Lagoon

People will tell you different things about Lagoon.

It’s an amusement park.
It’s got rides.
It’s a great place.
Some will even say that Lagoon is lame and that Lagoon is just a smaller version of Disneyland.
Okay, we’re all impressed that you’ve been to Disneyland.

But here in Utah, Lagoon is a tradition of fun that goes back to the 1800’s.
Here in Utah you’ll mostly hear people say: “Let’s go to Lagoon this year!”

Lagoon is an amusement park in Farmington Utah. Lagoon has been around for a long time. The original park was opened in 1886 and was moved in 1896 to its present location.

Just about every year a new ride is introduced in the park. For example, Lagoon has nine roller coasters.  

The oldest attraction in the park is the original carousel that was purchased and installed in 1906. But it was built in 1893.

You’ll find all kinds of rides at Lagoon.  There is an entire section of rides just for little children.

The water park, Lagoon-a-beach is large, and crowded. But there are lots of good water slides.

In the 50’s and 60’s all the big name singers and bands came to Lagoon.  The Beach Boys performed here many times when they were just starting out. Jimi Hendrix performed here. The Rolling Stones performed here.

I personally love the atmosphere at Lagoon. The food concessions and carnival games on the midway make just walking through Lagoon fun. They try to keep it the same year to year, only adding to the attractions while trying to preserve the traditions.

We went with our family in July this year, and we all had our “bounce back” passes validated, and so we’ll be able to go back for $11.00.

My wife and I will go there on a date.

The Oaks

There was never a more beautiful setting for a restaurant. The menu isn’t the most exciting you’ve ever seen, but a visit to The Oaks is an experience you’ll talk about for years.

Ogden is about half hour’s drive north from Salt Lake City, and Ogden Canyon can be accessed by taking the 12^th Street exit. 12^th Street goes right up Ogden Canyon.

The Oaks is set on the Ogden River there is lots of outside dining. The tables are set into cozy nooks with wonderful string lighting. The sound of the water rushing by is very soothing. The hummingbirds flit around from table to table. Because of the canyon setting, the temperatures are always cool and refreshing in the summer time. In the Autumn the Fall colors are spectacular.  

The Oaks is open year round and the inside dining is very lovely.

The menu is great. This isn’t fast food. There are sandwiches and soups and salads and burgers. Everything is great.

Farther up the canyon is Pineview Reservoir and two great ski resorts, Powder Mountain and Snow Basin. The towns of Huntsville and Eden offer other fun dining choices that will be discussed here later.

Don’t miss dining at The Oaks. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.

Temple Square

I’m doing an entry about Temple Square that is separate from my entry about Mormons because I believe that Temple Square is worth a visit no matter what you believe about Mormons.

The Mormon pioneers who settled Utah started work on Temple Square almost as soon as they got here.  They used Temple Square as a reference point for all other addresses in the city. It’s still that way today. North Temple Street runs from east to west on the North side of Temple Square. South Temple does the same on the south side of the block. West temple runs from north to south on the west side of the block. You’ll suppose now that I’m going to talk about East Temple Street, but there is no East Temple Street. Main Street runs from North to South on the east side of the block.

The Tabernacle should be a key part of your visit to Temple Square. The acoustics are famous and you will probably be given a demonstration. A sister missionary will go to the pulpit or stand near the organ and drop a straight pin. You’ll hear it clearly as it hits the floor.

There are two visitor centers, one on the north side, and one on the south side of the square, with displays on the history of Mormonism, and displays about Mormon beliefs. The north visitor’s center contains the famous statue of The Christus.

The building in the southwest corner of Temple Square is The Assembly Hall. This is a beautiful old building that is used for smaller meetings and concerts.

In front of the Assembly Hall is the Monument of the Seagulls. The early Mormon pioneers told of a summer when crickets started eating their crops. Disaster seemed certain. Then suddenly, seagulls came from the Great Salt Lake and began to eat the crickets. The crops were saved. The Seagull is now Utah’s state bird.

Temple square has many assorted statues, monuments and historical memorabilia.

Many people are surprised that tourists are not permitted to enter the Temple. This is because the temple is very sacred to Mormons. Members of the Church prepare themselves to serve in the temple.

Christmas time is an incredible time to visit Temple Square. Temple Square is light up with hundreds of thousands of lights during the holidays.

Sister missionaries are always waiting to give a tour of any of the buildings on Temple Square.