"Visit a Park, Enjoy what Nature has to Offer."
Hmm . . . really?! Visit a park? That's the best we can up with these days? I'm really starting to think the fortune cookie gods/writers are running out of ideas. What happened to worldly treasures of fortune and fame? I bet their next offering will go something like: "Don't do anything stupid ever," or "Fortune cookies are yummy," or even better yet, "The Cow goes Moo." Although the first and last one both contain a treasure's trove of wealth and wisdom. And why don't they at least advertise like everyone else does today? I mean think of the profit potentials with a little cross promoting. You open your fortune cookie and read the following: "Your natural charm will attract someone special. -This moment of destiny brought to you by Joe's Ribs and Bibs."
Ok, my rant is out of the way. Now back to visiting nature's park-bound offerings. But first what do they mean by park? I mean I live within comfortable walking distance of some of God's most beautiful rivers and canyons. I also love a good swing now and then. Of course I'm also a fan of audioanimatronic nature at Disney theme parks. Decisions, decisions. Well I love Disneyland, but I doubt it is the "park" mentioned in the fortune. And I'd much rather enjoy nature standing in the shadows of an imposing, majestic slab of granite than trudging though wood chips at the base of coupled steel, cedar planks, and fiberglass and plastic fish. Swing sets and teeter-totters are fine and all (heck, I've been known to pull the car over and play for a bit), but I'll opt for groves of aspens any day.
So clearly one of the benefits of living here in Utah is we are presented with a myriad of phenomenal state and national park options: from Canyonlands, Arches, and Zions to Bryce, Lake Powell, and Capital Reef.
These same parks boast an impressively large and diverse natural flora and fauna, so what's not to love? I have seen moose, owls, deer, big horn sheep, elk, coyotes, bald eagles, pronghorn, beavers, porcupine, rattlesnake, and various pot gut related critters and once I even thought I saw a big foot, but it was just my reflection in the cabin window. I've also seen some rare indigenous female cougars, if you know what I mean. Hello!
And think of the available activities: hiking, skiing (aka snowboarding), canoeing, snowshoeing, hunting, white water rafting, world class fly fishing, spelunking, fossil hunting, mountain climbing, shed hunting (it's not what you think - look it up), and big foot tracking. Yet one of my favorite pastimes is just getting away period. Leaving behind work frustrations and other related occupational stresses and immersing myself in nature's splendor. A drive on the Alpine Loop is an impressive escape, even if just for an hour. A hike to Mt. Timpanogos is therapeutic. And to view Zions or Bryce Canyon is near heavenly.
Alright, I'll take back my original comments from above. While I still don't consider this fortune much of a fortune, we Utahns are fortunate to have these treasures as our literal backyard playgrounds. So with that, I'll take the fortune cookie's suggestion and preserve my sanity by taking a trip to one of these outdoor gems. Besides, I know that bigfoot is still out there. He is a clever creature that one.
***Today's random, useless fact: Did you know that the first jungle gym was invented in 1920 by a Chicago lawyer named Sebastian Hinton? He actually trademarked his new creation Junglegym. And the term "monkey bars", was first documented in 1955.
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