July 4th

A parade, a hike, and good food shared with family and friends.  That's the recipe for a perfect Fourth of July.  We almost made it.  We had the parade, the hike, and good food. 

We stayed at the cabin for two nights, luxuriating in its coolness and quiet.  Usually, when we are at the cabin on July 4, we visit the Oakley Parade, so small that, not too many years ago, the paraders marched down the parade route and then turned around and marched back.  This year, we tried something new--the Park City parade.

Park City has its own hip, carefree culture, reflected in its parade.  It's small enough, though, so that the police, ambulance, and fire truck ride in the parade.  Park City High School sends a big contingent of cheerleaders and band members. 

There are lots of flags and balloons, and even a tractor two, as in any small town parade.

But there are also cars and floats featuring skiers and snowboarders.

There are middle-aged exotic dancers and motorcycle riders.

There is that distinctive Park City genre, the half-dressed mingler with a drink. 

And there are lots of kids, transfixed.

After the parade, we explored a quaint store in Kamas, "The New West." 

It featured everything western, from levis to saddles to boots to a huge selection of cowboy hats.

For our hike, we chose Fehr Lake, in the Uintahs, and the two Alpine lakes beyond it. 

There were few hikers on the trail, and the lakes were clear and rustic.

We then took our traditional hike around Mirror Lake. 

It was busy with canoes and fishermen, but there were some gorgeous, untouched corners.

We finished the day at Tarahumara, a Mexican restaurant in Midway.

We chose among more than a dozen salsas, as dips for our chips.  We also chose house entrees, seared scallops with passion fruit cilantro sauce and a shrimp/mango/avocado salad.