Five Family-Friendly Trips in Utah
When visiting Utah, everybody knows to hit Temple Square and take in the spectacle of the Great Salt Lake, but not many people know that there are family-friendly things to do wherever you look. Here, you will find five family-friendly outings that will delight and amuse. When visiting in the winter, the ski resorts are the main attraction and rightfully so! We weren’t just kidding when we said we have the “greatest snow on earth!” My favorite time of year is the spring and summer. Temperatures are warm but mild, the hills are green and wildflowers abound. So, if you’re visiting Utah during the spring or summer check out these five family-friendly places and have a great time!
First Stop: Snowbird. “Hey wait a minute”, you’re thinking “that’s a ski resort.” You are right and it’s one of the finest we have. But in the spring and summer it’s turned into a rocking playground for families. Snowbird offers an alpine slide, tram rides up the beautiful mountainside, mountain biking back down the hills, a climbing wall, horseback riding, ATV tours, a 1,000 foot zip line that vaults you down the mountain at 30 mph, and a bungee tramp that lets you twist and turn. There are day passes available that start at $25.00 per person and offers unlimited rides on the alpine slide, tram, zip line, and the bungee tramp. This is definitely a memory your family won’t forget. For more information hit their website at www.snowbird.com. Don’t forget to check out the open air concerts on the website. Music in the tall pines, there’s nothing better.
Second Stop: West Valley City Family Fitness Center. This center has everything you need to cool off in our hot summers or warm up in our cool springs. The center offers a swimming pool with a 27′ water slide. There are actually two separate areas for swimming; a lap pool and a play pool that offers many areas to play and splash in: including a slow moving circular floating area that lets you relax and remember the days when you had nothing better to do but float! The center also boasts a rock wall and an edutainment center for smaller children that feature a soft play area, play stores, and musical instruments to try out. It’s a great place for them to learn, without knowing they are. While the kids are swimming or playing and learning the adults can take advantage of free weights, an indoor track, or a full schedule of aerobic workouts including yoga and spinning. Single visit passes are only $4.50 per person. Visit their website at www.westvalleyfitnesscenter.org for hours and open swim times.
Third Stop: Boondocks. This is a fairly new entertainment center in the South Valley, located right off of I-15 South bound. Boondocks offers Go-Karts for all ages, miniature golf, laser tag (which we don’t recommend), a great arcade, and our favorite: bumper boats among others. Their restaurant actually serves decent food and passes can be bought from $12.75-$24.75 depending on how much time you want to spend. This is a very safe environment if you have older kids and want to drop them off for a day of fun that lets you have some adult time. Be aware: you will get wet on the bumper boats as they have water cannons that blast from the front of your boat and soak everyone in sight. Make sure you check out the outdoor climbing walls. They are a lot of fun! For more information check out their website at www.boondocksfuncenter.com and click on the Draper, Utah site.
Fourth Stop: Bonneville Salt Flats. You are going to wonder why I would ever lead you to such a barren place. Just watch for a few minutes, depending on the time of day it almost seems like you can see the curve of the earth and then as you look in the distance, it all looks like water-I bet you’ve never seen a real oasis before. But there it sits right in front of your eyes all 30,000 acres of it. If you are lucky enough to catch a speed demon racing across the surface, then you’re in for a real treat. Just a couple things to remember: you are in a desert, so make sure you have water with you; and don’t every venture out on the flats when they are wet at all-it’s easy to get stuck. Check out the information at www.utah.com/playgrounds/bonneville_salt.htm.
Your Final Adventure: Dinosaur Park and Museum in Ogden, Utah. Sponsored by the Eccles Foundation, this is a unique museum. There are dinosaurs in a natural habitat for the whole family to enjoy. It is situated very near a lovely park, so take the opportunity to make a day of it. You will see such sites as a Baryonyx Walkeri a therapod (that means he ate fish) actually catching a fish in the stream! Prices are very reasonable, ranging from four to six dollars per person. If you want everyone to get excited about this trip let them see some of the pictures on the website www.dinosaurpark.org.
Whatever you decide to do, know that you will always have fun here in Utah!
