Saturday, September 29, 2012

BYU Women's Soccer


BYU Women’s Soccer
BYU Campus - South Field



BYU Women's Soccer Team

If you haven’t been to a BYU Women’s Soccer game, you are missing out.  If you are looking for exciting things to do, then you'll be happy to know that the women’s team has the largest following of soccer fans in the nation.  They get more fans at their games than any other women’s soccer team in the U.S.   Their season is during the fall and the games are a great date idea.  Go with the family, or just hang out with some friends at the game.  This year (2012) the women’s team is currently ranked #2 in the NCAA!  They have an amazing record of 11-1-0 (Win-Loss-Tie). One of the reasons that I am so knowledgeable about the team is because my wife plays defense for the cougars.  I have been able to go watch many of their games and have found it to be incredibly fun.  The USA is the one country where soccer isn’t the popular sport.  It is, however, picking up traction and it’s because of teams like BYU’s Women’s Soccer team.



The entertainment at these games can get pretty intense with all the headers, and the high scoring players on the team.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a soccer team score more than 4 goals.  Well, the Cougars did it this year against Cal Poly.  The Cougars have only had one game this year where they haven’t scored (against Utah).

Again, if you are looking for something fun to do during the week, try attending one of the Cougars Women’s Soccer games.  The price of a ticket is usually not more than $4 and many times they have specials.  I like to buy my ticket in advance and have a reserved seat; many of their games sell out.  Also, there isn’t really a bad seat in the house.  However, I suggest not sitting on the first row.  People will be walking in front of you the entire game. 


The games are located on BYU’s campus on South Field.  
South Field Map - Parking



You can find all their information here at their website:

Here is their schedule so you can find the right date to attend a game!

For something else to do while in Provo (if you like the outdoors) Check out: Silver Lake Experience

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Demae Japanese Restaurant - Sushi



Demae Restaurant Japanese SushiDemae Japanese Restaurant
82 West Center Street Provo, UT
(801) 374-0306 


What an incredible Japanese Restaurant.  My wife and I decided to try Demae this week, and we will most definitely be going back.  My wife was feeling like sushi one night after class at BYU and she came up with the idea to go try Demae.  We like try to eat healthy so we decided sushi was a good choice.  When we arrived at the restaurant on Center Street in Provo, there was the perfect parking spot directly in front of the restaurant. 


We walked in and were immediately welcomed and the service was amazing.  We found out that on Tuesdays and Thursdays, all of their sushi rolls are only $4!!  We were so excited.  We decided to get 4 rolls, miso soup, and a salad after sitting down in the authentically decorated restaurant.  The servers were very kind and personable.


Sushi Plate With Veggies
I am the kind of person who likes to have quick service and get in and out.  This place was perfect for that.  They keep my water glass full at all times, and our food came in a flash.  The sushi and all of the food was terrific.  Even though my wife and I were full, we thought about ordering more to take home!

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience eating at Demae and will be going there regularly.  It is hard to find a place that has a great price and great food. The total check was only $24!! Not bad for a night out for sushi. 

Mountian West Burrito


Mt. West Burrito LogoToday I want to talk about my favorite place to eat in the Provo area.  It is a little place called Mountain West Burrito.  The restaurant is located in a section of an old gas station on State Street in Provo.  This place is awesome!  There has been a need for fresh cheap Mexican in the Provo area for years.  I emphasize fresh.  Mt. West gets all their organic ingredients from farms that are locally owned and operated.  This makes the chicken, beef, rice, beans etc very fresh.

Menu
The menu ranges from burritos to quesadillas to salads that are made of either chicken, steak, carnitas, or roasted veggies.  For an extra dollar you can get sour cream and guacamole added to your item.  My favorite is the steak burrito but the chicken quesadilla is a close second.

History
Steak burrito
Mt West Burrito was started by a local entrepreneur who could always be seen running his shop from open till close.  He did this for about a year until he was approached by the company that owns Pizzeria 712 and Communal here in Provo.  They purchased his business for a significant amount and the owner moved on to start his next venture.  Even though Mt. West was bought out, the menu stayed the same and the freshness of the food was not compromised.

If anybody is looking for amazing, quick, and fresh Mexican food, Mt. West Burrito is the place.


The company that owns this restaurant owns others in the area.  Check it out here :
http://allthingsutah2012.blogspot.com/2012/09/pizzeria-712.html

Runners with Heart

Miles for Smiles
Miles for Smiles
      Running is often a YOU sport. It's all about how many miles YOU are going to run that day, the comfort and durability of YOUR shoes, the breathable quality or style of YOUR running shorts and shirt, the course of YOUR preference, the accuracy of YOUR timing watch, or the improvement of YOUR splits from one mile to the next. But there are two groups here in Utah that are changing the focus of the sport. 'Miles for Smiles 'and 'Push to the Finish' are two non-profit organizations committed to giving disabled children and adults the opportunity to participate in local race events.

Running as Service

      'Miles for Smiles' (MFS) wanted to encourage adults with physical and/or mental disabilities to become more active in the community and feel the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of participating in community athletic events. MFS would team two local runners up with one wheelchair disabled individual, or rider, to compete in the race. This is running as service. The runners ran anonymously so that all the praise and focus was on the rider and not the runners. This is a great opportunity for the rider to be in the spotlight and feel competitive. MFS organized their first 5K event in the April, 21st 2012 with the cooperation of the Salt Lake City Marathon. Five individuals from the Utah State Developmental Center teamed up with ten volunteers from Utah County to compete in the 5K event of the SLC Marathon. As MFS's name implies there were lots of smiles that day. The Department of Human Services published the following comments in an article that captured the excitement.
"The crowd was wildly excited, yet the success of the event was illustrated in the participants’ responses. One female participant excitedly waved to everyone in sight. The enormous smile illuminating another participants' face maintained as he waved his arms and blew kisses to the onlookers.  Another individual from USDC rapidly clapped other people’s hands (from his volunteer teammates, to USDC staff, to random observers) - his effectual excitement over his victory spreading to all with whom he interacted." (http://go.usa.gov/VJh

Volunteer Running

      MFS also realizes that the volunteer runners are greatly uplifted by their participation. It gives them a chance to step outside of their worries and focus on blessing the lives of others while doing something that they love. The volunteer runners also become more physically active by committing to participate in these events. Valorie, a 55 year old volunteer from Highland UT at MFS's most recent race in August, had never ran a competitive race in her life but committing to participate in a MFS event gave her the desire to train and become more active. She successfully finished the race while pushing a wheelchair rider. She shared the following, "The smiles of these individuals and the emotional response from the spectators brought many of us to tears. This experience gave me the desire to continue to serve others and stay physically active." MFS is changing the YOU focus of running into an opportunity for everyone SMILE.
Push to the Finish




      'Push to the Finish' (PTTF) was also started in the spring of 2012 and plans to complete 13 events this year. As stated on their website the mission of Push To The Finish is to provide an opportunity for children with physical disabilities to be able to experience the enjoyment, competition, and sense of accomplishment of participating in a road race. PTTF has made significant efforts to make each child feel special and empowered. The experiences are similar across the board from the families that have participated. Jana, a parent of a child that participated had the following to say, "Thank you so much for this wonderful organization! Ben had such a fantastic time yesterday! Every time we talk to him about it, he gets a big smile on his face. Because of his situation, the one thing he never gets to do is run and experience that feeling of speed. He loved it! What’s more, it gave him such a feeling of empowerment. The entire rest of the day he wanted to do things, by himself, that he didn’t normally do. He seemed to feel that he could conquer the world! Thank you so much for making that possible for him!”


PTTF is putting in a lot of effort to making this experience available to many children by planing race event in communities all over the state of Utah. Check out their website at www.pushtothefinish.org to see if there is a race in your community. 


      You can support these two Non-Profit organizations by "Like"ing their facebook pages and donating both time, sweat, and money their cause.



If you really love running check out this next article to see some fun races. http://allthingsutah2012.blogspot.com/2012/09/choose-your-flavor-themed-races.html


Monday, September 10, 2012

Black Sheep Cafe

Native American Food | all things Utah
Black Sheep Cafe

Black Sheep Cafe

This week I'd like to highlight a new restaurant in downtown Provo. As stated on their website, "Black Sheep Cafe is a contemporary take on traditional Native American food. Drawing on not only the Native American food from the Navajo, Hidatsa, Hopi, and Mandan tribes but also internationally from Guatemala, Mexico, Italy and France." The menu has everything from navajo tacos, to a variety of traditional soups and stews, to their ever-popular burgers and sandwiches. They also have a great selection of desserts and appetizers!

Unique Native American Food

Of all the places to eat in Provo, Black Sheep Cafe is the place to go if you are in the mood to try something new. I haven't tried it yet, but the reviews are amazing! The most popular item, the "Goat" burger is made from "hand-pressed ground beef stuffed with goat cheese and roasted garlic, topped with portabello mushroom slices, fire-roasted red bell pepper, green lettuce and wrapped in nanniskadii." Sounds delicious!

Native American Food

History

Black Sheep Cafe is owned and operated by the Mason Family who have been making their famous frybread for years. They began by passing it out to the administrative buildings on the Navajo Reservation and then began running their own booths. After moving to Provo, they decided to finally open their own restaurant on Center Street. They've been open since January and have had great success sharing their love of Native American food with the people of Provo!

For more information about their menu, hours of operation and location, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/blacksheepcafe. Oh and for those curious, their menu is Vegan friendly!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Stewart Falls Hike - Provo, UT


Stewart Falls - Provo, UT
Stewart Falls





The Stewart Falls hike is well known to be one of the best hikes in Utah.  It is beautiful and spectacular.  Located in Provo Canyon near Sundance Resort, it is a hike everyone should experience.  I have hiked it ever since I was a little boy with my family.  Growing up in Provo allowed me to hike it often and I have many memories there.  I have hiked many of the Provo hikes, and Stewart Falls is definitely one of my favorites.  In fact, that is where I proposed to my wife just a few months ago in a cluster of trees on the hike.  The actual waterfall is remarkable, but it is also the many trees and the mountainside along the way that make the hike unforgettable. 

There are two trails to Stewart falls.  One begins at Sundance Resort, and the other starts just past BYU’s Aspen Grove.  My personal favorite is to start from Aspen Grove (trail highlighted below).  Saturdays are always more busy on the trail, so if possible, make the hike during the week.  You will usually see 3 or 4 groups of people on your hike, but on Saturdays, there will most definitely be at least 8-10 groups. 

Stewart Falls Trail

There is plenty of parking, and even restrooms at the trailhead.  The hike from Aspen Grove will take about 40 minutes one way if you are a fast hiker (up to an hour with children).  You will pass many aspen and pine trees and will most likely see many squirrels.  On rare occasion, you will see deer and possibly moose in the area.  If you happen to see a moose, steer clear especially if there are babies because moose are known to be very aggressive. 
Stewart Falls Hike


Before reaching the falls, you will come to a cliff with an amazing view of the falls.  Keep a close eye on your children to avoid any accidents.  You are then able to hike down to the base of the falls.  Playing in the stream and getting wet under the falls is very common for hikers especially in the hot summer.  It does get chilly at nights and in the fall, so remember your jackets.

While at Stewart Falls, you can look down the stream and see beautiful Sundance Homes and the Sundance resort.  It is a very beautiful view.  


Hiking in the Wasatch Mountains is a great family activity and Stewart falls will be a hike that you won’t forget.  I personally look forward to making the hike this coming fall to see all the leaves change.  It truly is a must see.  Go hike it!