Finding France

I have long had a dream of visiting France when the lavendar is in bloom.  I can see myself drivng over the winding roads, up and down the low rolling hills in my fancy little car with the top down, and the wind blowing my hair.  The sun is bright and the fields are various shades of purple and I am soaking in the beauty and flavor of Provence.  Alas, the dream has of yet not been fullfilled so I found lavendar fields closer to home.  How about Mona, Utah.  Yes, there are fields of purple in Utah.   

France it is not, but I can't find fault with the color and the mountains framing the fields.  We visited the distillery and saw the huge vats  where the dried lavendar is crushed in the process of obtaining the oil from the plants and learned about the numerous uses of lavendar oil.  The only thing the small town of Mona has going for it is the lavendar farm.  Very few people live in the area.  There is one extremely small store and a hamburger stand where you order from your car or the front window.  You have to remind yourself that you are only 30 miles south of Provo.

 
This is the store in Mona.  We thought it was closed down and just left as a reminder of a past era, until we saw people coming and going. 


Part of the garden area at the visitors center
and store

Maybe someday I will visit Provence, but I have seen lavendar fields and didn't have to travel far to see the rows of purple.  Lavendar is lavendar no matter where it grows.  I'm satisfied---I do wish I'd had the fancy little car.