SLC vacation with kids - recommendations? (Salt Lake City, Sandy: to rent, amusement parks, hotel)

[Scientist Mom]

We will be visiting SLC and Park City for a week long vacation next week with our 4 year old and 7 year old. I have never been to Utah before.

Can you all please give me your recommendations of things to do with young kids while in the Greater Salt Lake City area? Very interested in hearing from locals, what is fun and what is not. Current ideas are a day at Gateway (children's museum, planetarium, fountain), zoo or aviary, Red Butte Gardens, and possibly Fairmont Aquatic Center.

Do you have any favorite, non-chain restaurants near the typical tourist attractions?

How is the outdoor swimming in SLC right now? A hotel with a pool is a priority. Does indoor vs. outdoor vs. outdoor heated matter this time of year?

Is there anything we should do or see around Great Salt Lake?

Is Lagoon amusement park worth the $$$? What about the summer activities at Park City Mountain Resort (alpine slide, alpine coaster, kids area)?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Since the overnight low was 57 last night/early a.m., I would not swim in an unheated pool! Bring sweaters/light jackets for evenings. The lack of humidity makes even temperate temps feel cooler and then there's the breeze.

- There is an IMAX at the Gateway which your kids should like.
- The Fairmont kiddie pool has lots of buckets that fill up and pour out, fountains in the pool, and a tall water slide. My 3 y/o grandkid went down it. It's kept warmer than the adult pool. It also has a float current and tubes to rent to float on.
- Copper Canyon Mine is interesting. You drive up to the top and then can see down - the enormous trucks (like 2 stories tall) look like tonka toys. There is a small museum and one of the truck tires on display - maybe 8-10 ft in diameter? It and the Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space without a telescope.
- my grandkids liked walking around Temple Square to see the flowers and the fountains, very pretty.
- Sugar House Park and Fairmont Park both have ponds with ducks and birds; you can feed them bread or popcorn but you have to stop at a grocery first. Again, my grandkids loved having the birds come up so close to get food.
- Red Iguana is a fabulous mexican place on N. Temple just west of I-15. Looks like a dump but has long lines to eat. At least 1/2 the customers are speaking Spanish. If your kids like that type of food, it's great - quite reasonable.
- Crown Burgers is a local chain that makes THE best hamburger. It has pastrami and cheese and beef and comes in a Jr. size, which is all I can eat! Dine in or take out, all over town. There's one on the edge of downtown on 200 South and about 300 East. http://www.crown-burgers.com/locations.php
- Mad Greek is a fast-food Greek place with hamburgers for the kids if they won't eat gyros, etc. Several locations, dine in or take out. This one is closest to downtown 50 East 2100 South

[kaytidid]

You can also do Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy and This is the Place State Park for a fun learning experience.
The Living Planet Aquarium Home
http://thisistheplace.org/

I like Lagoon. Whether is is actually worth the price is a matter of personal opinion. It no where compares to Six Flags or Disney, but is still pretty fun.
Lagoon - It's what fun is!

Boondocks in Draper is pretty fun, too.
Welcome to Boondocks :: Boondocks Fun Center, Inc. :: Draper, Utah

There is also a place called Planet Play

Planet Play & Pizza Pie Café Draper, UT ? Arcades, buffets, restaurants, family entertainment

Thanksgiving Point in Lehi has a plethora of things to do with children!
http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/

The zoo and the aviary are both fun with young kids!

Have a great visit!

[hilgi]

Originally Posted by Scientist Mom

We will be visiting SLC and Park City for a week long vacation next week with our 4 year old and 7 year old. I have never been to Utah before.

Can you all please give me your recommendations of things to do with young kids while in the Greater Salt Lake City area? Very interested in hearing from locals, what is fun and what is not. Current ideas are a day at Gateway (children's museum, planetarium, fountain), zoo or aviary, Red Butte Gardens, and possibly Fairmont Aquatic Center.

Do you have any favorite, non-chain restaurants near the typical tourist attractions?

How is the outdoor swimming in SLC right now? A hotel with a pool is a priority. Does indoor vs. outdoor vs. outdoor heated matter this time of year?

Is there anything we should do or see around Great Salt Lake?

Is Lagoon amusement park worth the $$$? What about the summer activities at Park City Mountain Resort (alpine slide, alpine coaster, kids area)?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Food Tv has a good search now where you can see where shows have been.

Food Network Local: Restaurant Guide

The Red Iguana mentioned before was on Diners Drive Ins and Dives, along with several other places in SLC.

[BuckeyezRule]

Also agree w/ Red Iguana. Love it. =) DP, Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks in South Jordan (& I think there's one downtown now too) is really good. Hubby's been to Philly many times, & says the cheesesteaks are comparable to back east. Others say Moochie's is, but, DP is better, IMO. Pizza, another 'hole in the wall', like Red Iguana, Este's Pizza downtown is the BEST pizza I've ever had. Ever! NY style & delish!

I'm from Akron, IMO, Lagoon is NOT worth the $$$. It's I think it was $2 more expensive then Cedar Point, &, not even close. Kennywood has more at their park.

Red Butte is beautiful. Wheeler Farm is a fun, free farm that we like to go to on the east side (just good Wheeler Farm Utah) . My kids love to pet the animals, & great shots abound. Downtown Gateway is a fun, shopping area w/ dancing water fountains the kids love to play in when it summer. Herriman Splash Pad is another fun, free water area.

Do you geocache? If not, it is a great activity to incorporate when you hike. You just need a portable GPS. My kids are 6 & 7 & love it! We started when they were 3 & 4. Look into it.

You can ride Trax (our light rail system) free downtown. You can take it from Gateway to Temple Square. We go there to see the flowers about 4 times a year.

Hope you enjoy your visit & can you bring me a Primanti Bros sandwich (capicola or genoa salami & cheese are my favs!) ? Oh, I can taste the fries & cole slaw on it now! Yum! Oh, & a bottle of medium Quaker Steak & Lube sauce? lol Kidding, but, boy, do I miss them!

Yinz have fun here!

[kaytidid]

Originally Posted by Scientist Mom

We will be visiting SLC and Park City for a week long vacation next week with our 4 year old and 7 year old. I have never been to Utah before.

Can you all please give me your recommendations of things to do with young kids while in the Greater Salt Lake City area? Very interested in hearing from locals, what is fun and what is not. Current ideas are a day at Gateway (children's museum, planetarium, fountain), zoo or aviary, Red Butte Gardens, and possibly Fairmont Aquatic Center.

Do you have any favorite, non-chain restaurants near the typical tourist attractions?

How is the outdoor swimming in SLC right now? A hotel with a pool is a priority. Does indoor vs. outdoor vs. outdoor heated matter this time of year?

Is there anything we should do or see around Great Salt Lake?

Is Lagoon amusement park worth the $$$? What about the summer activities at Park City Mountain Resort (alpine slide, alpine coaster, kids area)?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Oh and make sure you get some fry sauce with your fries, for that total authentic Utah dining!

[BuckeyezRule]

Originally Posted by kaytidid

Oh and make sure you get some fry sauce with your fries, for that total authentic Utah dining!

NOOOOOO!!!! Not a fry sauce fan here. The only place I eat fry sauce is at Ab's. They have the best fry sauce (to me) . The rest is, um, not good. But, I don't like mayo. My friend used to mix mayo & ketchup together all the time to dip her fries in.

Nah, try it. I'm probably in the 1% of people who live here who doesn't like fry sauce. You have to try it.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Scientist Mom

We will be visiting SLC and Park City for a week long vacation next week with our 4 year old and 7 year old. I have never been to Utah before.

Well, start getting excited.

Can you all please give me your recommendations of things to do with young kids while in the Greater Salt Lake City area? Very interested in hearing from locals, what is fun and what is not. Current ideas are a day at Gateway (children's museum, planetarium, fountain), zoo or aviary, Red Butte Gardens, and possibly Fairmont Aquatic Center.

You would probably love Red Butte Gardens, but I suspect your kids would be pretty bored. The other things you mentioned sound like fun for both kids and adults. You might also consider visiting Old Deseret Village at This is the Place Heritage Park. It's a living history village where people dressed in pioneer costumes recreate pioneer life between 1847 and 1969. Some of it is geared specifically to kids. Downtown, go up to the top of the 26-story Church Office Building for a great view. Your four-year-old may not be too into it, but your seven-year-old will love it. The elevator takes them up 26 floors in 22 seconds which is fun in and of itself for most kids.

Do you have any favorite, non-chain restaurants near the typical tourist attractions?

The Lion House Pantry is a great place to eat. It's in the lower level of one of Brigham Young's old homes, right in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City (just a few blocks from the Gateway). It's served cafeteria style, but it's definitely not cafeteria food. It's more like Sunday dinner at Grandma's. It's a little bit spendy, but since everything is a la carte, you don't need to buy anything the kids won't eat. Then you can sit outside on the patio in Brigham Young's backyard.

How is the outdoor swimming in SLC right now? A hotel with a pool is a priority. Does indoor vs. outdoor vs. outdoor heated matter this time of year?

It should be in the 80's more than likely. I think it kind of depends on the kids. That would have been warm enough for my kids to swim outside, but too cold for me to.

Is there anything we should do or see around Great Salt Lake?

Absolutely! Go out to Antelope Island. It's a half hour drive from Salt Lake City. There are a lot of very easy hiking trails and they'll probably get to see some bison, since there are about 600 of them out there. If it's warm enough, you might consider letting them try floating in the water. Just make sure they understand that the water will sting their eyes like crazy if it gets in them.

Is Lagoon amusement park worth the $$$?

Again, it kind of depends on what your kids are used to. If you live near one of the really big amusement parks like Disneyland, it might be a letdown, but if there's nothing like that near you, it would probably be worth it. It's a nice park, very clean and family oriented. The water park there is also excellent.

What about the summer activities at Park City Mountain Resort (alpine slide, alpine coaster, kids area)?

I haven't been there for quite some time, but I really, really loved the alpine slide. There are also hot air balloon rides -- pricey but very fun.

Thanks in advance for your insights.

You're very welcome! I hope you enjoy your trip!

[BuckeyezRule]

Rereading my post, oyi! Good Wheeler Farm should be GOOGLE. lol & I missed an S on it's too. lol

FWIW, our natural beauty here, IMO, speaks for itself. My own kiddos, & hubby & I too, sometimes, are so used to the mountains, we take them for granted. I try to look at their majesty w/ awe as much as I remember. We still have snow on our highest mountain tops. Hope we don't flood too much. Blah.

[markg91359]

This is what I absolutely would do with the kids:

1. Take them to the "This is the Place Monument" in the mouth of Emigration Canyon and take them through the pioneer village there. Check out whether any special activities are going on. Usually you can at least find a horse drawn coach giving rides.

2. If you have time, when you are done take your kids across the street to the Hogle Zoo. Its a pretty good zoo for a city the size of Salt Lake City.

Other suggestions:

3. Take the kids for lunch or dinner to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square in Salt Lake (700 East 600 South).

4. A short walk through Temple Square would be a good option. This is a good time to visit with all the flowers and plants blooming.

5. The copper mine is fun, but its kind of far from the center of town and if you take this option it will probably involve a lot of the day.

6. Red Butte Creek Arboretum is pretty and also close to "This is the Place Monument". However, its probably more geared to adults than young children.