The apple and the tree.

There are some days when I suspect that John looks at me and shakes his head in confusion. All it takes is a weekend with my folks for everything to make a little more sense.

Because I get it from them.

I have great parents. They love to eat good food. They love to sip a tasty toddy for happy hour. They love being outside and hanging out with cute dogs. They love to explore random dirt roads, take a lot of photos, and spend time with loved ones. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree- and we did it all during their visit to Park City!

We only had two days, but we filled our time with mini-adventures. The first was dinner at our favorite spot in town- High West Distillery. We knew they’d love it! (Bonus: donut fix!)

Since they’d be driving home on the real Father’s Day, we designated Saturday as Dad’s holiday, instead. My folks brought us a waffle-maker, and Dad broke it in for us. He loves waffles, and adds vanilla and cinnamon. Mmmm! We had a lazy brunch together, filling our tummies before we headed out for the day.

We packed up lunch, cameras, maps, and the dog and headed into the hills down a nearby dirt road. We checked out potential campgrounds, saw two baby lambs with their mama, and enjoyed the meandering creek along the roadside. The weather was perfect for an excursion like this! At the top of Big Mountain Pass, we stretched our legs and took in the stellar view of the Salt Lake Valley below.

We came, we saw, we took photos. Time to get out of the car, set up some camp chairs by the creek, and have a little tailgate picnic.

Our entertainment was watching the puppy romp in the creek. Cholula was rewarded for being a good girl in the back of the truck with a marathon stick/Chuck-it session. Part-dog, part-fish!

We had some downtime at home, cooling off after our sunny afternoon. Later, we did what one MUST do on Father’s Day- fired up the BBQ! There’s nothing better than sitting outside with the people you love, playing with the dog while delish food does its thing on the grill. We just hung out and enjoyed the comfortable evening together.

Our Father’s Day feast was scrumptious- steaks, grilled asparagus, toasted almond rice pilaf, roasted red potatoes. Ice cream and wine for dessert was probably unnecessary after a day full of great food, but it was the perfect end to a really fun day.

The visit with my folks felt like it was over as soon as it began. They’re on the road now, headed back to Colorado. I’m always sad when they leave, but we did a lot this weekend, and we have plans for a big family camp trip in August. I feel thankful to have gotten to give my Dad lots of love in person this weekend.

And I have more of this to look forward to!

Happy Father’s Day!