Are you ready for some serious Salt Lake City fun? How about 13 attractions for one super, duper awesome price? This week Vanessa, Quinn and I are talking about the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass and all the great things you can do/see/experience with it.

They have a great promotion going on right now!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*

*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010.
Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

You can read Vanessa’s post for details on the pass and pics of her girls enjoying Red Butte Gardens, Hogle Zoo and the Utah Museum of Natural History.

As for me and my family, so far we’ve hit up 3 of the 13 attractions: Discovery Gateway, a hands-on science museum for kids; Thanksgiving Point’s Museum of Ancient Life; and the always beautiful Thanksgiving Point Children’s Discovery Garden.

My kids LOVE Discovery Gateway. In fact, my two little ones continually ask if we can go to “the Gates” so they can hang out in the helicopter…

Play with the crazy ball-and-pipe system…

Or build super cool things out of magnets…

Even my older two love going there. You can see them enjoying the newsroom studio, rock wall and even the gift shop in the slideshow below:

As for the Museum of Ancient Life, who doesn’t love a few ginormous (aquatic) dinosaurs…

And a shark that makes the star of Jaws look like a guppy…

Oh, and endless riverways filled with sand, flowing water, palm trees and dinosaurs…

The Museum of Ancient Life has a yummy little cafe (though the grilled cheese left something to be desired) and lots of hands-on fun. Anyone want to dig for fossils?

Are you ready for the fun that is Thanksgiving Point’s Children’s Discovery Garden? Even in the almost 90-degree weather, we had a fabulous time splashing in the water…

Playing peek-a-boo in the lighthouse…

And making our way through the topiary maze…

And having a screaming-good time in the tunnels…

Who knew you could have this much fun in a garden? (I sure don’t have this much fun in ours!)

And how do I know it was a successful visit? Because this happened no later than five minutes into the drive home:

Why are you still sitting there reading this post? Get your Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass and get visiting! No better way to spend the summer than attraction-hopping through Salt Lake!

Don’t forget about their current special, which would be perfect for spending a weekend in Salt Lake City with out-of-town guests OR as a “staycation” for you!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*
*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010.
Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

This week three of the Sassies are going to feature the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass, which can be used by those of you already living in Utah OR by families who like to visit Utah for vacation!

What is the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass?

It is a “pass” that offers admission to 13 Salt Lake City attractions: Clark Planetarium, Discovery Gateway, The Lion House Pantry Restaurant, The Living Planet Aquarium, Red Butte Garden, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Thanksgiving Point, This Is The Place Heritage Park, Tracy Aviary, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Museum of Natural History, Utah Olympic Park and Utah’s Hogle Zoo. You can see exactly what you get with the pass on this page. For most of the places your VSL pass allows you free entrance into the attraction, and using the pass ends up saving you TONS of money while taking you on a great tour of the best places in Salt Lake City.

What different Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass options are there for visitors?

We recommend the 1-day ($24 for an adult), 2-day ($36 for an adult) or 3-day ($48 for an adult) for friends and family who visit Utah depending on the length of their stay.
Right now they have a great SPECIAL for this pass:

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day FREE!*

* Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010. Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

It gives visitors a great tour of Salt Lake City and takes them to the perfect places to visit while here in the area. Plus, it’s also a great way for locals to have a less expensive “staycation” this summer!

What option do they have for us local Utahns?

This is the pass that my family, extended family in Utah, friends and neighbors use: the 365 Day Pass. The cost is $69 (for an adult) and you can visit the 13 attractions listed above during the course of a year, which works perfectly for us because we usually plan fun outings once a month. We love going with  other people we know who have this pass and enjoy trying something new in Salt Lake City! If I were to visit all the attractions and pay the regular price, it would cost me over $120! With the 365 Day Pass, I save 50%, which is HUGE!

Here are some of my family’s favorite attractions included in the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass:

Red Butte Gardens: I can’t believe it took us so long to make it out to this Salt Lake City attraction but we just loved it! My kids learned so much about all the different plants, and the trails in the gardens are beautiful and shaded for hot summer weather. They have many places to sit; you can have a picnic or sit at a table for lunch. The children’s gardens are very fun and interactive, and that part of the gardens alone could have filled  our day. Check out our fun video of our favorite parts of Red Butte Gardens:

Utah’s Hogle Zoo: Here we love the giraffe house. You can go up to the second level so you are VERY close to the beautiful animals! We love going up there and watching them eat and come in and out of their houses.

Utah Museum of Natural History: Boy, do we adore this place! It is definitely a place where it is not only entertaining but educational as well. We really do have such a blast at the museum with my girls. They spend a crazy amount of time studying all of the minerals, fossils, artifacts and dinosaurs!

We’ve loved being Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass owners this year and have had a blast around Salt Lake City!

Don’t forget about their current special, which would be perfect for a weekend in Salt Lake City for family coming to visit OR a “staycation” for you!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*
*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010. Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

The Sassies spent a day last week reviewing Invert Sports, which means we spent the whole day wave running, tubing, boating and wave surfing.

Main Website: http://www.invertsports.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/invertsports
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/invertsports
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/invertsports
Blog: http://skiboatrentals.blogspot.com/

This summer will be Invert Sports’ 8th year in business. Invert Sports was created for people who love boating by people who love boating.  They understand  everyone doesn’t always have the means or the time to deal with boat ownership. Invert Sports has different options to fit YOUR needs:

• Boat Rentals: They were the first company in Utah, Arizona and Nevada that started renting high-end ski boats for Tournament wakeboard/water ski boat rentals. Ski boat rental prices range from $395 to $895 depending on the boat model and duration of rental days. Most of their rentals are newer models, giving the best water sports experience available. Rentals include: MasterCraft boats, Centurion ski boats, tow vehicle, Hyperlite wakeboards, wake skate, wake surf, kneeboard, HO skis, air chair and tubes.

  The boat we used for the review accommodates up to 16 people comfortably. Think about that price divided by all the couples you could invite for a weekend away, a family reunion or an affordable staycation his year! Watercraft delivery and pickup are available at most lakes in the Utah and Arizona area.

• Boat charters, Tours and Water Sport Lessons: I did not know this sort of thing was even an option out here in Utah. When we reviewed Invert Sports, this is the option they had ready for us and it was fantastic. The boat was waiting for us in the water, stocked with all the toys and a driver. He patiently stopped and started the boat every single time (and I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME) one of us fell off, cleaned up the boat, operated, docked/undocked and helped us with wave runners, wake boarding, wake surfing and tubing. I personally think this would be a great option for a low-key vacation, day out with extended family and even a business event.

  Water Sport lessons, charters and tours range from $695 to $1,395 depending on the lake and hours scheduled. Check out all the different places you can use this option: Lake Powell, Utah Lake, Jordanelle Reservoir, Deer Creek Reservoir, PineView Reservoir, Bear Lake, Lake Havasu, Lake Pleasant, Lake Roosevelt, Lake Tahoe, Lake Mohave, Lake Shasta, Lake Mead, Sand Hollow Reservoir, Lake Berryessa, Lake New Melones, Trinity Lake, Lake Mcclure, Lake Don Pedro, Quail Creek Reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir and Willard Bay.

  

• Jet ski, Wave runner, PWC and Sea Doo Rentals: We also reviewed their wave runners, which we had a blast with! They offer the nicest and most current model jet ski and wave runner rentals from Yamaha, including the 2009 VX Deluxe three-seater sit-down wave runners with reverse! They also have single and double trailers available if need be.

• Some Other Points to Keep in Mind: Watercraft delivery and pickup are available at most lakes and you can schedule vacation packages to major houseboating lakes in the western states. Invert Sports is a total water sport outfitter!

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Reviewing Invert Sports is one of the most fun reviews we have ever done together for SassyScoops.com. Be sure to check in on Wednesday for our official review, then on Friday we will have some videos YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS in our Follow-up Friday post. See you then!

We came. We hooped. We laughed. Sheryl McGlochin, self-named “Crazy Sheryl” and owner of Live and Thrive, promised us a fun new way to workout and that is exactly what she delivered! She showed us a new side of hooping, where it is not only fun but can make you break out in a sweat. We saw firsthand that hooping can help develop tone, balance, and coordination. We enjoyed Latin-inspired moves, hoop battles, and my all time favorite, the freestyle! I witnessed moves that night I had never been privileged to see before this eye-opening evening. Emily even received a new nickname: “Miss Sexy.”

Cute prego Quinn could not participate and thus caught a little video of our creative hooping flair. This first one is us warming up our bodies and our hoops:

And this is my favorite–the Sassies bustin’ a move while hooping. You’ll want to watch the whole thing or you might miss out on a few laugh-out-loud moments. Oh, and I bet you’ve never seen the running man done like this before:

If you are bored with the same old treadmill/weight routine, one of Sheryl’s Live and Thrive classes could be a really great way to break out of the box. Sheryl is passionate about provident, active, healthy living and her drive is contagious. Live and Thrive offers experiences ranging from hooping to cross-country skiing to paddle surfing. They also offer classes on feeding families of four on $160 a month. But really, if you want to improve your quality of life—or at least your hip-swiveling skills—sign up for on of Sheryl’s hula-hooping classes. You won’t regret it! {Unless you’re as thin as Michelle and bruise easily. Get some fat on your body, babe! ~Emily}

If you have never been to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, plan on it this summer. I was a little hesitant to go not knowing what to expect, but I am here to tell you that it was one of the funnest date nights we have had in a while! My husband described it as being better than a comedy club because they take you on a roller coaster of emotion. One minute you are laughing and then you take a quick turn to heartbreak. It is amazing how storytellers can draw you in and make you feel a part of their lives in such a short period! When we returned home well after 11 p.m. it was like we had some sort of euphoric runners high. We were both wide awake and so, well, happy.

I was so pleased to meet Carol Rice, the President of Cherish Bound. From the minute I met her she had this wonderful glow about her and you could tell she was completely at home at the festival. She was so excited to share the experience with us, and now I know why! Storytelling has such a power. It takes a moment in time that could be lost forever and through its writer or teller is transformed into an outpouring of her soul, truly a walk in her shoes. Capturing these moments and treasured family tales is what Cherish Bound is all about.

The Storytelling Festival comes around a couple of times a year, but Cherish Bound is here with an entire line of amazing products to help you find, capture and share your story anytime of year. They truly do have something for everyone whether you want to document the lifetime experiences of your ancestors (or yourself) or just get a conversation started at the dinner table.

One of my favorite ideas from Cherish Bound is the tribute book from the family collection. With Mother’s Day coming up what could be a more beautiful way to show your love and honor your mother than to express to her the intangible gifts she has bestowed. My siblings and I made Tribute books for both my mother and father and they were by far some of the most treasured gifts. They are proudly displayed in their front room for all their guests to see.

Another product I wish I had known about earlier is the Birth to 18 Months book from the early childhood collection. I really tried to keep a journal throughout pregnancy and wanted to document my son’s birth story but quickly became frustrated with the details and gave up on the part where I was in labor. I did not even document my feelings about his birth! Pitiful, I know. The Cherish Bound Story Starter covers the first 18 months of life and truly is a must for every new parent. It breaks it down for you and helps you know where to start. Carol the owner of Cherish Bound shared this insight into the early childhood story starters, “even when you’re writing in hindsight the Story Starters bring the memories back
like it just happened.  I wrote a book for my kids using that exact Story Starter when my “baby” was 8 and using it I remembered things I hadn’t thought about in years.” So it is never too late!

All in all, I am truly joyful that I was a part of this review. I was exposed to the amazing and powerful art of storytelling for the first time and got to meet Carol who encourages  me with her mission to capture those inspiring and timeless tales one family at a time.

So now that you are all motivated, what better way to start than with a fun GIVEAWAY!

You can win your very own Family Yearbook with the story starter and book from Cherish Bound by commenting on this post!

This Story Starter is filled with ideas for writing about every member of your family, your favorite pastimes, foods and activities from the year. It will help you identify trends and celebrate the “everyday” of your family.

For the chance to win this giveaway you must:

-Comment on this post once

-For 5 extra entries tweet about this giveaway

-For 10 extra entries facebook about this giveaway

-For 15 extra entries blog about this giveaway

Good luck! This giveaway ends Friday, March 12th at midnight!

THE GIVEAWAY WAS WON BY CRYSTAL AND IS NOW CLOSED.

So what did the Sassies, guest Sassy Shannon and their families think of The Timpanogos Midwinter Storytelling Festival? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Michelle: The festival staff were so kind and went out of their way to help us find our tickets. I was impressed with the level of service.
Jared (Michelle’s husband): The waiting area seemed like a sci fi con minus the props and booths. There were a surprising number of people of all ages there.
Jane (aka “Shannon”): My high school didn’t have a fancy auditorium like this!
Sally (Jane’s daughter): This is going to be cool.
Tom (Jane’s husband): I wonder who the other storyteller is.
Stephanie: I was so impressed with the storytellers. I didn’t expect to be so captivated.
Brian (Stephanie’s husband): I was a bit worried that my 2 sons (12 and 14yo) would not enjoy it. By the end of the evening, they seemed to be enjoying themselves even more than I did.
Josh (Stephanie’s son): I thought it was very interesting that the stage wasn’t set up like when you see plays or musicals.
Xander (Stephanie’s son): Should be some good classic stories. I think these people have had a fun past!

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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Michelle: I loved how through their stories they could take you from laughing to heartbreak at the turn of a hat. Their stories were so descriptive that you really felt like you were there with them. It was like they were creating a movie in my mind. I questioned whether I would enjoy the evening, but it was surprisingly fun!
Jared: I liked how their story would move toward the climax from multiple directions. The storyteller would approach the climax from one direction, but instead of just going straight to it, they would back up and move toward it again from another direction. It was like a three-dimensional story.
Jane: I loved everything. You have to be a bit patient with storytelling. It doesn’t start with a bang like most movies or TV. You have to trust the storyteller during the setup and the background, and then the story sneaks up and wallops you. Mary Gay Ducey’s story about her librarian mother and her father who would come get her anytime made me cry. Donald Davis had me rolling, as usual. Loved the story of his neighbor’s flashy new girlfriend, and how young Donald scared her away.
Sally: The guy, Donald Davis. His stories were funny; I laughed the most when he got the rocket car down the driver and it landed on The Smith’s doghouse.
Tom: Donald Davis. He’s a master storyteller. I don’t even know why his stories are that engaging—they just are. From start to finish I’m mesmerized.
Stephanie: The stories. They were so magical. It was amazing how they could take something as simple as a neighbor or a car ride and convey it in such a fascinating manner.
Brian: I like Donald’s stories the best. The way that he was able to paint a picture and lead you on a journey was very entertaining.
Josh: The stories were very funny.
Xander: The story about when the guy was experimenting with his chemicals and made gunpowder!

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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: The seating was really squished. It was in a high school so you can’t expect much, but poor Jared was literally being leaned on by a rather husky fellow who could not fit in his own seat.
Jared: The seats. They were small and there was a very large man sitting next to me.
Jane: I didn’t want it to end. But somehow, it would be nice if you could lie on the couch while listening.
Sally: Nothing. I didn’t like nothing. {couldn’t have said it better myself}
Tom: Davis’ second story was a bit didactic. Stories should stand by themselves without squeezing a moral out of it.
Stephanie: That it ended. I wanted to hear Donald and MaryGay tell me stories all night.
Brian: I am tall. The seats in the high school auditorium were very small, but nothing they could have done about that.
Josh: The seats and how far it was from my house.
Xander: NOTHING!! It was awesome!

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QUESTION

Would you visit again?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: For sure! I would love to go to the summer festival and hear more. I loved how the storytellers took me on an emotionally charged trip through their childhood adventures!
Jared: Yes, I wish there was an email list so I could know the dates of the summer festival.
Jane: Thanks to Cherish Bound, we experienced the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival last summer for the first time, and I am a convert. I love it and will go back every chance I get. When I was asking Sally these questions, she first said “the washboard lady” was her favorite part, and I had to tell her to pick something from the mid-winter concert, not from this past summer. We still find ourselves, even Spot the three-year old, singing songs from the stories this summer.
Sally: Definitely. I loved it!
Tom: Most certainly.
Stephanie: YES! I am already planning on the summer event. Or maybe “anxiously awaiting” might be a better term.
Brian: Yes I would definitely go back again and bring some other people with me too.
Josh: Yes. I think my Mom said she is taking us this summer.
Xander: Yes!

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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: Want to depart from the ordinary & enter the extraordinary for date night? Let your imagination soar at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival
Jared: Hey, I went and listened to these awesome stories. It was better than I expected. {I’m thinking Jared doesn’t quite get the concept of tweeting just yet.}
Jane: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival should be Utah’s sixth national park. It’s that awesome.
Sally: The stories are amazing and you should really go. The storytelling festival is the best festival I’ve had.
Tom: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is important (and fun) because stories are what give us meaning.
Stephanie: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival transports you into the amazing world of the storytellers.
Brian: I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival was. I’ll be back next year.
Josh: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival has funny and inspirational storytellers. Great for kids 12 and over.
Xander: Go to the Timpanogas Storytelling festival this Summer! It’s GREAT for family trips!
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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival’s Midwinter event.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy Shannon. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog!…

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Shannon (aka “Jane”)

I blog (under the name Jane) at Seagull Fountain, where I recently vowed never to use the words “good” and “bad” in the same sentence as “mother” again. I’m married to Mr. Bennet (not his real name) and have three girls: Sally, Susan & Spot. I think most TV is highly overrated (esp. that Glee show and the new series Buffy the Vampire Slayer which I just discovered on hulu.com) but love House, Castle, Burn Notice, Bones, and The Office. I don’t have time to read. (Just kidding). Kinda. I think it was really awesome of the Sassies to let me tag along. I’m free most weeknights if you guys are ever reviewing, say, Thai Drift or Bombay House, or, you know, Chick-fil-A.

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday. You won’t want to miss our Follow-up Friday post! It’s always entertaining when the Sassies (and guest Sassies) get together!

To be honest when the Sassies were invited by Carol Rice of Cherish Bound to my first Timpanogos Storytelling event, I had no clue what to expect.   I know several of the other Sassies had been to prior events and enjoyed them immensely but I had no experience to speak of.  Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised as was my family.  If you assume your tweens and teens wouldn’t be interested in hearing stories anymore, you would be completely wrong.  The storytellers are animated, lively, and invite you into their lives to the point you feel like you were actually there.

That is why the Sassies are so thrilled that  company like Cherish Bound exists.  You can turn your own memories into stories for your family to enjoy for years to come.  They provide you with the tools to help create amazing family books with stories to tell for generations after you.  With Spring, Mother’s Day, and even Father’s Day fast approaching, think of all the memories you will be creating.  Capturing those memories is what Cherish Bound is all about.  Taking your quality family time and allowing that to be shared over and over again.  You never know what will be important to them in the future.  Even a simple car ride with their father can create an amazing tale 50 years later.

Telling stories sparks old memories, new thoughts, and most importantly a conversation amongst friends and families.  Find out what conversation the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival sparked in the Sassy’s review on Wednesday!

As you can tell from all our fun pictures, we had such a ball bringing our spouses and children with us to The Utah Museum of Natural History!

Only I (Vanessa) had been to the museum before, so I was really excited for all of the other Sassies to join me. I felt like I was showing off a hidden gem that my girls and I just adore. We really do have such a blast at the museum with my girls. They spend a crazy amount of time studying all of the minerals, fossils, artifacts and dinosaurs! Plus they have some pretty cool creepy, crawly critters:

Did you know every first Monday, the museum is open until 8pm AND it is FREE admission!

Did you know that you can rent out the museum for an event, spend the night in the museum and attend their Scientist in the Spotlight events?

Did you know your kids over 16 can volunteer at the museum?

I could go on and on.  We really do think the world of this place. The admission is very affordable- $3.50 for kids over 3.  Kids under 3 are free. The faculty and volunteers love the museum and they want to teach something new to every single person who walks through the doors!

There are so many great things at The Utah Museum of Natural History.  We had no idea that they offered birthday parties (and they have such a selection). Check out how much fun the Sassies and their children had during the birthday party thrown by the UMNH just for them:

Here is a quick summary of the parties, but you can check out their pricing and more details here.

Dinosaur Detectives (ages 4-7)
No bones about it, this is a great party for the dinosaur lover in your family! Learn more about these amazing giants while making a fossil cast, creating a dino mask and excavating a mini-quarry. Plus, participants will tour the Paleontology Hall!

Creepy Crawlers
Party goers will slither and crawl their way through fun facts about snails, millipedes, worms and snakes. Insect headbands, slime making and observing insect parts under microscopes are on the docket for this fun-filled party. Plus, interact with live specimens and tour our Bugs Alive! exhibit.

Magical Mixtures Party (ages 7-10)
Is your child thrilled by magic or crazy about Harry Potter? Our Magical Mixtures party has the winning combination of magic and science that kids love! Make troll snot, discover the secret of the stickey balloons, shrink your art, and investigate acids and bases! Plus, tour the birthday child’s favorite exhibit hall.

Super Sleuths (8-12)
Someone has stolen a priceless artifact from the Museum! It’s up to you to track down the clues that will reveal the culprit. Test fingerprints, lip prints and shoe prints while investigating the methods detectives use to solve mysteries. Once you think you’ve figured out ‘whodunit,’ follow the clues to find the missing artifact.

You really should take the time to explore their website to see all of the wonderful programs, events and exhibits. They will blow you away!  Your $3.50 is really really worth it.

Your next Family Outing or Birthday Party really does need to be at The Utah Museum of Natural History.

Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter where they will announce great events and deals!

So what did some of our Sassies (and a few of their kids) think of Utah Museum of Natural History? Is it a place they would bring their kiddos and have birthday parties? Read on to find out!

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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Allison: FUN!  Seriously, my kids want to plan a birthday party there now.
Angela & Seth: The entrance to the museum was classy- overall layout, building materials, spaciousness, and gift shops position/layout/ organization. It was all inviting without being obtrusive. Then going down to the basement past janitor’s closets (as I felt) seemed kind of second rate for a birthday party in which I was going to pay for the atmosphere as much as education. Once in the room for the party I enjoyed how much there was for the children to look at and learn from. It encouraged questions and interaction.
Evonne: The interaction with the children is worth any amount of money!
Kalli: Parking was a little crazy thanks to all the game-day excitement, but the staff was welcoming and the museum was inviting and warm on a rainy morning.
Michelle & Jared: This is a museum that is fun for all ages. It is family friendly and has exhibits that even the littlest kids can experience.
Nathan, Madison & Lauren (in order): N: That our host “Heather” was very nice. And that they clearly had a serious program put together for introducing children to science and natural history. M: I thought it was kind of weird. Well probably because I’m 12. L: awsome!!!!!!!
Vanessa & Tyler: Glad to be back! The girls and I love coming to UMNH and can spend hours in the museum. We could not wait to try out the birthday parties!

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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Allison: The staff was adorable, hands on, helpful, and kind.
Angela & Seth: We loved the variety of displays and that they were set at a height and level for children to explore and enjoy.  The displays and activities were set in a way that they could learn and increase their knowledge no matter what age level they were or how many times they had been there!
Evonne: I loved that everything is hands on, it makes it entertaining!
Kalli: The birthday party host and activities were totally fun, educational and engaging. The kids really seemed to love it and the parents did too!
Michelle & Jared: My favorite part was watching my little 2 year old sons eyes light up as he discovered a dinosaur in his excavation block at the birthday party. He is still playing with his dino find. Plus, he looked so dang cute in those goggles!
Nathan, Madison & Lauren (in order): N: There was a professional actor that played a harry-potter like magical instructor. She was wonderful with the little kids, especially the little kids. She also had a British accent that she never stopped using, even when not talking to the kids. All of the activity instructors were great with the kids and knowledgable about their subjects. M: The 30 minute free explore thing. L: the party
Vanessa & Tyler: The faculty and volunteers, you can tell they really care, love the museum and want to educate everyone that walks in the doors in a fun and friendly way.

QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP:

Allison: We didn’t have enough time to complete all the activities.
Angela & Seth: During the party the kids could get into some things- museum supplies, tank cleaning instruments etc.. For the younger kids the woman presenting did not seem to interact at their level (4-5 years old)
Evonne: Do I really have to pick something?
Kalli: Not much, the building itself is old and in need of some updating but a new state of the art facility is under construction and I can’t wait!
Michelle & Jared: When my curious little guy decided to taste some of the “sprinkles” from a water exhibit in the dino room.
Nathan, Madison & Lauren (in order): N: We didn’t have enough time to walk through the entire museum in a half hour. Each room had much more than I expected, and we had to rush to see what we could. M: How I couldn’t do most of the stuff at the party because I’m “older”. L: sniffing the spices
Vanessa & Tyler: Sometimes things can appear disorganized, smushed or a bit messy BUT I know this will not be the case when they are in their new place in 2011!

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QUESTION

Would you visit again?

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THE SCOOP:

Allison: We’re planning on it.
Angela & Seth: To the Museum exhibits absolutely! We are planing a trip already, we couldn’t have spent enough time there!
Evonne: I have to go back, because Savannah will beg me until we do!!
Kalli: Definitely. Even my 15 month old loved running around to the different exhibits and thought it was awesome.
Michelle & Jared: Definitely! We all had a great time exploring, especially the dinosaur bones and bugs! Oh, and Al the Allosaurus who eats pennies and talks was a big hit!
Nathan, Madison & Lauren (in order): N: Absolutely. M: Yeah, I want to see the rest of the place. L: totally yes!!!!!!!
Vanessa & Tyler: We are getting a pass, I want my girls to volunteer here when they are old enough, we talk about this place at home almost every day. If you come, you will see us there!

QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP:

Allison: If you want to have an out-of-the-ordinary birthday party for your kid, look no further than the Museum of Natural History!
Angela & Seth: Went 2 UNHM kids couldn’t get enough of it. Going back next Sat.!
Evonne: A birthday party dream come true at UNHM, something for every age!  Hands on projects, and lots of fun to be had!
Kalli: Utah Museum of Natural History-way better, and more affordable than the dino museum at TG Point.
Michelle & Jared : Winter birthdays a drag? Take a trip back in time at the Utah Museum of Natural History & let your kids experience their very own dino dig!
Nathan, Madison & Lauren (in order): {These three have no idea what tweeting is, though Madison did reply, “It was a blast!” and Lauren said, “that it was awsome and i learned a lot.” Throw in @UNMH and you’re good to go!}
Vanessa & Tyler: Date Night, Family Day Out or Birthday Party, @UNMH is the place to be! This is a museum that you will stay in for hours and feel like you got your moneys worth!
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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for the Utah Museum of Natural History. Take a trip to the museum, plan your next kid’s birthday party here and let us know what you think!
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on the Utah Museum of Natural History. With kids in tow you know there will be great photos and a great follow-up!

Salt Lake City gals were looking for a place to gather all for a very good cause—“A Day Made Better” founded by OfficeMax and nonprofit organization, Adopt-A-Classroom, to lead the fight to end teacher-funded classrooms. We needed an ideal location where we could mix and mingle as well as collect donations to help teachers in our community.

With the variety of rooms catering to all party sizes and types, Noah’s not only provided us with the perfect environment in which to collect donations, but also helped us create an event to remember.

Why Noah’s?

I am happy that we chose Noah’s for the following reasons:

• Their staff was amazing to work with both before and during the event, helping the party come off without a hitch so the focus could be on the cause and not on finer points of party planning or execution.
• While they have two locations, their South Jordan venue is centrally located and right off the 10600 South freeway exit, making it the perfect spot for people in both Salt Lake and Utah Counties to drive to.
• They have rooms for parties of all sizes and types—from large wedding receptions to small game-night parties like ours.
• Parking spaces are plentiful and on either side of the building.
• It is located next to every store you can image, which comes in handy when you forget essential party supplies.
• It is a high tech building with the capability for you to have music playing from your iPod throughout the rooms you book, a computer up for your party goers to tweet on, and a wii game projected huge on the racquetball court wall.
• We were able to bring in outside food (thanks Rock Creek Pizza for your generous donation!).

To see the story of our entire evening in picture format, click here!