Spud Break Holiday, Here We Come!!!

I LOVE teaching in Shelley for many reasons, but one that clearly stands out is Spud Break. It’s a magical time that the school district declares the need out of tradition and farming that everyone receives two weeks off from school. So a few high school kids and a few teachers actually work during that time while everyone one else gets an extended vacation.

For my vacation I’ve spend the first half nursing a sick Landon. Then for a couple of days I relaxed and prepared for our mini-vacation trip to Utah. Our trip was planned from Thursday evening after Landon got off work, until Saturday evening. Landon was thankful to have a four day weekend with Friday and Monday off.

First we drove down to Park City Utah and stayed in our nice hotel that we found online. We’ve noticed that if you go off season to Park City and say more then one night you can save A LOT of money. Most hotels have their rooms over half off because there isn’t any snow on the ground to bring skiers to them. So we ended up staying at a really nice hotel for only $50 a night! So much better then staying in a small okay place in SLC for that price.

 

The next morning and afternoon we enjoyed walked around the huge outlet mall they have in Park City.  I love the fact that Landon enjoys window shopping as much as I do. In fact, we have so much in common that it makes our free time together a blast! Very often we think the same thoughts.

We also ate lunch with our friends, Ryan and Allison,  from Provo who drove up to see us. We ate at this restaurant we discovered last time we came. It’s called Squatter’s Pub. And yes it is a pub; but, they do have the most delicious food ever! Their French Toast breakfast is to die for. And for being a pub, it is actually very family friendly.  I’m sure during the ski season it might be more lively of a place, but if anything it felt like a normal restaurant. The only thing that different was the fact that they had listed all over their menu different brews that they make.

The thing that Landon and I love is the fact that they are so focused on trying to keep things as green as possible. Not that we actually are too much about “going green” ourselves, but it is fun to watch others do it! Their napkins are recycled, their straws are either cardboard or made out of plant material. Everything is biodegradable. No plastic or Styrofoam is used there. Even their art work in the building is recycled material like old skateboards or water bottles. The toilets use les water, everything!

 

After a busy afternoon in Park City, we drove over to Salt Lake City for dinner and a little more shopping at the Gateway Mall. But mostly dinner enticed us. Last time we had been in SLC we tried out a new restaurant and fell in love. So we HAD to return. We absolutely adore and honor the tasty pleasures of Tucano’s Brazilian Grill. YUMMMMMY!!!!

If you ever get the chance to try it out, do it!

Tip #1: It is cheaper at lunch then dinner by about $8 and you get the exact same food.

Tip #2: Try everything the first time you are there! Things may look weird or even sound weird, but oh my, the taste wonderful. Our favorites are the mango cod and the grilled pineapple.

Tip #3: The Fried Banana is a must!

The fun thing about the restaurant is that it is set up in the style of both a buffet but also service.  The buffet has all the salads, breads, soups, and other side dishes. Then the service/waiters bring around an assortment of different meats for you to try. They bring over the skewer and cut off the cut of meat that you want.

 

After a very full and exhausting day, we hit the hay back in Park City. They next morning we headed into downtown Park City to look at the local art galleries. It turns out that it also was the same weekend rally for the Dodge Viper of America. I wondered why we kept seeing so many vipers. Their was a parade planned about an hour after we left, but we still saw a TON of beautiful cars. And some great art work as well.

After a morning in Park City we checked out and headed north for a day at Lagoon! Since it is now officially October, Frightmares had begun and we were looking forward to the decorated park and fun/spooky attractions they had. They had some impressive stuff.

We had a blast this trip and enjoyed a quiet ride home while listening to Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief on Audio CD from the Library. I think we found a new book series we love. The rest of the weekend was very relaxing while we listened to conference and having a lazy Monday. Now Landon is back to work and I’m already thinking of lesson plans for next week!