For 4th of July, my mom and I would usually try to squeeze through the crowd of onlookers to watch the city parade. I actually participated in the parade once in 2019 and then watched on the sidelines ever since. I’m still trying to decide which is harder – being an active participant in a parade or a spectator – I feel both have its difficulties.

Instead of heading to the city parade on the 4th of July and fight parking and space with the throng of parade observers, I decided this year, I will honor my independence from my mom (as she’s traveling) as well as the country’s independence by heading up the mountains and do a tour of some of the scenic backways.

One of the most well-known scenic backway in Utah is Guardsman Pass – a road that straddles between Salt Lake and Wasatch County. The border between the counties is right at the overlook. Can you tell everyone who came through here wanted to leave their mark? It took me a moment to decipher what county I was in.

Google Maps has a knack of leading me down winding, narrow, scenic roads. There was no parking along the narrow stretch of road. So I had to drive until I found a turnout, dropped the car off, and walk back up on foot. If I have to hazard a guess, this is the town of Midway.

Overall, I drove about 200 miles that day and walked about 15,000 steps. It was a great trip, come to think of it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Inspired by SundayStills