Happy September 1st! And Happy Swiss Days! My daughter-in-law Shandi and I had a wonderful day of shopping and getting to know one another better. She's a wonderful girl...smart and pretty. Greg's lucky to have her! Every Labor Day weekend we brave the crowds and endure the hot sticky shuttle buses on our quest to find some new holiday craft we cannot live without. It's a beautiful drive to Midway through Provo Canyon...one of the most scenic in the state. The cliffs are lacey with waterfalls and the route of the Heber Creeper train follows the bends of the Provo River, which in turn follows the contours of the mountains. In the river, fishermen in waders were casting flies in hopes of an elusive trout. I love this highway!
Fall is Coming!
The Hillsides above Midway are already changing colors.
Welcome to Midway!
It's Swiss influence can be seen all over town.
In the 1860s and 1870s a large number of Swiss immigrants settled here.
It officially became a town in 1891.
There are many charming houses ...
City buildings are built in the Swiss style.
This is the clock on Town Hall.
Even the post office of this small town looks Swiss.
Every fall, the celebration is presided over by lovely Swiss Misses.
Some of the crafter booths are Swiss-themed...
...While others, like this recipe and cookbook vendor,
have their own unique style.
I have no idea what "In a Pikle" was selling...I just liked the umbrellas!
I went mostly for Halloween decor.
I was hesitant to take many pictures of craft items...out of respect for the artists.
I wish I had pictures from the following vendor...
Best Booth and Most Original Halloween Decor...
Fancy Halloween Crow I purchased from 2 Pitts of a Pear.
Two crafters...aunt and nephew...who really get it!
Everything they created was what I would have made...
(...If I had thought of it first!)
Shandi bought an adorable handmade snowman.
Winner...most hated of all craft items!
It wouldn't be Swiss Days if at least one booth failed to offer
dried flowers framed under glass!
Photographed purely for mocking purposes. =D
(I apologize if this craft from the 80s is your favorite.)
Thus ends Swiss Days 2012.
We came...We shopped...We ate grilled Ham and Swiss sandwiches!
We boarded a hot sticky shuttle which carried us back through a maze of narrow country lanes to the cow pasture where our car was parked.
It was a very good day!
