Secret Garden at Thanksgiving Point

It’s that time of the year when a family man’s fancy turns to… gardening?

Up here in the north country, we wait patiently all winter for spring to come so we can get back into our yards to push dirt around in our neverending quest for the perfect landscape.

We took a family vacation last year to Utah, where I found inspiration for my backyard projects in an amazing place called Thanksgiving Point.

Located in Lehi, Utah, about 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City, Thanksgiving Point is a sprawling complex that features a wide variety of activities for the whole family.  But the highlight of the place is the 55 acres of gardens, with 15 themed areas, such as the Monet Garden, the Butterfly Garden, and, my favorite, the Secret Garden.

Largest man-made waterfalls

Oh yes, and don’t forget the largest manmade waterfall in North America.  My kids wondered why I can’t build something like that in our backyard.

The gardens are stunning, and immense, and you could probably stroll along the 4 miles of paths all day, exploring and reveling in nature’s splendor.  But that’s not going to happen when you have kids, and it’s certainly not going to happen when you have so many other things to do at Thanksgiving Point.

Like gawking at dinosaur bones inside the Museum of Ancient Life.  You’ll find plenty to gawk at, as this museum offers up the largest display of mounted dinosaurs in the world.  If it’s not enough to look, there are hands-on displays for your kids, including real fossils and bones.  It’s rather humbling to touch something that was walking the earth 50 million years ago.  Does that make me a science geek?

Dinosaurs rule at Thanksgiving Point

The collection impressed us so much, we walked through the museum twice just to soak it all in.  After that, we sat down in the XanGo Mammoth Screen 3D Theatre (it’s like IMAX) for a fun movie about ancient sea creatures.

When you’re done with the extinct animals, walk the kids over to another part of Thanksgiving Point called Farm Country.  Yes, the place has more themed areas than Disneyland.  At Farm Country, your kids are going to get hands-on experience with farm critters.  They’ll get to milk a cow, gather eggs, groom a goat, go for a hayride, and call the pigs to dinner.  If you live in a city and your kids have never seen a farm before, this will be a chance to teach them just exactly where their food comes from.

Next, you’ll want to run your kids through the hedgerow maze in the Children’s Discovery Garden, just in case they’re not completely worn out yet.  And make sure they pay a visit to the bear cave for a little scare.

After the gardens, dinosaurs, mazes, and agriculture lessons, there’s still much to do.  There’s a complex of shops, restaurants, and movie theaters.  There’s also a beautiful golf course that was named best public course in Utah by Golf Digest Magazine.   If you’ve run out of steam, perched right on the edge of Thanksgiving Point is a Marriott Springhill Suites that has the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve ever slept on.  Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I had a more refreshing night’s sleep.

Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point

Although our ultimate destination last spring was not Thanksgiving Point, it certainly was a welcome diversion on our road trip through the state.  In the future, we’ll include a one or two-day stop there in our vacation plans.  Utah has an incredible number of National Parks.  Five in all:  Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.  Not to mention its close proximity to Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde National Parks.  At some point, no matter where you live, there’s a high probability you’ll find yourself in Utah, driving down I-15 from Salt Lake City, thinking about how far it is to Arches or Zion.  And then you’ll remember that Phil told you to make a stop at Thanksgiving Point with your kids.  You’re welcome.

The best time to visit is when the gardens are open, which is from the end of March through the end of October.  Spring is, of course, one of the more colorful seasons at Thanksgiving Point.  Their Tulip Festival runs from April 17th to May 2, when over a quarter million bulbs are in bloom.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

Italian Gardens

Children's Discovery Garden

Museum of Ancient Life

All photos by Phil Corless, except the tulips (courtesy of Thanksgiving Point)

“I have seen Oaks of many species in many kinds of expose & soil, but those of Kentucky excel in grandeur all I have ever before beheld.” -John Muir, September 1867

“Me too, John. Me too.” -C.A. Downs III, January 2009

Winter sets in on Kentucky and as a young boy I can recall with fondness a blanket of fresh snow throughout the season. Not too much, not too little, just enough to get a few days free of the confines of school and set a fire in the imagination of small boys with rickety sleds and reckless abandon.

As an adult; I use the term “adult” in the very loosest definition, it seems as winter is now just wet. And grey. Sometimes there is ice. Mostly just wet. And cold.

But the “very cold,” the kind of cold that keeps you inside and under a blanket reading gardening literature, is fleeting. An oddball occurrence that is talked about over coffee or beer, then forgotten. Which is a pro in a sea of cons. If there is to be no snow; no snowmen or snowball fights, then let there be brisk walks, void of slush and cold toes, in the out of doors. May I suggest the The Arboretum – State Botanical Garden of Kentucky .

Cherrybark Oak - Quercus pagoda

Established in 1991, a fine bit of work between the City government and the University of Kentucky, The Arboretum can boast over 100 acres of botanical majesty. Located just on the fringe of downtown Lexington, Kentucky and a stones throw from the University of Kentucky’s’ Commonwealth Stadium, the Arboretum is an island in a sea of asphalt and concrete. Quite a relief in any season, really.

The Arboretum’s visitor center, an architectural   complement and yet almost invisible, is located just a few yards from the parking area and paved trail that, at two miles in length, is ideal for strollers and bicycles. Pets are also welcome.

While the majority of the trail that winds through the gentle, rolling hillside, is paved, there is a footpath that winds through a wood as old as time, it seems. Just past the “Invasive Species” exhibit, trail left, is the footpath trailhead.  It’s peaceful back there. The fallen giant; a massive Bur Oak that has lost its battle with gravity, is a very interesting, and humbling stop on this quiet trail. Bur Oak Gap, they call it. Don’t forget to look up at the canopy and the hole that resides there after the fall of this mighty piece of Nature.

Many different activities and demonstrations, including children’s programs, are hosted by the Arboretum. If you plan to visit, I would recommend checking the calendar of events

There is always something happening. For ever season there is a time.

The Arboretum is open 365 days a year from dawn until dusk. Admission is free.

Now, go take a walk. Across Kentucky.

All photos by Charles A. Downs III