A Perfect Summer Day Series: A Toast to the Petersons in Utah

Feeling a little envious of my dear friend Erika Peterson’s perfect summer day. There’s nothing the Powell Pack loves more than a good hike and the great outdoors, but in AZ right now the heat is way too deadly hot for our favorite pastime. I guess I’ll just stare at her beautiful mountain pics and daydream instead…

By Erika Peterson

Utah summers are simply the best, and with so many fun things to do, it?s hard to choose only a few to fit into one perfect day! We deemed these spots our favorites because they call us back often and are fun for the whole family.

Our first stop was Donut Falls! Of course, a perfect day in Utah wouldn?t be complete without enjoying some fresh mountain air. We like to hit the mountains for a hike in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds?this hike is extremely popular, so mornings and weekdays are the best. Located 9 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this 1.5 mile round trip hike is perfect for kids, and it has a well-marked, easy trail with gorgeous scenery! Our kids love all the little critters along the trail and wading through the river on the way up to the falls. If you plan to walk all the way up to the falls, be prepared to get a little wet (or soaked if you are anything like our 4-year-old)!

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After working up a hearty appetite from our hike, we stopped for brunch at one of our favorite local health bars, The Protein Foundry! This place offers handcrafted protein shakes, acai, pitaya & Greek yogurt bowls, and gourmet toast that is a must-add to every order!! Our kids love the Monkey Business & Red Rocks Gourmet Toast along with the Greek yogurt bowls. My goal is to eventually try everything on the menu, but my current favorites are the Ipanema Acai Bowl, the Mana Pitaya Bowl, the Snickerdoodle Shakeout, the Greek yogurt bowls, and I say YES to ALL the toast! If you like your shakes/bowls on the sweeter side, I would recommend adding some raw honey to your order. This is not a quick grab ?n? go stop (depending on the day), so plan to sit down and enjoy yourself.

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{insert afternoon NAPS here}

We love to hit up one of Utah?s many awesome parks in the evening once the weather has cooled down a bit. Our personal favorite is Riverton City Park because it is close to home and literally has everything you could ever want in a park!

  • Five acres of lush, open lawn space
  • Splash pad
  • Skate ark
  • 3 playgrounds
  • 3 workout stations
  • 2 tennis courts
  • 4 pickleball courts
  • Basketball court
  • Volleyball pit
  • 2 outdoor pavilions

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Every Friday night in the summer they offer a FREE Movie Night in the Park for kids, music, and food trucks. Our kids love the playground areas, the many sidewalks to ride bikes/rollerblade on, and the open grassy areas to kick around a soccer ball or practice baseball. The large trees provide lots of coverage and a great atmosphere. There are also lots of benches and tables for those who like to relax and watch their littles play. I promise?you won?t want to leave!

We are regulars to these local spots, so we hope to bump into you out and about enjoying some fun, active time with your families!

Erika’s day sounds pretty dreamy, but now I want to know?what does your perfect summer day look like?! Share below?we don’t want to keep these family time gems a secret!

Xoxo,

Heidi

Related reading:

A Perfect Summer Day Series: The Powell Pack in Arizona
A Perfect Summer Day Series: The Pearsons in Hawaii

11 Responses

  1. Hello Heidi, Chris and everyone. My name is Nicky, and I have recently started to love myself and it’s all thanks to you, Heidi and Chris. I got watching your tv series “Obese. A Year To Save My Life. USA” and WOW! It’s awesome. And I especially loved the episode with Sarah, the lady with the cruel sister. Man, that lady was my real turning point cos she tore it up and made me one of her biggest fans. Thank you soo much Heidi and Chris.. Loads of love from me here in the UK!
    P.S I’m a stay at home mum who would love some direction.

    1. Hi Nicky: We’re so excited you love the show! Here’s a blog post that outlines Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program, and it’s the same program they use on the show: https://heidipowell.net/9060. You can totally do this! 🙂

  2. That avacato toast looks amazing!! Where we currently live I can go pick fresh ones off the trees so I will have to try that out!

  3. Hello…. I am on day #2 of Extreme Transformation. I am finding it hard to get in all 5 meals. If I get in my last meal it is between 9-10 PM. To late to eat!! So, I have been skipping meal # 4 and going straight to 5. Is this okay? What do you suggest?

    1. Hi Stacy: It’s best to eat all 5 meals if at all possible. If you skip a meal, you’re missing out on the nutrition from that meal and you could have a hard time hitting your daily calorie target. Here’s a post that might help you structure your meals: https://heidipowell.net/10556. 🙂

  4. Hi! Thx for the answer!
    Here’s my last question = are veggies countered in the carb intake/calories of the day!? The non root – non starchy ones? Cause i read i can eat as many vegetables as i want, but veggies are carbs too.. And this makes me confused… So do i have to remove them from my carbs bank when i eat them or not?
    Thanks !

    1. Veggies are their own separate category in carb cycling. And while they are basically “unlimited,” it’s still a good idea to count everything you put into your mouth. It helps keep us accountable. 🙂

  5. Park City is even cooler (literally)! High mountain recreation and works class healthy food! ? Next time!
    Glad you enjoy Utah.

  6. Hi heidi!
    I finally got your last book and would really like to start extreme carb cycling right now
    But i was wondering : when can we eat fruits ? On LC or HC days? With meal 1, 2, …5?
    Thannnnk you for answering
    Xoxo from France

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