Palisades

Growing up in my family, there were many happy summer childhood memories, one of the best was packing a picnic lunch and spending the day at the town beach. Most of the towns in our area had at least one small lake or pond with a sandy beach, complete with clear water and a dock for jumping. Our local spot was Comet Pond, of course.
Nostalgic for these carefree memories from my own childhood, I have often groaned to Mike about the lack of similiar options here in Utah. If only there was a nice lake nearby where I could let the kids play happily and swim till their skin shrivled. Since Utah Lake does not fit this description, we have settled for the crowded and commercial Seven Peaks. The kids cool off, and we all have fun at the pool, but it lacks ambiance and is not the bucolic setting I have in mind.

Thus, I was so excited when Mike's sister Cheryl organized a family camping trip to Palisades State Park this past week. Though the "lake" was man made, the setting was still beautiful, and the kids and I swam till we were pruned. We lazed (or worked) the day away on rented paddle boats, inner tubes, and rafts. We swam out to the floating dock and jumped and dove. It was so fun to see my cute neices and nephews swimming in the chilly morning water the minute they finished their camper's breakfast. The last swimmers made it to smores and sunset. Olivia and JT spent all day digging in the sand, floating in their tubes, and splashing on the shore; though, I'm still not sure they had as much fun as I did swimming out to the dock again and again.

Unfortunately, I was too busy reliving my childhood to take many pictures, here are the few I have: