The Summer Issue 2014
The Summer Issue 2014
Turn Up The Heat
Turn up the heat. Some like it hot. Ah, it’s a cruel summer, you say? But, oh! Those summer nights! When the temperature begins to rise across the southwest it may take some acclimating before you begin to appreciate how the glorious dog days have a magical way of making us suffer - and love it.
Receiving my college education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, I spent a good number of years living at high altitude. Truly, it’s one of the most beautiful places to live. But seriously, snow in May?
Spending so many years along the banks of the Colorado River in Parker, Arizona, anything under 100 degrees was considered cool. I don’t recall the details of my childhood home’s interior nearly as much as I do the outside. My dad’s vintage, 2’ tall Jim Beam thermometer hung on the house by our front door. I can vividly describe the coarse but sandy beach of my front yard, the perfectly tumbled rocks under the crystal clear water, and the sun’s ability to charge my inner happiness. At 116 degrees outside, I simply felt alive!
I wanted my children to know the power of being outdoors. Most of our summer vacations were spent camping at ‘the river’, Lake Powell or Lake Mead. Hot? Yes. But we built a shoreline city out of tents and sun shades that provided us with a wonderful living space. Before heading to bed, we’d each dip our beach towels in the water first so we could sleep comfortably on top of a wet surface. Now that my children are grown, I delight in seeing them raise their children as my husband and I did, appreciating our lifestyle in the southwest fully.
Élan’s Summer Issue is always one of our favorites. It’s like a freshly tossed salad filled with substance. We’ve included some of our personal summertime favorites including exploring new places, trying new foods, and experiencing new things. We take you behind the scenes of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, hiking into hot springs, and flying down a cliff with professional mountain biker, Logan Binggeli.
We can guarantee, the Summer issue of Élan will not leave you standing in the cold!
Let this be a summer of love - love life, family, friends, and the awe-inspiring beauty that surrounds the southwest. Celebrate the energy that comes from the power of the sun. Take advantage of every minute of the longer days. Because in that brief moment when the sunset lights the sky on fire, then quickly disappears, you’ll be longing for it to rise again...
Darci
Founder, Editor in Chief