Not such a great dinner

We had the chance to eat out Saturday night, at The Metropolitan. Dinner, however, wasn't great. It may have been doomed from the outset though: our server, B----, was a strange combination of perky and dismissive. We waited for nearly half an hour to even give our orders, and another 10 minutes for cocktails (and had to remind her to get them). I don't mind leisurely dining, but neglectful service isn't the same thing.

The kitchen was out of three entrees, substituting Mahi Mahi for local Utah trout in one dish (??). The floor was dirty, and the line chef (we could see him from our seats) was chewing gum while he cooked. My fish (the bass) was overcooked, despite my asking B---- to have it done medium rare. And, just a picky detail, we asked for cream in our after-dinner coffee but were served milk.

Anyhow, it was still a night out - without kids.

Summer's nearly over

Well, now that the kids are back in school, the summer reading programs at the library and the movies in the park have ended. Also, the county's outdoor pools close after Monday.

Don't despair. The Salt Lake County library system has some wonderful programs coming up: we're planning on attending the owl show and the kids' zumba workout. The Salt Lake City library and other nearby county library systems have programming, too (and it's free!).

And, even if we can't hang out poolside in the sunshine, don't forget the local indoor pools, with all of the slides, lazy rivers, waterfalls and swim teams or swim lessons.

We love free movies

One of my favorite summer activities? Outdoor movies at Millcreek Township parks. Even though we all want to see Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me - and my husband and I will see Inception, sans kids - I love setting up the camp chairs, snuggling under the blankets and watching movies at the park.

So far, we've seen Star Trek and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Still to come: The Incredibles and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (which I've never seen).

Millcreek Township has posted the schedule. Bring popcorn!

Beehive Book Awards

Every year, the Children's Literature Association of Utah (CLAU) nominates books for the Beehive Award. Kids throughout the state can borrow the books from schools or libraries, then vote for their favorite. The award is based entirely on the kids' votes.

The 2011 Beehive Nomination list is available now, so if you're looking for good summer reads (for a variety of ages and interests), check it out.

The first book on our list is The Leanin' Dog by K.A. Nuzum. I'll report back with a review.

Wildflowers

Don't forget to head up the canyons for July wildflowers. Best bet with kids: drive to the top of Little Cottonwood, past Alta Ski Resort. Follow the dirt road or park to take the shuttle. From the Albion Campground, hike the Cecret Lake trail.

We went up yesterday, when the temperature at our house was 98F. At the lake? 75F. What a relief. One of the signs told us that 120 types of wildflowers bloom in Albion Basin - I think my favorite are the mountain bluebells.

We saw water salamanders in the lake and two moose. And, there are still a couple of small patches of snow: SNOWBALL FIGHT... IN JULY!

Here's a link to the Alta hiking guide for a map and hike descriptions.