Utah Influencers

Salt Lake City (and the surrounding area) is home to some of the best family fun venues in the western United States. Includes discounts on admission and other perks at 13 Salt Lake & Utah County venues. Both times we've been to the planetarium the boys have wanted to watch the original movie, "Perfect Little Planet" about a family of vacationing space inhabitants, but there are several other options available. Our only visit there was for an educator's conference, so I honestly don't know all the exhibits the kids got to go around and see, but they are still talking about it almost one year later.

Instead of a building full of every gory, scary imagination possible, the Haunted Village journeys through haunted Utah lore of days past (or maybe not past?) I've tried to remind myself of that, but keep feeling myself drawn back in by a grown-up night out with a mature, quality spooky offering. Are you looking for a way to honor Halloween that doesn't involve pint-size trick-or-treaters and horrific garishness? The Haunted Village at This Is The Place will be scary, real-life scary, and promises to be a great date night.

In part, it excites me to be able to introduce new places and experiences to them, but also, they are people my kids know and are comfortable with. Look around you for people you and your kids already know: cousins, nieces, nephews, Grandma. On our recent trip, with both my niece and my mother along to help, this meant making sure they each had their own bed to sleep. Booking two separate hotel rooms opens up many possibilities; let your mother's helper have the second room and nights off completely, or send the kid's with your helper to the second room and enjoy your own rest and relaxation.

(B was 5, P was 3, and the babies were 9-months) into our van and struck out on a spontaneous 4-month cross-country camping adventure. We developed a new system with Mom staking the tent into the ground, tightening up the rainfly guylines, patching up a hole when it rained, and tearing down when it was time to leave. We never gave up on building a fire-every dinner we ate in the Redwoods was cooked that way-but I avoided endless nights of hungry moaning and frustration by swallowing my pride and preparing most our meals on a cooking surface When the end of summer finally came, when my husband was back with us, and we moved back into a traditional home, I looked around me and that is when I finally felt overwhelmed... with love for my adventurous camping family.

When B & P were very young, we started building them forts under the desk and tables in our hotel rooms, and so it worked out perfectly for Grandma, cousin, and myself to have our own beds with the boys in their cool blanket forts. Triple Play is a 3-in-1 vacation destination-the hotel, water park, and fun center all in one facility. There is something HUGE to be said for not having to pile into the car, sit in traffic, and be frustrated when you get to the fun play place! Our long road-trip and week of fun in Couer d'Alene gave Grandma and the babies a chance to get to know each other.

I've learned my lesson and will never say it again!We decided at the very last minute last Memorial Day Weekend to pack up the car and drive to southern Utah for a whirlwind road trip. For our epic camping/hiking exploring road-trip, my 5-yr-oldNo shoes while you're camping? N-O-T O-K!Not to mention walking through park shops, stopping to eat at funky small town restaurants, having to carry him into a gas station public restroom. We racked up a total of 10 hours in driving time that weekend, going from destination to destination with not one single supercenter looming on the horizon.

As much as he enjoys running, he has learned over the years that pushing too hard or trying to go farther than he should will result in a mental block for weeks, or months, to come. Just as his muscle memory slips into a distance-runner's gait as soon as he puts on his shoes, his brain's muscle memory can keep him from pushing through it. It sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon with B, who was 2 at the time, and my 8-yr-old nephew visiting from the flat Midwest. He was willing to stay home, but it was a cold and rainy day, with the possibility of snow up at the caves and I didn't see how that experience would in any way be successful in erasing my brain's belief that the hike up is horrendous and awful.

Inspired by the growing popularity in adventure sports and TV stunt shows, the Thrill Seeker Stunt Run combines Hollywood-style obstacles and a safely monitored environment. On top of the obvious fun, I appreciate that the Thrill Seeker Stunt Run is being presented by The Guardian Angel Council . In the past year our family has watched two people very close to us receive bone marrow transplants and my husband and I registered for the Be The Match Registry to support them. Participants and spectators at the Stunt Run will also be given the opportunity to register with Be The Match on race day.

A 2-day festival bringing Utah's best adventure, travel, and outdoor companies and products together in one place, giving you a chance to try products you've been drooling over, get tips and advice on how to make your outdoor time more fulfilling, and be inspired by our state's most passionate outdoor enthusiasts. The Wasatch Mountain Film Festival is being presented by Wasatch Mountain Arts and is the first of it's kind in the Salt Lake area. Being offered by Sandy City and Wasatch Running Center, the coolest thing about this race is that it's FREE for the 1st 300 to sign up. Choose between a 5K, 5-mile, or 10-mile run and at the end enjoy the rest of the Adventure+Gear festival with a complimentary entrance fee.

Yes, we still have preschool classes and doctors appointments and normal things we do, but free mornings and empty hours quickly fill up with snowshoeing or bicycling (thank you, weather gods for the most fabulously mild Utah winter!), hiking, and geocaching. Instead of coming home at dinnertime and only being part of the getting-ready-for-bed routine, time with Daddy is full of adventure and quality time all week! The kids go to bed and I have 100% me-time until I crash in bed or my husband comes home. The kids go to bed and I have 100% me-time until I crash in bed or my husband comes home.