I have never been to the Willard Bay Christmas Lights, but my parents go every year, and this year they are taking the grandkids. They are super excited!

Fantasy At The Bay Christmas Activities

23 Nov 2012 – 31 Dec 2012
Willard Bay State Park

Box Elder County residents and visitors will have a rare opportunity to catch a little more magic this Christmas because Fantasy at the Bay will be back at Willard Bay State Park for the 10th consecutive year.

The light park runs through Monday December 31st.

Time: 5:30pm to 10:00pm – daily. (seven days a week)

Cost: $9 per car – ($1 off coupon available in Home Town Values)
Free horse and wagon rides with admission price.
Santa makes a nightly appearance from Nov 23rd through Dec 23rd. (candy canes to all children)

Read an article from the Salt Lake Tribune about the people behind the lights and how they got started.

READ A REVIEW about Willard Bay Christmas Lights from my friends, Randy and Natalie Ockey.

More Holiday Fun:

• Echoes Of Christmas
• Holiday Date Night Ideas
• Holiday Magic at City Creek Center

Saturday, September 15 th – Salt Lake City, UT

9 am – 4 pm

http://www.goddessdaycamp.org/

Join me and some of my friends for a day full of motivating and inspiring workshops. Topics include -

Ronda Devereaux (that’s me)

Has the bluebird of happiness “should” on your head?

Vikki Carrel

Providing strategies for raising self esteem and helping mothers and daughters to connect.

Angel Shannon

Teaching stress relief solutions with humor and joyful wisdom

Vicki Winterton

Organization guru to help you un-clutter.

Holly Draper

An introduction to Aromatherapy and it’s many health benefits.

Additional classes include, Yoga, Dressing for Your Body Type, Debt Elimination and Minute Meals.

This event is a fundraiser for the Girl Scouts of Utah H.U.G.S. Campaign (Help Us Grow Strong)

http://www.goddessdaycamp.org/

*For all women ages 18 and up

*$25 early bird registration before August 25th

$35 registration August 26th-September 7th

(Lunch included for either option)

Birdhouse Trail 2011

This is such a fun activity for the entire family to work together and participate in! Enter the birdhouse contest as an individual, or as a team!

Get out your tools and thinking caps and build a birdhouse for the Ogden Nature Center’s 19th Annual Birdhouse Competition and Exhibit. Birdhouses are due between March 26 and March 31 at the Ogden Nature Center.  There is no fee to enter.  The annual Birdhouse Competition encourages all ages to create unique, backyard habitats for birds.

The Nuthouse Birdhouse

All types of birdhouses are welcome: whimsical, beautiful, practical, functional, artistic or magical – but they need to be sturdy! The Nature Center encourages the use of natural, reclaimed and recycled materials. Please consider the environment when choosing your materials and finishes. Working as a family or as a team, i.e., grandfather/grandson etc., is acceptable and encouraged! Several cash prizes will be awarded for various categories.

A select jury of professional artists and bird experts will judge the competition and choose birdhouses for exhibit along Birdhouse Trail. Birdhouses chosen for the exhibit will be on display April 12 through August 31, 2012. Thousands of visitors marvel at the birdhouses all year long, and birds take up residency in the houses every spring!

Scout Camp Birdhouse

Guidelines:

• All birdhouses must be original works created by the exhibitor. Commercially produced birdhouses or assembled kits will not be accepted.
• Size limitations: The base of the birdhouse may not exceed 24″ square. The height of the birdhouse may not exceed 36″ tall.
• All birdhouses must be freestanding and ready for installation outdoors. Birdhouses that are not freestanding will not be accepted for the exhibit. You must perch your birdhouse atop a sturdy post or attach a strong hanger. Posts will be installed at a depth of 1-2 feet.
• The Nature Center encourages the use of natural, reclaimed and recycled materials. Please consider the environment when choosing your materials and finishes. Please, no propane tanks this year.
• Please build sturdy birdhouses. Birdhouses need to last through all seasons outdoors.
• The event judges will select which birdhouses are accepted into the 2012 exhibit. A limited number of entries will be accepted for the exhibit.
• The Ogden Nature Center reserves the right to refuse submissions.

Sunflower Birdhouse

Awards:

Winners in both adult and child categories will receive cash prizes at a reception and awards presentation on Wednesday, April 11 at 5:30 pm.

This exhibit would not be possible without its main sponsors: the Utah Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Registration forms and full details are available online or at the visitor services desk at the Ogden Nature Center, 966 W. 12th Street, Ogden, UT 84404. For more information, please call the Ogden Nature Center at 801-621-7595.

Tory in her nun habit and Girlscout Troop 2148

Have you ever been to the Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Ogden? Unless you frequent Odgen, it is one of those places that would be easy to miss. It is a great little theater located at 99 East 4700 South, Ogden.  Scrooge – A Christmas Carol is playing through December 23, with showtime at 7:30. Tickets range from $7.00 – $12.00. This is a really intimate theater with portions of the stage behind the audience so the cast meanders in and out. This year’s Scrooge character did a fantastic job!

One of the girl scouts in my oldest daughter’s troop had was part of the cast of Scrooge – Way to go Tory!!!

How To Get There:
Drive north in I-15. Take the Honeyville exit 372. Turn right. Continue until you reach Hwy 36. Turn left, and continue until you reach Crystal Hot Springs. Use the map below for more detailed instructions from where you are at.

On the way there or home, you might want to stop at Antelope Island State Park.
View Larger Map

Where To Stay:
Crystal Hot Springs has many campsites available, both for tents as well as RVs. The campsites on the south side are perfect for family reunions are large gatherings. We like to reserve campspots 39 through 47 for large groups. On the map where it says “Flat Ridge” and “Lake Side”, there is a large grassy area for many tents.

Click map for larger view

What To See And Do:
Besides all of the swimming and sliding at Crystal Hot Springs, there are also many attractions in the area that you want to make sure you take time to see:

• Golden Spike National Monument / Promontory Point
• Brigham City’s Peach Days (September 7th – 10th 2011) is our favorite time of year to visit Crystal Hot Springs
• Brigham City Historical Sites
• Heritage Arts Festival (the 3rd Saturday in June)
• Golfing
• Brigham City Museum
• Tremonton

History of Crystal Hot Springs and Honeyville:

Crystal Hot Springs was originally named Madsen Hot Springs. It was used by the Native Americans as a camp spot in the wintertime. During the construction of the railroad, the Chinese workers used these hot pools to soak in after a long day working on the railroad. A local beekeeper named Abraham Hunsaker is credited for establishing the town of Honeyville. It was originally called Hunsakerville, but Abraham insisted it be changed, and in honor of his profession, it was renamed Honeyville.

Crystal Hot Springs has been a business since 1901. It is unique to other hot springs because it has a hot spring and a cold spring that come together within 50 feet of each other. Crystal Hot Springs mixes the two springs together to create the relaxing pools you can find there today.

For more family vacation ideas, visit our Family Vacation Series page.

WHERE TO STAY:

Grandpa’s Cabin in Island Park is our favorite place to stay while visiting West Yellowstone. We rent out the entire cabin, and our entire extended family vacations together! This includes ten adults and five kids, and we all sleep comfortably! There is also a lot of grassy area if you want more family than the cabin can hold, and they can sleep in tents out on the grass. It’s the perfect spot for a small family vacation, or a large family reunion. Because it is truly a “home away from home,” you can bring your own food and save money instead of eating out!

Anglers’ Lodge is another place to stay. Located across the highway from Grandpa’s Cabin, this has more of a hotel feel. If you are traveling with one or a few more people, Anglers’ Lodge is a great option. It is located on the river, and rooms open up to a view of the river.

Camping: If your idea of a fun vacation is camping, there are many options available, inside and out of Yellowstone National Park. Just make sure you obey all “Beware Of Bears” signs, and other wildlife rules.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO:

Yellowstone National Park is a place you are going to want to spend an entire day seeing. Get an early start because the later in the day, the larger the crowds. We usually like to be in the park about 7am at the latest. We enter through the West Yellowstone entrance, drive around the hot pots to Old Faithful, and make the loop back around. You will receive a map when you enter the park. The entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $20 for each snowmobile or motorcycle; or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. You can take advantage of FREE National Park days, but keep in mind that those days are going to be a lot more crowded!

Quake Lake (AKA Earthquake Lake) is a ghost town that you want to make sure you take time to see while you are in the area. On August 17th 1959, one of the most powerful earthquakes in the west shook the area. It also dropped the north shore of Hebgen Lake 19 feet. Cabins on the shore washed into the water as huge waves crested over Hebgen Dam. Three sections of Highway 287 fell into the lake, the dam cracked in at least four places and hundreds of campers were trapped. The landslide eventually stopped, essentially damming the Madison River and creating Earthquake, or “Quake Lake,” a 190-foot deep, six mile long lake. At the visitors center, you can visit some of the houses that were drowned when the earthquake happened. Rumor has it that you can still hear footprints walking around the houses if you listen close enough! The visitors center is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week from Memorial Day through mid-September. Fees are $3 per car, $15 per tour bus, $1 for hikers/bikers. Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access passes are honored.

Bear World is a fun place to stop and see on the way home from your vacation. It is located in Rexburg, Idaho. Watch for the signs along the highway and you can’t miss it! Because the bears in Yellowstone have been relocated away from the road, there isn’t a very big chance that you will see one while in the park. Bear World has provided a great way for you to see the bears right up close like in the “good old days” of Yellowstone. They also have a fun ride area that is included in admission, and doesn’t cost extra!

Outdoor Recreation Activities are always popular options when visiting West Yellowstone. The many lakes and rivers are great for fishing, and the endless hiking trails are great for backpacking adventures. The many miles of water make it a great place for scenic float trips, whitewater rafting, and many other water sports. Other popular options include horse pack trips and horseback riding, ATV/Offroading, biking, and hunting. With all of the options, you can plan your own adventure, or hire a guide for a guided tour.

Museums: As you drive to your Yellowstone vacation, you will notice many signs along the way for musuems. If you can take time the day driving up there, or the day driving home, stop and visit a few of these museums! Some you will notice are: Collectors’ Corner Museum, Fort Hall, Idaho Museum Of Natural History, Idaho Potato Museum, Legacy Flight Museum, and many more!

HOW TO GET THERE:
West Yellowstone / Island Park is only a five and a half hour drive from Salt Lake City. Take I-15 north until you reach the Idaho border. Go towards Pocatello and Idaho Falls. From Idaho Falls, get off and take the highway towards Rexburg. You will go through Rexburg, and keep going until you reach Island Park. For West Yellowstone, keep going on the main highway and you will drive right into it.

View Larger Map

Visit our Family Vacation Series page for more fun vacation ideas!

If you are wanting a vacation with white sandy beaches and clear blue/green water, you don’t have to travel out of Utah! Bear Lake has all of this and more! It is one of my all-time favorite vacation spots!

WHERE TO STAY:
With campsites on the beach, or hotels nearby, there are many options for lodging. (I personally love the camping aspect of Bear Lake, especially on the beach!) View the map of Bear Lake to plan what you want to do, then where you want to stay according to your activities.

WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE:
There are many things to do at Bear Lake, depending on the time of year you go. My favorite time to go is summertime, when you can play on the beach and play in the water. There are many vendors that will rent out boats, jet skis, etc.  Cave exploration and bicycling are also popular activities. View the map of Bear Lake to plan what you want to do, then where you want to stay according to your activities.

• Annual Bear Lake Marathon: June 11th, 2011
• Bear Lake Kite Festival: June 25th 2011
• Bear Lake Cowboy Gathering: July 8th – 10th 2011
• Raspberry Days: Aug 4 -6, 2011
• Bear Lake Outdoor Heritage Days: Sept. 9th and 10th 2011

Make sure that while you are there, you stop at the Hometown Drive-In in Garden City for a raspberry shake!

HOW TO GET THERE:
From Salt Lake City, Bear Lake is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. From Salt Lake City, take I-15 north until you reach the signs towards Logan. Follow the signs to Logan, then proceed towards Garden City. Garden City is located on the shores of Bear Lake.
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For more Family Vacation Ideas, visit our Family Vacation Series page!