After so many years wondering about and trying different season passes to local Salt Lake City venues, the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass has been our answer!  We’ve been able to keep things fun and exciting by going to different venues.  Then, we’ve been really able to see which locations our kids prefer in order to make a more informed decision should we go to purchase any season passes for any of the places included on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass.  There are so many great places to explore here in Salt Lake City!

Our family loves all of the venues offered on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass.  Here’s a quick list of some of our favorite things at the venues on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass:

• Clark Planetarium – My kids LOVE the movies on the big dome screen (movie pass included on the pass, as well as a ticket to the IMAX theater).  They also love walking through the exhibits, learning about stars, planets and space exploration.
• Discovery Gateway – What’s not to love there?!  My kids have such a great time with everything at Discovery Gateway.  I love how everything is an educational experience.  We’ve also really enjoyed the art classes.
• The Lion House Pantry Restaurant – The food, the food, the food!!!  Gourmet home-cooking in a family-friendly atmosphere, nice for adults, while also comfortable to bring kids.  My favorite is their tapioca pudding.. or maybe the banana cream pie… hmmm… too many good things to choose from (Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass includes one Pioneer Meal – $9.99 value).  In the warm weather, we love to eat on the patio and then check out the flowers at Temple Square.
• The Living Planet Aquarium – Dim lighting (my fave, since it makes it so relaxing!), bright fish displays and interactive experiences have made this an absolute favorite location of ours to visit.  My kids especially love petting the sting rays and watching the sharks, penguins and octopus.
• Red Butte Garden – I’ve been so excited to take my kids here to see the gardens, especially because of how educational the experience will be!
• Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort – The tram ride (included on the Visit Salt Lake Pass) is going to be a highlight of my kids’ summer outings!  I can hardly wait to take them there!!!  I remember going on the tram as a child and loving it!
• Thanksgiving Point – Hands-down, my kids love the Dinosaur Museum the very most, though I’m hoping to win them over on the gardens in the very near future. ;)
• This is the Place Heritage Park – Our family especially loves visiting this venue during the month of July.  It’s such a fun, interactive way to teach our kids about our State’s historic legacy.
• Tracy Aviary – We are bird lovers, so going to Tracy Aviary is always a real treat!  So many varieties of birds in one place.
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts – As someone who considers themself an artist, I’m constantly looking for ways to educate and expose my children to the arts.  The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is the perfect complement to this effort.
• Utah Museum of Natural History – My son LOVED the summer day camp we did and so I’m certain he and my girls are going to love going to the museum soon, too!  Once he finds out there are dinosaur bones there, he’ll never want to leave! ;)
• Utah Olympic Park – Since my kids weren’t born when the Olympics graced Salt Lake City, I’ve been excited to take them here to teach them about the sports and the camaraderie, while helping them catch a vision of the spirit of the Olympics!
• Utah’s Hogle Zoo – Lions, tigers and bears – oh, yes!  We love to see them all!  My kids especially love the giraffe house (one of the giraffes bent down and licked my brother’s camouflage jacket on one of our most recent visits, lol!).

Here’s a fun video from our family’s latest outing to the Living Planet Aquarium:

And now…

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Visit Salt Lake is giving one lucky reader two 2-day Visit Salt Lake Connect Passes! All you have to do is comment to win, then you and your family can get out exploring all of these exciting Salt Lake City venues!

p.s. Anxious to get a Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass right away?  Be sure to take advantage of their special right now to Buy a 2-day Pass and get a third day, free!  And you can’t beat their always-low-rate for year passes.  Have fun exploring all the Salt Lake has to offer!

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.

I don’t think there’s much more we can say to convince you Invert Sports is the go-to shop for local water sports rentals. From the time we arrived and saw the boat docked, stocked and ready to go, to the final “accidental” flip of the inner tube, we were smitten.

Tyler, an employee of Invert Sports and a well-trained driver, accompanied us during our time with the boat.  He was so patient when it came toteaching us how to wake surf, our phobias of the insects and the craziness that just comes with giddy girls spending a day out in the sun.  He was so fun whipping us around on the tubes, and even cooperated in secretly executing the perfect wipe-out—for video purposes of course—unbeknownst to Vanessa and Kitty, the riders on the tube, who were expecting a calm ride back to the dock. (Again, we’re sorry for the bruises and inability to walk the next day!)

Take advantage of these summer months by spending some time on the lake.  Plan a weekend with your family or good friends and call Invert Sports to reserve the perfect sized boat or water toys for your group.  Split the cost of the rental price and we can guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

We cornered Tyler, while in the process of inflating the tube, to have him discuss more about Invert Sports.

Be sure to “Like” Invert Sports on Facebook or follow them on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/invertsports to keep up on the latest steals and deals being offered throughout the summer.

And don’t be surprised if you see some Sassies out on the lake as well during your adventures!

So what did the Sassies and our guest Sassies, Jill and Kitty, think of Invert Sports? Did they have as much fun in real life as it looks like they did in the photos? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Camille: The boat, toys and driver were all there, loaded, docked and ready for us to jump on at the time scheduled. The boat was clean, well-maintained and the driver knew his stuff—and was fun!
Emily: “Is there really a lake at the end of this extremely long country road?” But seriously, I loved that everything was ready and waiting for us, including Tyler (aka our cute driver).
Jill: The equipment all looked brand new and the guy helping us was friendly, but not creepy friendly.
Kitty: Adventure time!
Vanessa: Wow! They have really, really nice equipment. We had a boat while growing up and we love to hang out on friends’ boats and rent boats a lot. THIS water equipment was the nicest I have been on…and it runs really well too.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Tyler’s patience in teaching how to wake surf. For as many times as he had to slow the boat and bring it around to pick up the floating “surfer,” he still maintained a smile!
Emily: Definitely the waverunners. I LOVE heading out on one of these and jumping whatever wakes I can find. Unfortunately I had to settle for the boat’s wakes as there were no moving houseboats on Utah Lake for some reason… Oh, and did I already mention our driver was cute? I did? Well, how about the fact that he was super nice and super helpful too?
Jill: The part I was most impressed with was how well Tyler got along with us. I loved how willing he was to teach us how to wake surf, even though I ended up being terrible.
Kitty: I loved that my cheeks (both of them!) threatened to be sore from so much laughing and having fun.
Vanessa: I really liked having a chartered boat, which means someone does the pick-up, delivery, drives it, helps teach water sports and sets up and takes down the different toys. The boat we were on can hold up to 16 people! When you divide the cost among that many people, it’s awesome. I think more companies should do this for work parties, and my family needs to do it for our next reunion.
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: That we hadn’t arranged to keep the boat longer!
Emily: That I was eaten ALIVE by mosquitoes in the first 30 minutes of boating, but that can’t be helped. I’m super sweet and irresistible to blood-sucking insects. Other than that, hitting a wall of water while on the waverunner wasn’t super awesome, or the nasty, purple/blue/blood-red bruise the size of Texas on my right butt cheek from a nasty wipeout (also on said waverunner). Oh, and I didn’t love wake surfing but anything that requires balancing like that is beyond my limited coordination.
Jill: Nothing. I like boating, but I don’t like all the docking and whatnot that comes along with it, so it was really nice to just have someone else do all that!
Kitty: I didn’t like having to wait for Camille to finish showing off on the wake board.
Vanessa: HA! The huge welts I had on one side of my body from flipping out, falling down, smashing mid-air into Kitty. But seriously, if you aren’t doing that, you aren’t having a good time. But honestly, Invert Sports was perfect—I am a huge fan now!
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QUESTION

Would you refer Invert Sports to a friend?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Absolutely! For those who don’t have the luxury of owning a boat themselves, Invert Sports is definitely the way to to enjoy some time out on the water.
Emily: Totally! I’m already thinking we need to somehow organize a family SassyScoops getaway to Lake Powell and invite Invert Sports along. They seem to know how to do water sports right…
Jill: Most definitely. Hopefully said friend would invite me along too.
Kitty: Already have!
Vanessa: YES, triple yes! Let me tell you why: the side of the family that rents water craft gets the cheapest they can find—and it’s NOT fun. The customer service, quality of the water craft and the fun we have suffers because they cut just a little bit on cost. Invert Sports is by far the best rental company I have ever worked with and I will only use them from now on.
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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

Camille: Call in sick tomorrow and spend the day on the water with @invertsports boats and waverunner rentals!
Emily: I know what I’m doing this summer: boating & water sports w/ @inevertsports. They rock! #utah #summerfun
Jill: Want to go boating/jetskiing but don’t own a boat? Rent the highest quality boating equipment from @invertsports
Kitty: {not a tweeter}
Vanessa: @InvertSports is the best company in #utah to rent watercraft. Their equipment, options, customer service & staff are beyond the best ever.

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Invert Sports.
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Atmosphere … n/a	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Invert Sports! We might even have a tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassies. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit their super sweet blogs!
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Jill
Jill is a twenty-something mother of two who runs the blog Jill Can Blog—a site full of deliciously random thoughts and happenings. When she’s not engaging in bloggery, wifery, and mothering, she practices full-time studentry at Utah Valley University studying Public Relations. She loves Mexican food, Diet Coke, watching her neighbor treat his cat like a human child, and dance parties. You can learn more about Jill and her dance parties by visiting Jill Can Blog.
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Kitty
Kitty (Catherine) is the owner of the “Sweet Shoppe” Fahrenheit 350° and produces the most delectable pecan logs in the universe. She resides in Utah with her husband and cute dogs. She has an unending supply of energy and youthful enthusiasm along with her drool-inducing recipes! You can learn more about Kitty and her fabulous edible creations at the Fahrenheit 350° Blog.

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!

So what did a few of the Sassies’ kids think of the spring science camps from the Utah Museum of Natural History? Read on to find out!

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QUESTION

What was your first impression?

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THE SCOOP

Emily & George: Emily: When I walked into the room the kids were having a wonderful time and the counselors seemed to be having just as much fun!
Evonne & Savannah: Savannah: I thought it was going to be good.
Quinn & Tate: Quinn: Emily took our boys with her so I never got to see it and so sadly I don’t have an answer for this question.
Vanessa & Abby: Vanessa: The staff is just so friendly, helpful, personable. They really are superb. We like to go many places as a family for fun and UMNH by has the best customer service by FAR. Also, because my girls love it so much they could not wait to “have school” there and learn about plants.

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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Emily & George: Emily: I love that the kids can get their hands dirty (or sudsy in George’s case) and learn super cool science things. George was seriously having the best time and didn’t want to leave.
Evonne & Savannah: Savannah: Loved searching and looking at flowers.
Quinn & Tate: Quinn: My son LOVED all of the water activities and learning. He had an absolute blast and when he’s happy, I’m happy!
Vanessa & Abby: Vanessa: How my daughter is STILL TALKING ABOUT IT to anyone who will listen.This little girl does a lot of fun stuff but boy, this UMNH spring camp really was the highlight of her year.She remembers what she learned about plants, the activities she did and the fun people she met. She loved it!

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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Emily & George: Emily: Probably the only things I really didn’t like was the location (a bit of a drive if you can’t carpool) and of course the parking, though they do let you park in President’s Circle…but you have to go in and get a validation to do so.
Evonne & Savannah: Savannah: It ended. {Evonne: Aaah, isn’t Savannah adorable!}
Quinn & Tate: Quinn: I was bummed the weather wasn’t very warm so they couldn’t really do any of the water things outside, but that’s definitely not UMNH’s fault. They did a fabulous job under the circumstances.
Vanessa & Abby: Vanessa: Well, honest to goodness, with how impressed we were I WILL make the drive down to UMNH. At the same time I wonder if they could have another “branch” for certain day camps in the south Salt Lake County area.

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QUESTION

Would you recommend the Utah Museum of Natural History’s spring and summer camps?

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THE SCOOP

Emily & George: Emily: For sure! I’d love to get a little group together so they could attend together. And as they get older you can do the full-day camps in the summer. I’m seriously looking forward to that! And George would recommend the camp to anyone and everyone if he were old enough to do so…
Evonne & Savannah: Evonne: Savannah talked about this for days after! She had a blast! Not only would we go again, we would refer a friend!
Quinn & Tate: Quinn: Yes, definitely!
Vanessa & Abby: Vanessa: Yes, I have referred their day camps to many friends and family and will continue to for years. I was very impressed with every single aspect of the spring and summer camps at UMNH.

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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

Emily: Want to fight summer boredom & get your kids loving science? Check out @UMNH’s summer camps in #slc #utah. They’re awesome!
Evonne: Want your child to not only have a gr8 time, but learn this summer! Sign them up for @UMNH’s summer camps!!
Vanessa: @UMNH should be named the @inevergrewup #1 destination in Salt Lake. Can’t get enough of it. Sign up your kids for camps now!.

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for the Utah Museum of Natural History’s science camps.

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The UMNH Summer Camp Sassy Scoops Promotion!
Get $25 off your first two UMNH Summer Camps this summer! When registering for camp at www.umnh.utah.edu/summer enter “SASSY” in the promotional code box.

Terms & Conditions

• Discount available on new registrations only.
• Discount cannot be combined with other offers.
• Discount available on non-member price only. UMNH Members are welcome to take advantage of the offer, but the discount is available on regular price only, representing a net $5 discount for UMNH members using the SassyScoops promotional offer.
• Discount available on camps with open registration. Cannot be applied to a new or existing wait-list reservation.
• Limit two discounts per paying adult. Can be used on two camps for one child or one camp each for two children.
• Offer valid on registrations made by July 9, 2010.

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on UMNH’s spring camps!

The Utah Museum of Natural History has quickly become a favorite for the Sassies and their families. We have featured the museum, their birthday parties  and now we are featuring their Spring & Summer Camps!

Can you tell these two little gals were beyond excited they got to try out the spring camp at the Utah Museum of Natural History?

Well, we were excited as well! We couldn’t wait to tell you all about how our kids enjoyed the spring camps at UMNH and let you know all about the upcoming summer camps.

Their Summer Camps begin TODAY Monday, June 7th, and run all the way until the week of August 9th. They have options for ages from Kintergarden up to 9th grade and you can chose to have them enrolled in half day or full day options. Every single detail you want to know is on this page of their website: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/summer

Here are just SOME of the Summer Camp Options that stood out to us and we thought out readers would enjoy as well:

• In the spirit of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, we are offering three “food and kitchen science” camps this summer
  • Countertop Chemistry for 2nd & 3rd Grade (June 28 – July 2)
  • Know Your Food for 2nd & 3rd Grade (July 6 – 9)—this course is taught by Slow Food Utah director Christi Paulson, recently nationally recognized as an educator who is using food (where it comes from, how to grow it, organic and local food production) as a way to engage kids not only in better health, but in science in general!
  • Science Chef for 4th & 5th Grade (July 12 – 16)

• Summer is also a great time get outdoors! One of the benefits of camps at UMNH is the field trips, especially for the older kids. Some camps that provide unique outdoor exploration and field trips are:
  • Great Salt Lake Field Camp for 4th & 5th Grade (June 28 – July 2)—this camp is taught in partnership with the FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake and the kids are near the lake all five days of camp. I actually have photos of past campers at the lake if you want to see them!
  • Kids in Nature with Christy Bills for 4th & 5th Grade (July 6 – 9)—Christy is the entomologist here at the Museum and loves bugs, nature, climbing around, being outdoors! She’s a mom with two girls and my kids love her. This camp is focused on letting the kids be the guides, with emphasis of helping them build their confidence and observation skills when out in nature. And with Christy, kids hike and don’t complain! Go figure!
  • Campus Explorations for 2nd & 3rd Grade (July 6 – 9 )—in this camp, kids are all over the campus and go indoors a lot but they see incredible things that most people don’t get to see. It was through this camp that my kids have been to the campus observatory, seen the amazing pipe organ at Libby Gardner Hall, and even felt the sound vibrations in the ceiling ABOVE Gardner Hall! I can find out exactly what’s planned for this year if you want to know more.

• Science Workshops for 6th – 9th grade — Face it, at this point older kids don’t want a traditional camp, but these new programs enable kids to go way beyond the science that they traditionally get in school.

Camps at UMNH provide kids with a hands-on experience in the natural world. Kids who spend multiple weeks at the museum end up with this incredible knowledge base about natural science. They also pick up some great scientific skills like observation, hypothesis and simply paying attention to what is happening around them! Spending time at UMNH can really make summer count for kids; they are having fun while learning about things like botany, water, sound and electricity, weather, motion, earth, space…you name it!

The UMNH Summer Camp Sassy Scoops Promotion: Get $25 off your first two UMNH Summer Camps this summer! When registering for camp at www.umnh.utah.edu/summer enter “SASSY” in the promotional code box.

Terms & Conditions

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We can’t wait to tell you on Wednesday what our kiddos thought of their UMNH Spring Camps. As you well know, sometimes kids are the hardest ones to win over!

We originally featured Rock Creek Pizza Co. almost a year ago last July. Here’s a quick bit of info about this fab pizza parlor (do they still call them that?!?!) in Riverton from our preview post:

If you’re in the mood for deliciously fresh pizza tonight, Rock Creek Pizza Co. is the place to go. … You can order your own pizza to be served at your table or you can have the buffet and eat to your heart’s content. With the buffet you get pizza, salad and their to-die-for dessert pizza—YUM!

And if you’ve got a large party to entertain, they have your private room ready. It comes with a projector screen and free WiFi so your business can enjoy yummy pizza while still staying connected. Rock Creek Pizza Co. has great service with that family owned feel. They want your stay to be worth your time and are ready to serve you with a smile.

Want our honest opinion on the place? Check out our official review—scoops and all— of Rock Creek Pizza Co. here. Ready for some fun photos and behind-the-scenes details? Catch Rock Creek Pizza Co.’s Follow-up Friday post. That Rachael knows how to wield a mean pizza spatula…or whatever that giant, flat, silver thingy is called!

Rock Creek Pizza Co. is located at 1276 West 12600 South in Riverton.

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It’s GIVEAWAY time!

One lucky SassyScoops.com reader is going to win $50 to Rock Creek Pizza Co.!

It is easy to enter. Just leave a comment telling us your favorite style/type of pizza.

But that’s not all…

You can earn EXTRA entries:

2 entries ~ Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your tweet in the comments.

2 entries ~ Facebook about this giveaway and include a link to your update in comments.

5 entries ~ Blog about this giveaway and include a link to your post in comments.

Good luck! This giveaway will end on Friday, June 11th at midnight!

The Utah Museum of Natural History will soon be holding it’s annual Spring Camps!  The camps will take place Monday, April 5th to Friday, April 9th. Spring Break always seems to sneak up on usand sometimes can be a waste of free time for your kiddos. A bunch of the Sassie’s children will be spending the break at UMNH exploring the natural world and conducting scientific experiments while making new friends and discovering that science is exciting! We cannot wait and will give a full review later on.

For now, we wanted to make sure our readers know that signing your kids up for Spring Camps at UMNH is a great option for the upcoming Spring Break.

Just some of the benefits of signing your kids up for UMNH’s Spring Break Camps.  They will be able to:

• Explore the natural world from new perspectives
• Conduct scientific experiments
• Work with museum artifacts and animals
• Spend time outdoors
• Make new friends

Important things to know:

• Camps run Monday, April 5 through Friday, April 9
• Camps are for kids in Kindergarten through third grade
• Available in full and half-day programs
• Register for one, several or all camp days

UMNH members receive special pricing!

You can read up on the specific classes, outlines of what material they will cover, and all the details you need here.  Our kids are excited for many of the classes, some of them being: Weather Station Class, Animal Interactions Class, Kids in Nature Class, Crawling with Critters Class and many, many more.

Be sure to consider having your kids attend a half day or full day, partial week or full week of a Utah Museum of Natural History Camp during the Spring Break!