Lions and tigers and scares, oh my! Each year, on the Saturday before Halloween, my daughter gets dressed up to go trick-or-treating at Hogle Zoo’s annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo. Read the rest of Boo at the Zoo — Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City »
If you’re looking for a relaxing and peaceful way to spend an afternoon, I suggest Red Butte Garden, in the foothills above Salt Lake City. Located on the University of Utah campus, Red Butte is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, with a focus on regional horticulture. It covers more than 150 acres, featuring 18 acres of gardens, plus walking paths, hiking trails, ponds, and a children’s garden. Throughout the year there are a variety of concerts, educational programs, family nights, art and horticultural exhibits, plant sales, and more.
Read the rest of Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City »
Nestled at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, Utah’s Hogle Zoo is home to about 900 animals, including endangered and threatened species and several Utah natives. You’ll find all of your typical zoo favorites here, many in surroundings recreated to mimic their natural habitats.
Read the rest of Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City »
One of my favorite things to do with my daughter is attend weekly story time at Barnes & Noble. I’ve been taking her since she was five months old. I admit that was very young, but I really believe that such early exposure to books has helped foster her interest in learning to read now. It was also a great social opportunity for both of us.
Read the rest of Story Time at Barnes & Noble–Layton, Salt Lake City, Sandy, Orem »
Attention art lovers: stop whatever you’re doing and head straight to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Simply put, you do not want to miss the Monet to Picasso exhibit currently on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The show only runs until September 21, 2008, so make it a priority!
The UMFA touts itself as “your passport to the world,” and in this case it’s no exaggeration: it’s one of only four North American venues lucky enough to host this show. At the Monet to Picasso exhibit you’ll have a rare opportunity to see masterpieces by some of the most revolutionary European artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. More than seventy paintings and sculptures illustrate some of the most innovative periods in art history–from Impressionism to Surrealism–and have never been on display in Utah until now.
Read the rest of Monet to Picasso exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA)–Salt Lake City »
I know, I know, summer is just about over, but we couldn’t resist one last visit to Olympic Legacy Plaza at The Gateway in Salt Lake City for a final splash in the “dancing waters” of the Olympic Snowflake Fountain. Also known simply as the Gateway Fountain to locals, it’s become something of a free, mini water park, and on most summer days you’ll find kids of all ages running through the fountains while adults lounge with frozen lemonades from a nearby vendor.
Read the rest of Olympic Snowflake Fountain at The Gateway, Salt Lake City »
After attending the early morning balloon launch, we headed over to the Wolf Creek Resort, site of the 2008 Ogden Valley Balloon Festival. The festival didn’t start until 9 a.m. so to kill a little time between the launch (which ended by 8 a.m.) and the festival, we ate a picnic breakfast, then drove the short distance to Wolf Creek.
Read the rest of Ogden Valley Annual Hot-Air Balloon Festival and Night Glow »
One Saturday morning in August I woke my family before dawn for the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival morning launch (it always feels like such an adventure when you leave while it’s still dark out!). As the sun rose we made the pretty drive through the Cache National Forest, and arrived at 6:30 a.m. at a small field near Eden just as the balloon crews were beginning to set up.
We watched as about 25 colorful envelopes (the uninflated balloons) covered the ground. Soon the propane tanks began hissing and the field exploded with beautiful colors as the balloons inflated. Before you knew it, they were upright, straining against the lead ropes with the same anticipation as the watching crowd. It was a breathtaking sight as the balloons lifted off one by one into the morning sun with the elegance and grace of whales dancing in the ocean. The sky filled with a kaleidoscope of magnificent colors, uplifting music filled the air, and my heart soared with the beauty filling the sky.
Read the rest of Up, Up and Away! Ogden Valley Hot-Air Balloon Launch »
If you’ve ever played with a Tonka truck in a sand box you’ll appreciate the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine. It’s located about 40 miles northwest of Provo and 25 miles southwest of Salt Lake City (exit I-15 around West Jordan). The $5 entrance fee for passenger vehicles is donated to charity and tax-deductible. You pay at the security gate, then drive about four miles to the visitor center which overlooks the mine.
The visitor center and mine overlook were more crowded than you would expect, a steady flow of people and tour buses, even on a Sunday afternoon. So why are so many people coming here? Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine is the world’s largest man-made excavation, and biggest open copper pit. It measures an impressive 2.5 miles across at the top and is .75 miles deep. It’s almost twice as deep as the world’s tallest building. It’s one of those things like the Hoover Dam, or the Corn Palace, or the Largest Ball of String…you need to see it to believe it. And you should see it, especially if you live in Utah, since it’s such an important part of Utah’s mining history.
Read the rest of Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine »
Last weekend my friend Tracy invited me to Afternoon Tea at the Grand America Hotel as her birthday gift to me. The invitation inspired in me as much excitement and anticipation as my daughter exudes when she sets up her play tea set and waits for her “guests” to arrive. The Grand America’s Afternoon Tea is like a tea party for grownups in the most delightful and sophisticated way.
From the moment we pulled up to The Grand America (Salt Lake City’s only five-diamond hotel) we received VIP treatment: valet parking, doormen, concierge. From our first steps through the front doors into the elegant lobby, we were greeted by Old World charm and grandeur. Spectacular chandeliers, fine French furnishings, and Italian marble–as well as a diverse, friendly, and largely European staff–awaited us at every turn. Read the rest of Afternoon Tea at the Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City »
