Utah summer nights

I am convinced that Utah summer nights are some of the most magical nights around. 

I love that, even when days can be 100+ degrees, that the nights become bearable--with temperatures in the 80s or even 70s. 

I love the way it stays light until 10:00, or sometimes even 10:30 at night. 

I love what summer nights bring: picnics, bonfires, sunsets, and fireworks.  

And I love that so many people I love are in Utah during the summer. 

Sam and I went to Utah in July to see family. Of course, because of Covid restrictions, we weren't able to see as many people as we would have liked to, but with proper restrictions (masks, social distancing, being outside, etc.), we were able to spend some time with close family and friends. We also got to go on a lot of hikes, which was so nice. I miss being able to just get up into the mountains within twenty or thirty minutes. 

So, since I forgot to blog/post while I was there, please enjoy this montage of Utah views and faces. 

[a series of many, many hikes]

[late july wildflowers]

[a sam in a beloved habitat, part i]

[a sam in a beloved habitat, part ii]

[a sam in a beloved habitat, part iii (with his beloved)]

[loved, loved this hike]

[with bailey and james on top of the world!]

[a sam in a beloved habitat, part iv]

[with em and nate! we love them.]

[stole this from katy's instagram story. but yes. it's true. this was the first time we had all been together in two years!] 

[cambridge crew.]

[and an oxford gathering with the lovely briana and dani!]

[we took a day trip with my family to spring, city, utah. it is a beautiful little town. beautiful (the entire town is on the national historic register), and little (the town has a population of about 1100).]

[some old houses]

[loving the hollyhocks.]

[the water well. where, apparently, many courtships had their beginnings.]

[a cool, old door handle.]

[spring city views of the la sal mountains.]

[haiii.]

[spring city cemetery]

[after our trip to spring city, sam, sarah, evan, and i tried to find clarion, utah, which is now a ghost town, but used to be a jewish farming settlement in the 1920s. we couldn't find it--we were there, but it really is such a ghost town that we couldn't find it or its tiny graveyard--but we did swing by the manti temple and it is very pretty.]

[as are its views.]

[i am becoming better at making cakes. this was a golden oreo cake i made for my mom's birthday.]

[i made this cake in dc for the fourth of july.]

[and last, but not least, utah sunsets.]

[fin. but we'll be back. utah is home.]