Ute Mountain Fire Lookout Tower

The Ute Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, built in 1937, is the last standing fire tower with living quarters in Utah. The views from the tower are amazing! The 360 degree view of  Ashley National Forest and the northeastern slope of the Uinta Mountain range are worth the visit. On a clear day you can even see Wyoming and Colorado.

Directions

From Manila, Utah turn South on UT 44 and drive 13 miles to Sheep Creek Geological Loop. 

Turn Left onto the Loop. Drive 2 miles to FS 221 and travel 1 mile to FS 55. 

Turn left and drive 1.3 miles until you come to the tower. 

Open June - September Fridays and Saturdays 10:30am-4:00pm.
There is an outhouse but no running water.

We suggest you pack a picnic and enjoy a little extra time on the Sheep Creek Geological Loop

Granary District Murals

The Granary District in Salt Lake is full of fun and vibrant murals that you are sure to enjoy.
Follow along this map for a walking tour of the Granary District murals.

Not all of the murals are shown here.

Little Haunts at This Is The Place

Little Haunts is right around the corner and we are so excited! 

Who: Children of all ages

What: Halloween fun!

When: October 14, 19-22, and the 28

Where: This Is The Place

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Little Haunts at This Is The Place is the FUN, and not so scary Halloween Haunts for kids and their families!  

Trick or Treat throughout the Village! Ride the trains and ponies, Creature Encounters, pan for gold and dig for treasure in Prospectors Pit.  Hear Halloween stories from The Story Telling Witch and join us as Alice the Dragon leads you in the costume parade! You can come with or without a costume.  The Candy Cannon will blast out yummy taffy and there will be face painting, games like Tug O'War, Stick Pony Racing, Bean Bag toss and much much more! For more information call: 801-582-1847. 

Receive $2 off each ticket by mentioning I Heart Salt Lake Blog!  

Head over to the I Heart Salt Lake Instagram for a chance to win free admission! 

 

Conestoga Ranch at Bear Lake

A few weeks ago our family was invited to go glamping at Conestoga Ranch at Bear Lake in Garden City Utah. Conestoga Ranch is about a 3 hour drive from Salt Lake City.

We stayed in a Conestoga Wagon. Our covered wagon had a comfy king size bed and two bunk beds. 
It was also furnished with bedding, towels, a small safe (the kind you would find in a hotel room), two lantern style flashlights, and two DC converters so you can charge your phone.

The wagons are set up in a wagon circle, in the center is a big fire pit with Adirondack chairs. No need to worry abut bringing matches, firewood, or stuff to roast marshmallows. The employees light the fire for you and they also supply you with a s'mores kit including sticks to roast the marshmallows. If you need extra there is a small shop on site where you can buy more (or anything else you may have forgotten to bring).
Each wagon has it's own picnic table and umbrella which is great for playing games, small crafts with the kids and of course eating.

The resort also has bikes and helmets to rent (free of charge),  a game tent, playground,volleyball net and more!

Unlike the grand tents that have their own in-tent bathroom, the wagons did not have a bathroom. No big deal, the bathrooms are really nice! They even supply shampoo, conditioner and soap. The bathrooms are a very short walk (less than a minute) away. They are located in the main building and are very private. They look like a bathroom you would find in a hotel room.

The picture above is the main building on the bathroom side. There are more bathrooms on the inner side of the barn style building.

We loved the on site restaurant, Campfire Grill.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner so need to even worry about packing food. Unless you want to. We loved the dinner, especially the wood fired pizzas. Campfire Grill also has child friendly options that will make both parents and kids happy.

You don't have to be a guest of Conestoga Ranch to dine at the Campfire Grill, so if you are in the area stop by and check it out.

We really loved our stay at Conestoga Ranch and are already dreaming of our next trip there!

The Paint Mixer and University of Utah's Painting Camp for Kids

Who: Kids ages 6-12
What: Children's painting class to help develop painting skills in a fun, spring themed class. Utilizing acrylics and canvas. 
When: April 10th- 14th
Where: The Paint Mixer in Sugarhouse

Register here.

Baby Animal Season at This Is The Place

One of our favorite times of the year is here, baby animal season at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

There is nothing like spring time with all the new life around. Flowers, the warm weather returning and of course baby farm animals!  We love going to baby animal season at This Is The PLace to  see all the sweet baby animals, the kids love that they get to get up and close with baby goats, chicks, lambs, puppies and more.

Of course we also love the pony rides, train rides, panning for gold and the yummy donuts at donuts from Brigham Donut Shop.

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• $12.95 Adults
• $10.95 Seniors (65 and Over)
• $8.95 Children (3-11)
• FREE Children 2 and under
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• Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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• $2 off each ticket for I Heart Salt Lake readers. Just mention I Heart Salt Lake when purchasing your tickets. 

Fantasy Canyon

In North Eastern Utah, about an hour outside of Vernal you will find some very unusual geological formations that date back to 38-55 million ago. If you are in North Eastern Utah I recommend that you take a few hours and check out Fantasy Canyon.

During the hot summer months it is best to go early in the morning before the sun is at it's hottest. The trails are easy, it is only about a mile around but wear good shoes. Wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

You can find more information and directions to Fantasy Canyon here.

Wall of Books Mural in Salt Lake City

Don't you love a good mural? This wall of books is no exception! Hidden down a small alley by a parking garage is this cool mural. Stop by and check it out next time you are downtown.

The wall of books is located just south of the building at 222 South Main Street in Salt Lake City.

Nitro World Games at Rice-Eccles Stadium Giveaway!

The Nitro World games is coming to Salt Lake City July 16th at the Rice-Eccles Stadium! Co-hosted by Tony Hawk and Travis Pastrana

The Nitro World Games will feature some of the best action sports athletes. Think freestyle motocross, bmx, skate, inline and scooter. This three hour experience will be broadcast on NBC but why watch on TV when you can see it in person? Get tickets here or enter our giveaway (information below) for a chance to win free tickets!

 You won't want to miss this!

Win a family 4 pack of tickets! 

To enter to win go to I Heart Salt Lake on Instagram. 

 

Summer at This Is The Place and a Giveaway!

We love summer time at This Is The Place! There are acres and acres of fun and places to explore! From digging for gemstones to learning the Friendship Dance with the Native American Dancers in Americas Largest Teepee, the park is a fun place to be this summer!

Photo by @lizzyography

In addition to the  daily offering of trains, ponies, mini-train, crafts, panning for gold, Native American Dancing and new Native American Village, artisans in their shops (don't miss the Potter who hand-throws pottery each day in his shop) splash pad...and more...This Is The Place has extra activities on special event days such as the Candy Cannon, games, watermelon eating contest and more!!

 

 

 

Make sure you don't miss Liberty Days July 2nd and 4th.

And Pioneer Days July 23rd and 25th. 

 

Head over to I Heart Salt Lake Instagram for a chance to win a family 6 pack pass! 

 

Geckos Live at Natural History Museum of Utah

By Kim Cracroft

Tucked away on Wakara Way located in Salt Lake City, is the Natural History Museum of Utah. It's simply put... Amazing!
There is so much to look at and so many things to do... The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about their surroundings! It is for all ages 1 to 100.

Right now til May they have an exhibit they are featuring called "Geckos Live" and It did not disappoint! You walk into the exhibit and you are whisked away on an totally awesome adventure of finding the camouflaged geckos in their habitats. They are hiding in rocks or tree branches, sliding down the windows and they are very still so looking for them can sometimes be tricky. They have a sign on each exhibit telling you how many geckos to look for... My littles thought that was pretty fun!

They have a wonderful cafe' and a fun gift shop you can peruse after making your way through the museum! After we did the gecko exhibit, we went and looked at the dinosaur exhibit, brushed away dirt to find artifacts, and played in the sand to dig up Dino bones.
Overall it was a really good time! We have been a time or two before, but you can never visit this place too much... They offer memberships, day passes and children parties. Hope you get to visit soon!

We are giving away 4 tickets to the Natural History Museum of Utah on our Instagram. Go there to enter.

Storybrook Play Cafe

A quaint little play place for children opened up not too long ago in Millcreek and we had to check it out.

Storybrook Play Cafe is an indoor play place that both kids and parents love. It's great for parties, small get togethers or just a fun time. There are pint size playhouses, a ball pit, a mini puppet theater, cars, dolls, and toys galore. The play area caters to kids under 6 years old.

Everything is really clean and they ask that everyone wears socks to help keep it that way. 

The cafe serves, beverages, smoothies, healthy snacks and more. It's the perfect place for parents to visit with friends while the kids play, get a little work done or even get down on the floor and play with your little ones.

The themed play events are really fun too. They have had Scales and Tails visit, princesses, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and many other fun themed play dates. Follow Storybrook Play Cafe on Instagram for more information.

Storybrook Play Cafe

(801) 669-0628

1538 East 3300 South

Monday through Friday 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Saturday 9:00 am- 1:00 pm

Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

5 Best Bike Trails Near Salt Lake City

By Christensen and Hymas Utah Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Spring is on its way, and the time for searching out bike trails near Salt Lake is here! While some of the higher mountain trails may still be a little snowy, there are lots of great options closer to home. Here are 5 of our favorites:

Our Favorite Bike Trails near Salt Lake

Murdock Canal Trail

• We love this trail — a 17-mile paved path along Utah Valley. It has multiple points of access, from American Fork down to Orem. It features restrooms, water fountains, and early access.

Porter Rockwell Trail

• This trail runs about 10 miles from Sandy to Point of the Mountain. It winds through neighborhoods and along streets, and is great for a casual family ride.

Legacy Parkway Trail

• This is a 14-mile paved trail that never crosses any streets, allowing for a smooth, uninterrupted ride through the Farmington and Salt Lake areas. The Legacy Parkway Trail offers some great views of Utah’s spring scenery. Unfortunately, there is no restroom or drinking water access on the trail.

Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail

• The Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail trail intersects the Legacy Parkway Trail. It is nearly 25 miles long and runs from Roy to Bountiful.

Jordan River Parkway Trail

• This trail also connects to the Legacy Parkway Trail, and weaves through Utah, Salt Lake, and Davis counties. It is the longest trail on our list, stretching for over 40 miles. Construction and gaps can make the trail difficult to follow, but Salt Lake County offers a map to help you navigate.

The Best Bike Trail in Utah that Should be Paved

Deer Creek Parkway Trail

This trail begins at Cascade Springs on the Alpine Loop and continues over the mountain past the Soldier Hollow Olympic Site to the Dear Creek Dam Trail head. It runs for about 8 miles from the Utah to Heber Valleys. It is currently unpaved, but we think it would make a great paved trail for all types of cyclists. Currently, cyclists have to travel around Deer Creek Reservoir to get from Utah County to Midway and Heber, but this road has a narrow shoulder and cars traveling at fast speeds.  Paving the Deer Creek Parkway would protect cyclists and allow for some epic rides throughout multiple counties.  

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Ken Christensen and Russ Hymas are Utah Bicycle Accident Attorneys at Christensen & Hymas . A large portion of their practice is dedicated to helping cyclists injured in collisions with motor vehicles. They are avid cyclists and nationally recognized legal experts on cycling laws and safety. 

Baby Animal Days! Win Tickets!

Baby animal days might be one of our very favorite things at This Is The Place Heritage Park. Who doesn't love seeing baby farm animals? The season kicks off March 24th-26th and we can't wait!

This Is The Place will be celebrating their baby animals for an entire month and we are giving away free tickets on our Instagram. Bring the whole family to experience the fun for yourselves. Hold a baby chick, pet a baby goat, let your kids take a pony ride, see the Skymasters Bird show and much more. For more information check out their website.

Baby Animal Days Kick Off
March 24th-26th
10:00 am- 5:00pm

Receive $2.00 off your tickets by mentioning I Heart Salt Lake. 

Enter to win a family day pass for 6 plus a dozen Brigham's donuts over on our Instagram!