I Had Forgotten

Becoming one with nature in Los Angeles is difficult. You can fight the traffic all the way to Griffith Park and go hiking. You can drive up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, find a treasured spot to parallel park and walk along the beach. In both of these instances, you will enjoy nature along with 7.5 million other people who are breathing the same mixture of pollutants, nitrogen, and oxygen as you are. If you really want to rise above the pollution and the population, you must drive for at least 2 hours into the mountains. (This estimated time does not account for traffic).

I had forgotten how easy it is to enjoy fresh air and glorious views in Utah. This weekend I took a scenic drive into Provo canyon. We crossed over the nearly overflowing Provo River and passed a couple crowded parks. We pulled into Big Springs Park to find this view.
The higher peaks are still snow capped providing Utahans with that pesky fear of flooding and me with a beautiful vista.
The relatively abundant moisture makes the plant life unusually lush.
Although, we picnicked far from the water, the rapids provided the soundtrack for our evening.
I think I could tolerate these views on a long term basis.