Orem, UT listed #45 in the best cities to live

Yay Orem! My hometown...was voted #45 in the Best Places to Live 2010 - Top 100: City details: Orem, UT - from MONEY MagazineSource: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL4957300.html

A guy I grew up with (Mark Swenson) wrote this about growing up in Orem, and I can remember doing these very same things. Then I added to his remarks.

"I LOVED growing up in Orem. I loved kicking around the river bottoms, jumping off the train trestle at Canyon Glen into the Provo River and hiking/biking/exploring Timp.

I have great memories of endless summer days at Scera Pool where all the kids knew each other and we could hang out all day without our parents.

I remember blacktop so hot in summertime that in order to cross the street we would race to the yellow center line and stand on it to give our feet a moment's reprieve before we fast tip-toed across the second half of the street and landed our scorched soles on any given neighbor's lawn.

I loved floating down the irrigation ditch from the Tates to the Browns and the inevitable neighborhood water fight that would ensue every time Hansen's irrigated their lawn.

I can still smell the hot Summer rain showers, which were always a welcomed treat and I remember that when they started, like clockwork, all us kids would lay face up on the hot sidewalk, close our eyes and let the rain fall on us until it was deemed enough time had passed and we could stand up and momentarily see our silhouettes on the dry portion of the concrete and then watch as the rain erased them one drop at a time.

Yessiree. I think Orem did very well by me."

I agree with Mark. I remember all of those things he described so well.

I would add, hiking up past the bridge at Canyon Glen and squeezing under the green water pipe, then climbing up on top and walking along the water pipe.

Along with Scera Pool, there was Scera Park with loads of trees to climb and wonderful adventures to find. The Scera Theater was also a fun place to go for me.

Bike rides (or walks) down to Storehouse Market for candy or to 7/11 for drinks.

The irrigation ditch was a very fun place to be and was a great short cut to the Tates.

The River bottoms were great. Michelle Siddoway and I would feed and secretly ride a horse down there.

Being able to go out on Halloween for a stash of candy without worrying about your safety was great too.

Neighborhood games of War, kick the can and so on were always lively.

Walking the neighborhood on stilts with Michelle Siddoway and Scott Allen were great too. We also made catapults and no matter what we did, I seemed to come up with an injury of some sort--I have the scares on my knees to prove it...

There were always animal adventures...cats, bunnies, dogs, gerbils, and so on.

Sleeping out in a camper in our backyard or at the Merril's house. Having eating contests in the mornings at whoever house had hosted the great girl sleepover (Dukes, Whitmans, etc...)

And who can forget jumping on the Britches trampoline? That's where I learned to get the "bounce" and would soar high above everyone's head--to the worry of my dear mother.

There are many more, but those are the ones off the top of my head. Orem did me proud as well.