Places Visited:Utah: Provo and scenic drive around southern portion of Utah Lake, Elberta, Goshen & Santaquin including Utah Lake State Park in Provo.

May 26, 2007.

We are in Lakeside RV-Park on west Center Street in Provo next door to Utah Lake State Park located on Utah Lake. We forgot all about Memorial Day until late last week when "the lights came on". Joyce immediately got on the cell-phone and started trying to find a place for us to settle in for the long Memorial Day weekend. She got lucky and found the last vacancy at Lakeside RV-Park. That is why we are here but we are happy to be here. It is a nice park costing 27.41 per-night for FHU and plenty of shade from mature cottonwood trees. Down the street is Utah Lake State Park where rates are $18 per-night for water & electric and central dump station. They were full or we would have probably been there. Either would be just fine in our opinion although Lakeside RV is much nicer and overflows with more expensive RV's if you get my drift.

Joyce took this picture from Utah Lake State Park on the western side of Provo Utah. That is the Wasatch Mountains. Provo is situated between that mountain and where we are located on the eastern bank of Lake Utah.

Utah Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes west of the Mississippi River.

Joyce took this picture looking west from Utah Lake State Park located on Utah Lake in Provo. As best as I can determine those are the Quirrh Mountains on the west side of Utah Lake.

This is the Provo Tabernacle constructed in 1883 by Mormon pioneers. This beautiful religous edifice is utilized by faithful throughout the valley.

This is one of the unidentified grain fields in the south valley. I wish I knew more about grain identification but all grains look so similar to us.

Joyce took this picture looking east from what is known as south valley about 30-miles south west of Provo. The cattle are grazing at an elevation of around 4,300 feet while the mountain peak is around 11,926 feet. That mountain is the one we took the Alpine Loop around yesterday.

This was taken at a recreation area on Lake Utah with facilities for fishing, camping, swiming beach, and boat launching.

This fellow was heading to the cleaning table with a nice catfish.

These boats were in line to take out after a wonderful day on the water.

This picture is looking to the northease from somewhere in the south valley portion of Utah Lake.

One never knows what they are going to run across when out exploring. In this instance we came across a bank riddled with small holes. To our surprise hundreds of bank swallows were occupying the holes.

Virtually all of these holes contained nesting bank swallows.

This is a fruit growing area with grove upon grove of fruit trees.

Fruit groves included cherry, apple, apricot, peach and possibly others dot the south end of Utah Lake.

These orchards seem to all be using dripper type watering systems. Notice how dry and barren the nearby hillsides are that do not have irrigation.

This picture was taken south of Utah Lake in the valley known as south valley. South Valley is an agricultural area with a combination of fruit orchards and alfalfa fields.

On the southwest side of Utah Lake we came across a large dairy in the town of Elberta.

This large dairy seemed to be the only industry in Elberta.

This old Sinclair station in Elberta was meant for a photograph, don't you agree?

Between Elberta and I-15 while traveling east on U.S. 6 we spotted this old mine on the side of a large hill. I suspect this that this was a dolamite or limestone mine. If anyone knows please let me know. It was located on a large hill southwest of Santaquin and visible when heading east on U.S. 6.

We stopped to take a picture of this large willow tree. Look closely at the size of this trunk. This tree was located on west Center Street near Utah Lakes State Park.

Saturday, of the Memorial Day weekend, was a big boating day on Utah Lake as can be seen in this picture taken in the boat basin at Utah Lake State Park.

Two species of birds were prevalent on and around Utah Lake and they were the western grebe and yellow headed black bird.

Yellow headed black birds were nesting in reeds near the shore and feeding in tamarisk trees. Their briliant color added to the subdued light mauve of the tamarisk trees they were active in.

Western grebe were common birds on Utah Lake but we do not see many of them on our travels.

Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix