Etsy at La Vela Bella.
{photo courtesy of La Vela Bella}
Thayne is such a creative guy, and a great father. He spends several hours a week with his cute little boy sailing and making new friends with park-goers in SLC. So if you are looking for some fun find La Vela Bellas at a park near you, or order your own sailboat on Etsy and sail away with your loved ones. It was quite fun and relaxing. {Aren't those boats to-die-for?}
{photo courtesy of La Vela Bella}
Here are a few pics of our fun outing!
Meet Thayne and his adorable son. They are what makes LaVelaBella so fun! Thanks for the SLC adventure guys! We will have to have another sailing sesh soon!
What a fun way to kick off our new hometown adventures. Can't wait for the next local exploration.... Where to go next? What are your favorite local Utah haunts?
Fun post, Laura. I haven't been to Memory Grove for years and this makes me want to go. It looks beautiful and uncrowded and I would never have thought of little sailboats. They are a great idea (though I do wonder how you retrieve them if the wind is really blowing---string or something?). Anyway, the sailboats remind me of the Round Pond in London's Kensington Gardens, a place I always loved to visit. Maybe I need to start exploring Utah a bit more as well.
ReplyDeleteKaren,
DeleteThe little sailboats are easy to catch. You can either use a string system similar to a kite, or just use a long stick to send them off into the direction you want. We just set them free on the water and you go catch them on the shore when they land. Its pretty fun to just let them loose and see where they go! :) Ooh! The pond in Kensington Gardens sounds awesome. I am dying to visit London sometime. :) Thanks for the kind words!
Sincerely,
Laura