Plus, If You Are Willing to Drive . . .

I'm not going to get all wacky with all the links like I did on that last post. It behooves me to add that, during the Olympics, Ogden had an "In 30-Zone" marketing campaign . . . that we are within 30-minutes of anything you could want. So, here is my addendum.

I'm not huge on driving long distances for a fun day with the kids, especially with the current gas prices (don't even get me started), but the other nice thing about O-Town is that there are so many cool places so close by.

For example, only a few miles away in Roy, there is the Hill Aerospace Museum. It's free! My kids love it, and it is a great way to slip in some history. One time, after we visited, we followed up with lunch at The Auger Inn, a restaurant located inside the Ogden Airport. I wish I could recommend the food. It was not so great. Not terrible, but very greasy-spoon-dinerish. And, not even delicious-greasy-spoon-dinerish. Still, it was pretty cool to eat a mediocre lunch while watching the airplanes land and take-off. Kind of a theme day.

Also in Roy, there is an equally fun aquatic center (and, one in Brigham City, and an indoor one in Clearfield if you really like variety).

In Layton, I just discovered the Classic Fun Center, with laser tag, bouncing, a pirate's cove playland, and, of course, skating. What I really liked about it is that younger kids can ride scooters or cars (rent or bring your own) or anything around the skating rink with the music and lights adding their special effects. It makes it really friendly for families with older and younger kids.

It's fun to venture down to Salt Lake a couple of times per year for things like Hoogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, Liberty Park (awesome playground, plus a fun wading area for the kiddies, they even have wi-fi), the huge Salt Lake Library (the architecture alone is worth the drive, super fast glass elevators and a rooftop garden), the fountain at the Gateway, riding escalators, etc.

Every few years, we are bound to do the Tour De Logan, visiting Cox's Honeyland, Gossner's Cheese (free samples, squeaky cheese, and vanilla milk in a box!), Pepperridge Farms Outlet, Willow Park Zoo, The Bluebird for lunch, and, of course, Aggie Ice-Cream. (I just realized that is almost entirely about food . . . hmmm . . . )

We have yet to visit Snow Basin in the summer, but I hear you can ride the tram up the mountain for lunch, and ride, or hike, or bike, back down. For, a not so free (or, relaxing) day, Lagoon has all the rides.

I conclude by asking, could Logan Canyon and Bear Lake possibly be any more breath-taking? Only 2 short hours to the north.

And, last but not least, how lucky is it that a four hour drive to Moab (or, 5-6 hours to another Southern Utah destination) provides such a drastic change of scenery, it's like you've traveled to a whole other land?

Okay, so I'm just a teensy bit excited for summer. And, I love it here.