At first glance, this place looks like a history museum. And it is…but it also has some incredible gardens. I’ve enjoyed them more than any other garden I’ve been to out here. The day I went there was a pretty good chance of rain. I planned on mostly looking at the interior exhibits and maybe ducking quickly outside if the weather cooperated. The rain never did show up and the weather wasn’t that hot, so we were able to spend lots of time enjoying the woodland gardens outside. We were out there longer than my little preschooler wanted to walk.

My mom was there with me, and as native Utahns we agreed that you couldn’t mimic this out west. The moist air, towering trees and moss growing everywhere creates an exotic feeling, as I grew up surrounded by sagebrush. I enjoy dense woods with a sense of oddity because they are the opposite of the steppe landscape I grew up in.

The batteries died in the camera, so I didn’t get as many shots as I would have like. Occasionally it is nice to not worry about pictures at all and just enjoy the scenery. There are six different gardens there, each with a unique style. The large formal gardens of the Swan House had a secret garden enchantment to them, surrounded by the more wild woods. My favorite was the quarry gardens, filled with native plants including burnt red rhododendrons in bloom.

The only downside to visiting the garden was it wasn’t spring with its blast of color, but it looked fantastic even in the heat of the summer. For more information visit their website.